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WiFi International Calling

I have activated WiFi calling from my iPhone. I was told by a VZ wireless service rep that as long as I was on WiFi, I would be able to make international calls free of charge. To ensure that I was not being picked up by a cell tower, I turned my phone to airplane mode before making the phone calls. Much to my surprise I was still charged for the international calls. I called VZ Wireless and had the charges removed, but to me this is completely absurd that I would even be charged at all. I was then explained to me by VZ Wireless rep that I only wouldn't get charged if I made WiFi calls to a US number located in the United States. If I am calling over WiFi, while my phone is in airplane mode, there is absolutely no difference if I call back to the states or if I am placing the call in a foreign country. In fact there would be less reliance on Verizon if I was in a foreign placing WiFi calls locally because I wouldn’t be accessing a VZ cell tower. How as a company do you feel it is fair to charge for any call over WiFi, when Verizon is providing nothing to facilitate that call? Do you have to pay the WiFi provider that was accessed to place that call? I doubt it….

This is my first post / question using this forum. When looking for other questions relating to the same topic, I came across one posted by a VZ wireless service representative on 28 March 2017 at 2:41 pm stating that WiFi calling would be free of any charges. Please explain?

Thank you.

Comments

Steve-in-Nville

I have a bill for over $600 while in Italy and in airplane mode. I spoke to a rep at Verizon and they said they would call me back and haven't heard from them 9 days later!

kathy65793

This is a great question and I hope we get a real answer to this.

Maybe others that have made these call on wifi will come on this thread

and tell us if they have been charged for these calls.I know this was one of the

reason we had to wait for this option on our phones because of the revenue they

would lose.How was the quality of the calls you were making? Steve-in-Nville when you

called Italy was the connection clear enough so you could hear each other.

I don't see how they could charge for this when the phone is in airplane mode with

the network shut off.

ROBHOU26

I have been down this road.... Think of WIFI calling as a WIFI connection back to the cell towers in the US. If you place a call to a US number, then the call is just like being in the US. However, even if you are in France, and connect back to the cell towers in the US, and place a call to a French phone number, the international rates would apply, just as if you made the call from the US to France. WIFI call is awesome for calling back to a US number, as the WIFI is a path to their US network. If you are in a foreign country and use WIFI calling even to a number local to your location, if sees it a an international call.

Hope this is helpful.

Verizon_Support

Steve-in-Nville,

I can definitely understand your frustration regarding this matter and we want to help get you some answers right away. I have sent you a direct message on this issue. Please reply for assistance.

CandiceH_VZW

If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

C_SANKAR

Hi Candice,

I need some answers to this question as well, would you be able to help, or, point me towards someone who can help? This is ridiculous.

Verizon_Support

C_sankar, we are here to help. Do you have difficulties with your Wi-Fi calling as well?

LauraL_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

BENSTL

Wow. I have the exact same problem.

I have a bill for over $100 for international minutes although my phone was on airline mode. I called my family in the US only via WiFi calling using a strong WiFi service where I stayed. I even bought a local phne service to avoid the usage of Verizon overseas. Guess what, it didn’t matter. I spoke to a rep at Verizon and they said they would call me back. I am still waiting. I had T-Mobile for years and I travelled extensively overseas and I never had this problem. If not resolved , I’ll switch back

LIFELINE0919

I have a bill over $6,000 for international calls that were made over WiFi while on a cruise ship. I've spent over three hours on calls with Verizon for them to basically tell me there's nothing that can be done. I have the receipt showing the purchase of wifi on the cruise, and can provide the wifi network name from the device wifi settings. I'm furious about this right now. Total charges were originally up to $7,000.00. This is unconscionable. As a single mother of four, I am appalled that Verizon first told me the device should have been on travel pass. Then told me the device was on travel pass but only on land, calls were made on the ship. I looked into it on my end and the entire time spent on the ship, wifi was connected and wifi calling was turned on.

FraminghamMA

I'm so sorry this has happened... and to all of you.

I will be traveling to France this weekend and I have spent weeks trying to get answers. Verizon (by phone, "chat" feature, or website, or the Global phone # and any of their various phone #'s) has been impossible to get answers from. One rep signed me up for Travel Pass without knowing it. Just found out. And you have to wait 45 minutes on Wait for a Rep. And get disconnected! Oh, they close up at 9pm, sometimes 8pm.

It's impossible to get answers about the settings/setup for iphone once in France, or how to enable and disable Travel Pass, or to use Wifi or WhatsApp.

It's now Sept. 2019... still no clear answers. Awful and rude service.

Sorry for all of you. I understand.

Massachusetts

FraminghamMA

Forgot... I've been with Verizon for decades with plans for home, cable (ridiculous amounts) AND at Work office, and Wireless. That's 3 accounts for decades. Loyalty. They don't care. I could have stock in the company by now.

Weth

First, I would make sure travel pass is active on your account as a fail safe. It is better to have a $10 charge than several thousand if you make a mistake. If you don’t use travel pass there is no charge.

make sure Wi-Fi calling is active on your phone and works before you leave.

when you get on the plane, turn on airplane mode and don’t turn it off until you have landed again in the USA.

‘Connect to Wi-Fi and to confirm you have Wi-Fi calling, you should see vzw wifi where Verizon is usually seen on the phone banner. If you don’t see that, don’t call

‘With that call to and from the USA are free. However, call anywhere else, including the country you are in are international long distance as if calling from the USA. Texting works too.

Remember turning off data is not the same as being in airplane mode.

It really does work as advertised, proven many times over.

FraminghamMA

Weth— First, thank you for your prompt reply! Appreciate it.

Unfortunately, your info is different from the 5 before you. (I assume you are with Verizon as the others were. They were phone or Chat reps. This is my first post to Community about International.)

I am PrePaid verizon, with iphone SE, verizon bought, and have Wifi always avail if needed.

To clarify, one must buy and have Travel Pass in order to use WIFI at no charge or fee? and that is true calling U.S. from France? As well as calling from Paris to Paris? (Those will be my only scenarios. Calling and Text.)

or, you saying one can use WIFI at no cost even Without Travel Pass, but to make sure to make change in Settings. ?

I thought Travel Pass allows calls and text at no charge anyway. Therefore, no need to purposely put settings for Wifi. But we’d like to not pay for TPass is the question.

2nd Confusion. No one has mentioned Airplane Mode in this way. Generally, you’re saying to turn off all cellular roaming selections and leave Airplane on. ? Or is that for something specific?

And, could you possibly tell how Whatsapp becomes free and no Verizon charges when in Paris? Is it same as your wifi instruction?

So sorry, but this is tricky. You have a wonderful attitude. A nice change from previous abrupt verizon reps replying here at Community. (I’ve read many other threads on this topic.). Thank you!

massachusetts (soon in Paris)

Nyjets1969

I will be in italy next week. I'm looking for the best way to call the US without occurring charges? Also, if I call another Verizon phone while in Italy will there be any charges?

FraminghamMA

Hi NYJets, First, sorry about last evening's game. : /

Wow Italy. All I know was that time and phone in France was difficult. Couldn't figure how to make Travel Pass calls smoothly while outside on the street. Very annoying. T

And in general, there are too many settings, between Data, phone, roaming... and either on Travel Pass or Wifi or WhatsApp. So my settings were all mixed up during my two-weeks in France. Stressful. Anyway, I'm just venting here.

But I believe the best way with all this --to call to U.S. is to connect to Wifi. Wifi provides free calls. I used Wifi only when in hotel or someone's home. I couldn't find Wifi that allowed connection when in rstaurants or cafes, etc. (don't know why) Wifi is just for calls to U.S. I just don't recall the phone Settings. But refer to previous replies from Weth.

Also free, is to download WhatsApp that allows calls from your phone to anyone else who has WhatsApp on their cellphone, be they in U.S. and pretty much anywhere/any country, including Italy. But you can only call another wireless phone, not landlines. They must have WhatsApp on their cellphone. And you can text and even FaceTime thru WhatsApp. Again, I don't recall the settings in the phone to use when with WhatsApp. Refer to Weth's replies if that helps. And he states to be connected to Wifi. I can't recall that for sure. Wifi is always the safest, I guess after Travel Pass for a fee.

My challenge was I also needed to be able to call someone on a landline in U.S. Landlines don't work with WhatsApp. This was challenging since I was out a lot and no connection to Wifi (again, I don't know why I couldn't connect while in restaurants). I had to wait when in hotel or someone's home to connect to Wifi. And then I needed to time it right due to time difference of 6 hrs. to East Coast (in my case). Really challenging.

Hope this helps a bit. Have a great trip!

New Eng. Patriots : )

Momma23dogs

@Nyjets1969
wrote:
I will be in italy next week. I'm looking for the best way to call the US without occurring charges? Also, if I call another Verizon phone while in Italy will there be any charges?

You can use Wi-Fi calling. Wi-Fi calling allows you to use your phone over the Internet and you are charged the same as if you were in the United States.

You would not be charged for calling any US numbers. However if you call another US number that is roaming they might incur roaming charges if they are not also using Wi-Fi calling. Any calls to an Italian (foreign) number will be billed at long distance rates, not roaming.
To put your phone into Wi-Fi calling only, it is best to put the phone in airplane mode and leave it there for the entire trip and then turn Wi-Fi back on this does mean no cell connection.

samidhadnaik

I am in similar situation twice. Last month I had called and asked them to cancel all international calling on my service, it is still there (they in fact charged me 8$ for services provided to my card).

This month, I made few calls to flight services which was auto directed to UK device because USA number wasn't working. During this COVID19 situation where work isn't option, I am being asked to pay charges which I opted out.

I am not in any situation to pay more than my usual monthly charges and here I am trying to convince un-conceivable people. I am trying to call them from India and they are putting on hold all time. I need help from Verizon support. This is highly unfair asking to pay charges when they had cancelled plan calling before hand. I am going to be in India until this pandemic issues are resolved, what then are you going to call me all months until then?.

Verizon_Support

This isn't the type of experience we want for you. We'd like to access your account to better assist you. We've sent you a private message to get started.

ChristianP_VZW

JONANT36

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