Article: How Vodafone’s $5 Global Roaming Compares to Optus & Telstra

[lovestotravel]

Optus $5 per day roaming is great when it works, 5GB means all normal data/emails remain active and backing up with new photos/videos etc

However, on each and every trip overseas, it will fail at some stage and a painful live-chat with Optus is required for them to get it working again.

Also, Amex seem to block Optus after about 5-7 days of the $5 daily roaming charge. I have raised it with them and they have said it's only me.... Either way they can't seem to fix it...

I have an old plan with free roaming and 2GB of data per billing cycle, I have no inclination to go off this plan, but I know Optus will kick everyone off it eventually.

 

[latawiec]

Hard to miss when they send a txt and email and charge you $5 directly at the time. Well, that’s been our experience on the new plan.

We also had a few random activations in the US (and once in Canada). They deny it’s a problem with their system but during one chat (1st time it happened), the tech support person mentioned that there had been some “minimal data usage” - even though Data Roaming was turned off. I gather that there might be some network handshaking that triggers the false activation.

Their FAQ also vaguely mentions that some call diversions “may” activate roaming…

I’m currently travelling around SE Asia and (touch wood) haven’t had any false activations across 5 countries.

That is the reason that I ditch Vodafone some time ago, because they charged me to much when being abroad.

 

[SYD]

That is the reason that I ditch Vodafone some time ago, because they charged me to much when being abroad.

Do you know why?

SYD+1 had good experiences with Vodafone roaming before switching to Optus. Only ever charged $5 when initiating a call / txt or enabling data. It’s significantly better than Optus - which is actually $5 per 5GB (so you can have multiple daily charges - whereas Vodafone just activates your regular plan allowance).

 

[SYD]

Optus fail in Uruguay. Zero roaming at all on my replacement plan. It’s not Zone 1 ($5 roaming) but they do list Uruguay as Zone 2 and PAYG. But that doesn’t appear to be accessible to $5 pd plans?

My old plan with roaming / 5 GB pm probably would have worked….

Anyway, another reason to ditch them after this trip.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I have been using Vodafone $5 a day o/s since its inception - priceless of you are in business

 

[SYD]

I have been using Vodafone $5 a day o/s since its inception - priceless of you are in business

Yes, it’s been the better option for daily fee roaming of the big three.

A lot of us miss our Optus $50 pm plans that included roaming (calls/txt and 4GB pm). That plan would have worked in Uruguay now but because it’s not included in the Optus Zone 1 countries ($5 daily plan), you get nothing at all. Radio silence...!

 

[I love to travel]

Does anyone know whether with Optus $5 roaming can I call Canada when I am "roaming in Malaysia". Need to call Aeroplan which could be hours on hold so need to get this right?

 

[SYD]

Does anyone know whether with Optus $5 roaming can I call Canada when I am "roaming in Malaysia". Need to call Aeroplan which could be hours on hold so need to get this right?

I believe so. I no longer have Optus (I found using the $5 roaming “on demand” ie not daily too flaky - false charges) but that aside, Zone 1 to Zone 1 I think is ok.

But do check. There are some anomalies in the Optus Zones. At one point I made some calls to the Netherlands from Oz and was charged PAYG but calling NL within the NL or another Zone 1 country was covered by the roaming…