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International roaming charge problem... Screwed?

Ricemarine

Ricemarine

Lifer
So, I'm taking a tour in Canada right now. Now, I'm new to having data (used to be on t-mo w/o) with unlimited data/minutes with free roaming. So, my assumption is that the free roaming applied to Canada... Aha... domestic only.

In Canada, I used about 45-50 minutes of sprint tv to watch the World Cup (totally isn't worth it since Germany lost). So... I assume it's going to be around 60-70mb used, which will calculate with the rate of $0.002/kb which will be around $145 worth of fees.

After I realized this... very costly mistake... I called CS in which they told me that... 1... Sucks to be you... 2... yeah you probably won't have any luck getting those charges disputed... 3... Sprint TV uses a lot of bandwidth and 4... it will take 1-2 billing cycles before it shows up on my bill...

Any tips for helping me out?
I <3 ATOT.

Update #1
Actually, as said in post #5, it's going to be $450.

Update #2
Once again, big miscalculation. After doing some experimenting to calculate the data usage, I learned that one full game on Sprint TV was about 90 Mb. The updated bill charged me for about 44 Mb. So, I looked further into it and realized that the bandwidth was limited because of the CDMA2000, meaning at most I'd get around 60-100kbps in real world applications. So, using 100 kbps as my rate, the total cost would be about $90, which was how much I'm being charged! Luckily I was not in an EVDO zone so... yeah! Lesson learned... Data off in Canada.
 
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Just $145.00?
You got off easy.
Pay it in installments.
Nightly cellular calls home from Canada can be costly. That's why you buy a disposable when you cross borders. Everybody knows this.
 
AlienCraft said:
Just $145.00?
You got off easy.
Pay it in installments.
Nightly cellular calls home from Canada can be costly. That's why you buy a disposable when you cross borders. Everybody knows this.
Click to expand...

Actually... I lied.
Considering Sprint TV uses 300 kbps-500 kbps, and considering I used about an hour of sprint TV... I will assume... 500 kbps * 60 s * 60 min * 0.002/kb / 8 bits/byte= $450

yeah... not gonna get off easy.
 
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I feel bad for you man, but how the hell can you have over 10k posts on Anandtech and be so new to the Internet that you've never heard of outrageous international roaming charges? Problem is, the phone company won't let you off because they have to pay the Canadian phone companies a lot.
 
^ Get the 40 buck plan and wait for the data to show up on the bill, once it does remove the plan

On verizon my bro went over his 20mb limit by like 50megs, and all they told us to do was switch to the unlimited plan before the bill closes.

Easy done easy go.
 
thescreensavers said:
^ Get the 40 buck plan and wait for the data to show up on the bill, once it does remove the plan

On verizon my bro went over his 20mb limit by like 50megs, and all they told us to do was switch to the unlimited plan before the bill closes.

Easy done easy go.
Click to expand...

I would love to do that... if the CSR would let me tag on the data already used onto the plan. The CSR told me that the plan would be effective from the time and date the plan was added, neglecting my already used data. However, I am glad that I miscalculated and in theory it should be within $450-$500
 
Ricemarine said:
I would love to do that... if the CSR would let me tag on the data already used onto the plan. The CSR told me that the plan would be effective from the time and date the plan was added, neglecting my already used data. However, I am glad that I miscalculated and in theory it should be within $450-$500
Click to expand...

These have been my experiences with Sprint and Verizon as well...hence the reason I left Sprint for Verizon.

Best of luck, OP.
 
Lesson learned, if you want to do high bandwidth stuff while travelling, use Wifi, and with VOIP to make calls. Not really much you can do about the bill. Cell companies love their hidden charges. It should be illegal really but you signed the contract. :hmm:

IMO, long distance and roaming charges really shouldn't exist anymore. There's no technical reason for them within North America. I don't think there had been for quite some time. It's just a big cash cow.
 
mmntech said:
IMO, long distance and roaming charges really shouldn't exist anymore. There's no technical reason for them within North America. I don't think there had been for quite some time. It's just a big cash cow.
Click to expand...

You do realize that if you belong to company A and you end up somewhere in an area where only company B has coverage you are using that network's resources? You not only use the network but all that traffic has to route through that other network's systems along with billing.

Cell sites are created to serve customer base in that area + roamers. the big thing behind roaming is those roamers will pay a premium to both companies to get coverage out there.

Ontop of all this the testing that goes on in between providers to get this to work and the support required when it doesn't work is where a CRAP-TON of that roaming fee goes. So while the use of the network probably doesn't amount to the total roaming charge toss in the amount of people that work to make it happen the profit itself starts to dwindle.
 
Call up a CSR and ask them to verify the rate. If I recall, someone went around and around with them because they were quoted "point zero zero two cents per kilobyte." Not "point zero zero two dollars per kilobyte."
 
The utility of cell phone technology eludes me, so I had to look this situation up. You used a service called Sprint TV to watch a soccer game on a telephone.

Telephone
-noun
1. An apparatus, system, or process for transmission of sound or speech to a distant point, especially by an electric device.

Television
-noun
1. The broadcasting of a still or moving image via radiowaves to receivers that project a view of the image on a picture tube.


Current technology may provide but common sense still applies. You probably paid to watch the commercials also. 😛
 
sdifox said:
do not roam. Ever.
Click to expand...

And the road becomes my bride
I have stripped of all but pride
So in her I do confide
And she keeps me satisfied
Gives me all I need

And with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave

Roamer, wanderer
Nomad, vagabond
Call me what you will

But I'll take my time anywhere
Free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll redefine anywhere

Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home

(And the earth becomes my throne)

And the earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wandering stars I've grown
By myself but not alone
I ask no one

And my ties are severed clean
Less I have the more I gain
Off the beaten path I reign

Roamer, wanderer
Nomad, vagabond
Call me what you will
Yeah, you wi-i-i-ill

But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind anywhere
and I'll take my time anywhere

Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home
heh-yeah

But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind
And I'll take my time anywhere

Anywhere I may roam
Where I lay my head is home
That's right

But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll redefine anywhere

Anywhere I may roam
Where I lay my head is home

Carved upon my stone
My body lies, but still I roam,
Yeah yeah!

Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam
Woah

Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam
Yeah!

Wherever I may wander, wander, wander
Wherever I may roam

Yeah, yeah, wherever I may roam

Yeah, yeah, wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam
 
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