Roaming charges despite mobile data and data roaming turned off

[yanrap]

Currently travelling abroad and have disabled mobile and and data roaming for my rogers sim card. I am using an eSIM for data. I just received a message from Rogers stating that I have racked up 100$ in roaming charges? I have opted out of roam lime home prior to my trip. I have not answered any phone calls and have not texted anyone. How is that possible...

***Edited Labels***

[57]

Since you cannot turn off your phone, or put it into Airplane mode, because you wish to use it, you should remove the Rogers SIM.  There have been many similar threads and these charges are due to the fact that your phone has connected to a foreign cell tower, perhaps for an app or download, or update, or many of the other things that phones do on their own. 

Although you are probably not being charged for Roam Like Home, if indeed it was turned off properly, you are probably being charged on a "per use" basis for connections...  If these are RLH charges, then they would be typically in multiples of $15 for each day of use...

Please read posts 1, 2 and the links in post 2 of the following thread, which explain how roaming works and how to avoid charges.

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Network-Coverage/Understanding-How-Roaming-Works/m-p/531963

[LordDrakkon]

Those settings do not stop your device from connecting to foreign cellular networks. There are apps out there that have admin permissions that override these settings without changing them and without any notification, like What'sApp as one of the many examples. Putting in your device in Airplane Mode or removing your Rogers SIM before leaving Canada until you are back in Canada are the best 2 ways to ensure you don't encur any roaming charges.

[yanrap]

This is pretty ridiculous, I opted out of "roam like home" , disabled data and roaming on my rogers sim, activated data on the travel esim with data roaming enabled, also selected not to "smart switch to rogers" when better coverage was available. I spoke with an employee in store who guided me through all the steps yet you're saying that my phone (which was sold to me by ROGERS!) still managed to access data on the rogers Network! I'll definitely have a talk with Rogers billing support regarding this issue.

[LordDrakkon]

I don't understand how that is ridiculous. Learning a bit more about your device and how it works, especially if you are going to travel internationally is always a good idea. The roaming settings in these devices today only apply to data and SMS/MMS, not accessing towers just in case you have an incoming call or decide to make a call on that number. When using another SIM/eSIM in your device, your device, your device works as a dual-SIM device, allowing both SIM's/eSIM's to access whatever network is available for calls at a minimum.

[yanrap]

When a phone option called MOBILE DATA and DATA ROAMING are disabled and no calls/sms/mms are made, I don't care what the admin options are but they cannot expect people to not use their phones for receiving SMS! Even a Rogers employee showed me wrong apparently...

[57]

Unfortunately, there are only the following sure-fire ways to avoid roaming charges.

1. Leave your phone off, which a lot of people don't wish to do.

2. Remove the Rogers SIM (or turn off a Rogers eSIM) and use a SIM of the foreign country.

3. Leave the phone in airplane mode and utilize WiFi, which is not possible if you wish to utilize a foreign SIM.

Although turning off Roam Like Home before you leave will typically minimize charges, since you're avoiding the possible $15/day in foreign countries ($12 in the US), this still will not eliminate charges if you use your phone with "pay per use" charges, which are easy to get if your phone connects to a foreign cell tower.

All of this was discussed in the link I provided in my previous post. Unfortunately, many people do not research this topic fully before leaving and "hope" that they won't be charged.