tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post3275472733363384584..comments2024-03-20T09:32:16.592-04:00Comments on Michael James on Money: Combating Wireless Phone Bill ShocksMichael Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-73761244598114877362012-11-08T09:44:24.932-05:002012-11-08T09:44:24.932-05:00@Anonymous, @Preet, @AnatoliN: Based on the repli...@Anonymous, @Preet, @AnatoliN: Based on the replies so far, it seems that there are apps and services available that allow users to monitor their consumption of some services, and there are ways around problems for the knowledgeable and wary. I'd like to take it a step further. I want close-to-real-time access to my current monthly charges including all charges for all types of services. And if the displayed charge is wrong, the service provider eats the loss. This means that all reciprocal arrangements between carriers in different countries would have to include a real-time billing component (or reasonably close to real time). So if my nephew manages to start racking up charges on some game while using my smart phone, he'll have to pass it to me to type in a password when the "you've hit $50 in extra charges this month" message comes up. This is the kind of blanket protection I'm looking for rather than the patchwork of roaming charge messages.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10362529610470788243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-4204792573091708222012-11-08T09:33:27.026-05:002012-11-08T09:33:27.026-05:00Rogers has an app to monitor consumption.
I bit ...Rogers has an app to monitor consumption. <br /><br />I bit of guts and knowledge may help prevent most of high bills troubles:<br />- afraid of picking up US network - set your phone on a fixed network<br />- cross the border and do not want to use data in roaming - switch data connection off while abroad<br />- do not want to pay for roaming minutes - don't answer calls, use sms<br />- need to talk using the same number - buy a roaming package from your provider, can be done by sms<br /><br />For the more gutsy - unlock your phone and buy a local SIM card.<br /><br />For the most advanced: unlock your phone, buy a local sim card, buy a Canadian VOIP number, forward your cell number to this VOIP number, forward this VOIP number to the number of your foreign sim card. Result: calls to your Canadian cell number reach you abroad at a cost of VOIP call and local incoming call abroad(free anywhere in the world except Canada). To call Canada from abroad - install an app and use the same VOIP service via local data.<br />works for me :)AnatoliNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07937984526970646627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-55490969017099224112012-11-08T08:19:01.510-05:002012-11-08T08:19:01.510-05:00Telus does the same for me. I get messages at $10,...Telus does the same for me. I get messages at $10, $50, $100, etc. of incurred roaming charges. It suggests temporary add-on packages to reduce the costs as well.<br /><br />So while I'm not an expert on what they can and can't do, I'm pretty sure anything is possible. Just not profitable.<br /><br />For people travelling close to the border, disabling "Automatic Carrier Selection" on your phone will allow you to choose one carrier and to force that connection whenever possible, so I would choose Telus and not have to worry about roaming. In fact, if I'm over the border but a Telus tower is in range, I have full functionality with my phone and no roaming either.<br /><br />And for extended data usage, I just get a sim card from a local carrier and an unlimited package. In France and Ireland, the total bill came out to between $15 and $25 in each country for not having to worry about ridiculous charges.WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09185007666460707356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5465015914589377788.post-40104693146161711072012-11-08T01:15:22.664-05:002012-11-08T01:15:22.664-05:00Not that I'm a raving fan of the "now wit...Not that I'm a raving fan of the "now with more dropped calls" service I seem to be getting these days, but the last few times I've traveled internationally and *knowingly* used data, fido did send SMS's to indicate that I was roaming and that I had used a good $$ of data and would be better off with one of the travel packs. So there is some progress.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com