Wind roaming charges

[nuclearbroccoli]

It's ridiculous to expect that my senior citizen parents are going to do that. Ridiculous. A mass marketed consumer product should never require that sort of thing. It's complete incompetence on the part of the product designers if that is really true.

No, it's not ridiculous.
A smartphone is not a phone. It is a portable computer that happens to be able to make phone calls. Treating it otherwise will only cause you problems.
If you don't want to take the time to learn about it, either buy a simpler phone, or suffer the consequences.


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[rjwells]

Personally, I don't really see the issue here. You were in the US and you used far more data than would have been used by your phone syncing your e-mail etc.

I think you've confused me with the OP. I have never received a roaming charge. I'm a pay before customer and I always ensure there's no money in my account for WIND to steal, since I fully expect that if there was any money there they would use every and any opportunity to grift it.

I've posted extensively here only because these dishonest practices offend my sense of fairness, not because I myself have ever been victimized.

[rjwells]

How about we propose that PROVIDERS are required to cap your bill? (i.e. EVERY person has a max billing cap that he / she cannot exceed. On reaching this cap, they are cut off. This cap is automatically set to 2x the average billing amount of the customer AND the subscriber can call in to raise the limit if they need a higher limit)

Exactly. It's done in every other country. It ensures that people positively confirm that they want these charges. It's fair to everyone and simple to implement. The technology is already in place, as they use it to manage pay before accounts. 2nd place would go to Rogers which at least appears to send out a bunch of warnings.

There is only one reason why this isn't done: A complete and utter lack of ethics at the mobile phone companies, where no doubt people get promoted for grifting senior citizens. The only one of them that gets any modicum of credit here is mobilicity where the "my wallet" feature in effect accomplishes this.

[rjwells]

No, it's not ridiculous.
A smartphone is not a phone. It is a portable computer that happens to be able to make phone calls.

If laptops vendors sold laptops with "gotcha!" software that scammed people out of thousands of dollars for any misuse I'd be outraged by that too. Laptop vendors don't do that. Unlike mobile phone companies, laptop vendors appear to have at least a few scruples.

[nuclearbroccoli]

If laptops vendors sold laptops with "gotcha!" software that scammed people out of thousands of dollars for any misuse I'd be outraged by that too. Laptop vendors don't do that. Unlike mobile phone companies, laptop vendors appear to have at least a few scruples.

They do. It's called Windows automatic updating.
Now picture a Windows update done on a limited internet connection.

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[rjwells]

They do. It's called Windows automatic updating.
Now picture a Windows update done on a limited internet connection.

That would be the "limited internet connection" and not Windows. And the only way you would get a $10k bill for that is if you were dealing with some unethical mobile phone company.

[Siriustoo]

Is there an ISP in the world that charges $4 per MB... I think not.

[will888]

To be honest, there are a lot of people out there who are not sufficiently informed to use a smart phone. By that I mean being aware when a phone is drawing data, keeping accounts synched all the time, knowing the data controls and managing them. The happy go lucky approach only works with dumb phones. I don't see any wrong doing on the part of wind, real or perceived. The discussion about capping additional charges, sound like a pay before feature to me. Users should have full ownership and control of usage and charges, not the provider.

As for the issue of $4 per meg, that is due to a lack of competition. All the carriers over charge. That said, it is a great incentive to make sure roaming data is not on unintentionally.

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[djino]

How about we propose that PROVIDERS are required to cap your bill? (i.e. EVERY person has a max billing cap that he / she cannot exceed. On reaching this cap, they are cut off. This cap is automatically set to 2x the average billing amount of the customer AND the subscriber can call in to raise the limit if they need a higher limit)

I believe this is what exactly needs to be done.

I don't disagree with the comments here about people needing to know how to use their phone especially when roaming, for me, this is more of a customer experience factor. A happy client is a loyal client. Implementing such a system can only make this experience that more positive.

Djino
"I see it as building loyalty, security and trust for your clients"

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[FTW]

Implementing such a system can only make this experience that more positive.

I have to say I disagree. Some people may want the use of there data or roaming for business or emergency use. Imagine being cut off your phone in an emergency because you bill reached this cap? Also as was stated before people ignore Winds texts reminding them of the charges they will receive while roaming. What if someone reached the cap and get cut off. That will only work to generate more calls to the call centre for Wind. Caps should be an opt in feature and not mandated by Wind.

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[djino]

I have to say I disagree. Some people may want the use of there data or roaming for business or emergency use. Imagine being cut off your phone in an emergency because you bill reached this cap? Also as was stated before people ignore Winds texts reminding them of the charges they will receive while roaming. What if someone reached the cap and get cut off. That will only work to generate more calls to the call centre for Wind. Caps should be an opt in feature and not mandated by Wind.

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Do you honestly believe there are more WIND clients out there wanting to spend thousands if not hundreds of dollars intentionally roaming than people who are doing this accidentally?

For these rare people who have the money to spend that kind of money, I'm sure it can be simple for them to call 611 on their phone to confirm with WIND that the roaming charges they've accumulated so far are wanted and have WIND allow them to continue to roam.

djino

[xtachx]

I have to say I disagree. Some people may want the use of there data or roaming for business or emergency use. Imagine being cut off your phone in an emergency because you bill reached this cap? Also as was stated before people ignore Winds texts reminding them of the charges they will receive while roaming. What if someone reached the cap and get cut off. That will only work to generate more calls to the call centre for Wind. Caps should be an opt in feature and not mandated by Wind.

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You are most welcome to call in and increase the limit OR switch to robelus to spend more money

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[rjwells]

If it's an emergency call 911.

If it's not a real emergency then call 611. Nobody is suggesting a hard cap that cannot be raised. Having you call in to customer service to ask for the cap to be removed is positive confirmation you know you are running up a big bill and are comfortable with the charges.

Someone who routinely runs a $10000 roaming bill and is happy to pay that (really?) can ask to have the limit raised.

All we're asking for is some transparency and fair dealing. The limit could be lifted with a simple phone call. It just ensures that no one gets a bill they weren't expecting.

[FTW]

You are most welcome to call in and increase the limit OR switch to robelus to spend more money

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Wow. I can't believe a Mobi sub is telling me in the Wind forums to go to Robelus. My point was simple that limits should not be impossed by the carrier, but by you the subscriber. It means less trouble for the subscriber.

And by the way, people's account are already capped based on your credit rating.

[Bronyr]

I have data while roaming turned off and still get charged for data while roaming. I do need voice roaming, no problem there 25c per call. NEVER had this problem with tmob us phones, I'm in GTA. Wind doesn't know what to do...

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