US Roaming add ons changing

[Redfella]

I have been in the US for a couple of months now and have been bying US roaming add ons

every 10 days during my stay. I am wondering why the TALK/TEXT/DATA bundle keeps changing from day to day. On some days only Talk/Text is available as a bundle with data being a separate selection and on other days it is Talk/Text/Data as a bundle.

I need all three modes and when the bundle is only Talk/Text it costs me $5 more for the same package. I hope to have some stability in the packages as it it quite expensive costing at least $60 for 30 days on top of my normal Canadian package which I autopay every month but am not using while I am in the US.

Why is this changing?

[pm-user]

Looking for the page that allows me to actually purchase the US addon. It seems all links bring me back to the forum.

Also wondering if the gratuitis addon due to corovid is a one time deal or can I do this a couple times throughout April and which one of the roaming packages since I counted 5 options.

[Anonymous]

 @Redfella 

Thanks for the update.

There's another theory that says you have to wait a full 24 hours after expiry to re-buy the same add-on. So the add-on expires at the end of the 10 - 24 hour periods and is no longer usable. Then you have to wait. So maybe "the morning" is 24 hours after expiry...not just "the morning".

[Redfella]

All roaming package were available for purchase in the morning (8am eastern) so sometime through the night it was reset. 
I wish I could give the community a more accurate window but I will be renewing on a frw more cycles and will try to narrow it down. 
There is one issue with the policy as it stands being that I am unable to renew until the add on expires, puts me in a situation where I may not be able to renew due to no service. Fortunately I am in an area that has wifi and I can access my renewal options that way. If I had only cellular available, I would be dead in the water with no way to purchase an add on. 
I suggest the mods review this policy and allow prepurchasing add ons that will sit in queue until they are needed and automatically roll over. 
Thank you community and mods for the help

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

 @Redfella 

Alrighty then. Thanks for reporting. Midnight it is not. Someone had said they were able to re-purchase in the morning. I theorized it would be midnight.

You could use a voip call/text app while on wifi as an option. Otherwise, it would be the moderators that would have to re-buy it for you but they're off now. So by the time they get back in the morning you might be able to re-buy anyway.

[Redfella]

It is now 51 minutes after midnight and the talk/text/data bundle is not available yet. My add on purchase was on March 2nd so past the 10 days

[Anonymous]

 @Redfella 

I've read people reporting that the add-ons stop working at an expected time...10 - 24 hour periods after it was bought.

The question still lingering is when can one re-buy the same add-on. We know it's more than an hour up to the next morning.

I think it's midnight ET as I wrote earlier.

Since you're up and it's now after midnight ET...if your add-on expired today (Thu) then please have a look in Purchase Add-ons and see if the same one is available to purchase again.

[Redfella]

Thank you for the replys and I will wait and see if the full bundle (talk/text/data) does indeed appear as an option. I suspect there is a lag or overlap on when my roaming add on actually stops working and when the full bundle option appears. The 10 days of operation do not seem to be 10 days to the hour of when it is purchased,but rather after midnight on the 10th day.

[geopublic]

@Redfella  for stays longer than 10 days you might want to check out Mint Mobile or Lycramobile local US prepaid providers.

[Anonymous]

The roaming add-ons that you already have need to expire. Then sometime after that they will re-appear and you can re-buy them.

I think they would re-appear at midnight ET of the day the add-on expired. Maybe you can verify this for the regulars here.

The roaming add-ons start the minute you buy them and end 10 - 24 hour periods after that.

[Dunkman]

@Redfella 

You can only purchase the same USA roaming package (ie. Talk/Text/Data) when it expires after the full 10 days.  So, what you are observing is this policy.  If you have the talk/text/data add on, you will only see the talk/text add on separate from data.  You will need to wait for the full 10 days to expire before you see and purchase the same 10 day USA roaming package.  

For longer trips to USA, the PM roaming packages are not the cheapest way to roam.  Would be cheaper to buy a US SIM card and use one of the local carriers.  

[gblackma]

@Redfella there is a bug in the system that prevents you from buying the same add on until 24 hours has passed. A better option for you would be to get a local SIM. You can also add a voip app such as TextNow and use it over WiFi to make/ receive/send calls and texts in the US and to Canada for free.