Two at a time. Roaming and forwarding.

[carloscmd]

Guys,

I'm traveling to Mexico and I is a must for me to have access to my SMS, for what I know, unfortunately we still do not have a roaming service in Mexico, at least I cannot find it in the self service, my questions and requests are:

1.- Is there any way I can have my SMS forwarded to another number (US number) or have them available via web?. To stress out this, I will be traveling to Mexico with my PM number. I have an Android device. Samsung Note 8.

2.- Is there any way for the people in charge of improving PM services, to make this possible and create a service (Add on) for roaming in Mexico and if possible worldwide?. Please keep for yourself all the comments like: we are under other company's umbrella and/or any other bureaucratic comment (I'm an IT guy and I've been working for several Telephony companies for more than 10 years). Please, can someone in here make it happen, and please do not be shy for the fare you will charge. I think, we deserve (and it is time) to have a more competitive company in terms of roaming. No hard feelings, I do not really care if these comments/requests hurt other's companies feeling (pocket).

Sorry if any of my comments seem rude, but I cannot believe after so many years (myself and other people in this community) asking for this, we do not have any kind of roaming, other than US.

Regards...

[kb_mv]

---

@carloscmd wrote:

Please, Do not reply post to get Answers as a solution or Bravos to get rewards.

Regards...

---

@carloscmd You made me laugh! Answers for bravos and rewards? Seriously? A dollar is about 40 seconds worth of my paying job. Hardly worth it if I was looking for money. 

[carloscmd]

kb_mv,

For you and all those people misunderstanding my message and replying the wrong idea, I'm here in PM since 2010, even earlier than PM closed all their stores, and I have 4 active lines, I know the quality of the service I'm getting for the price I'm paying.

I've learned, (at least what you can find in the community), that we are here to help each other and to propose ideas to try to improve our services. What you and the other person is trying to say, is that I have to go to another telecom company just because we do not have a service?

If you look at messages (old messages), you will see my username or full name getting some bravos for pushing the idea of roaming service in US. Why we cannot do the same for other roaming services?

i.e.: We have a service that you can call X min to US/Int for X amount. Why we cannot get the same partnership with other provider to get roaming. (Believe me, we have been thru this, and at the end, this idea does not like to Telus, most of their answers are related to technical stuff and bureaucratic things, really?)

My message, You and all other people recommending to leave PM because it does not fit my needs, read the community first, and then talk.

I think this is not the same community it used to be long time ago.

Please, Do not reply post to get Answers as a solution or Bravos to get rewards.

Regards...

[whyveeare]

I have to concur with both @Anonymous and @kb_mv .  If PM had all the features of the upper tier brands, what would be the point of PM even existing?  You do realize @carloscmd that PM is a subsidiary of Telus?  PM exists for customers who only need bare bones service.  No frills, such as worldwide roaming, so to say.  And their prices reflect that.

I came to PM from one of the upper tier brands earlier this year.  And yes, they had international roaming options available ($7/day in USA and $12/day everywhere else) but I refused to use it because I considered it to be rip-off.  Convenient for sure, but not worth the cost, at least for me.  Even though I travel 2-3 month's per year (in normal times), I can't honestIy remember the last time I used one of these daily roaming packs.  I managed to find work arounds (see earlier posts) so that all my needs are covered, so long as I have Wifi or a local SIM.  My authenticator app (Authy) is not SIM based so I can generate all my 2FA codes.  For services that require SMS 2FA, I can send and receive SMS's just as if I am in Canada.  So even though I was with one of the upper tier brands, I wasn't using all of their services.  But I was still paying a much higher monthly cost for the service.  So in effect, I was paying for services that I didn't need.  I would have come to PM earlier if I would have known these 3rd tier brands existed.  But of course the Big 3 don't want to advertise these value brands.  Now that I am at PM, I pay half what I used to pay per month, and I get only the services that I need.

@carloscmd Do you have an iPhone?  And what authenticator app do you use that requires your PM SIM card (or any SIM card for that matter) to be in your phone?  I wasn't aware that such apps existed.  Not saying they don't exist, just curious.  Maybe it's some kind of enterprise grade security app?

In any case, everybody has different needs.  That's why the Big 3 created the 3 tier system.  For those that need full service and are willing to pay for it, there's Telus.  For those who don't need full service, like me, there's PM.  The money still ends up in the same pot, since Telus owns PM.

[kb_mv]

@carloscmd 

If you are willing to pay pretty much anything to get worldwide roaming, why don't you upgrade to a top tier provider that offers it like Telus or Rogers? 

Public Mobile is a 3rd tier provider. It isn't meant to be all the things that the first tier companies are. That's why most of us are here. If I needed more than they could give, I would leave to somewhere that could provide the services I want. Be that a real phone number to call or worldwide roaming or 4G data. Lucky and Speakout (and no doubt a few others) don't offer roaming either. That's who PM is competing against. 

It seem obvious that as of today PM can't meet your needs. Why not leave? Seriously? I'm not being mean or facetious I honestly don't understand why someone would stay here when their needs aren't being met?

[Anonymous]

 @carloscmd : We have different needs and perspectives. I don't wish to financially help already rich people who don't need the help. There are many ways that I have no choice but to help them, but where I have some choice, I won't. This is one.

I perceive this service to be geared towards everyday working people trying to get by keeping their expenses down. There are business people here trying to maximize their profits. They might come into some kind of problem with the service. They scream and yell and hurl abuse at the place. I have little sympathy for them. This is not the right place for them.

In the big picture, sure, your post is a suggestion. I'm not up for it. I'll post and say whatever I like inside the terms and conditions of this site thank you very much.

[carloscmd]

Z10user4,

You are totally wrong:

First, I do not have to go elsewhere to spend "those amounts" or get this service, it is out of your business the way and the amount of money I pay for the services, in addition to that, if you believe that PM "will not be a good company" because they provide a service that you consider it is too expensive or abusive, then you (again) are totally wrong, and it says a lot about your knowledge in terms of telecom companies, maybe you do not know why the most richest guys in the world are telecom business owners. 

Second, If you for "whatever reason" went to the states (or elsewhere) and could deal with the "roaming problem" because this telecom company does not have the service, it only says we are far behind compared to other companies. 

Third. I think you are the "kind of guy" that consider the best service is the cheapest service, (again) you are totally wrong, by the way, i like to save some bucks when I can, but not always is like that.

Resuming, Go elsewhere with your comments, step away if you are not helping with a comment that may help others in the future. It is silly to think that I have to go elsewhere because PM has no roaming service and because someone thinks that providing a service that may help others is not a good thing/choice because of the price you have to pay for it.

Regards...

[Anonymous]

 @carloscmd : Then you need to go elsewhere and spend those amounts. This is not that place. I was in the states a year or so ago and dealt with a realtor buying a place here all the while in a hotel there. I didn't pay for roaming. All on TextNow and hotel wifi.

You have some workarounds offered for this place. I, for one, would prefer to not subsidize those that need those services.

[carloscmd]

Guys,

Thank you for all the effort to solve my problem but I need my phone and my sim card altogether, because it is used by all my apps related security token generation/validation apps for 2FA and other security stuff. For what I do, my phone without my sim card is useless.

By the way, Kselmak, I do not know if your reply was to blame or justify PM (or whatever in between) for not having roaming service worldwide. Everyone, (including telecom companies) tries to provide services to be used, regardless of the price. It is quite bad for all of us if PM does not have this kind of service, now I have an "inconvenient" situation because of that. Believe me, I will be more that happy to pay not 100 but 200 to get roaming in Mexico.

My message: You, yes you, the one in charge of providing services to this great telecom company, push hard, do your job and provide a worldwide roaming service for all of us. If you provide the service, the people will use when they really need it, even if the price is spicier than a Mexican chili pepper.

Regards...

[whyveeare]

Another eSIM option is airalo.com  I’m planning to give them a try next time I travel overseas.  I’d be interested to know if anyone else has any experience with this service.

[gpixel]

@computergeek541 yeah.. they have to figure out a workaround..

@carloscmd what's the make and model of the device? check to see if it is esim capable. there are esim data plans you can use in tandem with the text now app

https://esimdb.com/mexico

[whyveeare]

I can't speak for the Android system, but with Text Message Forwarding on the iPhone I can send and receive both SMS's and iMessages from the iPhone being forwarded to.  But yes, my PM SIM card has to stay in Canada in an old iPhone that is always plugged in.

[computergeek541]

---

@gpixel wrote:

yo! @carloscmd 

there is an android app called "sms forwarder" by frzinapps. check the play store. 

there is a good chance you will need to leave the pm sim card in Canada to be able to stay on the network

---

Yes, the Public Mobile SIM card would have to be in a power-on compatible phone connected to the network in Canada.  Any such forwarding app would simply be sending an outgoing text message to the number that is designated.  Unfortunately, this also means that the customer would not have use of the phone number to arrange for a friend to provide a drive from the airport. 

[gpixel]

yo! @carloscmd 

there is an android app called "sms forwarder" by frzinapps. check the play store. 

there is a good chance you will need to leave the pm sim card in Canada to be able to stay on the network

[geopublic]

@carloscmd  No, but here is an alternative if you travel to US, Mexico, Canada one number no roaming unlimited minutes, texts and pick your data requirement.

https://mexicosimcard.ca/products/build-your-plan?variant=31831304503405

If you wait for PM to offer roaming to Mexico your going to have to wait a long time.

[totalUser]

I second TextNow

If you have relatives or friends on usa who could get your TextNow sim you may be able to use it in Mexico for free as well. You may need CDMA phone too, those are not very common around here. According to their coverage map lots of Mexico is covered, and it looks like you may get away with it once when you come back at least in some areas. I guess wherever sprint would have roaming deal here

 

[whyveeare]

Do you use an iPhone?  If so, use the Text Message Forwarding function.

 https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208386 

For this , you will need an extra iPhone to leave at home plugged in with your PM SIM card inside.  It can be any old iPhone with iOS 8 or higher (I use an old iPhone 4s).  Since both iPhones are using the same Apple ID, all messages show up on both phones (including SMS texts and iMessages) and you can reply from either phone.

I can also vouch for TextNow.  Set up a free number, then just before you leave Canada, call forward your PM number to your TextNow number.  This way people can still call on your PM number but it will ring on your TextNow app on your phone.

[benfatto]

@carloscmd  I'll second TextNow as your only cost effective option. As long as you are on wifi, or a Mexican data SIM, you'll have free calling & texting. 
You could have even forward your PM number there before you leave to also pickup voicemail. I use Fongo that way but their outgoing SMS is not free. 

[kselmak]

That's the thing about the budget carries they give very affordable basics, if they don't offer it it means they can't have affordable deal, Just expanded the long distance, but if you take a closer look you see that they couldn't negotiate the same prices, they had to group them differently.

People who do this end up paying over 100 for a week or 10 days with the big 3. That just doesn't really fit a provider like this.

[kselmak]

@carloscmd 

I would suggest TextNow, just let everybody know your allternative number

Totally free texting and USA Canada calling, you can reach for free many other numbers including some Mexican numbers

Another thing you could do also is to leave your phone with somebody here and they can forward everything I've a day to your alternating number. 

Thereare also apps that will forward texts, but you have to leave your phone plugged here and running, it's great if you have somebody you trust who can check on your phone from time to time and restart if needed

[computergeek541]

@carloscmd 

Sorry, but Public Mobile does not offer forwarding of text messages.