My worst week as a nomad started with a $200 phone bill in Lisbon

I got a local SIM card but my phone kept switching to my old carrier's roaming plan without me knowing. After three days, I got a text saying I owed over $200 for data. The real problem was I couldn't get any client work done for two days while I figured it out at a cafe. I had to call my carrier back home and wait on hold for hours because of the time difference. Has anyone found a phone plan that actually works without these kinds of surprise costs?

2 comments

2 Comments

barnes.brian17d ago

Look at your phone settings before you blame the plan. You have to manually turn off data roaming and pick the new network. I travel all the time and this is basic stuff. That two day work problem is on you for not checking. Carriers are bad but you have to take some responsibility for your own gear.

daniel51117d ago

See, this is what gets me. It's not just phones, it's everything now. Companies build stuff that needs constant babysitting just to function normally, then act like you're an idiot when it goes wrong. My smart thermostat tried to heat my house to 80 last week because of some "learning" feature I didn't know was on. We're all just expected to become part-time tech support for our own things. The problem isn't forgetting to toggle a setting, it's that the default setting is designed to cost you money.