I got a text from the number 456, saying that i had been roaming off network which violates some T-Mobile terms and conditions and if i dont stop, my line will be cancelled…. I live in Alaska and I just want to know if this is a scam or if anyone else has had similar issues?
I got a text from the number 456, saying that i had been roaming off network which violates some T-Mobile terms and conditions and if i dont stop, my line will be cancelled…. I live in Alaska and I just want to know if this is a scam or if anyone else has had similar issues?
More than likely not a scam. T-Mobile requires you to have the majority of your phone usage on their network. Excessive roaming can result in warnings and eventual cancellation. This is in response to abusive foreign use.
Usually you can turn off roaming on your phone, but you may at times not have service.
You are in Alaska, but are you close enough to Canada where you are connecting outside of T-Mobile’s coverage?
I’m in Anchorage and hadn’t left the Anchorage area in the last few months. The message specifically said that I had excessive usage for the last two months, but idk how that could happen since they supposedly have a partnership with a local company up here to prevent that in the city. At least the text wasn’t a scam, but I’m starting to think the partnership is. 🙄
Userlevel 7
+15
A roaming partnership is still roaming, even if domestic. Do you have access to WiFi and have a WiFi Calling capable device so you can lower your usage on the partners network? If you live outside of T-Mobile’s network coverage area. You might want to consider switching carriers.
Partner
When you travel outside of T‑Mobile's network areas, your phone automatically switches to use one of our wireless network partners when coverage is available, you have data roaming enabled, and you have roaming data remaining. Speeds and connections may vary. Most plans allow data roaming. See details about domestic roaming data. Not available for prepaid tablet and wearable plans.
Preferred roaming partners
T-Mobile has two classifications of domestic roaming networks based on the agreement we have in place with each partner, standard and preferred.
In some parts of the US, preferred partners may provide additional courtesy data beyond the amount included in your rate plan while domestically roaming; standard partners do not. If roaming on a preferred partner network, you may continue to receive data at 2G speeds or higher until you return to a T-Mobile coverage area, begin roaming in another area covered by one of our standard network partners, or begin the next bill cycle. This additional amount of data is provided as a courtesy and is determined by the individual partnership, varies across network partners, and may change or even be removed at any time.
Userlevel 7
+14
It's more than likely your roaming off the GCI network.
If you go to the search bar for this forum and enter Alaska roaming there's multiple threads.
I am also receiving this violation warning message. I understand that it is due to roaming off the GCI partner network towers. I just recently moved to T-Mobile after dealing with horrendous Customer Service from AT&T. Even the I now understand the issue, I still have some concerns.
I work a rotational job in Prudhoe Bay Alaska (work 3 weeks in Alaska and then 3 weeks off in Utah). So before I switched to T-Mobile, I checked the coverage map on T-Mobile’s website. The coverage map clearly highlights Prudhoe Bay in pink (Falsely claiming that T-Mobile provides service). If you zoom in on the map, the color changes from pink to pink with blue diagonal lines (denoting this as a partner network), and nowhere on that page will you see that this is a data roaming area. That is a blatant false advertisement.
Customer service has been very helpful/kind/courteous (very appreciative of that). Of course the suggestion is to turn Data Roaming off. The problem with that is my Data Roaming on my Iphone 12 has never been on. It automatically connects to GCI anyway. Airplane mode or just turning off cellular service should do the trick…..we will see.
Can anyone confirm how data roaming works in Alaska? When you look on the t mobile website it says you are limited to 200 MB of data then the internet shuts off. That is not enough data for 1 day. Some of you are posting you have roamed in Alaska for months. I just want to know if I am in Alaska for a week will i only have 200 MB or will it work just like it does in the rest of the US?
It should work fine, you might have to go into your phones settings (Network Selection) and pick GCI. If you spend more than 50% of your time (in a 2 month stretch) roaming, then TMobile could cancel your line for violation of TOS
I’ve received this warning two months in a row now but my Roaming is turned off and I don’t live near a country border. I traveled internationally earlier this summer but not on the current billing statement.
Any recs? Ignore? Call them?
Userlevel 7
+14
It maybe domestic roaming. You should call support to find out.
It should work fine, you might have to go into your phones settings (Network Selection) and pick GCI. If you spend more than 50% of your time (in a 2 month stretch) roaming, then TMobile could cancel your line for violation of TOS
Can you confirm if you have a limit of a certain amount of data? I’ve seen 200 MB and 5GB mentioned.
Userlevel 7
+14
It's plan dependate but the max is 200 MB for domestic data roaming.
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/domestic-roaming-data
It should work fine, you might have to go into your phones settings (Network Selection) and pick GCI. If you spend more than 50% of your time (in a 2 month stretch) roaming, then TMobile could cancel your line for violation of TOS
can you point the 50% rule out somewhere on the website? Can you confirm if you have a limit of a certain amount of data? I’ve seen 200 MB and 5GB mentioned.
Userlevel 7
+14
It's in the Tmobile terms and conditions.
https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/legal/terms-and-conditions
Well that’s great. Basically no one knows the data caps. Only way to know is to go there and try it yourself. They really need to clarify this on T Mobiles website.
Userlevel 7
+14
Well that’s great. Basically no one knows the data caps. Only way to know is to go there and try it yourself. They really need to clarify this on T Mobiles website.
Unless they have a separate agreement with GCI.
Maybe
Well that’s great. Basically no one knows the data caps. Only way to know is to go there and try it yourself. They really need to clarify this on T Mobiles website.
Partner
When you travel outside of T‑Mobile's network areas, your phone automatically switches to use one of our wireless network partners when coverage is available, you have data roaming enabled, and you have roaming data remaining. Speeds and connections may vary. Most plans allow data roaming. See details about domestic roaming data. Not available for prepaid tablet and wearable plans.
Preferred roaming partners
T-Mobile has two classifications of domestic roaming networks based on the agreement we have in place with each partner, standard and preferred.
In some parts of the US, preferred partners may provide additional courtesy data beyond the amount included in your rate plan while domestically roaming; standard partners do not. If roaming on a preferred partner network, you may continue to receive data at 2G speeds or higher until you return to a T-Mobile coverage area, begin roaming in another area covered by one of our standard network partners, or begin the next bill cycle. This additional amount of data is provided as a courtesy and is determined by the individual partnership, varies across network partners, and may change or even be removed at any time.
Traveling can be stressful, especially when you have some ambiguity. T-Mobile does not have any towers in Alaska, so we rely on partner networks to allow our customers to use service. That means that you may have areas where there is no coverage or the coverage is low or slow. Your rate plan outlines the domestic data roaming limits for your lines, so you will want to check that out on My.T-Mobile.com. I quoted Fireguy_6364 because he makes a great point. Your plan will show a limit, but some of our roaming partners allow our customers to use more. That is up to their discretion based on many factors like bandwidth, traffic, etc. Because the numbers can vary based on the plan you have and the domestic roaming partner, it is impractical to outline exact numbers on the website, but we offer the details for your account on the plan details screen after you login.
Hope this helps.
I work in Alaska half the year and T-Mobile was going to cancel my line for violation of TOS, I bundled my 2 phones and in home wifi thru X-finity/comcast…… ended up being way cheaper than t-Mobile,Verizon, or At&T. Best part is that X-Finity uses Verizon Towers (Partners) and I get great service….. Even literally on the very top of the planet (i work in the Arctic Oil Fields)
I work in Alaska half the year and T-Mobile was going to cancel my line for violation of TOS, I bundled my 2 phones and in home wifi thru X-finity/comcast…… ended up being way cheaper than t-Mobile,Verizon, or At&T. Best part is that X-Finity uses Verizon Towers (Partners) and I get great service….. Even literally on the very top of the planet (i work in the Arctic Oil Fields)
How long did you use T Mobile before you got that warning? How much data were you using a month?
Had T-Mobile for a little over a year, but got the warning messages right away (spending more than 50% of the time roaming)….. which really annoyed me since I had roaming turned off on my iPhone, basically had to keep my phone on airplane mode 100% of the time.
really wasn’t data usage for me. (GCI was the T-Mobile partner I would roam with up there). GCI charges T-Mobile for my roaming and even if I would only occasionally roam (example : maybe a hour total over a 3 week span) GCI would count it as 3 weeks worth of roaming to my understanding….rough estimate.
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