Comments on: iPhone users: MUST read before you go abroad

By: Jared

Jared — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:16:00 +0000

This article is incorrect. The AT&T international data add-ons charges AND data are pro-rated. Let’s say that you traveled overseas the first week of your billing cycle and had signed up for the 20MB data plan before you left. While abroad, you used 15MB of data. If you cancel when you return (one week into your billing cycle), your data will be prorated for that month, meaning that you’ll get ~5MB of data, thus resulting an a $20/MB charge for the 10MB overage. By turning off data usage early, you’ll get a $200 data overage charge.

Short story – keep your data add-on activated and/or backdate it then do the complicated math and guesswork to be sure you have enough data allowance.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:59:55 +0000

also, just to add a comment for people who don’t mind just getting a local phone and suspending your at&t contract and and essentially turning your iphone into an ipod touch.

If you call At&t they will suspend your plan for the duration of your trip at a cost of $10/month. You freeze your plan, keep your number, don’t have to pay for a plan that you aren’t using and don’t have to worry about any unexpected charges. I brought my old GSM phone (which AT&T will unlock for you for free) got a local number (and a skype out number) and just use my iphone when I’m in a wifi area and make calls on it via the skype app.

By: rosatellu

rosatellu — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:21:58 +0000

i just got off the phone with at& t and they said that i would only need the international plan turned on for the time i will be overseas. One person told me to turn it on in the beginning of my billing cycle one told me to call the day before while I was still in the US. HELP!

By: Very Bothered

Very Bothered — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:06:39 +0000

Yeah I’m from the UK and just came back from a 1 week trip to LA. Called up to ask about data roaming before I went but didnt appreciate what the cost implications were. For emails and a little browsing my roaming bill came to £540. Total bill (£90 phone – didnt actually make that many calls) was £690. Bang goes the summer holiday fund for the family..

So do yourself a favor and TURN ROAMING OFF when abroad. Just use Wi-Fi

By: ricki

ricki — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:41:51 +0000

Good info, thank you.

I’d like to add, as I just got off the phone with AT&T, that when you add a global data plan it is pro rated. That is the cost and the MB per month. So you need to ask them to backdate it to the beginning of your billing cycle if you are expecting to use the full MB for your plan in the rest of the month.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:41:52 +0000

You can’t use visual voicemail with a wifi connection, fyi.

By: alison

alison — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:09:42 +0000

I wish I had known this a few months ago!

Really helpful information though, thanks.