Insane international iPhone roaming charges

I too have encountered the problem getting my first bill from ATT. I had my phone on at times in my overseas hotel to get data, address and other information. If I had known that the phone would automatically download mail and be roaming I would have carried my laptop instead. I think someone should definitely be responsible for not informing buyers of this horrible cost that be charged unknowingly. Come on if anyone knew of these costs they most certainly would not use the features. I got $409 bill this month and I want to throw the phone out the window as much as I have loved it. Equally pissed at Apple and ATT for lack of information

I just turned on Airplane Mode, and I was still able to get email and surf the web, presumably with my wi-fi I have at home. It kept telling me I wouldn't be able to get data unless I disabled Airplane mode, but that seems to have been a lie.

The comment posted above by cynyc is completely inaccurate. The SIM Pin has nothing to do with shutting dowm the network (voice and data feed) from AT&T which you may want to do if you're travelling abroad. There is NO setting on the iPhone that a user can input to turn on/off AT&T network at will. You MUST call AT&T at 800-331-4500. You can tell them a date to discontinue the service and then call them back when you want the service turned back on. Just like telling the post office to hold your mail when you go out of town. Don't belive everything you read on the internet. The SIM features under Settings>Phone> SIM PIN 1. SIM PIN On/Off and 2. Change PIN is intended and only serves as a security device for your login password to get access to your iPhone. The PUK (PIN Unlock Key) is what you use if you or someone else enters the wrong SIM PIN more than 3x. You will then use your PUK Code to gain to access to the phone once again. the point being that you are the only person who can gain access to PUK Code since you have to logon your AT&T account to obtain. The information above on where to obtain your PUK code in correct.

I too am a victim of the ATT/iPhone fraud, except unlike most other people, I called AT&T BEFORE I purchased the phone to inquire about charges that I might encounter when traveling overseas.

To make a long story short, the AT&T representative stated I wouldn't have any roaming charges and I'd only have to pay for actual usage.

When I returned back to the USA I received a bill for over $700. $491 of it was for that same 'hidden' internet access fee that most people have complained about. While I have not disputed the other charges and fees, I have disputed the $491 charge and refuse to pay based on principal. My cell phone is now disconnected by AT&T for non payment, which is what I expected to happen.

I have also requested that AT&T allow me to switch my phone number back to T-moblie without penalty, which they've declined because I am past my 30 day buyers remorse timeframe. Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't send the bill until AFTER the 30 day timeframe.

The website displaying AT&T Int'l rate chart STILL does not show any disclaimers or warnings regarding the iPhone data roaming charges.

We traveled to Jamaica last week on 09/08/07 through 09/15/07 with my new Apple i-Phone. Later today on 09/19/07 AT&T sent me a text message saying that my phone bill was very large and for me to call them.

When I called them, I was told my bill was $2,405 that was charged last week to my phone for data that was apparently transferred to my phone unknowingly and authorized.

Keep in mind that I could not make any phone calls on my phone because the service said it wouldn't connect. So I left the phone in the charging dock and used it as an alarm clock and an mp3 player.

I naturally challenged the data amount used since my wife has the exact same phone and she was charged only $161 for the same time period. They said they could not investigate this and that we owed the amount.

Then they said that we could settle for half payment if we made the payment today.

I said I would need to think about it and he said that if I didn't decide right now that he would shut my phone off right now even though the bill is not even due until October 3rd, 2007. He then offered me a half off and said they would take $1,200 if I again settled today.

Please help me I am being held hostage by these guys.

Does someone know if ATT will till charge me 5cts/KB if I use wifi to roam in say Asia? I am getting conflicting comments from ATT. One says that they just get a data volume from the local carrier and if I use Wifi and the the Wifi say uses DSL, and the DSL is offered by a telephone network company with has an arrangement with ATT, then I am outta luck. So, does that make the iPod Touch better for data use in free wifi spots overseas and the iPhone a non starter even?

I was just hit with an exorbitant bill for using data services from the U.A.E. This was after the customer care rep at AT&T assisted me in setting up my international plan for my new IPhone. I travel internationally and explain ed that i needed to have all international rates available for this phone. I relied on this rep to do as I asked because I don't have time to review every plan nor do I have the technical mind or desire to wade through all of the plans available. I was hit with $1700 in 2 months. What erks me even further is that when I would check my bill every few days, no data charges ever showed up, however, they all hit one day, last week. Any suggestions where to take this. AT&T has offered me $400.00 which is unacceptable since I was under the impression that I was receiving the service I asked to be set up with.

I am totally scared now.

I went to the UK recently and used Google Maps and got my email etc.

After a quick calculation I figured I might have used 10MB of data which is $2000.

Shit..

I think I will refuse to pay this bill if it's this big, basically there is no way I can pay it.

I, too, have just spent the last 30 minutes on the phone with AT&T. After a 1 month trip to Europe, I got stung for a bill of $2,600. Turns out that when I switched on international roaming, they screwed up and only put me on the $5.99 international call roaming plan and not the data roaming plan. Admittedly this is costly at $24.99 a month, but lets you use up to 20MB free and $0.005 per KB after that, as opposed to $0.19 per KB without it... Like another story on this blog, AT&T agreed to refund the charges as they accepted they did not set this up correctly and also commented that anyone with an iphone should be advised to have this plan when they travel. To be fair to AT&T the customer service rep was extremely helpful.

I just got my bill from 3 1/2 weeks in Italy and London with roaming data of $3200. After using a Blackberry i was told a typical email was about 2 cents. This is Crazy.