BT Email access when abroad

[Globalist]

Well John thanks for your reply & advice.

Whilst is did get reconnect to BT Accounts and Emails from my return 9 October, I expect same problems soon after I get back to Asia from end November. I keep hearing that other persons don't experience same problems, so I try to figure what is different with my travel pattern or system of managing emails (e.g. using Outlook on laptop 24/7 and Samsung Mail on phones. My laptop is rarely off except when moving destinations.

Chris= Globalist

[Mikey_C]

I'm having the same problem. No access to my BT emails in Saudi Arabia. I'm sure I had the same problem a few years ago in Vietnam, ridiculous 

[Globalist]

18 Oct 2023

Wow-Mikey_C

I'm surprised but pleased to see another person who has experienced similar problems with access to BT Accounts & Email when abroad. It happens to me all te times I am in Vietnam & Malaysia (where I spend months each year).

From other feedback in this forum I was beginning to think it was only me with such issues. But I have previously demonstrated the issue  directly with screenshots and even the log in to my laptop by a BT Executive Resolution team member. Additionally I do have personal contacts who work in IT with software providers to the mobile industry, and they have also sen the problems on my laptop by accessing thru Team Viewer. So it will be great if at some point BT take this issue on board identify the cause, and offers solutions or way to work around.

[Mikey_C]

Going through the BT solutions after I posted, I managed to get access to email on my phone via webmail on the BT website. Not ideal as I much prefer to use the email App on my Android phone and iPad, but a workaround...

[Andy_N]

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@Mikey_Cwrote:

Going through the BT solutions after I posted, I managed to get access to email on my phone via webmail on the BT website. Not ideal as I much prefer to use the email App on my Android phone and iPad, but a workaround...

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This "issue" has been going on for years and actually reported in this forum many times.

The usual difficulty seems to be access via apps - i.e. imap or pop3 and smtp. This can easily be the host system blocking access to these for non foreign accounts. However it may not always be the case - it could easily depend on the host ISP in the country, some may allow it - others not so much. Webmail typically works, but again not always.

There could always be the case of BTinternet blocking various nation IP ranges due to possible security/spam issues reported,

[Mikey_C]

After 4 days the App on my Android phone has suddenly brought through all the missing emails. Baffling, as I've changed nothing, and am still in Saudi!

[Steve5807]

I have experienced the same problem during a vacation in Vietnam this last week. I went through the security/reset process several times and made an expensive call to the helpline before I realised it was all futile. I was told the server regarded hotel wifi, especially VPNs as suspicious but I had no more success when I got access to a real private network. En route home I was able to log on from public wifi at Dubai airport without problems!

I am grateful the security is there for me but the price seems to be denial of legitimate access.

BT should tell us which countries/regions are likely to be affected and give instructions on the methods by which email might be received in those countries. 

[Globalist]

Yes, Steve,

I travel regularly to Vietnam . Malaysia, and other Asian places. And ever since travel restarted after Covid Lockdowns then this BT email denial of service has occurred. BT offer no solutions. And, like you I've made multiple phone calls to their (non) customer service personnel and scaled up to the Resolution Team. And pointed out that they also keep charging with no reduction when unable to access their Email system. I am  now switching to using Gmail when travelling. I agree they should advise this problem, and list situation causes, like countries and places (such as hotels or outside venues (coffee shops, whatever). Chris

[Mikey_C]

The whole situation is very confusing, and indeed annoying. Using various hotel Wifis across Saudi, some allowed me to access my BT emails through the Google App perfectly normally, while some didn't, forcing me to use webmail. 

Thinking back,  I have recollections of the same problem happening very occasionally in the UK a few years ago, where using certain public wifis (such as in pubs) it wouldn't allow me to access emails either.

[Andy_N]

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@Mikey_Cwrote:

The whole situation is very confusing, and indeed annoying. Using various hotel Wifis across Saudi, some allowed me to access my BT emails through the Google App perfectly normally, while some didn't, forcing me to use webmail. 

Thinking back,  I have recollections of the same problem happening very occasionally in the UK a few years ago, where using certain public wifis (such as in pubs) it wouldn't allow me to access emails either.

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Frankly this doesn't point at being a BT problem, which a few of us have said over the years. It is the access point you are using, and could be blocked for smtp/pop/impa via apps etc due to a potential IP address issue. Webmail doesn't tend to have this problem as it's a different access - hence can usually work.

It's not for BT to tell everyone that access can be flakey at various places, for a start the list would be massive and could easily change.