Charged roaming rates for receiving a voicemail

[requiem]

So I am traveling abroad this weekend.


I called vodacom up to enquire about international roaming.


They claim that I must disable my voicemail, because if I leave it active I will be billed the international roaming rate to receive calls for people leaving me voicemail.


I am quite sure this wasn't like this before, I confirmed with 3 different agents that this is for people leaving voicemail and not for me listening to them.


Can anyone advise? This seems absolutely ludicrous

 

[froot]

Put voicemail off, it costs you money to receive it abroad.
It's been like this for a number of years now.

 

[werfie]

Yup, someone also told this to me a couple of months ago before I went to the USA. It's actually understandable and the only sensable conclusion I could come to was this: when someone leaves you a voicemail the call is diverted on the network to a different number (voicemail box). This appears to happen on the receiving network, so seeing that this will then happen on the network you are roaming on at that moment, you would be charged per second like you would for any other call transaction.

But, in my mind it should then NOT happen when the phone is off completely and goes directly to voicemail but only when the call executes and then forwards to voicemail after ringing. I mean if your phone is off, how will anyone know where you are in the world... you might very well be standing in the middle of Joburg CBD. Well, you would probably lie in a pool of blood in the middle of the JHB CBD, but you get my point?

I am still confused.

 

[froot]

But, in my mind it should then NOT happen when the phone is off completely and goes directly to voicemail but only when the call executes and then forwards to voicemail after ringing. I mean if your phone is off, how will anyone know where you are in the world... you might very well be standing in the middle of Joburg CBD. Well, you would probably lie in a pool of blood in the middle of the JHB CBD, but you get my point?

I am still confused.

The problem is that to receive voicemail, the call goes through to your side (wherever you are) and the network operator has to pay for this.

 

[requiem]

The problem is that to receive voicemail, the call goes through to your side (wherever you are) and the network operator has to pay for this.

It would make sense that I pay international roaming rates to listen to my voicemail. Surely a local divert should direct calls to my voicemail on vodacoms networks and thus never leave sa, ergo I shouldn't pay for people leaving voicemail

 

[Ockie]

It has always been like that. When someone phones you while you are in another country, the call gets routed to your phone in that country. The person phoning you pays the normal rate what they would pay as if you are still in the country. You will pay for the international leg of that call. Now, if you do not answer that call and your voicemail is active, then your phone directs that call to your voicemail, so the network that you are roaming on needs to make another international connection to your voicemail which is located in South Africa, so you pay for that part too.

 

[werfie]

The problem is that to receive voicemail, the call goes through to your side (wherever you are) and the network operator has to pay for this.

I am not sure how this can happen when you phone is off completely? When your phone is off, it's not registered on any network so where does the call go through to?

Like I said, if your phone is on and it rings and goes to voicemail or whatever, I understand it completely and agree with your statement, but when your phone is off, it's connected to nothing so you are in fact by implication not roaming at that stage nor connected to anything for the call to go through to (not even locally). So the call has to stop at your local operator and get forwarded directly to voicemail exactly as it happens when you are in the country.

If your phone is off completely, it is indistinguishable where you are in the world based on your phone's location?

 

[werfie]

It has always been like that. When someone phones you while you are in another country, the call gets routed to your phone in that country. The person phoning you pays the normal rate what they would pay as if you are still in the country. You will pay for the international leg of that call. Now, if you do not answer that call and your voicemail is active, then your phone directs that call to your voicemail, so the network that you are roaming on needs to make another international connection to your voicemail which is located in South Africa, so you pay for that part too.

Ockie, does it work differently when your phone is off completely and then goes to voicemail?

 

[requiem]

It has always been like that. When someone phones you while you are in another country, the call gets routed to your phone in that country. The person phoning you pays the normal rate what they would pay as if you are still in the country. You will pay for the international leg of that call. Now, if you do not answer that call and your voicemail is active, then your phone directs that call to your voicemail, so the network that you are roaming on needs to make another international connection to your voicemail which is located in South Africa, so you pay for that part too.

That makes sense if the phone is on, and I don't answer.

Surely you handle diverts locally and don't send that off to the international network and tell them to divert back to you?

 

[Ockie]

Ockie, does it work differently when your phone is off completely and then goes to voicemail?

It should, but we normally recommend either disabling your voicemail while abroad, or to set unconditional diverts to your voicemail. What happens then is instead of trying to connect the call via the international network you are one, then getting now answer and then the international network making another "call" back to Vodacom to deposit the voicemail with Vodacom, Vodacom will see that you are not taking calls, and will simply divert the call straight into your voicemail without a international call being made.

 

[requiem]

http://www.vodacombusiness.co.za/mobile/main/services/internationalroaminghowcellphoneisused

- Receiving a call while roaming is charged at the applicable roaming rate!

- Callers in SA must dial your number as usual e.g. 0827654321

- Local callers in your destination country need to dial the international prefix first, which is +27, followed by your cellphone number. E.g. +27827654321.

- You pay applicable roaming rate to receive all calls, even if the call originates from the country you are visiting.

- The caller will only pay for the local leg of the call if they are calling from South Africa.

Remember: To activate unconditional diverts after leaving SA, dial **21*+278214 followed by the last 9 digits of your cellphone number to divert all incoming calls to your voicemail but will still be able to make calls.

This will help you to save costs.

Receiving voice messages
- Retrieving Voicemail while roaming is not free!

- To listen to Voicemail, dial +278214 followed by the last 9 digits of your cellphone number. Example: If your cellphone number is 0827654321 you would dial +2782 14 827654321

- Dial 1 as soon as you hear your voicemail message

- Enter your mailbox number, e.g.: +2782 14 827654321

- Press 1

- Enter your mailbox password

Remember: Voicemail retrieval while roaming is charged as a call back to South Africa each time at the applicable roaming rate. Remember to reset your mailbox password before leaving, to be able to retrieve your messages when travelling.



-------------------------------


This implies it to work how I understood it. Apparently your published information is wrong.

 

[werfie]

It should, but we normally recommend either disabling your voicemail while abroad, or to set unconditional diverts to your voicemail. What happens then is instead of trying to connect the call via the international network you are one, then getting now answer and then the international network making another "call" back to Vodacom to deposit the voicemail with Vodacom, Vodacom will see that you are not taking calls, and will simply divert the call straight into your voicemail without a international call being made.

This makes perfect sense then. If managed properly, you should never be charged extra for voice mails when you phone is off, but I get what you're saying with the "rather be safe than sorry". I was more thinking of a scenario of you actually needing the service while abroad, but in the event that you are engaged and the phone is off deliberately for only a period of time, you shouldn't be charged unnecessarily.

Thanks for clarification - my understanding was correct then.

 

[Sinbad]

How to activate & deactivate SMS Roamer

To activate SMS Roamer
Activate BEFORE you leave
SMS 'Roamon' to 123



Deactivate when you return
SMS 'Roamoff' to 123

 

[requiem]

It should, but we normally recommend either disabling your voicemail while abroad, or to set unconditional diverts to your voicemail. What happens then is instead of trying to connect the call via the international network you are one, then getting now answer and then the international network making another "call" back to Vodacom to deposit the voicemail with Vodacom, Vodacom will see that you are not taking calls, and will simply divert the call straight into your voicemail without a international call being made.

Thank you for the response. This is how I understood it. My concern is the call center agents inform me that unconditional diverts will still result in me being charged roaming rates for voicemails left from south african callers.

 

[Venomous]

I am not sure how this can happen when you phone is off completely? When your phone is off, it's not registered on any network so where does the call go through to?

Like I said, if your phone is on and it rings and goes to voicemail or whatever, I understand it completely and agree with your statement, but when your phone is off, it's connected to nothing so you are in fact by implication not roaming at that stage nor connected to anything for the call to go through to (not even locally). So the call has to stop at your local operator and get forwarded directly to voicemail exactly as it happens when you are in the country.

If your phone is off completely, it is indistinguishable where you are in the world based on your phone's location?

I have been to the UK a few times. Normally for approx 2 weeks at a time as I normally visit family.
I do not activate roaming on my phone. Insteed I set it to airplane mode and I connect to family's (or accomodation, if away together) wifi. That way I have access to whatsapp, skype. LOL could even add telegram, viber etc to list if I wish.
All I do tell people via email that that is how I can be contacted for A-Z dates. 3G/LTE turned off as a means of caution. It's actually fun when you realise your phone cannot/will not ring while out for something work related.

Normally I don't get any extra charges when I return. some sms's and maybe a few voicemails, that by then I receive on SA soil.