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Beware of the Fido Roam

Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1

If you have a Fido Pulse plan, Fido will have enabled (whether you wanted it or not) the Fido Roam plan. You might think you can just ignore it if you have no interest in using their roaming services but that is not the case. There are in fact a few sneaky little gotchas that may cost you upwards of $180 in extra charges on your next bill if you aren't fully informed. Read on.

 

It used to be that when you arrive in a destination country, you'd recieve a text message informing you that you were roaming and that pay-per-use roaming charges would apply. You would then even be given some roaming package you could choose to opt-in to. Cool!

Not the case anymore. Now with Fido Roam enabled, what happens it that once you arrive in your destination country, you'll recieve a text message that looks something like this:41945306_10155496318011734_1795333541324652544_n.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would be very easy to think that by just not turning on your data (and data roaming) you'd be ok BUT that is not the case at all. There in lies the grand trap that cost me a small chunk of change! 

 

You will automatically enable Fido Roam services for a 24 hour period at whatever cost was specified in the initial text if you simply send a text message OR recieve an MMS message (a text with a picture) OR recieve a call and reject it (rather than letting it ring and go to voicemail). You won't have any idea that you activated it either until you get your bill at the end of your billing cycle. Further more, you can't even disable it from your customer account portal, you need to either get onto live chat or call a customer service representative to have them disable it!

 

I have a dual-SIM phone and in my case, it used to be that upon leaving, I'd disable Fido's data and enable my host countries data plan and I'd be free and clear. If I recieved a text or call on my Fido line, I could simply respond to it and pay the one time usage fee... turns out this year, that wasn't the case and rather than paying $10.50 for sending about 14 text messages I was dinged $84! Now that's one hell of a markup in price! 

 

I highly recommend you disable Fido Roam ASAP before travelling and instead, get a SIM chip for the country you are visiting. You will almost ALWAYS get a far superior deal to any roaming package Fido offers you! 

 

Going forward, here is what FIdo should do:

1) When the roaming plan has been activated for a 24 hour period, you should recieve a text message indicating it has been activated and should also give you the exact time it will be deactivated (as it lasts for a 24 hour period).

 

2) There should be a quick and easy way to opt out by text message.

 

3) It should NOT be automatically enabled on any plan, instead users should be able to opt-in to it like before.

 

4) It should be easily enabled/disabled via the customer service portal as opposed to having to actually have a customer service rep do it for you.

 

I don't forsee any of these happening though because there is money to be made as data overage and roaming charges bring HUGE dollars to telecom providers. 

 

Hope this helps someone from falling into this trap because if you think Fido will reimburse you, you are sorely mistaken. You will be told that their roaming policies are "clearly laid out" on some part of their site for anyone to read... sadly this is all after the fact that you've fallen into the trap!

 

Now cue the customer service reps and community mods to chime in with their copy-pasted responses indicating how sorry they are that I feel this way and that it's not for everyone and so on....

90 REPLIES 90

Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1

I'm not buying it. I'm able to send and receive texts in near real time with anyone when I'm abroad there is no reason I couldn't get a text and/or email about Fido Roam kicking in moments after it does. 

 

 

ricksmithers
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

i just got caught in the same trap. Went to Vegas last December and got Roam enabled.  After I returned to Canada, I assumed it was reset, and i would have to activate it again when i needed it.  I dont look that closely at my bills, so I just noticed that it had been billing me 7 bucks every time i enter the states, even for an hour., for the last 6 months.  i never made or received any calls, or sent any texts. So I assume something must have been using data.

 

Fido can try to justify it all they want, but it is clear to me that this is an incredibly poorly designed product, and is purposely deceptive and predatory to extract maximum revenue from unaware customers.

 

I called customer support and have had it disabled, and i certainly will never use it again.  They were unwilling to refund any of these past charges. I will also take this into consideration when making future carrier decisions.

jrdunno
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Same happened to me. Except I turned on airplane mode immediately after I got the text, knowing Fido's tactic of charging for 24 hour period (regardless of fido roam or pay per use). Guess what? I still got charged the day's worth of roaming with a few KB showing on my statement. When I call the customer service the staff basically imply I'm lying about the airplane mode and it's all fair charges. He also mentioned same thing like the mods here are saying: it's more than reasonable to pay $7 for roaming per day, he said he finds it cheap (or implying I am cheap lol). The rep finally reimbursed it after I asked for a supervisor.

 

I've experienced such drama previously when I was in a trip to Asia. Back then I only disabled data (not just data roaming) and I got charged $12/day. The bill was about $300 and obviously I told them to either reverse it or I'll bring it to CRTC, ombudsmen and media. Those roaming charges were waived. I've also learnt to not trust Fido about roaming and simply turn my phone to airplane mode since. 

 

I have used other carriers in Canada and Fido really seems to be the only one doing this. It's sneaky way to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) when many people will not complain/not checking their bill/letting pre-authorized payment go through. My work phone is with Rogers and I haven't seen something like this at all. All I have to do was to disable data roaming. Other carriers I've used in the past will charge an amount per data usage and not $7 or $12 for tens of Kilobytes.

 

By the way, when Fido say pay per use, it's also a daily charge not per KB. It's also more expensive than Fido Roam. I've also tried to ask Fido to disable all roaming to prevent this from ever happening. They told me I'll get much worse coverage because extended networks are considered roaming, even though it's free for my plan to use. 

 

 

 

FidoRuth
Former Moderator
Former Moderator

Hey jrdunno, this is definitely not the type of experience that we aim for, we do recommend to turn off all data roaming if you're not planning on using the Data Bytes service in order to avoid unwanted usage.

 

Airplane mode is also a good alternative although some devices make it easy to remove it which could cause additional fees if the data roaming option is activated.

 

In regards to the price of the service, we all have different perspectives in regards to what we perceive to be great value. It is unfortunate that some of my colleagues were not sensitive to that fact when addressing the situation with you.

 

Our goal is to be as transparent as possible when it comes to roaming which is why you receive a text message as soon as we're able to find out that you're outside of the country. We appreciate any feedback that would help make that process more enjoyable.

 

In regards to our pay-per-use option, we do have options if you wish to be billed by the text or by the minute for your phone calls and daily rates do not apply to those services. If you do wish to use your data while abroad on pay-per-use I would not recommend it since it can get quite costly and the pay-per-use service is mostly meant for those looking to talk and text.

 

As for shutting down all roaming, it is your choice to decide whether or not you'd like the option to be activated or turned off. Sadly we're not able to be selective with the networks that we're able to turn off on your device, either it's all of them or none of them. Then again these are options that you can easily manage from your own phone if you wish to proceed that way.

 

If you do have other questions, please contact us here and we'd be glad to help you with your inquiries.



Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1

Press them harder for a refund. It took me a while but I had them refund me the difference of what the regular roaming charges should have been and what they were with Fido Roam. I made it clear that  I had no issues paying for regular roaming charges as that's what I was expecting to pay.

Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1

Find a WIFI hotspot, log into your customer portal and get a service rep to shut it off. You'd think there would be a super easy way to do this but it seems they lack the technology to do this very thing. It's quite odd. Yes I'm being sarcastic.

Also, depending where you are in Europe and assuming your phone is unlocked, you can buy a SIM chip in the country you are in with a pay-as-you-go type service and you can get GB's of data for a fraction of what we pay. On top of that, because roaming fees have been banned in the EU, you can usually use your data from one EU country in another. 

maudie
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

@Fredyo thanks for the advice. I'm on airplane mode now and only using wifi!

FaridGM
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

With all the due respect to the OP, I am glad to use this Fido Roam feature as I never faced issues the OP mentioned and I travel pretty often. To me personally, Fido Roam is more valuable than pay per use and I see the logic Fido decided to put this option first. I would hate to pay per use until I realize that my Fido Roam had to be manually turned on. The good thing is that Fido does not force anyone to use it and let you switch if you want. Days when I do not plan to use the phone, I switch the data off, and Fido does not charge me. Rejecting calls never costed me a penny. I just wish Fido did not increase their US roaming rates from $5 to $7 and limit from 10 to 15 days.

Hello FaridGM,

 


@FaridGM wrote:... Days when I do not plan to use the phone, I switch the data off, and Fido does not charge me. Rejecting calls never costed me a penny...

  For those who are not aware, disabling data and/or roaming data does not prevent roaming for voice and messaging. Making/receiving calls or sending messages with that setting disabled will still incur the Fido Roam charge.

 

  Thank you for verifying that rejecting calls no longer incurs roaming charges.

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 


Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1

Right. They don't force you to use it but it is automatically activated on your account and if you aren't aware of that, that's where the problems start. If I wanted a roaming package, I'd get one but I don't want (or need) one. It used to be that if you made a call or sent a text, you'd get dinged for just that amount where as now sending a text, receiving a picture text, making or receiving a call automatically starts the roaming package and you won't get any indication that you were just charged for a day of roaming when you had no intention of doing that. You'd think it would be pretty easy for Fido to send a quick text indicating you've started the roaming package for a 24 hour period! In the EU, there are strict rules about this and you have to get informed about ALL activity like that and you have to specifically opt out of those informational texts.

Want to disable it? Well you can't disable via text OR through your online account portal. you have to specifically get in contact with a customer service rep to do that which is a little ridiculous. 

 

Mobile providers make a TON of cash off roaming packages,  it is not in their best interest to make these things easy. 

FidoPhilippe
Moderator
Moderator

Hey @Fredyo!

 

Thanks for your feedback! That's certainly a lot of points to cover and I promise not to copy/paste anything. Smiley

 

I just have a few points to clarify there:

 

1. We extended Fido Roam to everyone so all our customers can take advantage of it while traveling. In general, there's more value in using Fido Roam then pay-per-use. Hence why we went with the opt-out model rather than the opt-in one.

 

2. Although we extended this to everyone, you do have the options to opt-out anytime to use our pay-per-use rates. Those rates and Fido Roam information can be found here.

 

3. Usage that triggers Fido Roam includes making or receiving a phone call, retrieving voicemails, sending a text (receiving is free), sending/receiving a picture message or using data. Rejecting a call will not trigger Fido Roam.

 

That all being said, I completely understand if Fido Roam doesn't meet your particular needs. We will certainly take all your other suggestions in consideration.

 

If you would like to discuss you billing, you can reach out to us using these methods and we'll be happy to look into it Smiley

 

Let me know.



davidfabbro
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

I am quite upset with this Fido Roam and no way to turn it off myself. since I travel on BC Ferries and yesterday in Victoria Automatically was charged the $8 when I was in fact in Canada. this is not satisfactory if I have to phone everytime to dispute these charges

Hey @davidfabbro,

 

We understand unwanted charges are never fun and we don't want you to have any such surprises on the bill either, especially being in Canada. We have measures in place to prevent any accidental roaming though. It's also good to know that connecting to an American tower will not incur he charge, but only if a usage is made while connected.

 

You can contact us through these channels if you wish to opt-out of Fido Roam.

 

 



Fredyo
I'm helpful level 1
I'm helpful level 1


@FidoPhilippe wrote:

Hey @Fredyo!

 

Thanks for your feedback! That's certainly a lot of points to cover and I promise not to copy/paste anything. Smiley

 

I could hardly tell.....

 

 

1. We extended Fido Roam to everyone so all our customers can take advantage of it while traveling. In general, there's more value in using Fido Roam then pay-per-use. Hence why we went with the opt-out model rather than the opt-in one.

 

You people made an opt-in model that included everyone including those who didn't and wouldn't have wanted to be and if they didn't bother to check the fine print (because why would they if they had no intention of ever using it) they would have never known that even if you tried to avoid roaming charges by switching off their data roaming (which used to work just fine) they now had to put their phone into airplane mode to be completely safe! THIS alone tells you just how aggressive and utterly absurd this policy is!

 

2. Although we extended this to everyone, you do have the options to opt-out anytime to use our pay-per-use rates. Those rates and Fido Roam information can be found here.

 

Copy-Paste In Effect!

 

Oh sure you can opt-out anytime. Of course this would imply that you were fully aware of how many different ways it could be enabled! I'm sure there aren't many people who would think that just recieving a call OR sending a text message OR recieving a picture message would, despite their data roaming being disabled, still end up activating the service for a full 24 hours! They'd probably opt out when they'd return home from vacation, get their bill and blow a gasket when they've realized that despite their best efforts they've been taken to the cleaners!

 

And you can't even disable it from your customer account portal or a simple text message. No you need contact a customer service representative! Absolutely ridiculous!!

 

3. Usage that triggers Fido Roam includes making or receiving a phone call, retrieving voicemails, sending a text (receiving is free), sending/receiving a picture message or using data. Rejecting a call will not trigger Fido Roam.

 

Apparently it does according to other things I've read. Moot point ... unless you remove your SIM chip or disable it, you are getting pooched and you will have NO idea until you've recieved your bill at the end of the month! THIS IS MY POINT!

 

That all being said, I completely understand if Fido Roam doesn't meet your particular needs. We will certainly take all your other suggestions in consideration.

 

It doesn't. It never did. That's why I simple kept my data off so as to not enable it (as per what the initial text message inferred).

 

If you would like to discuss you billing, I would be quite happy to send you a PM to discuss it further with you. Smiley

 

Sure you can PM me all you want but unless you are willing to refund my $84 swindled dollars and instead charge me for just the texts I've sent (should be no more than 15) at the default pay-per-use rates, we have nothing to talk about. 

 

I've emailed the complaints department yesterday and if I don't hear from them by tomorrow I will escalate and go to the telecommunications ombudsman. I will also continue spreading the word to anyone that will listen... this includes CBC Go Public.

 

kpreville
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

exactly!! totally agree. soooo frustrating. !!!

should be able to UNTRAVEL at least (assuming you know)

Hey @kpreville

 

If you want to opt-out from Fido Roam, you just need to contact us using any of the options you'll find here.

 

Keep in mind that, if you opt-out, pay per use rates will apply for your usage and you would need to contact us to opt back in if you change your mind.



rho88
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

If Fido really want to make this easier, the opt-out should be in the app or in "My Account". But clearly this is not happening.They want people to use the app and is ready to charge you $10 if you call to make an address change, but opt-out of Fido Roam has to be done by phone... go figure.

 

I got charged the same roam **bleep** 2 years ago while in Portugal, where I had a local sim card. I have a spare travel phone and use the local sim as hotspot. But 3 calls that lasted less than 45 seconds on 3 separate days were enough to trigger the full Fido Roam charge on 3 days. Fido Roam was supposed to be taken off since then from my account, but not sure anymore since my plan has changed. Talk about a real pain having to waste my time calling again.

 

And I'm sorry, I have a Telus phone at work and my gf is on Fizz. Telus has a cap on roaming charge and Fizz does not have this auto roam thing. And i've been to all 5 continents and I always buy a local sim card.

 

It's only logical for any company to look at usage to determine the charge. When you see a person using a mere few kbps on a single day while abroad, Fido should be smart enough to not charge the full $12/day roaming, or like in my case a 30 seconds call. Especially considering that most Android phones are known to have data "leakage". Putting your phone on airplane mode is not a practical solution in case you get an important call while abroad... like your home alarm company calling because your alarm got triggered.

Hey @rho88

 

Thank you for your feedback. While we totally understand that unexpected charges are no fun, we make sure to advise our customers about any chargers that may incur when they use Fido roam in a covered destination via a free incoming text message. When you receive the text message, you have the option to put your phone on airplane mode or just take out your sim card to avoid any such usage. You can also contact us to opt-out. 

 

The $10 fee only applies to a few specific transactions that are easily available through self-serve options. Opting-out of Fido roam in not included in that. We also offer many ways to contact us to accommodate our customers, calling in is not the only option. That said, if you use your Fido sim, you are billed a flat rate of either $7 in US or $12 internationally that  gives you access to what your plan offers for a full 24 hours. 

 

To clarify, if you have a spare phone with a local sim, there should be no fee. As you might have read in this thread, the roaming fee is only triggered when an outgoing usage is detected and validated through your Fido sim card. There's no way for us to see any usage made on any other sim, but our own.

 

You can check if you are currently enrolled to Fido Roam by simply texting ROAM to 222. 



rho88
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

wow talk about a copy/paste response... Repeating what I wrote. This is what frustrate your customers. Everything you wrote I already mentioned on my original post. Including what triggered the Fido Roam charge, why it makes no sense to not include the opt-out option in the app, and why I want to keep my Fido sim on when traveling although I have a spare phone.

 

And no, putting your phone on airplane mode does not completely solve the issue. That is misleading and is what a lot of people are saying on this thread.

 

I'll try to make it simple and to the point. Why is the opt-out option not in the app or in the My Account?

 

 

Hey @ rho88!

 

Rest assured that our replies are genuine and all the information we provided was accurate. Smiley

The last thing we want is to mislead anyone. 

 

You really have nothing to lose by keeping it active on your account. You're only charged if you use the service and if you do remove it, you’ll be charged full price for every minute, SMS/MMS and all of the data you use while roaming. 

 

It is still entirely possible by contacting us though. Please note that we have many channels available for customer service including calling from abroad, Live Chat, or Social Media on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

While it is not possible at the moment to do it from MyAccount, once again we definitely appreciate the feedback on the matter as we always wish to improve our app and self-serve tools. 

If you prefer to still use a non-Fido SIM, it's entirely up to you. 

 

If you still wish to use your SIM and avoid Fido Roam fees, you have to make sure that your mobile/roaming data is turned off, to not send texts and to not make/receive phone calls. 

 



Hello Fredyo,

 


@Fredyo wrote:...

 they would have never known that even if you tried to avoid roaming charges by switching off their data roaming (which used to work just fine) they now had to put their phone into airplane mode to be completely safe! THIS alone tells you just how aggressive and utterly absurd this policy is!...

 

... I'm sure there aren't many people who would think that just recieving a call OR sending a text message OR recieving a picture message would, despite their data roaming being disabled, still end up activating the service for a full 24 hours!...


  It's unfortunate you misunderstood the term data roaming. However that is not a Fido issue. It is a fact of newer cellular phones. Older cellular phones used to have a roaming setting as well as a separate data roaming setting. Disabling roaming would prevent all roaming while disabling data roaming would only disable roaming data, but allow for voice and message roaming. However, that separate roaming setting was removed from Android a while back (I'm thinking circa Jelly bean or Kitkat...). I'm not sure if iOS ever had a separate roaming setting, but I'm pretty sure they currently only have a data roaming setting.

 

  That means, newer phones automatically roam. With data roaming disabled, it is still possible to roam with voice and messaging. The only way to prevent voice and messaging roaming is to enable a phone's Flight or Airplane mode. That's for all newer phones, regardless mobile provider.

 

  Fido was not trying to trap anyone with Fido Roam. Within that Fido Roam message you provided, it clearly states:

 

...use your data, talk and text from your plan in the U.S. for just $7/day.

 

  There's no ambiguity there -- data, talk and text -- for the stated amount (+ taxes, even!). The last statement to enable data roaming is to remind people it needs to be enabled to use data. Since phones now automatically roam, the use of talk and text is inherent because there is no other setting.

 

  I'll admit, perhaps Fido could provide better options to opt-out of Fido Roam. I personally preferred being able to purchase a Travel Pack (I have a non-Pulse plan).

 

Hope this helps Smiley

 

Cheers