Hello, why i didn't set roaming, still keep receiving
this sms , how to cut it, do i need to pay?
Hello Nch1994,
Welcome to the community!
Firstly, you should note that merely receiving the Welcome Abroad message does not necessarily mean you have incurred roaming charges. Those Welcome messages are a notification that your device had connected to a foreign network. I was able to confirm that to be true here. 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.
While receiving SMS would not incur the roaming charge, it's worth mentioning that the 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. Disabling MMS should prevent that data transfer. Though, it should further be noted that iMessages and RCS messages are sent (and received) as data and not as text messages (SMS).
So, while receiving that message does not necessarily mean you've incurred a Fido Roam charge, if your device also used data when it connected to the foreign tower, a roaming charge is possible. Unfortunately, I don't think there is anyway to track your roaming usage in real-time (see here). As far as I am aware, Fido does not receive your usage 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 notification that a roaming session has begun without a delay.
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.
I understand you did not set roaming, however, you should note that Fido Roam is automatically enabled on Data, Talk & Text and Talk & Text plans. If you did not wish to use the feature, you would need to opt-out of Fido Roam. In doing so, your usage would be on a pay-per-use basis. You can view those rates here. You can also request a roaming block on your line. That block should prevent any roaming on the line. It should be mentioned, though, as far as I am aware, that roaming block would also prevent devices from accessing extended coverage in Canada (Fido-EXT). You would also need to be clear as to which option you choose as there have been instances where people have thought they blocked roaming (no usage abroad) but only had opted-out of Fido Roam (pay-per-use abroad).
In order to prevent unintended roaming charges, it is generally recommended to disable data and roaming data. However, you should note that disabling those settings does not prevent roaming for voice and messaging. In addition, some manufacturers might allow some data usage to occur despite those settings (see here). That's why it is also generally recommended to enable Airplane and/or Flight modes in order to prevent unintended roaming usage. You could then manually enable Wifi when required.
For completeness sake, it should be noted that while using Wifi for regular internet access will not incur Fido Roam charges, there seems to be some misunderstanding regarding Wifi-calling. I'm not sure how people have gotten the impression that Wifi-calling does not use the networks. However, that is not true. While the calls and messages do not transmit via cellular towers, they still use the networks via the internet gateway (see image here). The cellular towers and Wifi are merely alternate means of accessing the networks. Calls and messages would not be able to complete or get sent/received without the networks. As such, using Wifi-calling is technically using Fido services. However, they have allowed certain usage to be free from additional charges. All the messages and calls you receive (from anywhere in the world) will be taken from your plan's voice minutes and messaging limits. As well, all Wifi-calling messages and calls you make to a Canadian phone number while abroad won't incur long-distance or roaming charges (see link above).
You should note the forums are community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. If you wished to discuss your matter and/or 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.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hi @nch1994 , fido Roam is automatically applied to (monthly) postpaid plans. This is so you don't incur high charges when you are traveling. You may have fido Roam disabled by contacting Fido support and go on pay per use at higher costs. If you forget to turn off your device when traveling, you will pay as you go, so to speak. Per minute calls, per text and also any used data will all incur extra charges. If you're on fido Roam, it's a flat fee per 24 hours of using your plan like you do at home. Your choice if you prefer one over the other. Call *611 from your device to discuss the pros and cons of each way.
