BEWARE - Mexico Roaming & Long Distance Charges

gvic · Feb 16, 2015

While traveling in Mexico I called Verizon to add their $10.00 - "1,000 MINUTE" CELL PHONE CALL PLAN" but they never informed me about the $25.00 - "100MEG DATA PLAN" while ROAMING. Subsequnetly, I left my SmartPhone on while traveling in Mexico and acquired over $100.00 in Data Roaming charges even if you DON'T USE the SmartPhone updates. While traveling in Mexico you need to disengage your Smartphone from Roaming or ???

hellolani · Feb 16, 2015

Many of your smartphone's apps synchronize your data in the background, like weather apps, for example. To disable usage of data, go to your settings menu to disable mobile data while roaming. Sorry that happened to you, what a pain!

rifleman69 · Feb 16, 2015

gvic said:
While traveling in Mexico I called Verizon to add their $10.00 - "1,000 MINUTE" CELL PHONE CALL PLAN" but they never informed me about the $25.00 - "100MEG DATA PLAN" while ROAMING. Subsequnetly, I left my SmartPhone on while traveling in Mexico and acquired over $100.00 in Data Roaming charges even if you DON'T USE the SmartPhone updates. While traveling in Mexico you need to disengage your Smartphone from Roaming or ???

Close all apps, problem solved. Only use on wi-fi.

ilene13 · Feb 16, 2015

I turn off roaming and data. I use wifi.

tante · Feb 16, 2015

rifleman69 said:
Close all apps, problem solved. Only use on wi-fi.

Some apps run and sync in the background. Closing them will do nothing

pittle · Feb 16, 2015

Yep - we always turn our phones off when we get on the plane to fly to Mexico. Before turning them off, we turn off ALL Cellular Data and then set for WIFI only so that if and when we turn them on, we do not have all our emails or text messages loading at data roaming charges. I learned that on TUG and have also read the AT&T information about international travel. We use Skype either from our laptop or via WIFI on our cell phone to call back to the USA. Cellular Roaming charges in Mexico can really add up! Be sure to turn off all the tracking apps too. None of your apps need to know where you are.

Last year, we drove to Mazatlan for a month and when we crossed the border into the US and were waiting for about an hour to get through the Customs area, I turned my phone on and emails started loading and I also made a call to let our "kids" know that we were back in the USA. That caused a $20+ charge on our bill. I called and contested it when I got the bill because I was in the USA before I turned the phone on. The gal suggested that in the future that I wait a while before turning my phones on in the future, but she did give us credit for the charges. This year I will wait until we stop for dinner somewhere between Nogales and Tucson.

tschwa2 · Feb 16, 2015

gvic said:
While traveling in Mexico I called Verizon to add their $10.00 - "1,000 MINUTE" CELL PHONE CALL PLAN" but they never informed me about the $25.00 - "100MEG DATA PLAN" while ROAMING. Subsequnetly, I left my SmartPhone on while traveling in Mexico and acquired over $100.00 in Data Roaming charges even if you DON'T USE the SmartPhone updates. While traveling in Mexico you need to disengage your Smartphone from Roaming or ???

Wow, they overbilled you at Restaurants, put an extra large hold for your exchange reservation and now they socked you with $100 in roaming data. You are not have an easy time of it in Mexico.

Passepartout · Feb 16, 2015

There are payoffs, though. Returning from a month in Mexico, having 3 course meals with alcohol for mid $20s-ish, stopped for a drink at the first US airport and the bill was more than that for a beer and glass of wine.

Jim

easyrider · Feb 16, 2015

We switched to tmobile this year because of the international roaming. In PV and NV our phones worked great. Free text and data. I only recieve 3g which isn't as fast as at home. Tmobile said that we would get 2g in most places which we have. Phone calls are 25 cents a minute with no other charges. Text and data are included as well with no charges.

In Mazatlan I get 3g in the north and nothing in the main city near the malecon.

Bill

gvic · Feb 16, 2015

tschwa2 said:
Wow, they overbilled you at Restaurants, put an extra large hold for your exchange reservation and now they socked you with $100 in roaming data. You are not have an easy time of it in Mexico.

I had three BIG Challenges in Mexico and walked away as I drank a "double" Margarita".... what else can you do in a Foreign Country???... GRIN N' Bear It" with Magaritas.

artringwald · Feb 17, 2015

With the data on/off widget for Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.miabit.android.dataonoff&hl=en

you can turn off data on/off with one click. I found the battery lasts much longer if I only turn it on when I need it.

radmoo · Feb 17, 2015

We have Verizon service. Any time we travel internationally, I automatically receive message upon landing asking if I want to disable data. With one click, It is done. With wi-Fi connection, you can use various free apps such as Viber to chat in lieu of texting.

cubigbird · Feb 18, 2015

+1 for T-Mobile international service. With the free text and data it won't matter how many, or which apps are open. Just don't answer the phone. However if you need to use the phone it's only 20 cents per minute to call the US from Mexico. The data is nice because you can then use the GPS features of your phone in town.

It's a great deal.

For wifi, I usually have a travel router with me, connect that to any hard ethernet jack and stream my own wifi. It tends to be faster. Otherwise you can use your phone data and create a hotspot with that for your laptop & I-pad to connect to. It may be slow, but it works.

T_R_Oglodyte · Feb 19, 2015

Passepartout said:
There are payoffs, though. Returning from a month in Mexico, having 3 course meals with alcohol for mid $20s-ish, stopped for a drink at the first US airport and the bill was more than that for a beer and glass of wine.

Jim

Took the bus to El Tuito yesterday. Had dinner in a restaurant next to the town plaze. A plate with a gigantic (and very tasty) chile relleno, frijoles, potatoes, tortillas and two Pacificos. Total bill: 100 pesos. (That's about $6.70 US). I added a 20 peso tip and Sofia, the waitress, was thrilled.

I inadvertently left my el cheapo sunglasses on the bus. So on the way out of town I passed a small tienda that had some sunglasses inside. I walked out with authentic Ray-Bans that cost me 70 pesos (less than $5 US).

JudyS · Feb 20, 2015

One of my teenage relatives went to South America and ran up $600 in roaming charges!

This is one reason why I have always had pre-paid cell phone service rather than post-paid. No bills means no unexpectedly high bills.

Sugarcubesea · Feb 20, 2015

pittle said:
Yep - we always turn our phones off when we get on the plane to fly to Mexico. Before turning them off, we turn off ALL Cellular Data and then set for WIFI only so that if and when we turn them on, we do not have all our emails or text messages loading at data roaming charges. I learned that on TUG and have also read the AT&T information about international travel. We use Skype either from our laptop or via WIFI on our cell phone to call back to the USA. Cellular Roaming charges in Mexico can really add up! Be sure to turn off all the tracking apps too. None of your apps need to know where you are.

Last year, we drove to Mazatlan for a month and when we crossed the border into the US and were waiting for about an hour to get through the Customs area, I turned my phone on and emails started loading and I also made a call to let our "kids" know that we were back in the USA. That caused a $20+ charge on our bill. I called and contested it when I got the bill because I was in the USA before I turned the phone on. The gal suggested that in the future that I wait a while before turning my phones on in the future, but she did give us credit for the charges. This year I will wait until we stop for dinner somewhere between Nogales and Tucson.

When I was in Mexico last year I put my phone on airplane mode and did not have any roaming charges but I was still able to take pictures

ilene13 · Feb 20, 2015

We go to Mexico 3/5 weeks per year. About 5 years ago I bought a Mexican cell phone and SIM card. I load it with minutes and use it while I am there.

T_R_Oglodyte · Feb 20, 2015

radmoo said:
We have Verizon service. Any time we travel internationally, I automatically receive message upon landing asking if I want to disable data. With one click, It is done. With wi-Fi connection, you can use various free apps such as Viber to chat in lieu of texting.

If you have a decent wi-fi connection, you can use the Skype app to call home.

LisaRex · Feb 27, 2015

When we traveled to St. John, I bought a pre-paid GoPhone from AT&T. It was a $40 initial charge to buy the phone and $25 worth of minutes. But we could talk freely and not worry about roaming charges. Now I'll just have to pay to re-load it with minutes whenever I travel. The smart phone will stay at home.

huenix · Feb 27, 2015

rifleman69 said:
Close all apps, problem solved. Only use on wi-fi.

This is somewhat misleading.. You MUST disable data while roaming. Many apps will use data even if they are closed. Any app that is set for push notifications, like facebook, some mail services, instant messengers, Twitter, etc will still communicate when they are not explicitly opened.

persia · Feb 27, 2015

BEWARE - Mexico Roaming & Long Distance Charges

gvic

hellolani

Tug Review Crew: Rookie

rifleman69

ilene13

tante

pittle

TUG Review Crew

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

easyrider

TUG Review Crew: Elite

gvic

artringwald

TUG Review Crew

radmoo

cubigbird

Tug Review Crew Veteran

T_R_Oglodyte

JudyS

Sugarcubesea

TUG Review Crew

ilene13

T_R_Oglodyte

LisaRex

TUG Review Crew

huenix

persia