cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Charged Roaming without using it

vitorfc
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

I was charged CAD 14 for International Roaming and not even used.

 

My data was disabled and I only put my SIM card before boarding the plane but didn't use any internet because it was disabled.


That's ridiculous. Does anyone know how can I dispute this charge?

 

6 REPLIES 6

dan95
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

I was charged roaming services too, I was sure to turn them off and saw them on my bill. Customer service told me I had an incoming call that went to voicemail....and that is why I am being charged $15! it's rediculous. And their customer service agent refuse to adjust it, I can't understand how that is fair or possible or the blame is on me.

Hello Dan95,

 

  Welcome to the community!

 

  Sorry to hear you've incurred unexpected roaming charges. I understand you already contacted customer services. However, as far as I am aware, having calls go to voicemail and/or rejecting calls to send them to voicemail should not incur roaming charges (see here). However, checking your voicemail would be considered roaming as one must call the voicemail service. Had you checked that voicemail?

 

  It is usage of your services (ie making or receiving calls, sending messages, or using data) that will trigger the roaming fee (see here). Receiving SMS will not trigger the roaming fee. However, any data within a MMS (sent or received) will be considered roaming data and will trigger the roaming charge. To prevent accidental download of MMS, you might consider disabling any MMS Auto retrieve settings on your phone. With that setting disabled, you will receive notification of the message (SMS) and be given the option to download the content (MMS). If you do not download the content, there should be no roaming fee charged. Is it possible you received a MMS?

 

  You also should note that disabling data or roaming data does not prevent roaming for voice and text messages. To prevent a device from roaming, you might consider enabling Airplane or Flight mode for the duration of your trip. You could then manually enable Wifi when required. You should also note certain Wifi-calling usage abroad is also considered roaming (if applicable).

 

  You should note that this forum is community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. We do not have access to customers' accounts. If you would like to further discuss your situation, you would need to contact customer service. In addition, they can also be contacted via Live Chat, Facebook, or Twitter. Those methods can be accessed via the contact page posted above.

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers

 


Chanthusasi
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

Hey,

 

Is there a way for us to know what exact service we used to acquire the roaming charges, other than the one-time fees charged on our bills?

 

Cheers!

Hello Chanthusasi,

 

  Welcome to the community!

 

  If your bill has already been generated, the service which triggered the charge would be in your billing details. You can view your bill via My Account. From there, you can Save or Print your bill.

 

  On the other hand, if your bill has not yet been generated, I don't think it is possible to see what service triggers roaming. Unfortunately, the reporting of usage on foreign networks does not happen in real-time.

 

       For post-paid roaming, when the user first switches their phone on, the visited network checks in real time whether the home network authenticates the customer and authorises its use abroad...  ~ taken from here.

 

  That would result in the Welcoming text message we receive when our phones connect to a foreign network.

 

       ...But the data records (CDRs) with the details on each SMS and data session are sent to the home operator with some delay (up to several days).. ~ also taken from link above.

 

  If home networks don't receive usage information in real-time, it's not possible for them to provide customers with roaming usage.

 

  The situation is different with pre-paid services where a real-time exchange is required to prevent the balance of the roaming customers' accounts from becoming overdrawn. That's likely the reason why pre-paid roaming often costs more than post-paid roaming.

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers


Cawtau
Senior MVP Senior MVP
Senior MVP

Hello Vitorfc,

 

  Welcome to the community!

 

  How do you know you were charged for roaming? Was it shown on your bill?

 

  When connected to a foreign network, you will receive a welcome message which is only to inform you that your phone connected to a foreign network. It does not necessarily mean that you've already incurred that Fido Roam charge. It is usage of your services (ie making or receiving calls, sending messages, or using data) that will trigger the roaming fee (see here). Receiving SMS will not trigger the roaming fee. However, any data within a MMS (sent or received) will be considered roaming data and will trigger the roaming charge. To prevent accidental download of MMS, you might consider disabling any MMS Auto retrieve settings on your phone. With that setting disabled, you will receive notification of the message (SMS) and be given the option to download the content (MMS). If you do not download the content, there should be no roaming fee charged.

 

  You also should note that disabling data or roaming data does not prevent roaming for voice and text messages. To prevent a device from roaming, you might consider enabling Airplane or Flight mode for the duration of your trip. You could then manually enable Wifi when required. You should also note certain Wifi-calling usage abroad is also considered roaming (if applicable).

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers

 


vitorfc
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

It was shown on my bill even though I haven't used any services.