OT: Mobile roaming charges on the Canadian Border
Anybody out there spend any time on the Canadian border? I just got socked by Sprint with a $90 charge for internatonal roaming. I never left the US. When this happened before, they reversed it with no hassle. Today, I had to threaten to walk my family plan out the door if the charges were not reversed. I spen about thirty days a year in Sault Michigan on work. They are acting as if they have no control over the matter, which they very well may not. I just want some input on experiences users have had with other cell phone plans concerning this issue. Will they always reverse the charges?
I have been with T-Mobil for over 8 years and anytime I stick to my guns they break. However I am not under contract and buy our phones outright. Considering your family plan bill probably exceeds the charge on a monthly basis it makes better business sense for them to eat the charge. As for a "choice" they ALWAYS have a choice. Keep in mind you are calling a call center-immediately ask for the supervisor of biling.
We have one phone under contract, and one not on contract. I make it seem like my wife is under contract (when, actually it is my phone that is under contract), and that I am just itching for an excuse to leave. I wonder though, if I did not have this threat available (i.e. if we were both under contract), then would they still relent?
2 years ago, I went to Niagara Falls, Canadian Side. I would hang my phone over the banister to get the text message to go through roaming free. My aunt, however, got slammed with a bill for making calls in the Buffalo area across the river, when she didn't even use her phone Canadian side. She found a page on the website where it was "anywhere in america" and kept on saying "Sorry, I thought I was in America!! (literally)". Eventually, they give in. Your $50+/month for 2 years is much more important than an extra $30.
I was just sailing in the San Juan Islands and got the same shit.
I was in Canada a couple years, and did use my phone there. Needless to say, I got charged for the calls. I still complained, however, and they removed the charges. Told them I was near the Detroit River. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
overlooking the Detroit River. The charges were staggering. They didn't want to reverse them. They said, "your phone tells you what network you are on." It was a hassle, but I eventually got the charges reversed. And that was enough to make me turn off my phone sometimes, and to always look at the network i.d. before hitting "call."
Growing up on the river in viewing distance to canada this would happen all the time when I drove the lakeshore. Always called about it and always got the charges reversed (Verizon). I just told them to make those towers unavailable to my phone and they would say no, we'll just reverse the charges (not sure if this is even possible or if it's just a huge hassle) . Had to do it almost every bill but I never had a problem other than having to call it in.
Just keep fighting it.
Back in the olden days of 1996 I used to have a cheap 30 minute a month phone in my PoS car I was driving in high school. Whenever I'd use it, the call would bounce over the lake and connect somewhere in canada.
Called and bitched everytime, got the obnoxious charges reversed.
Just tell them "Well maybe I'll have better luck with (__Fill in biggest competitor here__)."