Charged for voicemails while stayed abroad

pavelpro

It looks 3 charged me for the voicemails left by callers while i been abroad. I called them asking about explaination they said i have to switch off my mobil while abroad - what a stupid answer.

The point that all my calls while i stay in Tunisia was redirected to automated 3 voicemail i had around 8 calls which i never picked up knowing about roaming charges but i never expect that i will be charged for the voicemail, i know it is not much around 14 Euro but still so stupid.

There is how it printed in the bill


Mon 03 May 12:17 0833333171 Voicemail (Call Fwd) 00:00:08 Excluded 2.273
12:17 Incoming 00:00:07 Excluded 0.192
Tue 04 May 15:47 0833333171 Voicemail (Call Fwd) 00:00:06 Excluded 2.273
15:47 Incoming 00:00:05 Excluded 0.137
Fri 07 May 16:58 0833333171 Voicemail (Call Fwd) 00:00:07 Excluded 2.273

Any advice guys about this situation?

MiCr0

this is a normal situation for most of the operators.
it counts as a completed call as the local operator has to redirect the call back to the irish voicemail system

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

evolutionqy7

or turn of your voice mail if some one needs you baddly they will call again

Rsaeire

... or send a text.

To be honest, mobile networks should absorb the majority of these double and triple charges with regard to voicemail when roaming. They've known that this has been, and still is, a huge issue for quite some time, yet they do nothing about it while customers are continuously affected and annoyed at the archaic system that's in place across all networks.

I suppose mobile networks consider the pros outweigh the cons in this situation, all the while lining their pockets in more nefarious ways and treating consumers as suckers.

Max Power 2010

I wouldnt go as far as saying its an issue, when you are Roaming your Home network directs your calls to you through numerous networks/exchanges to your roaming network if you dont answer and you have call diverts set up to voicemail the roaming network will initiate a call back (through numerous networks/exchanges each at a charge to them) to your mailbox...they charge your Home network and they pass the charge to you. Simples

Rsaeire

Max Power 2010 wrote: »

I wouldnt go as far as saying its an issue, when you are Roaming your Home network directs your calls to you through numerous networks/exchanges to your roaming network if you dont answer and you have call diverts set up to voicemail the roaming network will initiate a call back (through numerous networks/exchanges each at a charge to them) to your mailbox...they charge your Home network and they pass the charge to you. Simples

While I'm aware of how the charging works, the 'issue' I'm referring to is that of customers being charged exorbitant fees for receiving voicemail while roaming.

My suggestion that networks absorb the majority of the cost is practical and a similar scenario is currently in effect; as seen by how Vodafone handle standard call diverts. As a call diverted from one number to another number is still treated as a chargeable call, confirmed by your above example, Vodafone actually absorb this cost and only charge their customers 15c per diverted call, when, in comparison, Meteor charge per minute for the entire length of a diverted call.

Given this scenario, it is entirely plausible that Vodafone, and in fact any other Irish mobile network, could facilitate a similar process for voicemail diverts when roaming. Not only would it put a stop to countless customers calling mobile networks' customer care lines, but it would cease an inordinate number of billshock situations amongst customers, especially since the topic of "roaming charges" is very high on customer care's top 10 calls across all mobile networks.

ardmacha

I wouldnt go as far as saying its an issue, when you are Roaming your Home network directs your calls to you through numerous networks/exchanges to your roaming network if you dont answer and you have call diverts set up to voicemail the roaming network will initiate a call back (through numerous networks/exchanges each at a charge to them) to your mailbox...they charge your Home network and they pass the charge to you.

There is no reason that it has to be that way. All that is required is a message from the roaming network to the home network "divert to voicemail". It is extremely odd that it is done the way it is presently done. I don't know if GSM has such a protocol but it seems bleeding obvious.

pavelpro

Hi, i got some output from my situation... Three decide to give me 10E as a good will gesture which is quite good from them. I got around 15E for that voicemails.

Anyway I did turn off the voice mail from now on and as well ask them to cap my overlimit to 20E (by default is 520!)

So quite happy for now.