Unexpected $7/day roaming charge with data turned off

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Unexpected $7/day roaming charge with data turned off

phrozenpenguin

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#295456 30-Mar-2022 11:58

Long time 2Degrees mobile customer, but haven't used roaming for a while.

Now been overseas a little while and just got an alert about my spend limit being approached. I check my bill and I am being charged $7/day - not expected.

Reviewing the 2degrees website it seems this is their new package, but I was never notified or got any 2Degrees txt message on arrival overseas. However, I understood the $7 was only if the plan was used e.g calls / outgoing SMS / data. Most of my days have zero usage but are charged for. Is there any way to find out more...I have sent a message to 2Degrees but suspect I may be waiting a while for an answer.

Potentially relevant is my setup; iPhone 11 Pro with 2Degrees physical SIM (mobile data turned off) and overseas eSIM (mobile data turned on). I'm using mobile data extensively and it is coming from the eSIM, and I haven't been making call or SMS on most of the days I have been charged.

Any ideas how to resolve this would be great, or point our my (mis)understandings!

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#2894175 30-Mar-2022 12:10

Incoming calls trigger it, including calls that go to voicemail. However, if the call went to voicemail and there was no other usage then IIRC the charge for that day should be credited on the bill.

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Linux

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#2894177 30-Mar-2022 12:21

@phrozenpenguin Use WiFi calling if you have access to WiFi then zero roaming charges

https://www.2degrees.nz/help/mobile-help/calling-features/wifi-calling

phrozenpenguin

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#2894465 31-Mar-2022 07:59

Hi both, thanks for the replies.

@SaltyNZ I'm ok with that, and have had voicemails a few times. But the number of times I've been charged is much in excess of those voicemails. I'm hoping its able to be credited, just a pain to have to get in touch with support, whilst extending spend limit or not having usable phone.

@Linux I have wi-fi calling turned on, but am generally using 4G from my UK eSIM; gives me more flexibility than wifi when travelling.

Linux

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#2894590 31-Mar-2022 10:56

phrozenpenguin:

Hi both, thanks for the replies.

@SaltyNZ I'm ok with that, and have had voicemails a few times. But the number of times I've been charged is much in excess of those voicemails. I'm hoping its able to be credited, just a pain to have to get in touch with support, whilst extending spend limit or not having usable phone.

@Linux I have wi-fi calling turned on, but am generally using 4G from my UK eSIM; gives me more flexibility than wifi when travelling.

@phrozenpenguin Disable the 2d SIM and only enable it when connected to WiFi is what I would do

phrozenpenguin

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#2895159 1-Apr-2022 10:29

I just had a frustrating call with 2Degrees, that ended up being cutoff because I was on hold for so long. Anyway.

Apparently the roaming $7/day fee is charged regardless of if you use the service i.e. if you connect to a cell tower overseas then you are charged. You DO NOT have to make or receive any calls, send any txts, or use any data. Is this how others understand it?

From the 2Degrees website "Your phone will auto-trigger $7/day roaming when you when you use data, send a text, or make a call overseas." So I didn't expect to be charged if I didn't do any of those things.

Looking at the T&C, "In $7 per day destinations, the daily rate applies each day you use your phone, including to make or receive calls (including via voicemail), send texts or use data. 300kbps max speeds apply in some destinations." This is perhaps ambiguous, in that I would understand "using your phone" to be actually making a call, txt, data but 2Degrees seem to interpret "using your phone" as connected to an overseas cell tower.

Thoughts?

SaltyNZ

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#2895209 1-Apr-2022 10:36

phrozenpenguin:

Apparently the roaming $7/day fee is charged regardless of if you use the service i.e. if you connect to a cell tower overseas then you are charged. You DO NOT have to make or receive any calls, send any txts, or use any data. Is this how others understand it?

No. This is absolutely incorrect and if that is what they told you then they need some training.

You will only be charged if your device actually attempts some sort of usage. I wrote the code that does it.

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#2895240 1-Apr-2022 11:34

@phrozenpenguin Trust me @SaltyNZ would know

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

phrozenpenguin

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#2895247 1-Apr-2022 11:45

Thanks @SaltyNZ for confirming. It is however different behaviour to actually happening (e.g. my bill stacking up day on day just to be connected) and as the call center agent explained, and confirmed even after putting me on hold.

Gives me some hope that I can use my phone as intended, and then sort out a refund when back in NZ...

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#2895248 1-Apr-2022 11:46

Can you see any billed roaming usage in the 2degrees app? I do not mean the $7 daily charge

phrozenpenguin

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#2897428 6-Apr-2022 09:03

@SaltyNZ this issue persists. I realise this isn't official support, but if you wrote the code then you might be interested in how it is working in practice! Now when I turn my 2Degrees sim on, I get an alert telling me "Your daily roaming charge will hit your spend control limit.....You won't be able to use roaming until this is changed." This is immediately on connection to a network. I have data disabled and therefore don't expect to be charged until an event happens (e.g. call/data/outgoing sms).

@Linux some days have nothing, somedays say data 0. Some days i do see incoming/outgoing calls or outgoing SMS (which I would expect to trigger the $7 charge).

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#2897470 6-Apr-2022 09:42

I am sure the incoming SMS will trigger the charge but let @SaltyNZ confirm

Any reason you can not connecting to WiFi and use WiFi calling?

phrozenpenguin

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#2897499 6-Apr-2022 10:09

Linux: I am sure the incoming SMS will trigger the charge but let @SaltyNZ confirm

Any reason you can not connecting to WiFi and use WiFi calling?

I've never on any network / country been charged for incoming SMS when roaming. Are you suggesting 2Degrees charges for these?

Your wifi calling point is interesting.

- I'm largely not on wifi is the main reason (travelling and using 4g, which is often at least as fast as any wifi even if available).

- Assuming I can use wifi, I either don't understand the wifi calling properly, or it doesn't work well with two lines on my iPhone. I always have a UK line enabled on my iPhone, therefore don't want to use aeroplane mode as then I don't get incoming calls from that SIM. If I have my NZ 2Degrees line enabled, if for any reason I drop wifi connection (common in the rubbish wifi environment I am in) then I am back to roaming which triggers the $7/day charge. If I turn off the NZ line on the iPhone, the wifi calling is also disabled. If I am missing something would love to correct!

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#2897502 6-Apr-2022 10:13

Incoming SMS do not trigger the daily charge. They couldn't even if we wanted them to, because the SMSC has no location information at the point at which it would trigger the charging system (which it only does if the message in question is some sort of premium message anyway).

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These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

phrozenpenguin

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#2897517 6-Apr-2022 10:32

This is an example of my bill - all 4 of these days were charged $7.

I read this as :

17 March - $7 charge and no activity

18 March - $7 charge and 0mb of roaming data (data was turned off)

19 March - $7 charge and no activity

20 March - $7 charge and 0mb of roaming data (data was turned off)

The 18 and 20 perhaps indicate roaming data - maybe <500kb is rounded down to 0mb? Still doesn't make sense as my mobile data has been turned off, and if it wasn't I would expect MUCH higher usage, given I am rarely on wifi.

Any thoughts appreciated before I tackle the support centre again...

SaltyNZ

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#2897571 6-Apr-2022 10:48

The packet gateway doesn't just invent data out of thin air, so the handset must have done something even if only very little.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

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