Question for anyone with a BlackBerry on Rogers or Telus

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If anyone here who has a BlackBerry with Rogers or Telus I was wondering are you charged anything extra if you open up an e-mail sent to you while in the United States.

I have a BlackBerry with Bell and it turns out I just charged for opening some e-mails last month while I was at WDW, although I think that is not a fair thing for them do. For example when my BlackBerry is in my case I have it set to vibrate whenever I get a phone call, plus it also vibrates in the case when I get e-mail. Anyway when it does vibrates I have no idea if it's a phone call or e-mail until I look at it, so shouldn't someone at Bell realize that? Plus if it's an e-mail I am getting it automatically comes on the screen, so there is no way not to read it. Also it's weird that Bell let's us purchase an American calling plan and an American texing plan, but they don't have anything for e-mails. I mean if somone has a BlackBerry it's mainly for e-mails, so if they travel to the United States shouldn't they have an e-mail plan you can purchase?

 

[ccudmore]

Your BB service plan is pretty much broken down into two parts: voice and data. Voice is what you are charged when you talk on the phone and data is pretty much everything else, including e-mails. If you go outside of Canada you are no longer on the Rogers (or Telus or Bell) network for both voice and data. You are now on a U.S. carrier's network and they have to route the traffic back to your Canadian carrier. The costs for roaming (for both voice and data) are huge. Always have been, always will be (probably).

All carriers (Bell, Rogers, Telus) offer packages where you can buy a block of minutes for voice or kilobytes for data for use within the US at a discounted rate from what the normal roaming rate would be. It's still not as cheap as it would be if you were back in Canada but it's better than paying the huge roaming rates.

Your alternative is turn off data roaming on you BB so that it won't try to use the data services if it's not on your Canadian service.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

All carriers (Bell, Rogers, Telus) offer packages where you can buy a block of minutes for voice or kilobytes for data for use within the US at a discounted rate from what the normal roaming rate would be. It's still not as cheap as it would be if you were back in Canada but it's better than paying the huge roaming rates.

I know about those plans because like I said before I purchased a plan for 100 minutes and a American text messaging plan. However if they are going to also charge us for looking at incoming e-mails, shouldn't there be some American e-mail plan you can purchase while were in the United States?

 

[ccudmore]

E-mail is considered data so if you purchased a US data roaming plan you'd be covered. I don't know about Bell but Rogers has a US data roaming plan that I use whenever I go to the US.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

E-mail is considered data so if you purchased a US data roaming plan you'd be covered. I don't know about Bell but Rogers has a US data roaming plan that I use whenever I go to the US.

Well then either Bell has no idea what's going on or their data does not include e-mails. However when I purchase those same plans for my vacation this December I will ask if there is something for e-mails, if they are included in the data roaming plan.

 

[satman1962]

Last I checked Bell has no data roaming package available for the US. They will charge you around 8-12.00/mb depending on your plan. Thats for any data, e-mail, web browser as well as black berry messenger.

Packages are for voice and texts only. Increments of 100 200 400 or 700 minutes for a set fee.

Text package is unlimited incoming texts (always free with package or not) and 50 outgoing texts for 5 bucks

 

[TagsMissy]

If anyone here who has a BlackBerry with Rogers or Telus I was wondering are you charged anything extra if you open up an e-mail sent to you while in the United States.

I have a BlackBerry with Bell and it turns out I just charged for opening some e-mails last month while I was at WDW, although I think that is not a fair thing for them do. For example when my BlackBerry is in my case I have it set to vibrate whenever I get a phone call, plus it also vibrates in the case when I get e-mail. Anyway when it does vibrates I have no idea if it's a phone call or e-mail until I look at it, so shouldn't someone at Bell realize that? Plus if it's an e-mail I am getting it automatically comes on the screen, so there is no way not to read it. Also it's weird that Bell let's us purchase an American calling plan and an American texing plan, but they don't have anything for e-mails. I mean if somone has a BlackBerry it's mainly for e-mails, so if they travel to the United States shouldn't they have an e-mail plan you can purchase?

Data and voice / text are different. Turn off your data when you travel if you don't want to pay for it. Canadian carriers sell plans for Data while traveling, it's not cheap but it's far cheaper than regular roaming. another option is get a US pay as you go phone and give the number to those at home who may need to contact you or do as I do... I am on a GSM HTC Magic, my phone is unlocked, until I can get a dual sim card phone where I don't need to worry about swapping cards, i just put in my Tmobile sim card into my Android and if anybody needs me they just call my US number. I am on vacation, I don't want to be bothered I give my US number to a couple people at work; should they really need to get a hold of me they can... otherwise I don't care about frivolous emails I check that at night before going to sleep on my laptop since I we get free internet in DVC rooms.

The easiest solution though is just turn OFF your email push and then all you will get are calls and any text messages.

 

[TagsMissy]

I know about those plans because like I said before I purchased a plan for 100 minutes and a American text messaging plan. However if they are going to also charge us for looking at incoming e-mails, shouldn't there be some American e-mail plan you can purchase while were in the United States?

You need a DATA plan. DATA is separate than voice minutes.

This is from the Bell website:

Data roaming

Through our trusted partners, Bell lets you use your mobile phone, smartphone, or Connection card/Turbo Stick for email and Internet in the U.S. When you travel south of the border, your rate plan's included data will not be used. Instead, there are special roaming rates, depending on your device. Please see the chart below.

Device Data charges
Smartphone or Connection card/Turbo Stick $6/MB
Mobile phone (using Mobile Browser) $0.03/KB

 

[drag n' fly]

I have a Blackberry through Telus. It is actually easy breezy. You just have to de-activate your Data Service before you get on the plane. That way it is completely shut down. If you don't do that you are charged an arm and a leg. Dh is meeting us there via New Orleans. I can text him for free anywhere in North America. P.S. Don't confuse that with pinning or pinging those still cost money

 

[Mike2023]

My data goes off as soon as I leave canada. The price for data is out of this world.

Good thing about the iphone is it does it for me.

p.s. you dont even have to read the e-mail to be charged for data. The fact that your phone is pulling updates is all it takes.

 

[connorsmom911]

My data goes off as soon as I leave canada. The price for data is out of this world.

Good thing about the iphone is it does it for me.

p.s. you dont even have to read the e-mail to be charged for data. The fact that your phone is pulling updates is all it takes.

You can set up the blackberry to do it for you as well. I just popped over the border to Buffalo on Monday and it worked like a charm.

In your main menu options, go to "manage connections" then "mobile network options" and set your data services to "off when roaming". I found the data kicked off just over the border at Fort Erie (because Rogers actually sent me a text message welcoming me to the US...kinda creepy), and then it kicked back on when we approached the Canada border line-up (and dumped in the 20 or so e-mails I received while we were gone). Text and voice still work fine, and no nasty roaming charges showing up on your bill if you forget!

 

[beavdisfan]

If anyone here who has a BlackBerry with Rogers or Telus I was wondering are you charged anything extra if you open up an e-mail sent to you while in the United States.

I have a BlackBerry with Bell and it turns out I just charged for opening some e-mails last month while I was at WDW, although I think that is not a fair thing for them do. For example when my BlackBerry is in my case I have it set to vibrate whenever I get a phone call, plus it also vibrates in the case when I get e-mail. Anyway when it does vibrates I have no idea if it's a phone call or e-mail until I look at it, so shouldn't someone at Bell realize that? Plus if it's an e-mail I am getting it automatically comes on the screen, so there is no way not to read it. Also it's weird that Bell let's us purchase an American calling plan and an American texing plan, but they don't have anything for e-mails. I mean if somone has a BlackBerry it's mainly for e-mails, so if they travel to the United States shouldn't they have an e-mail plan you can purchase?

when on rogers before going to the u.s. call and set up a call or text plan for the time you are going. you can set up for as little as $15.00 and for one month.
i am leaving in 17 days and called to-day to get the info.
much much less expensive than paying full price.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

when on rogers before going to the u.s. call and set up a call or text plan for the time you are going. you can set up for as little as $15.00 and for one month.
i am leaving in 17 days and called to-day to get the info.
much much less expensive than paying full price.

I actually said before that Bell has those exact same plans when travelling to the United States, which I have purchased before and will be getting again this December.

 

[mom_rules]

What would blackberry messenger be considered?
Do you get charged roaming fees on it?

 

[TagsMissy]

I actually said before that Bell has those exact same plans when travelling to the United States, which I have purchased before and will be getting again this December.

Reiterating:

You need a DATA plan. DATA is separate than voice/texting.

This is from the Bell website:

Data roaming

Through our trusted partners, Bell lets you use your mobile phone, smartphone, or Connection card/Turbo Stick for email and Internet in the U.S. When you travel south of the border, your rate plan's included data will not be used. Instead, there are special roaming rates, depending on your device. Please see the chart below.

Device Data charges
Smartphone or Connection card/Turbo Stick $6/MB
Mobile phone (using Mobile Browser) $0.03/KB