I can't even breathe because of how pissed off I am. I have been a Fido customer for maybe three years now and Every. Single. Time. I come to Mexico I have the same freaking problem. I get charged insane amounts for Roaming. Year one I accepted it because it was for phonecalls that were considered international. Year two I didn't realize I was in roaming so I paid their insane cost and BEGGED for the roaming to be blocked so this wouldn't happen again. Third year I thought there was no way they would do this to me again. I CHECKED that my data was not working because roaming was blocked. I literally get a message telling me it is off when I try to use data outside, not that I've wanted to since I've made it a point to ONLY use my phone on WIFI zones. I haven't made a single international call, and yet somehow just for existing with my phone with me in Mexico I am being charged $15/day for a grand total of $245. I am beyond pissed at this lovely 3am hour because I already know all the BS the representatives will tell me when I call to say this is a **bleep**ing scam. Beyond disgusted by this company, the only victory I will get from this extortion is that I will cancel my plan because I can't stand this abuse of power anymore.
Hello AaronPR,
Welcome to the community!
Sorry to hear you've incurred unexpected roaming charges. The Fido Roam charge incurs when your device uses Fido Services abroad. That is, the charge will incur when you make/receive calls, send text messages or your device uses data outside of Canada (see here). The mobile providers only know usage.
@AaronPR wrote:
.....Year one I accepted it because it was for phonecalls that were considered international....
...I haven't made a single international call,...
You refer to International calls. You should note that making or receiving any calls using the mobile networks would be considered roaming usage.
In order to prevent unintended roaming charges, it is generally recommended to disable data and roaming data. While your phone seems to note you do not have access to roaming data, your data setting is enabled. It's possible the phone's systems still have access to roaming data even though user data might be blocked. If you only intend on using your device in areas with Wifi, there would be no reason to keep your data setting enabled.
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. Alternatively, people have also removed their Fido SIMs card entirely, However, enabling Airplane / Flight mode or removing the SIM card would also prevent your device from making and receiving calls using the local cellular networks.
If services were used when your device connected to the foreign network, that usage would likely have triggered roaming charges. If a device is using services when its settings are set not to use them, that's an issue with the device. The mobile providers have no access to a device's settings to know what settings are enabled/disabled. If your device is unknowingly using services, the same issue would likely persist with the other providers as well.
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).
I understand you have previously requested roaming be blocked. However, you should note this forum is community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. We would not have access to any account information. If you would like assistance with the matter, 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
Good morning @AaronPR , sorry to hear that you're having trouble with roaming in Mexico. I don't have any miraculous fixes to suggest, but may I recommend that you contact Fido customer support via Twitter. Send a dm to fidosolutions and request their assistance with this. This is way less stressful than sitting on the phone checking your watch. I find it gives the opportunity for clarity when you are composing a written note and have a record of your conversation. I personally have never had this happen, probably because I remove my sim when I travel. Unexpected charges are never a good thing. I hope you get a satisfactory outcome. Best regards
