Hi @janda,
Thank you for the details you've provided, and I am sorry to learn about all the hassle you've been through. We appreciate your feedback about the process and the opportunity it provides us to improve the service we offer.
Fido Roam is billed when a usage is made with the Fido SIM. Unfortunately, we have no control over a foreign network and technical problems you might have had using it. That said, customers are notified about the financial impact that using Fido Roam will have for them via a text message notification. You can also check out this FAQ page regarding Fido Roam.
Have you had any news about the investigation since your message here?
You are welcome to reach out to us through our Social Media channels as well.
Hello Janda,
Sorry to hear you and your wife were not able to use your devices to make or receive calls in the US. In addition to what was mentioned below, it would be important to note that the US has shut-down their '3G' networks (see here). If your phone and plan are not voice-over-LTE (voLTE) capable, you might not be able to use voice or messaging services.
In addition, what plan type do you have? If your plan is post-paid and not a Basic plan, it would already have Fido Roam included. The Fido Roam charges will only incur if your phone uses services -- make or receive a call, send a text message or use data abroad. It should be mentioned that while receiving SMS would not incur the roaming charge, any data contained within MMS (incoming or outgoing) would be considered roaming data and charged accordingly. You should note that MMS are not solely restricted to pictures or video messages. Messages with subject headers or group messages etc are also considered MMS. If you did not wish to use Fido Roam, you would need to opt-out of the feature. In doing so, any usage would be on a pay-per-use basis. You can view those rates here.
I understand you had wanted to make and receive calls while in the US. However, if your devices used other services (ie data), that would have incurred roaming charges.
Unfortunately, though, since the US has shut-down those networks, they no longer offer US roaming services for pre-paid plans. If your plan is pre-paid, you would not be able to use services in the US.
I understand you feel like you're in a Third World Country now. Chances are that those Countries would still be using 2G and/or '3G' networks so most compatible devices would still work. For better or worse, the US has opted to shut down those networks in favour of more capable networks (LTE and 5G).
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello Patrickchan,
Yes, some people prefer to obtain local SIMs when they travel abroad. However, there are some potential issues people should consider.
@patrickchan wrote:
... call forward fido number to foreign sim, (or check fido voicemail everyday using foreign sim to call fido voicemail.)
It should be noted that calls can only be forwarded to a Canadian or an American phone number (Country code '1')(see here). If travel destinations are outside of the US, forwarding calls from their Fido phone number to the foreign SIM card would not work. Without being able to forward calls to a foreign SIM card, contacts from Canada would need to make International long-distance calls to reach them abroad.
In addition, it should also be noted that many newer plans do not include call forwarding. Without an add-on, forwarding calls would incur additional cost. As far as I am aware, 2500 call forwarding minutes are included in the Voicemail Value pack add-ons (see here).
As well, it should additionally be noted that checking Fido voicemail using a foreign SIM to call would likely be considered an International long-distance call. Many SIM cards do not include International calling and would therefore incur additional costs on the foreign SIM.
For some, there are benefits with using local SIM cards for travel. However, it also has some potential limitations for others.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello again,
If you are using services while you are abroad, you will be charged the daily Fido Roam fee. If you did not wish to use Fido Roam, you would need to opt-out of the service. In doing so, any usage abroad would be on a pay-per-use basis. You can view those rates here. You should note that this forum is community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. If you would like to opt-out of Fido Roam, 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.
I understand the need to remain in contact with people in Canada. That's why roaming with your usual phone number can be more beneficial than obtaining a local SIM card. I understand the omission of the potential roaming issues in the Welcome Abroad text message had you reach your threshold, however, it is clearly outlined on Fido's Travel page (link included in message). Furthermore, text messages (more specifically SMS) have strict size limits. Inclusion of additional information would likely result in it becoming a MMS. As noted in my earlier reply, the data contained within MMS would be considered roaming data and would incur roaming charges. I think people would be rather upset if they necessarily got charged roaming fees just to receive that Welcome Abroad message. I was able to confirm the fact that receiving SMS does not incur roaming charges here. I had received the Welcome Abroad notification SMSs when connected to foreign networks and did not get charged roaming fees.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
