Going to Ireland in June

[davidtm]

Will be in Ireland for 10 days in June. Have Pixel 3a (other fam members with 1 Samsung, iPhones, and another Pixel) with Sprint SIM (still). What can I expect in terms of calls and data while there?

[JDP121]

I would also like to know. But with me when I go I know I'll be on the iPhone 14 Pro Max after it comes out. But atm would like to hear reviews on devices like yours and the iPhone 12 Pro. Would help me Gadge on what to expect in a way. BTW I am on a tmobile sim now and no longer on a Sprint Sim. 

[davidtm]

Bumping this for any response. Any info about internat'l travel anywhere on Sprint would be helpful!

TIA!

[Thomas L.]

I haven't been out of the country since LAST June, but my Sprint card worked fine in Spain at that time for the super-slow free data. I am not sure about the T-Mobile SIM - they were causing people problems when traveling abroad at one point but I'm not sure if that's been resolved. If your devices are unlocked you might look into just getting a cheap eSIM for data for the iPhone and Pixel (and Samsung depending on the model). 

[iansltx]

Can't say about Ireland, but when I was in the UK in February, I got solid connectivity with the $5 day passes (got day passes because if you get throttled on a week pass you stay throttled until the end of the pass...it hurts less on a day pass). Only big limitation was no carrier aggregation despite being on an S21, but I tried with a local SIM from 3 and there was no CA there either so that was definitely a phone issue 😠

Won't be going internationally for awhile yet...probably not for the rest of the year at this rate...so won't know whether they've fixed the travel issues with TNX. Guessing the $5 day passes are toast, which is sad, given that they seem to include multiple networks and tethering support.

[davidtm]

Update:

Throughout my time in Ireland, I've been on 4G (LTE) via Global Roaming with no issues. Nothing from Sprint/TMo re upgrading service. Hopefully, no bad surprises on my next bill . . .

 

Installed new TMo SIM in my daughter's phone while here, and she's had no data whatsoever. I had received mixed responses from TMo folks prior to the trip as to whether that was possible.

[davidtm]

Further update:

Just got the bill for this period, and there were NO data charges for any of our phones! So, without doing anything, receiving any prompts, etc., we were just roaming on the network (almost always Eir, IIRC) with LTE service.

However, there was a very large surprise with 3 lengthy calls on my daughter's phone which I am "investigating". They may very have been her on the phone trying to rebook cancelled flights(!).

[radem]

On 7/15/2022 at 1:41 PM, davidtm said:

Further update:

Just got the bill for this period, and there were NO data charges for any of our phones! So, without doing anything, receiving any prompts, etc., we were just roaming on the network (almost always Eir, IIRC) with LTE service.

However, there was a very large surprise with 3 lengthy calls on my daughter's phone which I am "investigating". They may very have been her on the phone trying to rebook cancelled flights(!).

The free international roaming package only includes free texting and data.  Phone calls are 25 cents per minute if you are not on WiFi and using WiFi calling.  Best practice to avoid surprise phone call fees is to put your phone on Airplane mode and connect to WiFi before making any calls if you can.

[davidtm]

Called Sprint this am. Those 3 calls were on WiFi calling (coded on bill as VW/IR), and I was charged $3/min(!). It sounded like they thought she was calling from the USA to Ireland, rather than internal to Ireland. They have "escalated" this and will call me back in 5 days, hopefully with good news.

[radem]

21 hours ago, davidtm said:

Called Sprint this am. Those 3 calls were on WiFi calling (coded on bill as VW/IR), and I was charged $3/min(!). It sounded like they thought she was calling from the USA to Ireland, rather than internal to Ireland. They have "escalated" this and will call me back in 5 days, hopefully with good news.

WiFi calling from an international location should function exactly the same as if the phone was in the US as it routes your voice call over the internet to T-Mobile in the US and then places the call.  That would be charged as an international call from the US to Ireland if you were calling an Ireland number.  If you call a US number from Ireland over WiFi calling, you will not be charged for the call as US to US calling is included in your plan.  

https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/wi-fi-calling-from-t-mobile covers how it works and how you are charged.  It sounds like you were charged the correct rate.

[davidtm]

From the web site you provided:

When you're outside the U.S. (international roaming)

If you have an unlimited plan:

• When in a Simple Global country, calls are $0.25/min for roaming (same as cellular).

[davidtm]

Update: I have spent hours on the phone over the last few weeks with various pleasant and polite peons who read me scripts, promised me that it was "escalated" to the "back office", etc. One of these people mentioned a specific $ figure of possible correction, which I have quoted back. I have had two case #s. No call back today as was promised last weekend. I had to cancel Auto Pay when they extended my bill due date. (They did credit me with the potential lost $5/line discount lost with that.)

Today, I emailed Sprint Customer Care with all the specifics, tweeted @t-mobilehelp, and emailed Mike Sievert a copy of my Sprint email. With our using TM SIMs but billed through Sprint (still), I get ping ponged back and forth. My wife points out this is what it's like to be the child of divorced parents. Hmmm . . .

[davidtm]

Another update: After spending several hours on the phone with Sprint ppl (who were very nice and polite, just ineffectual), taking complete notes (with names and quoted dollar amounts), and emailing/tweeting Sprint, I finally heard back from someone today who did more than read me a script. The full contested amount was adjusted off the bill "as a one time courtesy" today. 😁 👍