Unforeseen International Calling Charges

[SandipNagewadia]

Dear Fido Customer Support,

I hope this message reaches the right department to address my concern. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction and confusion regarding unexpected long-distance calling charges I incurred after switching from Lucky Mobile to Fido, while using WhatsApp to call India. I believe there may have been a misunderstanding, and I kindly request your assistance in resolving this matter.

Upon transitioning to Fido, I was not informed that using WhatsApp to make international calls would result in additional charges. This lack of transparency has led to an unexpected $75.9 charge on my account. As a loyal Fido customer, I was taken by surprise and find it difficult to accept this cost.

I have been a satisfied Fido customer since my switch, and my intention is not to dispute legitimate charges. However, I believe the issue at hand arises from a lack of communication and understanding rather than my deliberate misuse of services.

I have consistently relied on WhatsApp to stay connected with my family and friends in India without incurring extra fees while using my previous provider, Lucky Mobile. Thus, I assumed that my experience with Fido would be similar. The sudden additional $75.9 charge has put me in a difficult position financially, especially as this was unforeseen and not communicated when I switched providers.

I kindly request that Fido review my situation and reconsider the charges incurred due to WhatsApp calling to India. It is my hope that we can find an amicable resolution to this issue and avoid any further inconvenience.

In the spirit of fairness and transparency, I kindly request the following:

1. A review of the charges related to my WhatsApp calls to India, with an explanation of why these were considered international calls under the Fido service.

2. If the charges are determined to be valid, I request a clear and concise explanation of the fees associated with international calling when using WhatsApp with Fido. It is essential for me to fully understand the terms and conditions moving forward.

3. A consideration for the situation and an adjustment, waiver, or reduction of the unexpected charges as a goodwill gesture due to the lack of information provided at the time of switching to Fido.

I value the service that Fido provides, and I hope that we can reach a resolution that leaves both parties satisfied. I appreciate your attention to this matter and kindly request a prompt response. My objective is to continue being a satisfied and loyal Fido customer, and I believe that a fair and transparent solution can help achieve this goal.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance in resolving this matter. I eagerly await your response and hope that we can find a resolution that is in the best interest of both parties.

Sincerely,

Sandip Nagewadia

[SandipNagewadia]

Why I was not getting any charges when I was using Lucky mobile, another thing why international calling is activated in my account as I have not sign for it.

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  Unfortunately, no one is going to be able to give you a definitive answer as to why you did not incur long-distance charges when you were with Lucky Mobile. WhatsApp's decision to switch to mobile airtime for the call(s) is entirely situational. As mentioned, WhatsApp typically uses the internet or data. It's possible the internet connection was not as stable for the call and WhatsApp made the switch. If you were using mobile data, it's also possible your location to the cellular towers had an impact. Lucky Mobile uses the Bell network while Fido uses Rogers network. If you happen to be farther away from a Rogers tower, that could affect data transmission speeds requiring WhatsApp to make the switch for calls. As also mentioned, the mobile providers cannot divert calls from apps to cellular calls. The app or your phone made that decision based on your particular set of circumstances at the time of the call.

  I understand you may not have activated International calling on your line. However, International calling is generally available without the need to activate the service. Most people would prefer to have the option tom make International calls available rather than having to activate it when needed. If you did not wish International calling on your line, you would need to block it on your line. It should be noted that International calling to the US or other Countries with +1 Country code cannot be blocked. If you wished to place the International calling block on your line, you would need to contact customer service as outlined below.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[Cawtau]

Hello SandipNagewadia,

  Welcome to the community!

  Sorry to hear you've incurred unexpected long-distance charges. I understand it might appear to be a provider-related issue. However, the issue you've mentioned isn't the fault of the mobile providers. It happens across multiple providers. WhatsApp seems to be the culprit. While it's not mentioned on their website, it appears as though the app will automatically switch to using mobile airtime minutes (within the app) if it deems the internet connection is too slow for voice calls (see here and here). It should also be mentioned that other messaging apps may also behave in a similar manner.

   One suggestion would be to enable Airplane or Flight mode and manually enabling Wifi prior to making the call(s). Doing so should prevent the app from switching to mobile services if the Wifi internet connection is not sufficient. However, it also means that you wouldn't be able to make WhatsApp calls using a mobile data connection.

  Phone companies cannot divert calls from within apps to cellular calls. They have no control over how apps work. The mobile providers do not decide which calls go over their networks or how they transmit. That determination is made by the phone. With an adequate internet connection, WhatsApp calls are usually sent via the internet. On the other hand, if the internet connection is not sufficient, WhatsApp apparently switches to mobile airtime minutes. The mobile providers merely connect calls which the phone request to be made. If WhatsApp makes a call using data, the providers will transmit data; if WhatsApp makes the call using cellular networks, the providers will transmit it as a call over the cellular networks. Unfortunately, in your case, it appears as though WhatsApp made the call over the cellular networks. Not connecting to the networks (ie Airplane or Flight mode) should prevent that from happening in the future.

  You should note these forums are community-driven and not intended as a venue for customer services. If you would like to discuss those charges, 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.

    In the mean time, I understand this is a difficult time and receiving such a bill even more distressing. If you're unable to make full payment on the bill, you might consider trying to arrange a payment schedule. To make an arrangement, you'll need to contact the credit operations department. It should also be mentioned that any arrangement would be at the discretion of the credit operations team.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers