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| One of Us |
I got back yesterday from Zim. I left 5 days early. I did get a major surprise when I got back. I had a bill from AT&T for about $2,700 for date roaming charges. I have an i phone. I did send various texts. I e mails a couple of pictures. I couldn't imagine this. The AT&T people say that the phone is doing things even if I was not using an app, the internet, etc. They recommended turning off the data roaming when in Zim. | ||
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holly crap  that is not good you have been robbed nothin sweeter than the smell of fresh blood on your hunting boots | |||
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All emails and texts that go to your phone opened or not are charged.I always turn mine off when leaving US service.Usually AT&T will work with you on your bill if this happens accidentally. DRSS Member | |||
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I was warned by a friend about this before we went to Africa. We turned our iPhones off completely when departing Seattle and did not turn them back on until our return. Even if you "don't use them" if they are turned on they are searching for software updates and apps updates and you don't even realize it. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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Good grief! Much, much cheaper to rent a BGAN unit for email and internet access, granted it is a bit more trouble, but at a fraction of the cost. Karl Evans | |||
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 Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps. | |||
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this has been a recognized and reported problem with iPhones for years!. next time do a little research before you leave- TURN OFF THE DATA ROAMING FEATURE BEFORE YOU BOARD THE PLANE!. ATT even warns you on the settings screen that you will incur LARGE CHARGES IF YOU DON'T DISABLE THE DATA ROAMING FEATURE BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE US!. a little advance research before you travel avoids trying to get out of a mess that is your own creation. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… | |||
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no, he didn't bother to reads the phone instructions before he left. stupid is as stupid does and the phone warns you not to leave on the data roaming feature unless you are prepared to pay the outrageous prices. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… | |||
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To be blunt about it, I went with the same phone the last 2 years and an earlier version of the i phone two years before that. Data charges were a small fraction in those years of what was incurred in 2011. Given that I had minimal charges in the prior 4 years ( and received the same "warning" upon arrival), I do not think it was unreasonable for me to be surprised. I don't think that exactly makes me "stupid" jdollar. ATT cut the charges drastically when I called. | |||
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Hey Jdollar, I haven't heard of this either. Besides if you worked as hard as Larry you wouldn't have time to wipe your ass let alone deal with minutia such as this. As for calling him stupid...NO CLASS. Jeff | |||
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Thanks Jeff. Something about those 90 + hour weeks before I left working on mega-mergers made this a pimple on a gnat's behind to me. It was about number 987 on my list of priorities. | |||
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Whether I'm stupid or not could someone explain to me what happens when you turn off data roaming? What can you actually use the phone for after roaming is off. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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The phone. Nothing internet related. This may well be an i phone thing. I sent and received a ton of e mails on my Blackberry. There was no such problem with it and frankly, I thought I used it a hell of a lot more. | |||
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I don't know about AT&T but over the past year Verizon has changed their international data roaming policy. In 2009 and 2010 I had very nominal charges using email/data on my BlackBerry in Namibia/Bots/Zim and SA. However, I ran up $125 in the first 5 hours in Costa Rica earlier this year and ended up with over $500 in data charges with only checking email once a day thereafter. I had a similar experience/charges in Zambia in May and I only had data access on a few occasions. "...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari | |||
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my dad love tennis and watched US Open in Turkey...That match took some hours streaming...He got a bill for +15K :/ | |||
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| One of Us |
I have an international data plan that is dirt cheap. However, Zimbabwe is excluded. | |||
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| one of us |
Making, oh, I don't know, telephone calls, perhaps?  Phones basically do two things that you get billed for: 1.Voice calls. 2.Data stuff. (everything else) Such as text messages, email, web browsing, some apps such GPS programs that download maps from the internet etc. Phones get data two ways. From Wifi or the cellular network. Wifi may be free where you are at or may be a charge, but you know this up front because you pay up front if you are using paid wifi (like on Delta inflight wifi/internet service) BUT if you have have data roaming on, and there is no wifi network, your phone will default back to hitting the local cellular network when it wants to and you are unaware. Checking for new emails, texts, etc. or when you want to, web surfing, etc. Of course you get charged higher fees when making voice calls, but most folks understand this and expect to pay when they make or receive a call. What is unexpected is when their own phone makes data transactions silently and obligates you to pay for that data. No biggie if you live in Atlanta and are in Orlando, because all the major carriers are everywhere or have agreements everywhere in the US for both data and voice. Leave the US and all bets are off on how much you get charged for using local data networks. Kinda like going to the local chinese all you can eat place, Sure, you can eat all you want IN THEIR PLACE, but don't go next door to Pizza Hut and think all the food you eat there will be free because you paid $10 next door. Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps. | |||
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Thanks for the detailed tutorial. Think I'll stick to turning my iPhone completely off and using the sat phone if I need to make a call.  ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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I turn my cell phone off in Atlanta as we are boarding the plane for Africa and only turn it back on in Atlanta upon arrival back. (Usually in baggage claim). The sat phone is used at all other times in between. | |||
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2 iPhone buttons of importance in the settings menu.. turn OFF the data roaming and turn ON the airplane mode( unless you WANT to make call on the local network). all other functions of the phone continue to work- iPod, camera, photo gallery, memo/voice recorder, calculator, etc. the voice recorder actually comes in handy in the evening by giving an easy way to keep a daily hunt diary without having to write something down when you are tired and maybe had a few sundowners.... Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… | |||
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I do have to wonder why I did not have the same issue on my Blackberry. I used it far more. | |||
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the reason is that even after you turn data roaming off, there is a feature on your Iphone called push notifications and automatic updates... What this means is that some apps like facebook, location services, etc will update automatically every 15, 30 45 , or 60 minutes automatically...... unless you go in a diferent menu and turn it off.... Call ATT and explain the issue, I had something simmilar happen and if you ask them politely to apply some sort of plan retroactively , they might do it..... Otherwise spend a couple hours on on the phone , ask for a supervisor and beg ... they will reduce it, its a known issue.... especially if you have been a client for a while, dont be afraid to threaten to cancel even if you know it was your fault... | |||
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You might want to check out Iridium's newest Satellite Phone, the Iridium Extreme. I have the 9555 and love it! Used it in Zim a lot last year. Taking it to South Afirca tomorrow. I can get SMS, emails and voicemails from the phone or connect it to my laptop as a modem. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Travel Forum Data roaming charges in Zim
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