Data Roaming Hell

[GoremanX]

Someone please answer this very simple, straightforward question:

What is the option "Data Roaming" for? What is it supposed to do? It has a checkbox which can be either checked or cleared.

(typically found under Settings/Wireless and networks/Mobile networks on Android 4+ phones)

 

[NeXuS4]

It gives you the option to roam off of other carriers towers. (You're on T-Mobile but you can only access AT&T towers etc.)

Don't check that box if you're on contract though. You might incur unforeseen overages.

 

[GoremanX]

I have the option turned off. It's been turned off since we bought the phone. We never turn it on. So why does THIS keep happening?



I live near the Canadian border. All those times correspond to when I'm leaving for work or coming home, but it doesn't happen every time. Every month, I get nailed with $70 to $80 in data roaming fees, and I have to call T-Mobile and argue about it until they finally credit it back. It typically takes about a week of arguing each month.

They tell me this is "normal behavior" and there's nothing they can do about it. This is with a new-ish Samsung Galaxy Relay 4G. But my older Samsung Sidekick 4G (also with T-Mobile) never has this problem.

 

[chong67]

I am on Prepaid and the roaming on data will never work right?

 

[GoremanX]

I have one phone on contract and one phone on prepaid. Data roaming never happens on the prepaid phone (I have it disabled), but it always seems to happen on the contract phone. It's like a horrible nightmare.

 

[SuperAfnan]

I am on Prepaid and the roaming on data will never work right?

Thank goodness we have prepaid. It wont roam except voice.

 

[agentc13]

Can't you just turn data off manually when driving to and from work?

 

[GoremanX]

I pay a substantial amount of money for this data plan. In fact, I'm forced to pay for it for at least 2 years. Why in God's name would I turn off a feature I pay for, especially when I USE it most of the time? I frequently use Glympse or other services to let my wife know where I am on the way home, especially in winter when the weather's bad.

Shouldn't the "Data Roaming" option just work as intended?

 

[agentc13]

I pay a substantial amount of money for this data plan. In fact, I'm forced to pay for it for at least 2 years. Why in God's name would I turn off a feature I pay for, especially when I USE it most of the time? I frequently use Glympse or other services to let my wife know where I am on the way home, especially in winter when the weather's bad.

Shouldn't the "Data Roaming" option just work as intended?

It should yes. My brother lives near the Canadian border and has the same issue on his GS3, not much you can do about it.

But if you don't want to have to call in every month for a week to sort things out, that is a solution. I was only suggesting turning it off when driving to and from work, when, as you said, all the roaming charges happen. If you don't want to do that, you may be stuck calling in to sort things out. There my be other ways around this, but if they are even possible they could be quite difficult to do, I don't know for sure and I don't know specific details about your device to help with that.

Just trying to give an option to stop the issue you were describing to us. If you don't want to do it, then good luck getting something else to work.

 

[GoremanX]

It's definitely "an" option. I guess I'm just angry because that was the only solution T-Mobile could give me. We got this phone specifically for the data aspect. We're paying through the nose for this fancy schmancy data. And now they're telling me to turn it off and keep paying for it.

I don't understand why prepaid phones can be so incredibly diligent when it comes to data roaming, but contract phones can't. I can turn on data roaming on my prepaid phone and it works fine in Canada, or I can turn it off and it NEVER uses data while roaming. Seems like a ploy to rip off contract customers to me.

 

[chong67]

Nike said "Just Do It".

I am having joy toggling my Bluetooth and Wifi widget every day. I dont how much battery juice I am saving.

 

[walmart989]

Keep it on. It will ONLY roam up to 50MB. Then T-MO shuts it off. You will not pay an overage. You will get a warning text when you get close to 50MB. Then it goes away...... and you won't data roam anymore.

THAT'S what I was told (by t-mo). Sounds like your experience is totally different.....

You have unlimited data, I assume? Sounds like shenanigans with your account to me. Sounds like when I used to be with Sprint....

 

[GoremanX]

Since data roaming in Canada costs $10/MB (!!!), all it takes is about 7 MB to rack up $70 in data roaming fees.... what's weird is that they're just the tiniest little bits of data roaming. Like the phone gets surprised by a roaming tower, has a brain fart, and then shuts off packet data.

Makes me sorely regret ever getting a contract phone... never again. If I could somehow pull out of this contract without incurring sickening fees, I would in a heartbeat.

 

[chong67]

Since data roaming in Canada costs $10/MB (!!!), all it takes is about 7 MB to rack up $70 in data roaming fees.... what's weird is that they're just the tiniest little bits of data roaming. Like the phone gets surprised by a roaming tower, has a brain fart, and then shuts off packet data.

Makes me sorely regret ever getting a contract phone... never again. If I could somehow pull out of this contract without incurring sickening fees, I would in a heartbeat.

I will never do contract again too. You just never know.

 

[NeXuS4]

Thank goodness we have prepaid. It wont roam except voice.

You can text as well

 

[NeXuS4]

Keep it on. It will ONLY roam up to 50MB. Then T-MO shuts it off. You will not pay an overage. You will get a warning text when you get close to 50MB. Then it goes away...... and you won't data roam anymore.

THAT'S what I was told (by t-mo). Sounds like your experience is totally different.....

You have unlimited data, I assume? Sounds like shenanigans with your account to me. Sounds like when I used to be with Sprint....

This is incorrect for us that use the $30, $50, $60, or $70 prepaid plan. Those plans will never support data roaming EVER. They do support text and voice though.

The value plans are another story though. I'm not as sure how they work.

 

[walmart989]

I'm worried that I will be in a roaming area, open the bill next month, and have a friggin' stroke. Me thinks i'm turning mine off- forever.

$10/MB, hell, that costs more than rock star quality toot!