International Roaming Charges, $4,500

While in India on a business trip, ATT suspended use of my iphone - not for lack of payment, for excessive charges incurred using the phone. I paid the charges incurred my first week in India, $1,700 and they turned the phone on again. Another week in India and three days in UK and Spain I returned home to a call stating I owed another $2,800.
I have the ATT's international plan and tried to use wifi for data but realistically, when you need to check email, you use what is available as often as needed.
Short of never using the iPhone for business again, does anyone have a solution?

The only way to keep your charges down is to turn off Data Roaming and only use WiFi while travelling. Data roaming is very expensive, even if you have a special plan for it. You have no idea how much data you are using at the time, unlike when making a phone call or sending SMS.
For me it is not an issue. When I travel I purchase a local SIM and put it in my legally unlocked iPhone. Due to Australian regulations on the locking of phones I have this option. The USA does not have this option, legally.

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Using Whatsapp to call incurred international roaming charges

Please permit me to introduce myself
Account Number: [removed]
Executive summary:
I used an Iphone App called Whatsapp that allows users to exchange online messages and even calling. I used that app to make an app to app call to a friend in India.
And I was shocked to see that Verizon has billed all the talk time to international roaming and the bill is a HUGE amount close to $775
Issue in detail
Total minutes talked - 296
Billed - $775+ (at international roaming rate $2.30/minute)
Please consider the following facts
-I used Whatsapp to talk to Iphone app to app call
-I had called same Whatsapp number in india
-A few times all happened with in a month/same billing cycle
-First time it happened in my history with Verizon
-I don't have international plan so I did not know my cell phone can make international calls through Verizon (Have never made one via cell phone/verizon)
-I have no way of knowing that this is being charged to my account until I see the bill (I saw and reported this within a week of the ebill date)
-The app clearly says this //Using WhatsApp while your phone is connected to Wi-Fi should not incur charges from your carrier. Please note that some Wi-Fi networks may have charges or usage fees.//
http://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/iphone/20970433
Please consider the following as a LOYAL verizon customer
- 15 year LOYAL verizon mobile customer (customer since 2000 since I landed in the US)
- Never left Verizon , not even once
- Always paid my bill on time (automatic payments)
- Have converted MANY customers from other carriers to Verizon
In this background I would humbly request you to put yourself in my shoes and see this issue as a mistake/software glitch which I had no way of knowing until I see the bill.
I request you to do the needful to see it as what it is , a mistake , that was not done by me but a software of which I have no knowledge of.
Being a long standing LOYAL Verizon customer , I beseech you to do the right thing and reverse all the charges related this incident.
Following is the log of my efforts to work with Verizon customer support
Dates called April 5th 1 hr
April 6 - 4 hrs
Ian did the right thing
He converted the calls to regular international long distance from 2.39/min to 29 cents a minute , convenience plan.
I agreed and he said its waiting on supervisor's approval which is 24 hrs.
I called again April 7 I was told it might take 48 to 42 hrs
I called again on April 10 and I was told the supervisor did not approve.
I spoke to many and finally reached Ms.Brooke who introduced herself as the top most supervisor in the building (Employee [removed],Kentucky call center)
Personal information removed as required by the Verizon Wireless Terms of Service
Message was edited by: Admin Moderator

Hi JJKAY,
The EXACT same thing took place for my wife. She used the WhatsApp to make calls and it ended up going to a number in Turkey. Verizon sent NO Alerts at all that this would be International charge OUTSIDE of our International calling plan.
My wife made calls using the SAME app to Mexico and it went through without charges.
We have also been customer for numerous years.
I called Verizon to see how this occurred and got the technical folks, who first told me as they told you, they could change to the Global plan and then pay a reduced $/min. However, then the supervisor stepped in and would not approve.
Verizon seems to think they have no responsibility to send ALERTS or allow for ALERTS when it goes well beyond the ordinary.
Did you get Verizon to provide a credit as a customer?
I would like to know, as I am about to switch and then make this a case of Verizon and show how much they care about customer retention. Thanks in advance.

Are there additional international roaming charges?

Are there additional charges when using Verizon services outside of the country while on a More of Everything Plan, specifically in Canada?

I don't want you having any unexpected charges during a trip, mikewarbington. More Everything plans cover you in the United States, so a trip to Canada will result in some additional charges. We do offer a More Everything plus Canada and Mexico that offers additional benefits like 1000 minutes to use while you're in those 2 countries. Please visit www.vzw.com/tripplanner to see your options available for any trip outside of the United States.
JenniferH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/vzwsupport

Keeping roaming charges down abroad - Bold 9700 on Orange

I'm going to America this week and want to keep roaming charges to a minimum. I have turned off data while roaming on my Blackberry so shouldn't receive any emails, Twitter/Facebook updates. However, if I want to just download emails say once a day could I buy a small data package and just turn data back on for a short time?
Also if WiFi is still ticked will I still be able to connect to the wifi where available even when the data roaming is turned off?
Thanks!

Hi,
While roaming you can use the free Wi-Fi services to cut down the cost of International roaming charges. Therefore, use Wi-Fi and turn of your mobile network. Your email, BBM etc will work without any problem.
tanzim
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To avoid roaming charges when traveling internationally, do i put my iphone on airplane mode only or do i also need to turn off data and voice roaming

I have an iphone 4 with sprint which can't take a sim card. To avoid roaming charges while traveling internationally, do i put my phone on airplane mode.
I read you need to turn off cellular and voice data roaming as well but when I turn on airplane mode, it seems like roaming is automatically turned off.
Is this true?

Turning on Airplane Mode will prevent the phone from getting roaming charges as it cant connect to a cell tower.
P.S you can have WiFi on and still be in Airplan Mode. Just turn Airplane Mode on first, then turn the WiFi on

Can I use iPhone 4s in China without roaming charges?

We are leaving for China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore in 2 weeks. I want to purchase an iPhone 4S, but want to use it without roaming charges. Can this be done and how?

You can buy and unlocked phone (http://store.apple.com/us/search?find=iphone+4s+unlocked) and then purchase service from the local country you're visiting and insert their SIM. It would probably be cheaper to purchase a short-term international plan from a local carrier though. Call the major carriers and ask; here's a list:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937. (Be careful about purchasing a phone outside of the country you're in; the warranty is country-specific. If you buy one in Singapore you won't get warranty service in the U.S.)

International Roaming and Whats it all about.

Roaming and what’s it about?Roaming is when you are no longer able to Pick Up your home Network (O2-UK). This is normally when you are in another country. However it is possible to pick up French Network when in UK and the Irish Networks when you’re still in Northern Ireland. But if you phone is displaying anything else beside O2-UK or BT Cellnet (On Some Older Phones), then you are Roaming on a Foreign Network and Roaming Charges will apply if Services are used. Is O2-IE the same as O2-UK?Answer is no. O2-IE is a completely independent business to O2-UK and therefore Roaming Charges would apply.O2-IE (O2 Ireland) and O2-UK (O2 United Kingdom) are both Part of the Telefonica Group, but this is all and is 2 Separate businesses Do I need to Activate Roaming?If you are an O2 PAYG Customer then Roaming is activated automatically as you can only spend what you have in Credit.O2 Contract customers may need to call 202 to confirm they have Roaming Activated on their account if they have never used the service before or had issues in the past. How does Roaming Work?When you travel outside your Home Network, your Mobile Phone Sim will ask the Roaming (Foreign) network first if it can use the services on their Network. (You IMEI number of your phone is also sent to verify it’s not the Stolen / Missing Database as well) The Foreign Network will take details from your Sim card and go back to the International Centre and check if O2 has an agreement first to use the Network and then if the Sim card is activated to use the Roaming. (This is why there is a delay sometimes in first switching on your mobile to you getting a signal and a Network Name) If all comes back ok, then the Sim will receive instruction and you notice the Roaming Network Name shown on your phone. What you may not know is that when the phone is authorised to use the Roaming Network, It is given a temporary allocated foreign number of the country you are visiting. So you may have someone calling you and they may notice that the Ring tone suddenly sounds different in their Earpiece and not like the UK Ring. This is because of the Foreign Number allocated and that you are roaming on their Countries Network. One this you will never know though is the Temporary Roaming Number as this is only a Forward number and changes. So what charges do you pay for when roaming?Making Calls? Yes you pay for all of the Call.Receiving Calls? Yes you pay for the Roaming country Inbound Part of the Call.Sending a SMS? Yes you pay to send a SMS.Receiving a SMS? No it’s free to receive a SMS.Sending a MMS? Yes you pay to send a MMS.Receiving a MMS? You may be charged for Data Usage to receive the MMS ( I never have on O2, But I know other UK networks charge)Data Usage Is all chargeable The Person who is Calling or Texting you from the UK. This is where a lot of confusion becomes and people become worried regarding charges. Simple Fact to Remember:Even though the person you are contacting is abroad. You are still only calling their UK Mobile Number. So treat it as they are still in the UK. So for example: If you have free UK Text allowance, it will still be Free (Your Texting a UK mobile Number)If you have Free UK Minutes, then again you are calling a UK Mobile Number, so it will use your UK Minutes Allowance.If you don’t have Free Allowances, then you will be charged at your normal standard Rate of ringing a UK or Texting a UK Mobile number Couple of Questions and Answers that may come in useful: Q) I’m abroad and my friend is abroad, will I be charged to contact my friend as I’m only calling a UK Mobile numberA) Yes, even though you are calling a UK Mobile Number. You are not in the UK and the person you are calling isn’t, so you will pay the Roaming Charges to make the call and the person who is receiving the call will pay the inbound part of the charge Q) Why am I charged twice for Voice Mail Messages?A) When someone tries to contact you and you don’t answer, the call is then passed back to the O2-UK voice mail as a return call, So you pay for the Return part of the call even though you didn’t answer your Mobile. Then when you want to listen to your voice mail, you pay to make the call and listen to it. So this is where Double Charges apply Q) Why are inbound SMS free when I’m abroad?A) This was set by the EU Telecoms Parliament, that any EU Mobile Company must allow their users to allow incoming SMS for Free anywhere in the world. Q) What is the Difference between Roaming and Home Networks?A) Your home network is in your network where you purchased the Sim from. So if you purchased your Sim card in the UK and from O2, your home network would be O2-UK and you would be allocated a UK Mobile number.Roaming is when you are no longer on your home network. So for example you go to Spain and you pick up Telefonica ES. This mean you are Roaming on a Spanish Network. If you have any other questions please ask and I will gladly try to answer them and will keep editing the 1st thread to make it easier for everyone to read.

All calls to the UK to landline numbers use the international code +44 and drop the first zero. Mobiles you normally just dial the number as you would if in the UK but on some US networks you do have to use the +44.Some info here to call the BVI from the US.http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/results.php?FromCode=United+States&ToCode=British+Virgin+IslandsBe awre of the call costs from the USA :When in: Calling: Landlines - per minute99pMobiles - per minute£1.49 Receiving calls - per minute99pSending texts - per message49pCost per MB of using data&colon;Data usage£6

International usage charges

I'm just a little confused about how international usage works. If you don't sign up for any kind of plan and take your iPhone (to say India, where I'll be headed), will the phone still work and if so, what charges will apply? I will be using the call and voicemail feature little to none and I won't be getting incoming calls, but what about text messaging and safari? How much will those cost me if I don't agree to any plans? Or will none of it work at all?

Alice K,
You will want to enable International Roaming with AT&T before you leave to allow you to make/receive calls internationally. AT&T would be your best source for international charges for calls and text messages. You can read the following article for more information about international travel with your iPhone:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1686
International data charges can get fairly expensive. The new iPhone 2.0 software will enable you to turn airplane mode on (which disables cell networks, so you will not receive calls or use the cell data network) but also turn Wi-Fi on, so you can still access local Wi-Fi networks and hotspots. Therefore you can still browse on Safari when you are within range of a Wi-Fi network without being worried about data charges. In this mode, you will not receive calls or missed call notifications, however. You can find out more information about the iPhone 2.0 software by watching this guided tour:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/guidedtour/
Hope this helps,
Jennifer B.

Skype call to international roaming mobile

I am using Skype credit to call 61 Australian mobile phone currently in London. Does this incur an international roaming fee for the mobile, or is the cost completely with the Skype credit? The mobile is with Telstra.

Hello,
If you use a cellphone to make calls which originate outside the country in which the cellphone is registered your carrier will likely charge roaming fees (in some cases these can be substantial). Check with your carrier.
TIME ZONE - US EASTERN. LOCATION - PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA.
I recommend that you always run the latest Skype version: Windows & Mac
If my advice helped to fix your issue please mark it as a solution to help others.
Please note that I generally don't respond to unsolicited Private Messages. Thank you.

International roaming

Which telco did you prefer to use to make or recieve call while abroad using your Blackberry?
Digi/Celcom/Maxis or any other mobile operator?
Can you guys share the cheapest rate and roaming experience? TQ!
Is data roam or communication is important for you? or is it both?

Ridgebacks --
My SO and I have been AT&T/Cingular wireless customers for years. We travel out of country; destinations are generally Mexico, Canada and frequently China. We have experience with AT&T international roaming and Edge data international roaming plans. (We have an AT&T wireless card with data plan for our laptops for emergencies.)
SO has a Blackberry, which he relied on completely during a recent trip in China, when he spilled a Coke on his laptop inflight. The BB bundled data plan is more expensive than the iPhone plan, but it incorporates receipt of messages almost anywhere in the world. However, SO seldom uses his BB as a phone in China/Hong Kong, because AT&T roaming charges (phone) are high. He has a dedicated cell phone with a Hong Kong #.
As well, the wireless card is used out of country only in emergencies. Edge roaming rates do apply and are incredibly high, even in Mexico.
I doubt that AT&T will deviate very much from their historic billing policies for the iPhone. I have seen on some message boards that AT&T is offering an international data plan for use with the iPhone, but that one must purchase it for at least a year. There is no "purchase as needed monthly" option. I don't know what the rate is for that plan.
My suggestion, if you don't want to use airplane mode, is to turn your email accounts "off" under settings. That way, phone is functional, but the network won't download email. That's what I'll probably do next time I'm ooc.

$50 Unlimited--Domestic Roaming Charged or not?

On the website it says Domestic Roaming is .20 per minute on the $50 Unleashed Plan. So I contacted VZW online customer service and questioned how you would pay for that......and I was told there would not be any charge for domestic roaming on the $50 Unleashed Plan.
Here is the transcript of the conversation:
info: Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.
info: You are now chatting with 'Morris'
Morris: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?
Jon: Hello,
Morris: Hello, how are you today?
Jon: I am looking at the $50 Unleashed program and had a question....it says under Price Info that Domestic Roaming is included.....then further ddown in the fine print it says Domestic Roaming is .20 per minute......how do you pay for Domestic Roaming?
Morris: Since verizon does not roam, there will be charge if any roaming does occur
Jon: So how are those charges added to the $50 plan?
Morris: excuse me, there will not be any charges
Jon: So....no roaming charges?
Morris: This is correct
Jon: So what does the fine print refer to when it says .20 per minute for Domestic Roaming?
Morris: This is if roaming occurs on a monthly plan, not prepaid plan.
Jon: OK.....but that is very confusing when you read the pricing info.
Morris: I totally understand
Jon: Thanks for your help. Bye.
So who do I believe? The website or the Cust. Service Rep.?
Any one else have this issue?

Thanks again......it seems my understanding is correct that Domestic Roaming would refer to anywhere in US. You correctly quoted the included features in the $50 Unleashed plan.....and in one place it does say Domestic Roaming included......however when you keep digging you get a different answer.
When you actually click to shop for the $50 Unleashed plan, look at the features list that shows up there:
CALLING PLAN INFORMATION
$50 Unlimited Plan includes unlimited domestic calls only
$50 Plan includes Unlimited Texting* to anyone on any network in the U.S. and participating carriers in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico
V CAST Music – 99¢/song via PC; $1.99/song via phone; 99¢ download fee**
Ringback Tones – 99¢ per month & $1.99 per Ringback Tone/Year
$50 Unlimited Plan includes unlimited Mobile Web and does not include full web browsing
Domestic Long Distance Included (airtime charges apply)
Domestic Roaming Rate is 20¢ Per Minute
International Text Messaging – 25¢ per message sent, messages received are same as calling plan
International Roaming – Voice Calling
    – 69¢ per minute from Canada, Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands
    – 99¢per minute from Mexico
    – $1.99 per minute from Bermuda
International Roaming – Text Messaging
    – 50¢ per message sent
    – 5¢ per message received
411 Search – $1.99 per call plus airtime
Up to $35 activation fee may apply
Here is the link to that page: https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=prepayItem&action=viewPrepayMonthlyPlans&tab=text
This is why I am still unsure about which part of the information on VZW website is correct!
If there's any light you can shed on this I would very much appreciate it.......I have sent a second request to VZW Customer Service and am waiting for their response.
Thank you!

Roaming charges-need some clarity

Okay, we have a 5 phone plan with US Cellular and are thinking about switching to Verizon. I want to know that I understand the roaming charges correctly. One of those phones spends most of its time with coverage only from a US Cellular tower that I know Verizon phones will roam on. If I get the 2000 Minute family plan, using the phone on a US Cellular tower will use my minutes at all times, even if I am calling another VZW phone? Nights and Weekends? But the Unlimited doesn't?
Also, is free from any Verizon phone to another Verizon phone if you are both on Verizon towers ? From anywhere with the Unlimited plan
Thanks.

Here is some information on Verizonwireless calling plans for roaming, mobile to mobile and nights and weekends.
Important Calling Plan Information
Anytime Minutes, Mobile to Mobile, Night & Weekend Minutes and Per–Minute Rate are for use from within the Nationwide Rate and Coverage Area.
Plan details:
Unlimited Domestic Long Distance. (Airtime applies.)
No domestic roaming charges. (Coverage not available in all areas)
Night & Weekend Minutes
Night Hrs: (M–F) 9:01 p.m.–5:59 a.m.
Wknd Hrs: 12:00 a.m. Sat.–11:59 p.m. Sun.
International Roaming
Make or receive calls while traveling internationally with rates starting as low as 69¢/minute. While at home, some international destinations can be reached using 10–digit direct dialing; international long distance rates apply in addition to airtime charges. Please visit www.verizonwireless.com/international for a list of North American Dialing Pattern countries and rates.

Is there a way to use location services while in Europe without incurring roaming charges?

I am traveling in Europe and I want to use a mapping program that requires location services. Is there any way to do this without incurring roaming charges?

Disclaimer - For me the Apple Support Communities are an international user to user technical support forum. As a man from Mexico my first language is Spanish. I do not speak English, however I do write in English with the aid of the Mac OS X spelling and grammar checks. I also live in a culture very different from that found in most 1st world nations, such as that in the two dominant North American countries. Written language has no tone. When offering advice in the ASC, my comments are not meant to be anything more than helpful and certainly not to be taken as insults.
Turn off the cellular function and only use wifi.

How to avoid international roaming iphone

Hey everyone,
So I travelled to Colombia recently and in general, had my phone either turned off, or on airplane mode the entire trip. I only used it for one five minute phone call and to listen to music for about five hours accumulated. I was there for about 8 days.
I was told to put the phone on airplane mode, so as to avoid any roaming charges, as my fellow travel companions (who all also owned iPhones), said "that way nothing comes through. No wi-fi, messages, nothing".
So, yes, went with that advice.
Get home, BAM! $255 phone bill.
Now, I was obviously expecting a larger bill than normal, but I have all together $130 in roaming charges. How the eff did this happen?
Excuse me if I'm just a dummy, but I have never owned an iPhone before and this was my first time outside of North America.
I am going to Uruguay next week and obviously, don't want the same to happen.
Any advice on how to avoid this again?
Thanks in advance everyone!

That's not surprising. AT&T's roaming charges are $2.89 per minute, and data is $19.95 per megabyte. Text messages are $0.50 each. If you turned on the cellular without turning off cellular data, then data could have been exchanged while you were using the phone to make a call. It should be itemized on your phone bill to see where the money went. They charge a flat fee for international roaming too.
You don't need to use "airplane mode" however, to prevent the charges. "Airplane mode" disables the radios in the phone from operating entirely. However, you only get charged to for using cellular voice and data. You'll not be charged for using WiFi (at a cafe or hotel, for instance).
The phone's settings section gives you some control over this. See Settings > General > Network and note the "Cellular Data" and "Data Roaming" options. Those should be set to "Off" when you travel. If these aren't off, whenever you are out of "Airplane mode" the phone will receive notifications, look for e-mail, or whatever else you have configured that uses data semi-automatically. Because it's SO expensive (3333% what AT&T charges for domestic data), you don't want ANY data charges.
You can safely leave the cellular service turned on as you are only charged for connected calls and text messages. They are cheaper and can be avoided by not answering the phone.

Can I gift my unlocked iPhone 4S to my dad abroad without roaming charges?

I have a new iPhone 4S that I recently got SIM-unlocked by Verizon in preparation for my trip to Dubai (to visit my dad - he lives there). I don't quite fancy the phone as much as my earlier Droid X, so I want to give it to my Dad instead.
Two questions:
1. When I return from Dubai, I will activate the Droid X on my line in place of the iPhone 4S. Will this impact his ability to continue using the iPhone with his GSM carrier? I am guessing it shouldn't - I don't see how Verizon would be able to disable the phone?
2. He travels to India fairly frequently, and since India has both GSM and CDMA (he will be using a GSM carrier there) I run a risk of roaming charges if the phone automatically connects to CDMA when the GSM signal is poor. Can I be hit by such charges from Verizon even when the phone is no longer on my line?
I guess I will find out these answers in a month or so myself, so if no one else knows, I can post the answer here when I find out for myself.

Hello riggedveda,
Congrats on your trip to Dubai! I always wanted to go to Dubai! I hope that you have a wonderful time while you are there! Feel free to post pictures so the community members can see! I'm sure that you are aware of the many benefits of having an unlocked global device like the iPhone! May I ask does you dad have a Verizon Wireless mobile number? If he does then he can use your unlocked iPhone 4S on his number! Also, the great news is that once the iPhone 4S is unlocked, it can be used on an international carrier, even if it is not active on the line that it was unlocked on. So if you decide to let your dad use your iPhone while in India with an international carrier then he is free to do so. Since the Verizon Wireless SIM card is not in the phone, he will not incur any roaming charges from us. Below are a few recommendations that I would like to make prior to giving the device to your dad.
Sync all of your current information from your iPhone to your computer using iTunes.
Sign out of iTunes on the device and on the computer that the iPhone syncs with.
Perform a factory reset on the iPhone so your information won't be mixed with your dad's.
Verify that the device is deactivated from your mobile number before he leaves to Dubai.
Insert the international SIM card in the iPhone when he arrives in Dubai.
Activate/unbrick the iPhone using either wi-fi or a computer with iTunes and a data connection. (See link below)
http://support.verizonwireless.com/how_to_use/activating_iphone_4.html
Even though the steps provided in the link are for activating Verizon Wireless service in the US, the steps are the same with an international SIM card while traveling abroad. If you have any additional questions or concerns then feel free to reply to this posting for more help.
Thank you & happy traveling!...
ArnettH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @vzwsupport

International Roaming Charges, $4,500

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