— CONTEST CLOSED!—

Big congrats to Emma Lane! Enjoy your Roam Mobility prize package!

Thanks to all that entered. Be sure to Like This Life in Trips on Facebook  and sign up for my newsletter as I have a few more giveaways planned!

Roam Mobility SIM Review – Connected South of 49

With my recent month long+ trip through the States I had the opportunity to test out Roam Mobility, a USA and Mexico SIM card provider based out of Richmond BC. With the need for reliable and affordable data connection I was more than happy to take this on. For 39 days that took me from French Lick Indiana to Key West to NYC I put Roam Mobility to the test. Here is what I found:

Roam Mobility is Easy to Use

From setup to activation, Roam Mobility is a breeze to use. To start you select a plan of talk/text and/or data through their website. Plans range from $1.95 to $3.95 a day with discounts kicking in after 14 days for talk/text and data. There is also a range of data only plans to choose from which cover wide range of needs.

Once selected a SIM card is sent to you for your unlocked cell phone. From there it is a matter of popping it in and activating it online by entering the cards unique identification number.

Roam Mobility is Fast

Although most plans cap your speed at a certain point, I never found speed to be an issue. In 39 days I burned through 3 gigs of data and if any of that was throttled I didn’t notice.

Roam Mobility is Convenient

Being able to pop something in and have it work without a fuss is always a beautiful thing. Furthermore, Roam Mobility SIM cards are valid for 365 days after your usage is up meaning you can log in to your account and add more data should you return to the states during that time. Nice touch.

Data is always my first concern when roaming as I need it to tweet, post, and share photos on Instagram. I have never really worried myself with having an actual phone number but I must say it came in handy several times during my trip. Whether it was to call a hotel, secure my Super Bowl tickets or send a text when my data coverage was not available, Roam Mobility talk and text came through.

Minor Issues while using Roam Mobility 

Roam Mobility was not without its faults during my trip. Although my experience was mainly positive, here are a few negatives to consider:

Spotty Coverage in the Sticks

One big thing I noticed while using Roam Mobility was poor coverage in rural areas. This of course is not directly Roam Mobility’s fault as it is not their network but whoever they partner with in the states. I found along highways and in small towns signal strength rarely moved above 1 bar and speeds rarely faster than 3G. This never really posed a problem for me as the coverage and speed I had still allowed me to do what I needed to do, just an observation.

Minor Annoyances while using Roam Mobility 

Again, not directly Roam Mobility’s fault as it is not their network but the second I popped my SIM card in I started receiving unwanted texts and phone calls. At first I thought it was just spam but quickly realized the number used to belong to one Belinda who clearly had some debt issues. Voicemails about loan payments and text messages on loan pre-approvals poured in day and night. On the positive I contacted Roam Mobility about the issue and they were very quick to reply saying the number is randomly taken from a pool and could happen to any company. Although there was nothing they could do about the current number Roam Mobility did offer to change my number – or I could have done myself.

Every customer also has one chance to change their number/request a local number from any US ZIP available to you in the My Devices section of your account.

A nice gesture and great service however I decided to bare it. I coped by setting up the voicemail and turning on do not disturb for the evenings.

Again, not an a major issue, just an observation.

Final Thoughts on Roam Mobility

Although I was berated with unwanted phone calls and text messages, I couldn’t fault Roam Mobility with this. In the end the ability to stay connected throughout my 8 state, 5,000 km+ journey outweighed any unwanted call. With Roam Mobility’s ease of use and convenience I would gladly use again and recommend.

Speaking of Recommending Roam Mobility

Giveaway time! Here is your chance to win an awesome prize back of Roam Mobility services. To be exact:

1x Roam SIM Card
1x 7-day Talk+Text+Data Plan
1x Roam Mobility SIM Card Holder
1x Whoosh! Screen Shine Screen Cleaner
Total Value: $50.00

TO ENTER:

1. Comment below or on my Facebook page with how much data I burned through while taking Roam Mobility for a test run (HINT 3 GIGs) 
2. Follow Roam Mobility Inc on Twitter!

Winner will be randomly selected and will be announced on the April recap edition of This Life in Trips Newsletter (comes out early May!) as well as through Roam Mobility Inc’s and This Life in Trips Facebook and Twitter channels.

Disclaimer: VALID FOR CANAIDIAN RECIDENCES ONLY. SORRY!

— Roam Mobility on Facebook —
— Roam Mobility on Twitter —

Although I was provided a complimentary SIM card from Roam Mobility,
the experience, opinions, and speedy connections are my own.