High seas bills! Ferry travellers face massive mobile charges

FERRY passengers face racking up massive mobile phone charges for everyday services because EU roaming rules don’t apply on board, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal.

In a move that was welcomed widely, the EU last year introduced a law that ended huge charges for citizens sending texts, making calls and using internet data on their cell phones when travelling to other member countries.

However, Irish customers could still be hit with massive charges for using their phones on ferries as the rules don’t apply when at sea. It comes as one customer claimed she was charged €6.16/ MB on a ferry crossing – and that she wasn’t warned about the higher rates in a text message.

According to the Commission for Communications Regulation, mobile network coverage – where standard charges apply – only extends offshore for a limited area, although it becomes available again when the customer is near shore. However, a satellite service is used to provide coverage throughout the portion of the journey that is further offshore, meaning that charges are significantly higher.

Data costs are especially steep, with some Irish phone networks charging over €10 per MB.

Data charges per MB include €10.24 for Eir customers, and €6.15 for Vodafone users. Those using Three Ireland services will be charged €10.07 per MB, but data usage is free between the third and 50th MB. Making calls home will set Eir Mobile customers back €2.29 per minute, while similar phone calls will cost €2.99 for Vodafone users and €1.77 for Three Ireland customers.

Although the phone coverage is provided by an independent satellite company, all charges are set by individual phone networks. Customers should receive a text from their network outlining the extra cost which will apply if they try to use their data onboard.

Dermott Jewell, policy and council advisor for the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, said that mobile phone services should be there to facilitate the customer, and that it’s ‘not good enough’ for it to be used as a money-making initiative.

‘The times of ripping off consumers should be well and truly over,’ Mr Jewell told the Mail. ‘This should not be a moneymaking exercise, this should not be a price-gouging exercise – this should be a facilitation of a customer using your service as opposed to travelling by air or by some other means.’

Mr Jewell concluded: ‘There’s a whole new mindset out there.

‘Consumers are not prepared to pay ridiculous amounts of money for what they classify now as a basic lifestyle provision.’

Telenor Maritime is the satellite company used by both Stena Line and Irish Ferries, which both state that a free Wi-Fi service is also offered on-board.

A spokesperson for Stena Line told the Mail it informs customers of additional mobile phone charges in two announcements.

They added that this information, along with the text sent by mobile operators, is ‘sufficient to ensure that customers are aware of the potential costs associated with usage during the sailing’.

Irish mobile providers were contacted at the weekend and said the rates charged for ferry passengers are higher because the cost of supplying the service is higher. They also pointed out that customers are warned about the higher fees with a text message. However, one Vodafone customer claimed she did not get any text from the network warning her of additional charges.

Fiona McPhillips tweeted: ‘I was charged €6.16/MB on an Irish Ferries Irish sea crossing.

‘I’m not sure I even intentionally used data but had roaming on thanks to new EU law.

‘@VodafoneIreland say charges are valid as it’s a satellite service in international waters.’

A Vodafone Ireland spokesperson told the Mail it couldn’t look into the claim unless it had the customer’s full account details.

Comment – Page 10 lisa.o’donnell@dailymail.ie

‘There’s a whole new mindset’