Comments on: Travellers still being ripped off with roaming charges http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nathan http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/#comment-166463 Nathan Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:50:16 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=6148#comment-166463 We offer a service for international travellers coming to the UK and Europe, but I think there is no similar service in the US where you can actually rent a smartphone and pay local rates. The problem in the US the lack of national coverage, we are lucky here that the networks are national. Buying a cheap PAYG phone is a limited alternative, for example you lose the functionality like the twitpic and flickr uploads and, well all the features that we have grown to use regularly that are not just basic text and phone. We offer a service for international travellers coming to the UK and Europe, but I think there is no similar service in the US where you can actually rent a smartphone and pay local rates. The problem in the US the lack of national coverage, we are lucky here that the networks are national. Buying a cheap PAYG phone is a limited alternative, for example you lose the functionality like the twitpic and flickr uploads and, well all the features that we have grown to use regularly that are not just basic text and phone.

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]]> By: Simon http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/#comment-166132 Simon Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:07:55 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=6148#comment-166132 I work for a company which provides international calls to people's landlines and mobiles. We always advise our customers to obtain a local SIM card if they are staying abroad for any length of time, to avoid getting hit by (often hidden) roaming charges by their home network provider. If you will only be abroad for a short while it's worth remembering that inbound roaming charges are often around a third of the cost of outbound roaming. In addition, if your friend back home calls you (rather than you calling them) they will only be billed for a call to your normal phone number. The network aren't able to bill for an international call as the number your friend is dialing is technically domestic (despite being on the other side of the world). I work for a company which provides international calls to people’s landlines and mobiles. We always advise our customers to obtain a local SIM card if they are staying abroad for any length of time, to avoid getting hit by (often hidden) roaming charges by their home network provider.

If you will only be abroad for a short while it’s worth remembering that inbound roaming charges are often around a third of the cost of outbound roaming. In addition, if your friend back home calls you (rather than you calling them) they will only be billed for a call to your normal phone number. The network aren’t able to bill for an international call as the number your friend is dialing is technically domestic (despite being on the other side of the world).

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]]> By: steve sherlock http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/#comment-166082 steve sherlock Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:47:22 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=6148#comment-166082 if your asking for the whole amount to be credited, then not likely. maybe you can put argument for part credit. i just had $500 with of international roaming billed from two days in sing, coz i only just learned about turning data roaming off. so i rang phone company (telstra) after 40mins on phone and 4th person they finally agreed to give a 50% credit. if all else fails then you could cancel the contract and just dont pay it. tell them if they take you to court that you will bring a huge orange placard protesting the rip off! sounds like fun. if your asking for the whole amount to be credited, then not likely. maybe you can put argument for part credit.

i just had $500 with of international roaming billed from two days in sing, coz i only just learned about turning data roaming off.

so i rang phone company (telstra) after 40mins on phone and 4th person they finally agreed to give a 50% credit.

if all else fails then you could cancel the contract and just dont pay it. tell them if they take you to court that you will bring a huge orange placard protesting the rip off! sounds like fun.

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]]> By: nicola ball http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/#comment-166035 nicola ball Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:56:18 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=6148#comment-166035 just came across this, i just bought an i phone and travelling from the uk to nyc and following a week of working (checking emails) even with a roaming packaging i've been hit with a bill for over $2000 that i just can't afford to pay!! My bill is normally around 30-40 per month, not one call to let me know my bill was at the crazy level.....is there anything I can do? i've tried Orange, who are not backing down, and I don't really know what else i can do...! just came across this, i just bought an i phone and travelling from the uk to nyc and following a week of working (checking emails) even with a roaming packaging i’ve been hit with a bill for over $2000 that i just can’t afford to pay!! My bill is normally around 30-40 per month, not one call to let me know my bill was at the crazy level…..is there anything I can do? i’ve tried Orange, who are not backing down, and I don’t really know what else i can do…!

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]]> By: steve sherlock http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/05/11/travellers-ripped-roaming-charges/#comment-165758 steve sherlock Thu, 27 May 2010 16:24:41 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=6148#comment-165758 Darren big problem for oz travelers too, given huge os roaming costs, i too learnt the hard way when in uk last year. i've been travelling in asia for a month, and this time i turned off "data roaming" and only used wireless to access web via iphone. for phone calls i connect to a wireless network then use skype every time. when strong wireless connection great quality voice. made 3 hours of calls to oz, eu, us and spent just US$10. luckily oodles of free wireless connection in asia especially starbucks, most hotels and many bars. i was even able to tweet live about crackdown in bangkok. Darren

big problem for oz travelers too, given huge os roaming costs, i too learnt the hard way when in uk last year.

i’ve been travelling in asia for a month, and this time i turned off “data roaming” and only used wireless to access web via iphone.

for phone calls i connect to a wireless network then use skype every time. when strong wireless connection great quality voice. made 3 hours of calls to oz, eu, us and spent just US$10.

luckily oodles of free wireless connection in asia especially starbucks, most hotels and many bars. i was even able to tweet live about crackdown in bangkok.

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