[cnahas]

I was making phone calls from France to the US using UMA. Was careful to turn the mobile network off. T-Mobile charged me roaming (a fair amount). I was not aware there would be any roaming charges. T-Mobile say the charges are accurate and they cannot guarantee when there would be none! Any Ideas?

[BBSwany]

Originally Posted by cnahas

I was making phone calls from France to the US using UMA. Was careful to turn the mobile network off. T-Mobile charged me roaming (a fair amount). I was not aware there would be any roaming charges. T-Mobile say the charges are accurate and they cannot guarantee when there would be none! Any Ideas?

You can connect to a UMA access point at any time. Do you have a T-Mobile at home plan (i.e. the $ 9.99/month charge)?

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by cnahas

I was making phone calls from France to the US using UMA. Was careful to turn the mobile network off. T-Mobile charged me roaming (a fair amount). I was not aware there would be any roaming charges. T-Mobile say the charges are accurate and they cannot guarantee when there would be none! Any Ideas?

Can you give us more detail? How much was the per minute charge and how are the calls showing on the bill?

Is there a (U) next to them?

Technically they would be able to tell where you used UMA from the IP, or by the cell phone pinging the French network before and after the call. But to date Tmobile hasn't charged roaming for UMA calls. This would be something new.

[newberry52]

I called my daughter in Mexico over UMA and I thought that the call was going to be free but I still got charged for the call. Tmo explained that the carrier in Mexico charged me roaming charges for using their network.

[John Clark]

I have never been charged extra for UMA calls to the US from overseas. I haven't heard that this has changed either.

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by newberry52

I called my daughter in Mexico over UMA and I thought that the call was going to be free but I still got charged for the call. Tmo explained that the carrier in Mexico charged me roaming charges for using their network.

All you are doing with UMA is connecting to the network via wifi instead of the cell network. Think of it as a cell tower. Any call that costs extra if you were using the cell network will also cost the same.

The flip side of this is, any calls that are part of your minutes are not charged any extra, which is why you can connect to wifi in another country and call using your minutes. (or free if you have Hotspot @ Home or whatever it is called now.)

[John Clark]

That's right. When you have UMA, you'll notice it says TMobile, no matter where you are located physically.

[newberry52]

Monkeypaw, I am not sure I understand what you are saying. I did call from home, using my UMA Wi-Fi connection but I still got charged roaming charges. Is this what should have happened?

[John Clark]

If you're calling from the USA to Mexico then you will be charged as that is an International call, whether it's UMA or EDGE/GPRS.

If you're calling to the US over UMA then it's not an international call.

[newberry52]

Now I understand. Thanks, John!

[cnahas]

Originally Posted by cnahas

I was making phone calls from France to the US using UMA. Was careful to turn the mobile network off. T-Mobile charged me roaming (a fair amount). I was not aware there would be any roaming charges. T-Mobile say the charges are accurate and they cannot guarantee when there would be none! Any Ideas?

My bill is not out yet. I was talking to a T-Mobile person about something else and they informed me about the roaming charges. I was in France calling the US using UMA with the mobile network off on my phone.

[John Clark]

Are you sure the charges were for the UMA calls? Did you have the mobile network on at all while you were there? If so, when you leave UMA and go to EDGE then any calls you take will be charged. Also, if the device registers on a local network you will get charged for voicemail calls, even if you don't answer them or your phone is turned off.

[monkeypaw]

I've never tested this to make sure it works, but it was in a thread about 9 months ago.

The stated way to stop voicemail messages from being charged is to forward all calls to voicemail. That way, instead of basically connecting to your phone and then being forwarded to voicemail (both at roaming rates), the calls never make it to the phone.

To forward all calls:

Hit green phone key
Hit BB/Options key
Select Options
Select Call Forwarding
Highlight the Forward All Calls button
Select the voicemail number - it should be there already


However I just tried this myself and when a call comes in there is a faint phone icon that shows up, but no info about a missed call in the log. So the phone does register that a call is coming in. No idea how that affects billing overseas.

[John Clark]

Wirelessly posted (BB 11020)

With Tmo if the phone registers somewhere else all calls will be routed through that "somewhere else" before forwarding to voicemail. If you don't want to be charged, don't turn on your phone AT ALL in the foreign country.

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by John Clark

Wirelessly posted (BB 11020)

With Tmo if the phone registers somewhere else all calls will be routed through that "somewhere else" before forwarding to voicemail. If you don't want to be charged, don't turn on your phone AT ALL in the foreign country.

That brings up a big issue for the unlimited international email add-on.

[PlanetSportsTeam.com]

With regard to the calls being routed through "somewhere else", why not go into the call forwarding and tell the phone NOT to forward your calls to your voicemail......that would take care of your phone NOT calling the US from wherever you are so the caller can leave you a voicemail (that is where you incur the charge, the phone calling your US based voicemail).

I am headed to Mexico and it seems pretty stupid to incur charges for voicemail......why not just make so you phone doesnt call your voicemail.....it would just keep ringing and ringing until the caller hung up??

Thanks!