How to call EE from abroad, also when your phone is lost

EE's "Contact us from abroad" page gives one number for calls from outside the UK: +44 7953 966 150. It lists the hours as Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm, UK time.

EE's roaming page tells EE customers to call +44 7953 966 250 while they are away, and says that call is free from an EE phone roaming in the EU; outside the EU you pay the standard roaming rate for where you are. The same page gives +44 7953 966 150 to customers of EE's older brands, charged at international rates.

In our test both numbers went to the same automated menu. If you still have your EE phone and you are in the EU, calling +44 7953 966 250 from that phone, free, is the obvious choice. If your phone is gone, any phone or a browser will do.

EE asks you to report a lost or stolen device as soon as you know it is gone. From abroad it gives +44 7953 966 150, charged at international call rates, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for these reports. In the menu we heard, that is 1 for your mobile and then 5 for a lost or stolen mobile.

Once you have reported it, EE says it can block the device on its network and suspend your account, send you a new SIM card (delivery is charged) or give you one free in an EE store, and send proof of purchase and proof of barring for your insurer if you ask. EE also asks you to tell the local police and get a crime reference number, which you need for an insurance claim.

Timing matters for your bill. If you tell EE within 24 hours, EE says the most you pay for unauthorised use outside your allowance is £100. If you tell EE later, you are liable for the extra charges.

Before you travel, note your phone's IMEI, a 15-digit number unique to your device. EE says having it to hand helps when a phone is lost or stolen, and its lost or stolen page explains how to find it.

If your phone was lost or stolen, you can call EE with Browzerphone from a laptop or any other computer, with no SIM card and nothing to install. EE's numbers are UK mobile numbers, and Browzerphone charges per minute at a published rate that you can check before you call. The menu keys are on the keypad in the tab.

Without credit, Browzerphone only allows a free trial call, and it ends after one minute. Reporting a lost phone can take longer, so top up before you call.