Using your iPhone for a few e-mails while out of Canada? $6000 Please

[Ham Ham]

Turn off that international roaming on you data enabled mobile phones folks.
Yes the U.S. is international.


Click on the headline for link to full article at ctv.va
Man billed thousands for roaming

Updated: Wed Feb. 25 2009 19:43:41

ctvcalgary.ca

Erik Lyneborg is angry after receiving a phone bill for thousands of dollars.

Lyneborg recently returned from a trip to Mexico.

He used his Apple iPhone for about four hours during his vacation to keep in touch with clients back in Canada.

 

[minnie56]

While it's an obscene amount of $$ I really am not surprised. Aren't the long distance charges governed by the carrier in Mexico that expedites the call? They will charge whatever they want. When my DD was in Mexico a couple of years back...she called me at home here collect. The call was still 'assisted' by a company in Mexico. We talked 11 minutes. The charge was $182.
Be really careful.....and the US can be just as pricey as indicated.

We always use the Florida call home add-on to our Bell Mobility service but last month we bought a cell in Florida at Wal-Mart. It cost $30 and came with 300 minutes. Better yet!

 

[Ham Ham]

Buying a mobile phone in when traveling makes the most sense.

You can check your e-mail with an iPhone using an open WiFi connection instead of mobile data.

 

[dkishome]

Try calling Rogers and ask for the US data add on it reduces your roaming charges..Then get them to add the flat rate monthly roaming charge for $10.
This monthly charge can be cancelled after only one month on your bill it then reduces your data charge to $1 per mb downloaded.This will reduce data roaming charges and let you use your iphone.You can always ask CSR if you could wave the first month or tell them that you would like to try it out if you in the middle of your billing cycle.You probably should still limit the use but at least you can still check and send emails and quick internet searches.

 

[Ham Ham]

Try calling Rogers and ask for the US data add on it reduces your roaming charges..Then get them to add the flat rate monthly roaming charge for $10.
This monthly charge can be cancelled after only one month on your bill it then reduces your data charge to $1 per mb downloaded.This will reduce data roaming charges and let you use your iphone.You can always ask CSR if you could wave the first month or tell them that you would like to try it out if you in the middle of your billing cycle.You probably should still limit the use but at least you can still check and send emails and quick internet searches.

Great tip.

I have an iPhone without a data plan and asked Rogers to turn it off to my mobile.
When we head to WDW I bring an Apple Airport Express so I can connect to the 'net via the iPhones WiFi .

Click for more info.

 

[grover]

would this apply to blackberries as well?

 

[jayjay13]

Yes, even blackberries. My husband a cheap Razr phone and yes, it too had international roaming activated when he went to South Carolina for work. When he got back his Rogers bill was over $2000. When he called, the rep was very helpful! She turned off the roaming and even reversed the charges. Call to complain about it - especially if you didn't even know roaming was activated on your phone in the first place - don't give in to paying that huge bill!

Now, our lesson has been learned and we use Skype. I refuse to pay any cell phone company the equivalent of our monthly mortgage! Totally insane!

 

[grover]

That is a insane amout--I can't believe the high cost.

I am trying to make sure I fully understand as our ds has a blackberry and we had planned on taking it as one of our 2 phones to use at WDW..but ONLY for texting to each other.

So..lets say the phone is taken to the states and we don't even use it-it is turned on but just sits..then it could be roaming and incurring charges?

If we use it just for texts there could be roaming charges??

I need to ask him if he knows how to turn this feature off. I have a LG Shine...I wonder if it has this feature..I will have to cover my bases and make sure it doesn't.

Yes, even blackberries. My husband a cheap Razr phone and yes, it too had international roaming activated when he went to South Carolina for work. When he got back his Rogers bill was over $2000. When he called, the rep was very helpful! She turned off the roaming and even reversed the charges. Call to complain about it - especially if you didn't even know roaming was activated on your phone in the first place - don't give in to paying that huge bill!

Now, our lesson has been learned and we use Skype. I refuse to pay any cell phone company the equivalent of our monthly mortgage! Totally insane!

 

[TagsMissy]

personally DH and I have US pay as you go phones on different networks to greater coverage.

 

[jayjay13]

That is a insane amout--I can't believe the high cost.

I am trying to make sure I fully understand as our ds has a blackberry and we had planned on taking it as one of our 2 phones to use at WDW..but ONLY for texting to each other.

So..lets say the phone is taken to the states and we don't even use it-it is turned on but just sits..then it could be roaming and incurring charges?

If we use it just for texts there could be roaming charges??

I need to ask him if he knows how to turn this feature off. I have a LG Shine...I wonder if it has this feature..I will have to cover my bases and make sure it doesn't.

If you have a data phone, like the Blackberry, roaming is ALWAYS on ~ even when the phone is NOT in use. This is what the Rogers Rep told my husband. How can this type of billing be even legal? How can a cell phone carrier bill you when you are not using their phone? I'm glad that we got the roaming turned off because my husband is always traveling for work. Apparently they have plans with roaming charges built in but you have to pay over $100/per month for it. We're considering going with one of these plans as my husband might be going to Mexico for work soon. If we got a $2000 bill for 6 weeks in South Carolina, could you imagine what the bill would like for 6 months in Mexico!?

jayjay