Expecting an American cell plan to work without interruption for extended amounts of time abroad without paying extra for that, or VERY closely checking your contract terms before leaving, is misguided.
From a European perspective, coming to America/Canada is very expensive. You have to have a very fancy phone plan to "freely" roam there, and you'd know about it.
This is a case of poor planning. I'm not sure Fi is the bad organisation here.
>From a European perspective, coming to America/Canada is very expensive. You have to have a very fancy phone plan to "freely" roam there, and you'd know about it.
In France, with a normal subscription, I can roam freely in 3/4 of the world with 25GB of internet without additional charge: https://i.imgur.com/l2bjCz9.png (red parts: unlimited calls + 25GB of data, orange part: 25GB of data but limited calls).
This used to be one of Google Fi's selling points, that you could use it anywhere even for extended periods of time. Now they have shortened their arbitrary limit so it's catching a lot of people by surprise.
3. During circumstances like a fucking war happening, if you're making decisions as a company you need to ask the hard questions and create the environment to ask those questions.
Let's stop giving excuses for companies. This is entirely on Google for not communicating and not thinking 5 miles beyond their HQ of the impacts of their shit.
This isn't to say they can't make mistakes. Just that if they do they should learn from them.
While I'm sympathetic to OP's situation, this is a known policy with Fi. When I moved from the US to Spain I searched whether my Fi would continue to work when I moved. There are countless reports of people's service being terminated once they've spent enough time abroad. My Fi got turned off after about 3 months out of the U.S (we had already activated Vodafone SIMS anticipating the termination). On the Fi support page: "If you try to activate Fi abroad or use Fi service predominantly internationally, you may have your international capabilities suspended." They make exceptions for government employees and military which is why the support technician asked that question.
I'm this case it seems to have been ~6m outside the US (September to March). The issue with the reminder (which was supposed to have been sent 30d before ending service) seems key, since if that had worked the OP wouldn't have been surprised ("suddenly strikes") and would have had time to make other arrangements.
(Disclosure: I work for Google, speaking only for myself)
> If you try to activate Fi abroad or use Fi service predominately internationally, you may have your international capabilities suspended.
> this is a known policy with Fi
Fi _heavily_ hypes their support for being able to travel to 200+ counties and still provide service. I’d wager most Fi users on HN bought it for this very reason. I wonder what fraction of those read that fine print and know they can be screwed by simply using the service they believe are paying for.
The policy is one thing. But being unwilling or unable to make any policy exceptions even in the case of illness or being stranded abroad is quite ridiculous.
I signed up for Fi when it came out. I knew about the policy regarding primary usage in the US, that’s stated clearly in the terms of service. I traveled for six years with Fi as my backup service — I usually got a local SIM everywhere I stayed for more than a week. Local service is almost always cheaper than Fi. I could get Fi notifications and check voicemail online. Google never shut me off. I was usually in the US for a month every year.
I sympathize with the OP’s circumstances. It would be nice if Google customer service could make exceptions. But I would never rely on that. I never rely on any single service working all the time everywhere. Two phone numbers, multiple email addresses, two bank accounts. US companies are rarely set up to deal with expats, nomads, or anyone living outside the normal lines.
Same. I use verizon as primary and google fi for backup and international travel. Dual esim. Dont even use the fi number for anything. What you can try to do is get a data only sim (up to 4 free with fi) and leave the primary active in the US and just travel with data sims
> I could get Fi notifications and check voicemail online.
I used to do that as well, and still have Google Fi, but aggravatingly, all its integrated features fell victim to Google's butchering of messaging services. You can no longer get or send SMS via hangouts, and can no longer get voicemail notifications online: both appear to require that you be actively connected to mobile service, like every other provider.
Considering that these were major selling points, it's particularly annoying that they just disappeared.
The hurdle of moving everything to a new sim could be a hassle, but being locked out of services tied to your number and 2FA is pretty debilitating. Continuity is the main reason I use Fi
Never trust Google for critical services if you can help it. They suck at customer support of any kind. Once their automation decides something, nothing short of a PR disaster tends to change it.
Then there is the ever growing Google Graveyard. I wonder how long Fi has?
And what survives will slowly be turned to an ad-infested mess. I’m still sour about what’s happening to Google Maps, to speak nothing of Google Search.
As a digital nomad the SMS 2FA auth is a constant pain in the butt. I'm not fron the US so Google Fi is a non-starter for my case.
My current setup is to use Airalo for e-sims to get data access and Devyce to get a virtual UK phone number that can receive SMS messages. I do have a Google Fi number, which I can access the SMS messages via the web interface, but I haven't found it to be particularly useful (It predates Devyce).
The Devyce mobile app is a bit clunky, but it's heading in the right direction and it's been capable of both making calls and receiving text messages.
I would pay quite a bit for a service where it just worked globally, even with varying data restrictions and costs per region (within reason). Unfortunately most roaming seems focused on extracting the most amount of money out of the short-term traveller as possible.
I also can't understand why operators like Vodafone don't use their global clout to outperform in this regard.
This is why I don't connect phone number with any services. But, as the time progress it has become impossible. Even creating gmail account requires phone :/
Several things don’t add up and just show ignorance or selfishness. Examples:
- traveling with covid
- needing to extend a visa after 20 days in the EU (Ukraine is not a Schengen country so he just entered) even though it’s 90 by default.
- thinking it “works in 150 countries” without limits
- attaching a sob story and unnecessary medical details about how much he needed for this to not happen
Since the lockout happened at least 17 days after he got the fever, he most likely does not have covid and can definitely fly back to the US, just like he flew with covid to Spain.
But of course that’s more inconvenient than just blaming someone else.
Given all the political posturing, hacktivism, war hacking, as a result of the war in Ukraine, there is suddenly a great deal of uncertainty in the digital and economic infrastructure if our world.
While I applaud some degree of non-military pressure to help end the war, I think there should be certain areas that are off-limit to such tactics.
These include: basic telecom and internet access, basic payment and disbursement systems, basic transportation, basic identity and profiles, etc.
Do you have any examples in mind? Even at the times of war the Internet and cellular infrastructure in Ukraine works. At least in the part controlled by Ukraine. I had a first-hand report of russian occuping forces shooting down cell stations using armored vehicle gun at the occupied territories. Ironically that hindered their own secure communication, as their ERA devices use 3G for encrypted communications.
They announced this move a month and a half in advance. They even emailed us all to let us know of an impending roaming data cutoff if we didn't connect from inside the USA within the next month.
> Please check if you have blocked the system automated emails. Lohitha · 1:46 PM
> I have not 1:46 PM L
> I have never seen the email And I cannot find it in my gmail account: I am looking now 1:47 PM L
If you're cutting off someones phone service, you could at least try to call them/send a SMS before, instead of just an email. Just like if you cut off someones email service, you'd expect at least one email before that happens.
Not quite, in my opinion. In this post, OP offers a lot more background information as well as substantial updates into trying to at least work around Google's incompetence.
Imagine fleeing from an active warzone (or a place that is about to become an active warzone) and the first thing people react to is having a fever the day before flying.
Yeah, I understand it's a concern that the virus might continue spreading by that action, but if I felt like my life was on the line (eg: not going on a random vacation), I think I'd do the same thing, even if I had COVID.
[+] [-] cr3ative|4 years ago|reply
From a European perspective, coming to America/Canada is very expensive. You have to have a very fancy phone plan to "freely" roam there, and you'd know about it.
This is a case of poor planning. I'm not sure Fi is the bad organisation here.
[+] [-] Reventlov|4 years ago|reply
In France, with a normal subscription, I can roam freely in 3/4 of the world with 25GB of internet without additional charge: https://i.imgur.com/l2bjCz9.png (red parts: unlimited calls + 25GB of data, orange part: 25GB of data but limited calls).
And it's like 20€ / month…
[+] [-] thekid314|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] aaomidi|4 years ago|reply
2. This was literally a selling point of this.
3. During circumstances like a fucking war happening, if you're making decisions as a company you need to ask the hard questions and create the environment to ask those questions.
Let's stop giving excuses for companies. This is entirely on Google for not communicating and not thinking 5 miles beyond their HQ of the impacts of their shit.
This isn't to say they can't make mistakes. Just that if they do they should learn from them.
[+] [-] nemesis1637|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jefftk|4 years ago|reply
(Disclosure: I work for Google, speaking only for myself)
[+] [-] ecf|4 years ago|reply
> this is a known policy with Fi
Fi _heavily_ hypes their support for being able to travel to 200+ counties and still provide service. I’d wager most Fi users on HN bought it for this very reason. I wonder what fraction of those read that fine print and know they can be screwed by simply using the service they believe are paying for.
[+] [-] jjeaff|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gregjor|4 years ago|reply
I sympathize with the OP’s circumstances. It would be nice if Google customer service could make exceptions. But I would never rely on that. I never rely on any single service working all the time everywhere. Two phone numbers, multiple email addresses, two bank accounts. US companies are rarely set up to deal with expats, nomads, or anyone living outside the normal lines.
[+] [-] enos_feedler|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cge|4 years ago|reply
I used to do that as well, and still have Google Fi, but aggravatingly, all its integrated features fell victim to Google's butchering of messaging services. You can no longer get or send SMS via hangouts, and can no longer get voicemail notifications online: both appear to require that you be actively connected to mobile service, like every other provider.
Considering that these were major selling points, it's particularly annoying that they just disappeared.
[+] [-] hackernewds|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] NBJack|4 years ago|reply
Then there is the ever growing Google Graveyard. I wonder how long Fi has?
[+] [-] nicbou|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wodenokoto|4 years ago|reply
What is "Messenger" and what is "message web interface" and what exactly is it that he desperately needs to sync?
Contacts? Aren't they already store on the phone when you sync against gmail?
SMS? Aren't they already stored on the phone? The same with call history, right?
[+] [-] vertis|4 years ago|reply
My current setup is to use Airalo for e-sims to get data access and Devyce to get a virtual UK phone number that can receive SMS messages. I do have a Google Fi number, which I can access the SMS messages via the web interface, but I haven't found it to be particularly useful (It predates Devyce).
The Devyce mobile app is a bit clunky, but it's heading in the right direction and it's been capable of both making calls and receiving text messages.
I would pay quite a bit for a service where it just worked globally, even with varying data restrictions and costs per region (within reason). Unfortunately most roaming seems focused on extracting the most amount of money out of the short-term traveller as possible.
I also can't understand why operators like Vodafone don't use their global clout to outperform in this regard.
[+] [-] cft|4 years ago|reply
https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223179348-Porti...
[+] [-] cute_boi|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mushyhammer|4 years ago|reply
- traveling with covid
- needing to extend a visa after 20 days in the EU (Ukraine is not a Schengen country so he just entered) even though it’s 90 by default.
- thinking it “works in 150 countries” without limits
- attaching a sob story and unnecessary medical details about how much he needed for this to not happen
Since the lockout happened at least 17 days after he got the fever, he most likely does not have covid and can definitely fly back to the US, just like he flew with covid to Spain.
But of course that’s more inconvenient than just blaming someone else.
[+] [-] mamborambo|4 years ago|reply
While I applaud some degree of non-military pressure to help end the war, I think there should be certain areas that are off-limit to such tactics.
These include: basic telecom and internet access, basic payment and disbursement systems, basic transportation, basic identity and profiles, etc.
[+] [-] vzaliva|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] antihero|4 years ago|reply
I mean I think Fi should be more chill about exemptions but I’m not sure how it warranted an article.
Perhaps as a cautionary tale about relying on SMS 2FA long term…
[+] [-] kstenerud|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chockchocschoir|4 years ago|reply
> I have never received any email
> Please check if you have blocked the system automated emails. Lohitha · 1:46 PM
> I have not 1:46 PM L
> I have never seen the email And I cannot find it in my gmail account: I am looking now 1:47 PM L
If you're cutting off someones phone service, you could at least try to call them/send a SMS before, instead of just an email. Just like if you cut off someones email service, you'd expect at least one email before that happens.
[+] [-] Someone1234|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikebonnell|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] MerelyMortal|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] demchog|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ssmw|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chockchocschoir|4 years ago|reply
Yeah, I understand it's a concern that the virus might continue spreading by that action, but if I felt like my life was on the line (eg: not going on a random vacation), I think I'd do the same thing, even if I had COVID.
[+] [-] dijonman2|4 years ago|reply