# [ 2009 ] Help pls! How to avoid Roaming charges on U.S. cellphone



## Cathyb (Jun 23, 2009)

We'll be spending a full week in Canada in conjunction to having Kitchen flood damage getting repaired -- so will need our cellphone for communication.

We have Nokia on the Family Plan and wondered what is the best thing we can do to avoid expensive roaming charges while in Canada.  Any ideas    TIA


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## Luanne (Jun 23, 2009)

Who is your carrier?

When we went to Canada last year after looking into everything we opted to just use our cell phones as little as possible.  We used the phone at the resort most of the time and used our cells only when we needed to get in touch with each other.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jun 23, 2009)

We paid, I think, an extra $15 per month to have our phone operate in Canada without roaming. We have Sprint. However, we found out after the fact, this doesn't include web surfing, which they kindly took off our bill, after I explained that I thought I was paying for full access.
Liz


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## Cathyb (Jun 23, 2009)

Liz: ewwww!!! web searching or on TUG too --  would cost extra???  How expensive was it?   How about checking emails -- extra cost there too?


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## Cathyb (Jun 23, 2009)

We have AT&T.  Am I learning that we should:
1.  Use hotel phones, not our cell -- but only when necessary
2.  Don't use computer much

Would the Calling Cards you  buy at Costco work better to use???


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## Kola (Jun 23, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> We have AT&T.  Am I learning that we should:
> 1.  Use hotel phones, not our cell -- but only when necessary
> 2.  Don't use computer much
> 
> Would the Calling Cards you  buy at Costco work better to use???



Some hotels offer free internet access. If not, try and find a local city library which has free internet service. 
Calling cards are a good value if you actually use the amount you paid.

K,


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## Cathyb (Jun 23, 2009)

kola:  We will have our laptop.  Are we better to use the free internet offered by the Canadian timeshare or is there no difference.  This is opening up a whole new can of worms and we desperately need to communicate with our people who are taking care of our flooded kitchen.


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## debraxh (Jun 24, 2009)

If you're taking your laptop and the resort offers free interenet access then by all means use it!

Your cell phone is a different matter.  You may want to check first to be sure your phone will work in Canada.  Then regardless of what your plan/carrier charges, you would be accessing a Canadian roaming network and will have to pay their charges.  IIRC it wasn't outrageous, comething like $0.35USD/minute.  We did what Luanne did and only used them when absolutely necessary.  

If you'll need to make a lot of calls from your cell, I believe the Canadian carrier offers some type of prepaid roaming card, or you can sign up for minimum roaming service plan.


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## DaveNV (Jun 24, 2009)

Cathy, ask your carrier about getting appropriate coverage in Canada for your trip.  You should be able to delete it after you get home, so you're only paying for the time you need it.

If all else fails, buy calling cards and use them instead.

Dave


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## Cathyb (Jun 24, 2009)

debrahx and bmw:  Thank you!


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## caribbeansun (Jun 24, 2009)

If you are taking your laptop and the resort has free internet access why not just buy a Skype plan - cost should be around $0.02 a minute or less.


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## Cathyb (Jun 26, 2009)

carribean:  We will be talking with contractors fixing our flooded kitchen and don't believe Skype would be an option; but thank you for the suggestion.


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## caribbeansun (Jun 26, 2009)

If you are talking to people on phones then Skype is an option because you can dial land lines or cell phones - there is a misperception that Skype is only computer to computer which it is not.  For calls to land lines or cells there is a fee per minute which is likely in the $0.02 range or less AND the receiver does need to be subscribed to Skype either, for calls to computers there is no charge.  This will work as long as you are doing the calling, if they are calling you then you would be out of luck.


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## DanM (Jun 26, 2009)

With Verizon a couple of years ago I switched to the "North American Plan" before going to Canada, then switched back when I returned. Cost a few extra bucks for one month and I think i had to extend my contract on one of the switches, but I was staying with Verizon anyway so it didn't matter.


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## janej (Jun 26, 2009)

We have Sprint and text is free when it is available in Canada.  It worked out well.  When my husband travels there, he text me the number to call and I call him from our home phone.  Our home phone plan includes free unlimited call to Canada.  I think some Skype plan also allows you to place call to regular phone line.


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## asp (Jun 26, 2009)

Since you seem to need to RECEIVE calls more than just make them, perhaps you should consider a prepaid Canadian sim card.  

When we are in the States, we buy a prepaid T- Mobile - we unlocked a Palm Treo for it.  If you don't know how to unlock (lots of internet instructions), or don't want to risk it, you could buy a second phone on ebay that is unlocked.

http://www.theblog.ca/pay-as-you-go  seems to have a lot of info and links that may help you.


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## Cathyb (Jun 26, 2009)

Thank you all -- gosh so much to learn!  My lesson to all of you is do *not *buy a GE refrigerator with icemaker.  Our 2 yr old frig flooded 1000 sqft of our downstairs and we are undergoing a major destruction/reconstruction.


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## pwrshift (Jun 27, 2009)

I am on a Canadian cell system (Rogers) and it is very expensive compared to what I see on ads from US carriers...which are not available to us, but I have what's called a 'North America' plan which means I can call anywhere in US and Canada to anyplace in US and Canada for the same monthly fee.  My plan includes 400 monthly minutes and there is no roaming charges even if you go over your 400 minutes (just per minute fees for the overage).  My provider also allows you to change your plan for a 'minimum one month' from your regular plan if you are going out of the country so youmight not have to sign up for a year on it.

Surely the US plans have similar plans.  It's so much more convenient being able to make calls in/out to/from your own cell phone.

Brian


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## bobbornstein (Jun 27, 2009)

caribbeansun said:


> If you are taking your laptop and the resort has free internet access why not just buy a Skype plan - cost should be around $0.02 a minute or less.




If the above is true, laptop and free internet, try www.magicjack.com for $39.99 for the first year. Unlimited calls to and from your "new" phone number. Plug the magicJack into a usb on your laptop (wait for initial installation) and plug a corded phone into the magicJack. Works great if you have a good internet connection. Just saw the Sunday ad for Walgreens and they had them in the store also.


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## John Cummings (Jun 28, 2009)

I used to have AT&T before switching to Verizon last year. When we went to Canada 3 times and Mexico several times, we added the International option which was prorated just for the time we were out of the country. You just call AT&T to add it. You just tell them what date you are leaving. When you return, you need to call them to cancel it. It cost $4.00 /month but is prorated so your charge should only be $1.00 assuming they haven't changed the plan. It will reduce the roaming charges but they are still not free. I believe it reduced them from $0.99 /min to $0.69.

With Verizon, you also have to have International calling enabled which is free but is not automatically enabled. We found this out the hard way when my wife was in Mexico visiting her family and was not able to call me on the cell. We have since had it enabled.


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## Cathyb (Jul 1, 2009)

Lots to learn!  I knew I could count on you Tuggers.  Thank you very much!


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## SMHarman (Feb 24, 2014)

Cathyb said:


> carribean:  We will be talking with contractors fixing our flooded kitchen and don't believe Skype would be an option; but thank you for the suggestion.



When you pay money to skype and buy a $10 credit you can use your Skype account to call any phone number in the world so you can call your contractors cell phone or your home phone and talk to them over Skype.  If doing this I recommend bringing headphones with a microphone in them or a USB headset as this will improve the call quality immeasurably.

Then you can use the free WiFi at the resort, the headset and the $10 call credit on Skype to chat.  You can also buy a phone number for your Skype so they can call you back when the computer is on and you are home.

This is not the free video person to person Skype you are thinking of (well it is the same software but it has more functionality than you may think)



Cathyb said:


> We have AT&T.  Am I learning that we should:
> 1.  Use hotel phones, not our cell -- but only when necessary
> 2.  Don't use computer much
> 
> Would the Calling Cards you  buy at Costco work better to use???



*AT&T Canada & Mexico Travel Minutes 80*

Stay in touch when roaming in Canada & Mexico.

80 minutes of calling while traveling in Canada & Mexico is included at an effective rate of 38¢ per minute, 50¢ per minute overage.

*Package and overage rates apply only to calls made and received in Canada & Mexico.

One month minimum required. If you remove the package before your monthly bill cycle ends, the included monthly minute allotment will be reduced proportionately.

For more information, visit att.com/global.

That will cost you $30.  Buy that and you can be reached pretty easily on your usual number if not in the TS


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## DeniseM (Feb 24, 2014)

Please note that you are responding to a thread from 2009, that was brought out of mothballs by a spammer...


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## SMHarman (Feb 24, 2014)

Cathyb said:


> Thank you all -- gosh so much to learn!  My lesson to all of you is do *not *buy a GE refrigerator with icemaker.  Our 2 yr old frig flooded 1000 sqft of our downstairs and we are undergoing a major destruction/reconstruction.



Sorry this happened, as part of the remediation consider a couple of other additions to your house.

A waterbug or similar, this is a good local targeted system and if you have an alarm with central monitoring it can be connected to that system and your monitoring company can call you or your local contacts to check out the situation.
http://www.winland.com/products/WB200/wb200.html

As a Cadilac solution there is 
http://www.flologic.com/
This is a computerised stop valve on the main line to your home.  It is programmed with your usual water patterns so will not shut down when you run a tub or take a long shower but if there is a water flow that does not make sense to the system it shuts down the stop valve to your home to prevent further damage (and keep your water bill in check).



> In the "Home" mode, the System is pre-programmed to allow up to 30 minutes of uninterrupted water flow before the shutoff valve is activated. The "Away" mode allows 30 seconds of uninterrupted flow. Both modes can easily be reprogrammed to correspond with your personal water use patterns.



And this Home and Away mode can be integrated into your home alarm system if you have one.


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## SMHarman (Feb 24, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> Please note that you are responding to a thread from 2009, that was brought out of mothballs by a spammer...


Aww jeeez, well the water leak detection post may be helpful for some others who spend a lot of time away from home.


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