Unfortunately this is not true if you have voicemail on your phone (and who doesn't?). If someone rings you when you're abroad, it will actually cost you DOUBLE if you don't answer or if your phone is switched off. This is because if the call is diverted (to your voicemail), you get billed for receiving the call (as if you'd actually answered the call for the duration of the message in whatever country you find yourself) and you also get billed as if you'd called back to Ireland (again for the duration for the message).
surely this only happens when u've turned on ur phone at some stage while u've been abroad and therefore registered that you're roaming..if ur phone is off from the time you leave the country to when u get back u shouldn't be charged
They don't know! The system just assumes you're still in the last place you had the phone switched on. Like I said, I got charged for a voice message I received AFTER I got back home. Like yourself, I thought that there could be no justification for this charging but after researching it, it's a common problem for GSM.Are you sure about the switched off bit? I can see that it may happen when you have it on but if you switch the phone off how is the phone company going to know you have not returned to Ireland with your phone still switched off in which case they have no justification at all for charging you?
Yes soy is right. You must have switched it on at some stage when you're abroad.
They don't know! The system just assumes you're still in the last place you had the phone switched on. Like I said, I got charged for a voice message I received AFTER I got back home. Like yourself, I thought that there could be no justification for this charging but after researching it, it's a common problem for GSM.
You are quite wrong here I'm afraid. I've researched the matter: I've talked to a telecoms engineer I know, I've found a section advising how to avoid it on the Comreg website (yes they've received complaints about this), I've confirmed it with the mobile operator and I've found compaints from many other users (mostly from the UK and the US) about this by searching the web and other messageboards. While roaming, if your phone diverts (to voice mail), you will get charged as I explained above. Whether you check your voicemail while abroad has nothing to do with it.angrylad said:Phone On on holiday - voicemail not checked
No charge for this service. You will be charged regular rates when messages are checked when you return home.
Apparently because the call is routed through to the country where you are before being routed back to your messagebox at home. Sounds stupid but that's what I gathered from trying to understand it from some wikipedia articles on GSM.angrylad said:The voicemail service is held in the originating country ie Ireland, if you do not answer your phone while abroad the recording is held in Ireland and not on the hosts network so how could they explain a cost!!
Yes I will check their terms and conditions with a magnifying glass but I suspect it will be in there somewhere.dam099 said:If its a system problem then I would ask the mobile company to point out where in their terms and conditions they allow for charging in this manner, unless it is explicitly pointed out in their terms I would think they are on dodgy ground charging for a call received after you get back home because of an issue with their systems.
If someone rings you when you're abroad, it will actually cost you DOUBLE if you don't answer or if your phone is switched off
That's what I initially thought too. Check your itemised bill when you get it. With my operator, I noticed it because there was a "received" call in the roaming section of the bill with the exact time and duration as a call in the other roaming section back to my voice mail number (my number with an extra 5 after the 08x bit).This is unbelievable
That's what I initially thought too. Check your itemised bill when you get it. With my operator, I noticed it because there was a "received" call in the roaming section of the bill with the exact time and duration as a call in the other roaming section back to my voice mail number (my number with an extra 5 after the 08x bit).
Must admit the thought crossed my mind too!!I'm off to ring some mates that are away and leave them messages
Why are you confused? You seem to understand exactly how it works! As I said in the first message, setting up an unconditional divert is one way to avoid being hit by this "double" charge.Must say I'm a bit confused about this
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?