At what point is Roam Better activated?

[jzwanzig]

When travelling in France, for example, with Roam Better, I assume that if my phone is on and in airplane mode, I'm not charged, can someone confirm? What about if I have Roaming data services turned off on the phone, am I still charged? I would like combination of settings such that I can use the phone on WiFi but not be charged the $15/day for Roam Better (unless I have to make a call or something).

thanks!

[kmorin]

My daughter just got charges 8 x $16 for roam better, even though she had data turned off on the cellular setting of the iphone.  I don't accept the explanation that the SVP charge is acceptable because some apps are refreshing in the background.  If data is turned off, apps can try to refresh, but we made the decision to turn it off, so apps should fail and I should not get a roaming charge.   That makes no sense.

[kmorin]

Can a network connection happen if the "Cellular Data" is off the whole time?

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum.

Roaming is only activated once your SIM card connects to a network outside of Canada. Therefore, if you remove your SIM card prior to arriving in the country and connecting to their network, roaming will not be activated. If your device is in Airplane mode, you can also connect to a Wi-Fi network & Bluetooth manually.

You daughter should have removed her SIM card prior to leaving Canada. In the event there is any mobile network connection active on the phone, once the SIM card is inserted and it's able to connect, Roam Better is initiated.

While outside of Canada, making and receiving calls, sending text messages, checking your voicemail, and using data (including Instagram, Whatsapp, or TikTok, etc., and sharing or receiving a picture via text) all count as Roaming usage and / or Pay Per Use usage rates.

Unbeknown to you, keeping your device data turned on may also trigger roaming usage, as most applications on your device refresh content in the background, resulting in data usage & roaming charges.

Powering your device on & activating an eSim or dual SIM for travel SIM outside of Canada will also trigger data usage & roaming charges. To avoid a roaming charge, remove your Bell SIM beforehand.

1. Turn your device Airplane mode to on.
2. Power your device off & remove your SIM.
3. Power your device on.

If you do not wish to be billed for any future roaming services, you can remove the feature or restrict it on your account. If you'd still like to unsubscribe from Roam Better - with home data, please call BELL Mobility. This can be completed immediately by the Customer Service representative. Taking this feature off via online is not available.

To contact Bell Mobility call: 1-800-667-0123  or dial *611 from any Bell mobile device. It can be removed immediately while you are online with them.

Thank you for posting your question.

Take care.

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day.

Yes. Thank you for your question. If you have any apps opened, it will continue to drain the data.

Turning off cellular data will not always stop roaming charges. While it prevents your phone from using mobile data when outside your network, it doesn't stop other features from potentially incurring charges. Even with cellular data off, features like voicemail, manually checking email, or syncing contacts, calendars, etc.  can still trigger roaming fees.

Take care.

[AB910]

If we are using an e-sim, and if we are not planning to use Bell number, how avoid such charges if we are traveling outside of Canada? 

[Grinchmaster]

My wife and I are enrolled in Roam Better and are travelling to the US till tomorrow - are the 13 Dollars a day automatically added to our monthly plan once we use it across the border or do we have to activate anything manually?

Thanks 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum.

Yes, if Roam Better is activated and your SIM card connects to a network outside of Canada & you are enrolled in Roam Better, then there is nothing more for you to do. The daily roaming rate of $13.00/day will be automatically applied to your account.

While outside of Canada, making and receiving calls, sending text messages, checking your voicemail, and using data (including Instagram, Whatsapp, or TikTok, etc., and sharing or receiving a picture via text) all count as Roaming usage and / or Pay Per Use usage rates.

Unbeknown to you, keeping your device data turned on may also trigger roaming usage, as most applications on your device refresh content in the background, resulting in data usage & roaming charges.

If you do not wish to use Roam Better, simply remove your SIM card prior to leaving Canada & arriving in the USA and connecting to their network.

Roam Better FAQ | Bell Mobility | Bell Canada

Enjoy your trip.

Take care.

[ips_sidhu]

I am currently travelling outside Canada and my mobile is on aeroplane mode with data and roaming off. I see my elevated bill. It is not understood why I should be charged if I have not chosen international roaming or not using any such facility like calling , sending message or data.

[dks]

Thank you for your question. Your account will be charged if your phone attempts to connect with any cellular network outside of Canada. When you are outside of Canada, you will incur data roaming charges when you use services such as email, Visual Voicemail, web browsing, app downloads, Advanced Messaging and other messaging apps. For up to date information on travelling with Bell Mobility, that can be found here. With respect to your bill, as this is a user to user forum we have no access to your account and can only suggest your speak to Bell directly at 1-866-310-2355 to discuss any account and billing matters. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome.

Thank you for posting your question. We do not have access to your account and billing details. Can you please provide us with details related to these additional charges?

Have you verified these charges on your monthly bill? You can do so by logging in to your MyBell web account? You may also wish to do a bill comparison with your previous month's bill on MyBell.

The elevated charges you mention may be as a result of roaming while outside of Canada or they could be for something else. For example:

• Promotional discounts expiring.
• Mobility plan changes.
• Price increase, etc.

Have you contacted Bell Mobility Accounts & billing to discuss these charges?

If these charges are, as you suggest, related to roaming, then unknowingly, you may not have been using your cell phone. The surest method to avoid any roaming charges when you travel is to remove your SIM card. Roaming is only activated once your SIM card connects to a network outside of Canada. Therefore, if you remove your SIM card prior to arriving in the country and connecting to their network, roaming will not be activated.

• While outside of Canada, making and receiving calls, sending text messages, checking your voicemail, using Apple Live Voicemail and using data (including Instagram, WhatsApp, or TikTok, and sharing or receiving a picture via text) all count as roaming usage.
• Keeping your device data turned on may also trigger roaming usage, as most applications on your device refresh content in the background, resulting in roaming charges.

If your device is in Airplane mode, you can also connect to a Wi-Fi network & Bluetooth manually. You need to remove your SIM card prior to leaving Canada. In the event there is any mobile network connection active on the phone, once the SIM card is inserted and it's able to connect, Roam Better is initiated.

There are a few things you can do to avoid Roaming charges when travelling:

1. Have the Bell representative permanently remove the roaming feature from your account.
2. Have the Bell representative place a partial restriction on the roaming feature that can be removed when you are travelling in the U.S. or any other country.
3. If you wish to avoid all charges while travelling, you will need to power your device completely off and / or remove your SIM card. You can still connect to a Wi-Fi network & use your Bluetooth

If you'd like to unsubscribe from Roaming to avoid any possibility of future charges, please call BELL Mobility. The service representative will remove this feature immediately while you are on the call.

To contact Bell Mobility call: 1 800 667-0123 or dial *611 from any Bell mobile device.

You can also use this International toll-free number:  +1 514 420-7748 to contact Bell for roaming inquiries while abroad. It is a free call from any Bell mobile device.

Take care.

[Bigvee-TO]

Even a brief connection to another provider will generate the roaming charge. So NEVER take the phone off Airplane mode. Although I have to say that elevated charge does not necessarily mean roaming charges. Investigate the extra charges and of course, I suggest calling customer service to dispute them if you feel that they were unjustified.