This one tip resumes to a very simple advice : Leave your iPhone at home!!!
We had two laptops and had internet access with the accommodations we had rented - except for the five weeks we spent at the Ranch. So I used my iPhone carefully (there was a volatile cell signal) and for very short sessions - turning the roaming off as soon as I was done. I knew that there was a cost to this service of course, but as I was very careful I thought that I was managing that expense wisely. Wrong! Roaming charges are outrageous and plain indecent, now I know. I came home to a $960 Rogers bill (international data roaming usage). Ouch!
I spoke to a few people, friends who had experienced the same thing, and I was advised to ask for upper management or the 'retention department' at Rogers - which I did. My angle is this:
Why was I given access to a very expensive service without my consent? I would rather not have access to it, and be forced to shop for a package which would make me an informed customer. I run two businesses and when I send an invoice to my clients, it reflects the cost they have agreed to for the services they are getting. Isn't that the proper etiquette in any commercial exchange?
Furthermore, as leaders in this type of technology Rogers have no excuse for not managing their customers access. Even if it was just a matter of receiving a text outlining the cost of the first session when abroad, it would be a reasonable way to flag the cost to the customers so that they can manage accordingly. I find it very dishonest to claim that the use of this service is my responsibility, when I was never informed of the cost - and especially such a high cost. Sneaky sneaky, and obviously twisting the legal boundaries of the client-supplier relationship.
So I called and spoke to a Manager, and I was very lucky to get a guy who did not want to hear my lengthy story and argument... asking me straight out if I was looking for a favour with this problem of mine. Oh, well... Yes actually! (Thank God for time management freaks!) He put me on hold for a couple of minutes, and came back to announce that he cut the bill in half. A very big effort here... okay. I could pursue it and try to get all the charges waved. But that would require a few hours on the phone - and I would rather spend my precious time focusing on my business cash flow...
I file this one under the 'expensive lessons' section, and I hope that others can learn from it too.
In Mexico a cell phone costs about $30, and you can purchase usage cards which are loaded with the amount you decide to put on it. There are also many internet cafes in most towns - even some little remote pueblos have that service available in their municipal building - and a session will cost you 50 to 70 cents.
The next time I travel to Mexico - or anywhere else for that matter- my iPhone will stay behind.
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