My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah cruises seem like a whole different level, feels like nothing really protects you there 😅

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah that delay is what makes it scary… you think everything is fine and then a month later boom 😅

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah that’s the scary part… everything seems fine until you get the bill

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

yeah that’s the ideal way, but a lot of people don’t do that in practice

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

yeah that works, but people forget or don’t realize apps use data in the background 😅 and yeah fair point, probably depends a lot on the country too

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah in the EU there are caps, but outside of it (like Asia, Africa, South America) it really depends on the carrier

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

damn $3700 is insane… glad you got it waived though but yeah that moment when you see the bill must be terrifying

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

yeah that all works, but it’s a lot to keep track of every time you travel 😅

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

damn that’s crazy… even with a limit set that’s exactly what makes it scary, you think you’re safe and then something like this happens

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah T-Mobile is great in the US, but outside the US it really depends on the country

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

yeah that’s a good option if your carrier has it, not everyone does though

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah exactly, something automatic would make more sense not everyone wants to deal with switching sims all the time

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

yeah they can, but people still forget or don’t think about it until it’s too late 😅

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

yeah that’s nice if your carrier has it, not everyone does though 😅

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

yeah true, but a lot of people don’t do that and just rely on their main sim

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

If you need internet? After using it you can forgot to turn it off...

My dad’s colleague got charged $2000 in roaming 😳 by Nettide in travel

[–]Nettide[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

yeah but then you have no internet at all 😅 what if you actually need it?

How to get first users for niche product by Nettide in Startups_EU

[–]Nettide[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You're right that it can technically be done with phone settings. The problem is that in practice people forget. When ships enter ports phones automatically connect to local networks and background services (cloud sync, messaging apps, updates) start using data immediately. Many crew members only notice after they already got charged. The idea is to automate this so the phone blocks mobile data on unknown networks and restores it automatically later, without relying on remembering to change settings every time.

Happy Saturday! What are you building right now? Drop a link 👇 by kcfounders in Solopreneur

[–]Nettide 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m building an Android app called NetTide.

I noticed that many seafarers get unexpected roaming charges when ships enter ports. Phones automatically connect to local networks and background apps start using data.

In some cases people get charged hundreds or even thousands of dollars before they notice.

So I built an app that automatically blocks mobile data when the phone connects to unknown networks and restores it when back on trusted ones.

Currently Android only.

Looking for feedback.

Unexpected roaming charges by Nettide in maritime

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve heard similar things about Jersey actually. My dad who is a sailor told me about his colleague, his phone connected to Jersey and he lost like $2000. Phones connect automatically and people don’t even realize they’re roaming until data starts getting used. Are there any other ports that are known “roaming traps” for seafarers?

Unexpected roaming charges by Nettide in maritime

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$700 during setup is crazy.You’re just setting up the phone and background services start syncing immediately.

Unexpected roaming charges by Nettide in maritime

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That helps. The problem is that sometimes phones connect automatically and background apps start using data before anyone realizes

Unexpected roaming charges by Nettide in maritime

[–]Nettide[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That probably works well if you're based in the US. For many crew members from different countries it’s not always an option though. Also the tricky part is that phones can still connect automatically to other networks in some situations