Family Vacation Nightmares
UniquePhones > Travel > Family GuideAny family vacation is expensive even when the best of planning has been done but when unforeseen bills come in after you've gotten home, a great time can be momentarily forgotten.
Take the case of the Fulton family from Texas. With three teenagers, the Fultons decided to pack off for seven days of sightseeing in France. Dad is a busy realtor and Mom has her own decorating business. Each have cell phones as do all three children. They carefully sign up for an international plan from their cell phone provider - AT&T. They also figure that it IS a vacation so none of them will be using their cell phone for more than quick calls home and, perhaps, to each other from time to time on the trip. But Dad has to phone the office now and again, Mom is keeping track of a project, and the teenagers ...well, they were just being teenagers.
So the Fultons took their week in France and were very mindful of the minutes they were all using. Each person averaged about ten minutes a day of outgoing calls, ten minutes of incoming calls and the odd SMS. Careful, you think. A few week after returning, a large envelope arrived from AT&T with a bill for over $1700. Mistake, you say. Not at all.
AT&T's international roaming rates are right at $2.49 per minute. Same charge for incoming calls as outgoing so if all five of the Fultons spent 20 minutes a day on their cellphones, the math is easy. Each of them spent about $50 per day and it didn't matter whether they were calling back to the U.S. or just trying to get everyone together for dinner.
| 10 Minutes of Incoming Calls | 10 Minutes of Outgoing Calls | Family Total Per Day | Total For Trip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | $24.90 | $24.90 | $249 | $1743.00 |
| United Mobile | $0.00 | $8.50 | $42.50 | $297.50 |
Many families are faced with these dilemmas when traveling abroad and many are now seeking a solution to a surprise bill such as the Fultons received. International roaming SIM cards are a very good remedy. Companies such as United Mobile could have provided the exact same number of minutes for a fraction of the price PLUS incoming calls are free. There are plans where families can sign up for plans on these SIM cards and talk to each other for free. The options are many and the savings substantial. Check out your current provider's rate and compare it to an international SIM card.
Since the cards are pay as you go with minutes added as you need them, there are no nasty surprises back home.
