Hello everyone
Great news for goodybags - from 14th June 2017, our members will be able to roam into the EU and use their goodybag allowances as they do in the UK. This post will get you up to speed with how this works and what it all means.
The European Commission is rolling out new regulation, aptly named "Roam Like at Home", which we believe will make a fantastic difference to giffgaffers when holidaying or taking a trip to other places in the EU.
So, from 14th June 2017, the minutes, texts and data that come with your goodybag will work in the following destinations:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Islands, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City
This will come at no extra cost, apart from on the £20 Always On goodybag where there will be a small charge of £0.0078 per mb after you’ve used 6GB (charge only when using data in the places listed above).
We want to give the best roam like at home experience we can, and having this small charge for EU roaming after 6GB on Always On, protects giffgaff from potential abuse, and means there will be no price increases for any of our goodybags.
Your new roaming allowance will automatically kick-in on 14th June 2017, providing you meet the basic eligibility checks. The checks are to ensure you are a genuine giffgaff member – someone who typically lives in the UK, but may take trips to other EU countries from time to time. We'll make things easy by looking for some sort of UK usage in the last couple of months, and then turning on the EU roaming allowance for you. Looks like 99% of all giffgaffers with goodybags will be eligible without having to lift a finger, but there will plenty of support and advice around what to do if you have any problems.
We've pulled together an FAQ below to hopefully answer any common questions and provide more detail to anyone interested.
That's about it for now. We'd love to hear any plans you have for holidays from 14th June 2017. Bring on the summer.
Steve
FAQs (click to view)
When is it happening?
The changes will go live on Wednesday 14th June 2017. Just in time for summer holidays.
Do I need to do anything?
Providing you’ve shown signs of life in the UK recently, you’ll automatically be entitled to inclusive EU roaming with your goodybag. From 14th June 2017 you'll be able to check your status in your account settings, where there will also be advice about what to do if you experience any problems.
Does this include gigabags too?
Yes it does. You can use your full gigabag data allowance in the EU.
My next goodybag starts sometime after 14th June 2017, does that matter?
No, the change is not tied into when goodybags start or expire. Providing you meet the basic eligibility checks, the inclusive roaming will kick in on 14th June 2017 no matter how far into your goodybag you are.
What if I don’t have a goodybag?
If you prefer to roll without a goodybag, then you can continue using our pay as you go rates while in the EU. The charges will be the same as they are in the UK.
Are there restrictions or fair use guidelines?
Including EU roaming at no extra cost is great news for members, and we’re excited about how it will make holidaying easier with giffgaff. However, we need to be mindful of the potential for abuse and have some checks in place to safeguard giffgaff and all our genuine members.
The inclusive EU roaming is intended for members who typically reside in the UK, but may go on trips to the EU from time to time. It is not intended for people to start using giffgaff in any other country, without ever planning on coming to the UK, simply because it beats their local rates. If people do end up doing that we'll have to put some restrictions in place for them.
Are there any extra charges?
Your goodybag will work in the EU like it does in the UK, with no additional charges apart from those on the £20 Always On goodybag, where after 6GB of data has been used, there will be a charge of £0.0078 per mb in the EU.
This charge allows us to provide the best roaming experience we can, without having to increase any of our goodybag prices. The charge is in place to protect giffgaff from potential abuse.
All the things normally included and not included in your goodybag will be the same wherever you are in the EU. The charges once you’ve used your allowance are the same, and you’ll still be able to start your next goodybag early if you wish.
What destinations are included?
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Islands, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City
Are there any destinations changing from their current roaming zone?
From 14th June 2017, Switzerland, Monaco, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man will move to our “Rest of World” roaming zone, and charged £1/min to make and receive calls, 30p/text and 20p/mb. We'll be reaching out to the people who have been to these places recently, to let them know about the change in advance.
Any call or text from the EU to a country outside of the EU, will cost £1/min and 30p/text.
**edited to clarify dates as the 14th June 2017**
