Fido Roam - Warning

[RJCC]

Fido Roam is a deceiving.

I was recently out of the country for a month. I used my phone 7 times on 7 different days to check voicemail, or answer a 1 min call, or send 1 text message. Each of instances automatically activated Fido Roam, which triggered a $12 charge per day totalling $84! 

$12 to check my own voicemail once! It’s ridiculous. 

The website says says in order to activate Fido Roam you need to turn on data roaming... the whole time I was away data roaming was turned off. 

This Fido Roam shouldn’t be the default setting. You should have to opt in to this option. 

My previous out of country experience with Fido I was charged standard per min rates, $3 / min, I just assumed it would be the same this time.

Customer service has been poor, phone agents have had contradictory advice and understanding of how Fido Roam works. I’m switching to another carrier. 

Very disappointing. 

[RJCC]

Hello RJCC,

  Welcome to the community!

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@RJCC wrote:...

The website says says in order to activate Fido Roam you need to turn on data roaming... the whole time I was away data roaming was turned off. ..

---

  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.

 The 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.

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@RJCC wrote:...

My previous out of country experience with Fido I was charged standard per min rates, $3 / min, I just assumed it would be the same this time....

---

  Fido was not trying to deceive anyone with Fido Roam. When your phone first connected to a foreign network, you should have received a SMS indicating your phone had connected outside of Canada with provided the daily rate for use.

  Any use of your services -- using your device to make or receive a call, send a text message or use data while abroad -- will trigger the Fido Roam charge 

  Receiving SMS does not trigger the Fido Roam charges. However, you should note that the data within a MMS would be considered roaming data and would trigger the daily charge.

  In addition, rejecting an incoming call should no longer trigger the Fido Roam charge either (see here).

  If you opt out of Fido Roam, you would then use your services on a pay-per-use basis (see here for rates).

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[Cawtau · Accepted solution]

Hello RJCC,

  Welcome to the community!

---

@RJCC wrote:...

The website says says in order to activate Fido Roam you need to turn on data roaming... the whole time I was away data roaming was turned off. ..

---

  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.

 The 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.

---

@RJCC wrote:...

My previous out of country experience with Fido I was charged standard per min rates, $3 / min, I just assumed it would be the same this time....

---

  Fido was not trying to deceive anyone with Fido Roam. When your phone first connected to a foreign network, you should have received a SMS indicating your phone had connected outside of Canada with provided the daily rate for use.

  Any use of your services -- using your device to make or receive a call, send a text message or use data while abroad -- will trigger the Fido Roam charge 

  Receiving SMS does not trigger the Fido Roam charges. However, you should note that the data within a MMS would be considered roaming data and would trigger the daily charge.

  In addition, rejecting an incoming call should no longer trigger the Fido Roam charge either (see here).

  If you opt out of Fido Roam, you would then use your services on a pay-per-use basis (see here for rates).

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[FidoRachel]

Thank you for the detailed explanation @Cawtau! 

If you need more details @RJCC or have other questions, we'd be happy to review this situation with you. 

Just let us know and we'll send you a private message! 

[patrickchan]

depends where you go internationally,

if you have access to google services, use google talk to dial into voicemail,

if you do not have google access, use other app that can dial canadian numbers via data/wifi.

[Cheebase]

This is all nice and beautiful.

Now the real solution... would be: to opt-in and opt-out at will.

The first part works. Here are the steps to opt-in to Fido Roam from your device via SMS :
*From a wireless device, open the text messaging inbox.
*Compose a new message.
*In the To field, enter the number 222.
*Press enter, next or return.
*In the message field, type the word ROAM.
*Press Send

*You'll get a confirmation message.

The second part? You'd think there is an elegant solution using the word UNROAM. Right?

Wrong!!! You actually must chat or call FIDO to opt-out of FIDO Roam.

(Before you rush away and try various obvious alternative keywords, send HELP to 222.)

woof-woof...

[Cawtau]

Hello Cheebase,

---

@Cheebase wrote:...Here are the steps to opt-in to Fido Roam from your device via SMS...

---

  Just to clarify, all Fido postpaid customers with a mobile plan are automatically covered by Fido Roam. There is no need to opt-in to the program. Texting ROAM to 222 merely confirms the status of enrollment (see here).
 

  Yes, if you do wish to opt-out of Fido Roam, you would have to contact customer service. If you did opt-out of the program, travelling outside of Canada would roam using pay-per-use rates (see here).

Hope this helps :Smiley:

Cheers

[Taniam]

Fido roam is such a SCAM.

I have been fido customer for 11 years. Usually when I travel I migh sent 2-5 messages that used to cost 0.50$.

This year when I saw my bill I was shoked. I sent out one SMS I January and was charged 12$.   I have nevewr sigh for Fido roam and I do not undersnand what right fido has automaticly sigh me in to Fido roam. 

SUCH A SCAM. SO DISSAPOINTED. 

[FidoPhilippe]

Hey @Taniam! Thank you for your many years of loyalty.

We're sad to read your experience with Fido Roam.

As stated above, you do have the option to opt-out of the Fido Roam, if you wish. To do that, you can contact us here for that or we can send you a PM.

[Cheebase]

There should be NO NEED to contact anyone at Fido to turn OFF Fido roam. Unless of course if you want to deliberately skim the unsuspecting...

Do provide such an ON/OFF solution!

[FidoPhilP]

Hey there Cheebase.

I get your feeling and this is clearly not what we want you to think of us. Currently there is no option for an On/Off switch for FidoROAM, and I do get that contacting us to turn it off might be a bit convoluted.

We will definitely pass your feedback along. 

Cheers! 

[ricksmithers]

This is such an obvious scam, Fido should be ashamed of itself. At minimum, the brilliant marketing VP that approved this should be given their walking papers. I cant think of a better way to demonstrate to the customer base that their customer experience and satisfaction is of absolutely no interest!

[Fredyo]

Yep happened to me last year and judging by the number of posts about this, we are certainly not alone. 

Fido (and it's overlord Rogers) is well aware of this but don't expect them to provide and easy soloution such as being able to opt-out with a simple text message. They could EASILY implement this in a day but they won't. They make far to much $$$ with roaming and overage this is why they automatically turned on Fido Roam on everyone's account and then make it difficult to turn off yet so very easy to activate.

This would never been allowed in the EU and other countries with stricter telecom rules.

I should have done this last year but I will be filing an official complaint with telecom ombudsman and for good measure, I think CBC GoPublic would love to hear about this. Would make a nice little evening segment on the National. 

[FidoJulien]

Hey @Fredyo

Are you still having trouble with your account?

I'll send you a PM.

[Cheebase]

I note Fido changed the reply contents when HELP is sent to 222.

It is not ROAM anymore to turn the feature on but TRAVEL.

One would think that if this was so easily done (since January 2019), the feature turn off will be done too at the same time.

Well, no...

Could you tell those guys to include the UNTRAVEL command in the line up as well, please? It would be just as easy programming...

[FidoFaiza]

Hi @Cheebase, 

I am not too sure I understand what you mean? Are you inquiring about opting-out of Fido Roam? It's something that needs to be done from our end. Let me know and I will send you a PM, or you can always contact us here.