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Easy Roam misinformation on Koodo website

  • November 1, 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 1932 views
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 I enabled Easy Roam for a trip to the UK thinking I could use it on a day where I need lots of data.

To avoid unexpected charges, I checked the website (https://www.koodomobile.com/easyroam) to see what activates it. It states the following: “The daily Easy Roam fee is valid for 24 hours, and applies when you make or pick up a call and send a text or use data abroad”.

On my return, I discovered extra charges on $117, despite only actually turning my roaming on for ONE day to use the Easy Roam. It appears that Easy Roam was activated almost every day I was away. My roaming was OFF for the entire duration apart from one day.

Having followed this up with Koodo, they said the charge can be activated even if you receive a text message or call without answering it. This is different to what the site above says, and the guy on the phone even admitted this appears to be a discrepancy to what the website says and what is actually the case. Despite admitting the website information is wrong, he could only offer $23 in credit back. Has anyone else been stung by this? Seems incredibly unfair, if I knew receiving a message or call would instantly cost $13 for the day I would have never enabled it. Koodo won’t budge, any suggestions? 

Best answer by Chris Koodo

@Harry21 - Thanks for the reply and screenshots. So the issue was surely caused by having Data On while Data Roaming off.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much Koodo could do in that regards since it’s the way phones are designed to work.

Let’s think of it this way - When Data is ON, the phone is constantly trying to connect to the network because that’s what we’re asking it to do. By having Data Roaming OFF, on the other hand, tells the phone that it’s not supposed to connect if it’s outside of Canada. 

The only way for the phone to know it’s not in Canada is to ping the network. The information it gets back, lets the phone know whether it should connect or not. Different phones do this at different intervals automatically.

With that said, I just sent you a private msg. Let’s see what we could do to help out + I want to hear more about your recommendation on where the info should be added. 

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  • Robert T
  • Mobile Master
  • 12008 replies
  • November 1, 2021

I totally agree with what you said.

I’ve flagged a rep for you. Reps come and go on the community and they’ll be in a better position to help you, right here on the community. Keep in mind it might take some time for them to answer but a flagged thread is an answered thread.  

When you like my post, my boss gives me a raise, my dog is happier and my kids love me more.
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    Dennis
Chris Koodo
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  • Chris Koodo
  • Official Rep
  • 491 replies
  • November 2, 2021

@Harry21 - Hey there! The information on the website is correct. Incoming text messages can’t be charged since there is no way to actually prevent them from coming in. 

I looked over your account though and can’t see any charges caused by incoming texts. It seems as though data roaming may have not been properly turned off. It looks like you had minimal amounts of data ranging from 40kb to 250kb each day (with the exception of that one day you mentioned actually using the phone).

Mind sharing a screenshot of the setting you had off on your phone? and maybe also a screenshot of your data usage? 

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    Dennis
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    Robert T
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  • Harry21
  • Author
  • Connector
  • 3 replies
  • November 2, 2021

Hi @Chris Koodo , this is different to what I was told by a guy called Javier and another guy on the phone. I told them I had roaming switched off (as shown in screenshot) but they suggested that some data can still be used when it connects to the network, even though I don't receive any whatsapp messages for example. They also said that because my mobile data was ON, it will use background data, however if I didn't add on Easy Roam this wouldn't have accessed any data, which seems a bit unfair that adding on easy roam allows background data to be used even though roaming is off. Plus surely it should warn you to switch off mobile data as well as roaming to avoid charges on easy roam? You can see in the second screenshot my data usage over this time, which is just a flat line. I can't see why I'm being charged $13 per day for using kilobytes of background data, or why Koodo can't see it's clearly unintentional usage and waive the fees (apart from the one day I switched roaming on)

 

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  • Harry21
  • Author
  • Connector
  • 3 replies
  • November 2, 2021

 

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  • Harry21
  • Author
  • Connector
  • 3 replies
  • November 2, 2021

 

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  • Robert T
  • Mobile Master
  • 12008 replies
  • November 2, 2021
Harry21 wrote:

 Having followed this up with Koodo, they said the charge can be activated even if you receive a text message or call without answering it. This is different to what the site above says, and the guy on the phone even admitted this appears to be a discrepancy to what the website says and what is actually the case. Despite admitting the website information is wrong, he could only offer $23 in credit back. Has anyone else been stung by this? Seems incredibly unfair, if I knew receiving a message or call would instantly cost $13 for the day I would have never enabled it. Koodo won’t budge, any suggestions? 

If someone textually said that to you then he’s wrong as per Chris’s comment. 

For the data being used when the setting was off, it’s something that happens. It’s called data leakage and I’m pretty sure Koodo will be happy to credit you the amount. 

When you like my post, my boss gives me a raise, my dog is happier and my kids love me more.
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1 person likes this
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    Dennis
Chris Koodo
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  • Chris Koodo
  • Official Rep
  • 491 replies
  • Answer
  • November 3, 2021

@Harry21 - Thanks for the reply and screenshots. So the issue was surely caused by having Data On while Data Roaming off.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much Koodo could do in that regards since it’s the way phones are designed to work.

Let’s think of it this way - When Data is ON, the phone is constantly trying to connect to the network because that’s what we’re asking it to do. By having Data Roaming OFF, on the other hand, tells the phone that it’s not supposed to connect if it’s outside of Canada. 

The only way for the phone to know it’s not in Canada is to ping the network. The information it gets back, lets the phone know whether it should connect or not. Different phones do this at different intervals automatically.

With that said, I just sent you a private msg. Let’s see what we could do to help out + I want to hear more about your recommendation on where the info should be added. 

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1 person likes this
  • D
    Dennis
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  • mr.sweaters
  • Beginner
  • 1 reply
  • November 15, 2021

I am having this exact same issue while in Mexico. I have turned data roaming off yet am getting charged $13/day. It doesnt seem like it is every day but many days. I have gotten a Mexican phone number via an E-sim so I have stopped using my Canadian phone number and still get charged. All my Data is going through my Mexican E-sim which I changed in my Iphone settings. Is the solution here to remove easy roam from my account so that I am only charged minimally for my background data? Is there not a way to completely stop my background data? 

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