Call Fowarding to US# (with LD)

[jeferson]

I'd like to suggest that if customers purchase a LD add-on, they should then be able to call forward to a US #. Currently, even though I have paid for LD minutes, I am not able to call forward to my US # when I go down for a day or two. This is unpleasant, in that I've already paid for LD calling but Public Mobile is essentially keeping me from using it the way I'd like to. Enabling call forwarding to the US, when customers have paid for US long distance, makes sense.

[will13am]

This is a great suggestion.  Worse case, PM can charge the forwared minutes against the addon.  As a suggestion, get yourself a google voice number and have your contact call the google assigned number. 

[jeferson]

I'd fully expect PM to charge the forwarded minutes against the add-on. That would be no problem at all, as paying for the LD add-on means I am expecting the call forwarding to work...but it won't until they improve their system.

[srlawren]

Yeah I support this idea.  The current US Roaming add-ons are not very flexible and only cover certain scenarios well; it would be great to be able to forward to another service such as a Roam Mobility # while travelling.

[stonechucker]

If you're wishing to forward your number to the US, why not just sign up for the 10-day roaming package(s) that would cover your trip, and therefore not have the need to forward to a US number?

I have never, nor do I expect anytime soon to require the ability to use my cellular phone in the US, as I don't travel often, and when I do, it's with anyone that I'm going to coverse with anyway.

[srlawren]

@stonechucker many of us that live close to the border take frequent *short* trips to the US.  Either a day trip, or a weekend or long weekend.  Buying a full 10 days of coverage for this can be excessive, and it can be cheaper to pick up 1/2/3 days of Roam Mobility service, for example.  OR, if you are going to a longer term.  Let's use an example of about a month.  You'd need to buy 3 or 4 (depending on just under or just over a month) US Roaming add-ons/bundles to cover yourself the whole time, whereas there may be more flexible options by say picking up a month of prepaid service from a US-based provider.  Or for even longer term, going with a Snowbird plan from Roam Mobility.  Or any other combination.

The point is that the US Roaming isn't flexible enough to cover every scenario (nor will it likely be anytime soon).  But if the long distance add-ons cover airtime to US numbers, and the talk plan includes call forwarding, why not allow the *flexibility* to customers to decide what option works best for them for their trips?

[stonechucker]

@srlawren, thanks for the thoughts on this.  I do see th benefits to the snowbirds looking for the longer periods of time on this.  So too for the 2-4 week tripers.

My thoughts for the 1-3 day tripers though, if you need to be in contact while across the border, the roaming packages are priced so much better than the $5/day options by the big 3... it's really a no brainer.  Even forwarding to a US number is going to chew up minutes and cost more if you're on the phone for more than 20 minutes.

I suppose I'll not really understand until I come to a situation where I need to look further into it.  Thanks for discussing!

[iburden]

Why not call forwarding in general?   I cannot use Public Mobile in Europe, but I can use Fongo .  I'd love to call forward to that.

[srlawren]

@iburden you can.  Call forwarding is included with all plans that include a talk component.  However, you cannot forward to a phone number outside of Canada, so you'd have to pick a Fongo number with a Canadian area code.  Also, if you are on a province-wide calling plan as opposed to canada-wide, make sure you pick a Fongo number within an area code that belongs to your home province, or you will either (a) use up your long distance add-on minutes for any calls forwarded to Fongo, or (b) the call will not connect if you don't have any long distance add-on minutes.  

TL;DR - You can do this, just pick a Fongo number witin your province, and be sure to turn on call forwarding before you leave your province (or Canada).

EDIT: corrected tagging of wrong user

[Acekiller]

This is a great idea if they are willing to do that!

[jeferson]

It shouldn't require a complicated set of steps and the employment of other services such as Fongo to use what we are already paying for. Enabling call forwarding to the US, when customers have paid for US long distance, makes sense. I suggest it be activated for customers to use.

Jef