Ridiculous Roaming Charge

Two rules when you're near a border:

• set your cell to 'home only', that is, your provider. All devices can do it.

• and, never turn on data roaming unless you have a package to cover it.

People need to learn about their devices. It saves a lot of grief, as this guy found out.

Usually if you talk nicely that you not aware and the telco may reduce the amount.

It may be worth a try and play the dumb card that you are not aware etc.

How about you play the smart card, and just don't do it? What if they say no? You're stuck with a large bill.

I tired of people taking zero responsibility for their decisions.

Good information to know for the future.

Probably best when visiting another country is to buy a one month SIM card.

This story makes a nice little ad for T-Mobile.

And it also makes a nice big ad for being aware of the effects of international travel on things like cell phones. Not many years ago, every cell phone user would know to keep their phone off when traveling internationally or check on how it would be billed first.

This is the best way as long as you have an unlocked GSM phone that uses a SIM card. You can buy the local SIM card when you get there at many locations - even newsstands.

dobs108

In this case it was the carrier which, initially, wasn't taking responsibility for its actions. It appears they were bundling 73 minutes of domestic data with 1 minute of international data.

JMO but the default setting should be to disable international data and voice roaming. Maybe the carrier should be responsible for enabling roaming without the explicit request of the customer. Probably the reason why carriers often waive such charges. Maybe a company should be responsible if important disticntions are "buried" in the fine print.

Verizon iPhones are GSM unlocked. You can insert a foreign SIM card.

Chewbacca you have 2 gps. I also have 2 my self and for long trip I take both of them.

Even if I take the wrong exit it will direct me again to the right direction. and with 2 gps on my car I would not even think to depend on my stupid phone for direction. and if driving near a border rest assure I turn my phone off. and if I am planning to use I will buy a calling card for emergency use only.

The truth is in today society people are addicted to the dam phone,as I sure a lot of you have notice people falling down over rail road track while on the phone,they do not even talk to other anymore today they just text..

The way I figure if people can't not talk on the phone anymore,then what you are about to text must not be importante..

Pretty sad - isn't it ... that these "toys' that folks are addicted to were originally supposed to connect people, but seemed to have done the opposite?
Was out at a sandwich shop the other day and watched a table of five people where ALL of them were on their "stupid phones", and not talking to each other.

Maybe I'm just "old fashion", but I think if you "go out to lunch" with someone, you should pay attention to the person you are with ...

There have been a lot of very surprised people who used their cell phones on cruise ships. That adds up really fast! When we cruise we turn the phones off or put them into airplane mode. When we went to Vancouver we were surprised to find that there is zero Verizon coverage in Canada but managed to live without having phone access.

Only 1, Nuvi 760. I don't use the other GPS (Garmin Mobile XT). Too buggy.

That's natural selection process removing Darwin award candidates from the gene pool. Some people forget that smartphones can't make them smarter.

has roaming coverage in Canada. You can pay extra per minute or pay a few dollars extra to upgrade your current plan to include Canada.

That's correct. All carriers will have an arrangement with a carrier outside the home country but usually at exorbitant roaming rates. Best bet is to buy a separate SIM card in the other country when you arrive which would save you substantial money. Second option is to prepay through your carrier before you leave your home country. Lucky for me, I have an unlimited data and voice plan that is North America wide so do not have to worry about roaming fees.

This is why consumers need to set up their devices to turn off voice, data, and text roaming when they get a new device.

While I may not be the norm here, I never accept default settings new out of the box. People need to get to know them, and learn the settings.

Every new device I get, I go through Settings thoroughly, and set it up. Why take chances?

Stop making sense Juggernaut.

This 'nonsense' talk about "taking ... responsibilty" is going to get you put on a list.

this is helpful advise.