Is this true?

On another post, I asked this question and got this response. Because this
seems crazy, I'm wondering if the responder read all of my
response--including "even if I don't answer the call..."

The following was taken from the most recent brochure, and I wanted
clarification from any current customers (I am not on Cingular, but was
thinking of switching eventually).

"You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when incoming
calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I interpret
part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million times a day
and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for the call".
What does this mean, exactly?

This is the response I got from John: "Just what you guessed -- you are
always charged for incoming calls, whether on your handset or on your
voicemail.."

---

› See More: Is this true?

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:44:57 GMT,
"J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On another post, I asked this question and got this response. Because this
>seems crazy, I'm wondering if the responder read all of my
>response--including "even if I don't answer the call..."

If you don't answer a call it will go to voicemail (assuming you don't turn
off voicemail).

>The following was taken from the most recent brochure, and I wanted
>clarification from any current customers (I am not on Cingular, but was
>thinking of switching eventually).
>
>"You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when incoming
>calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I interpret
>part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million times a day
>and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for the call".
>What does this mean, exactly?
>
>This is the response I got from John: "Just what you guessed -- you are
>always charged for incoming calls, whether on your handset or on your
>voicemail.."

What part of that was confusing?

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 07:04:52 GMT, John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

>[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
>In <[email protected]> on Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:44:57 GMT,
>"J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On another post, I asked this question and got this response. Because this
>>seems crazy, I'm wondering if the responder read all of my
>>response--including "even if I don't answer the call..."
>
>If you don't answer a call it will go to voicemail (assuming you don't turn
>off voicemail).
>
>>The following was taken from the most recent brochure, and I wanted
>>clarification from any current customers (I am not on Cingular, but was
>>thinking of switching eventually).
>>
>>"You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when incoming
>>calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I interpret
>>part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million times a day
>>and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for the call".
>>What does this mean, exactly?
>>
>>This is the response I got from John: "Just what you guessed -- you are
>>always charged for incoming calls, whether on your handset or on your
>>voicemail.."
>
>What part of that was confusing?


John gave you the answer... and the correct one.
Why start another thread to get another opinion just because you think
it's wrong? Why not asking a Cingular Rep. or their WEB page.

Jack Mac

J Collins wrote:

> "You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when incoming
> calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I interpret
> part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million times a day
> and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for the call".
> What does this mean, exactly?

Why do they use "may?" And why may you be charged for both an incoming
and outgoing call? Under what circumstances are you charged for
unanswered calls that are routed to voice mail? I've never heard of a
carrier charging for unanswered calls that go to voice mail. They get
their revenue when you pick up your voice mail, unless you do it from a
landline (and Cingular used to charge $5 for that service).

Thanks, SMS..........I believe you actually understand what my confusion is.
I understand a call going to voicemail if left unanswered, but why the heck
would I be charged for a call which is unanswered and goes to my voicemail
(I'm not talking about retrieving it, John). I also did ask a Cingular rep
about this and just received the general "oh, the brochure just tries to
cover every possibility" response--in other words, no real response.

I started another thread because, well, on these friggin' boards I get in
trouble for burying an off-topic and putting too much info in a subject
line. Few people actually want to help, they just seem to want to get out
their frustrations on posters, so I'm not sure why I bother anyway--possibly
for the few and far between nice people.

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>J Collins wrote:
>
>> "You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when
>> incoming calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I
>> interpret part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million
>> times a day and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for
>> the call". What does this mean, exactly?
>
> Why do they use "may?" And why may you be charged for both an incoming and
> outgoing call? Under what circumstances are you charged for unanswered
> calls that are routed to voice mail? I've never heard of a carrier
> charging for unanswered calls that go to voice mail. They get their
> revenue when you pick up your voice mail, unless you do it from a landline
> (and Cingular used to charge $5 for that service).

J Collins wrote:
> Thanks, SMS..........I believe you actually understand what my confusion is.
> I understand a call going to voicemail if left unanswered, but why the heck
> would I be charged for a call which is unanswered and goes to my voicemail
> (I'm not talking about retrieving it, John). I also did ask a Cingular rep
> about this and just received the general "oh, the brochure just tries to
> cover every possibility" response--in other words, no real response.

Yet probably the right response. Maybe Cingular is planning to implement
such charges in the future, and wants to cover their bases now.

I do seem to recall that there was a prepaid carrier that charged for
all voice-mail, retrieved or not, but I don't remember the details.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Tue, 28 Feb 2006
16:07:48 GMT, "J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Thanks, SMS..........I believe you actually understand what my confusion is.
>I understand a call going to voicemail if left unanswered, but why the heck
>would I be charged for a call which is unanswered and goes to my voicemail
>(I'm not talking about retrieving it, John).

Because Cingular chooses to charge for all completed incoming calls, whether
they go to your mobile device or to voicemail. In the latter case, Cingular
still incurs the expense of first attempting to connect to you over the air
and then recording the voicemail message.

>I also did ask a Cingular rep
>about this and just received the general "oh, the brochure just tries to
>cover every possibility" response--in other words, no real response.

In your opinion. That is nonetheless accurate.

>I started another thread because, well, on these friggin' boards I get in
>trouble for burying an off-topic and putting too much info in a subject
>line. Few people actually want to help, they just seem to want to get out
>their frustrations on posters, so I'm not sure why I bother anyway--possibly
>for the few and far between nice people.

I think you're being unreasonably harsh.

>"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>J Collins wrote:
>>
>>> "You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when
>>> incoming calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I
>>> interpret part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million
>>> times a day and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for
>>> the call". What does this mean, exactly?
>>
>> Why do they use "may?" And why may you be charged for both an incoming and
>> outgoing call? Under what circumstances are you charged for unanswered
>> calls that are routed to voice mail? I've never heard of a carrier
>> charging for unanswered calls that go to voice mail. They get their
>> revenue when you pick up your voice mail, unless you do it from a landline
>> (and Cingular used to charge $5 for that service).
>

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

"J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> "You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when
> incoming calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I
> interpret part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million
> times a day and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for
> the call". What does this mean, exactly?
>

No, I think it means that after your handset rings the requisite number of
rings, and the carrier transfers the call to voicemail, it becomes billable,
whether or not the caller sits through the outgoing message and leaves you a
message.

My daughter once signed up for a Verizon pay-as-you-go plan, and they billed
her for all calls that went to voicemail, against her prepaid minutes. In
addition, any call that SHE made to retrieve her messages--EVEN IF MADE FROM
A LANDLINE--were also charged as minutes of airtime!

When I convinced her to return the phone before the 14-day trial period
expired, they refused to refund her activation fees, nor would they refund
the unused prepaid minutes that she purchased when she set up the account!

I noticed just the other day, in a Verizon rate plan brochure, that
pay-as-you-go customers do not receive "Free Nights & Weekends," as with the
other wireless carriers. They get "Free Nights." But that means that on
Saturday and Sunday, after 6 AM running until 9 PM, they are billed for
calls, as they would be on weekdays!

Verizon nickels-and-dimes their customers to death. They have tried to
position themselves in the market as the most reliable carrier, not the
cheapest one.

I recently switched from ATT/Cingular TDMA to Sprint, and I couldn't be
happier. And Sprint gave me three phones free, charged not one cent in
activation fees, gave me 7 PM N/W, Free M2M, free National Roaming, versus
Regional Roaming from ATTWS, and my monthly rate is a few dollars less than
I was paying under my obsolete ATTWS plan.

I suspect that much of Verizon's puffing about their allegedly-superior
network is just the stuff that advertising agencies dream up. As the
disclaimer says, "Your results may vary."

I've found Sprint to be the low-cost provider that best serves my
requirements, and the call quality is superior to my old ATTWS/Cingular
service. So, if you are thinking about Verizon, give Sprint a look too.

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>J Collins wrote:
>> Thanks, SMS..........I believe you actually understand what my confusion
>> is. I understand a call going to voicemail if left unanswered, but why
>> the heck would I be charged for a call which is unanswered and goes to my
>> voicemail (I'm not talking about retrieving it, John). I also did ask a
>> Cingular rep about this and just received the general "oh, the brochure
>> just tries to cover every possibility" response--in other words, no real
>> response.
>
> Yet probably the right response. Maybe Cingular is planning to implement
> such charges in the future, and wants to cover their bases now.
>
> I do seem to recall that there was a prepaid carrier that charged for all
> voice-mail, retrieved or not, but I don't remember the details.

Verizon. At least on their prepaid plans. So a one-minute message used up
TWO of the customer's prepaid minutes: one minute for the called message,
and a second minute to retrieve that message, whether or not the call was
made from the cellular phone or from a landline.

Credit-challenged customers are a captive audience, and Verizon really
exploits them.

Thanks, Jeremy!

"Jeremy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:Td0Nf.31424$pE4.2838@trnddc04...
> "J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>
>> "You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when
>> incoming calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I
>> interpret part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million
>> times a day and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for
>> the call". What does this mean, exactly?
>>
>
> No, I think it means that after your handset rings the requisite number of
> rings, and the carrier transfers the call to voicemail, it becomes
> billable, whether or not the caller sits through the outgoing message and
> leaves you a message.
>
> My daughter once signed up for a Verizon pay-as-you-go plan, and they
> billed her for all calls that went to voicemail, against her prepaid
> minutes. In addition, any call that SHE made to retrieve her
> messages--EVEN IF MADE FROM A LANDLINE--were also charged as minutes of
> airtime!
>
> When I convinced her to return the phone before the 14-day trial period
> expired, they refused to refund her activation fees, nor would they refund
> the unused prepaid minutes that she purchased when she set up the account!
>
> I noticed just the other day, in a Verizon rate plan brochure, that
> pay-as-you-go customers do not receive "Free Nights & Weekends," as with
> the other wireless carriers. They get "Free Nights." But that means that
> on Saturday and Sunday, after 6 AM running until 9 PM, they are billed for
> calls, as they would be on weekdays!
>
> Verizon nickels-and-dimes their customers to death. They have tried to
> position themselves in the market as the most reliable carrier, not the
> cheapest one.
>
> I recently switched from ATT/Cingular TDMA to Sprint, and I couldn't be
> happier. And Sprint gave me three phones free, charged not one cent in
> activation fees, gave me 7 PM N/W, Free M2M, free National Roaming, versus
> Regional Roaming from ATTWS, and my monthly rate is a few dollars less
> than I was paying under my obsolete ATTWS plan.
>
> I suspect that much of Verizon's puffing about their allegedly-superior
> network is just the stuff that advertising agencies dream up. As the
> disclaimer says, "Your results may vary."
>
> I've found Sprint to be the low-cost provider that best serves my
> requirements, and the call quality is superior to my old ATTWS/Cingular
> service. So, if you are thinking about Verizon, give Sprint a look too.
>

Jeremy wrote:

>
> My daughter once signed up for a Verizon pay-as-you-go plan, and they billed
> her for all calls that went to voicemail, against her prepaid minutes. In
> addition, any call that SHE made to retrieve her messages--EVEN IF MADE FROM
> A LANDLINE--were also charged as minutes of airtime!
>

imho, the best pre-paid plan is from Virgin Mobile. 25c/minute for first 10 minutes each day, then
10c/minute for the rest of the day. No free minutes anytime, but also no roaming charges. If you
can get a signal then the most you are charged is 25c/minute. You can check voicemail from a
landline for free. Spring is Virgin's network so coverage is same as Sprint's. Only requirement is
you have to buy at least $20 worth of minutes every 3 months.

-Jason

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:44:57 GMT,
"J Collins" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On another post, I asked this question and got this response. Because this
>seems crazy, I'm wondering if the responder read all of my
>response--including "even if I don't answer the call..."
>
>The following was taken from the most recent brochure, and I wanted
>clarification from any current customers (I am not on Cingular, but was
>thinking of switching eventually).
>
>"You may be charged for both an incoming and an outgoing call when incoming
>calls are routed to voicemail, even if no message is left." I interpret
>part of this as saying "anyone can call my cell phone 5 million times a day
>and, even if I don't answer the call, I will get charged for the call".
>What does this mean, exactly?

If you're referring to the material at
<http://www.cingular.com/b2b/OfficeReach_terms_pop>, this applies only to
"OfficeReach" business service, not consumer service.

On consumer service there is *no* charge for recording incoming voicemail
messages or for retrieving them by landline. The only voicemail charge is for
retrieval over the air, for which regular airtime charges apply.

I just verified this with Cingular. My apologies for posting incorrect
information previously.

--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

[email protected]lid wrote:
> Jeremy wrote:
>
>>
>> My daughter once signed up for a Verizon pay-as-you-go plan, and they
>> billed her for all calls that went to voicemail, against her prepaid
>> minutes. In addition, any call that SHE made to retrieve her
>> messages--EVEN IF MADE FROM A LANDLINE--were also charged as minutes
>> of airtime!
>>
>
> imho, the best pre-paid plan is from Virgin Mobile. 25c/minute for
> first 10 minutes each day, then 10c/minute for the rest of the day. No
> free minutes anytime, but also no roaming charges.

LOL. No roaming charges because they don't let you roam. The cost may be
good, but the coverage isn't. Ditto for T-Mobile, which is 10 cents all
the time, with a one year expiration if you get the $100 card.

> If you can get a
> signal then the most you are charged is 25c/minute. You can check
> voicemail from a landline for free. Spring is Virgin's network so
> coverage is same as Sprint's.

No it's not. With Sprint, you can roam onto other CDMA networks, as well
as onto AMPS if your phone is tri-mode. With Virgin, you are limited to
Sprint's own network.

Jeremy wrote:

> I suspect that much of Verizon's puffing about their allegedly-superior
> network is just the stuff that advertising agencies dream up. As the
> disclaimer says, "Your results may vary."

Not according to all the surveys that have been done. Look at Consumer
Reports survey of all the different cities. Very large statistical
sample too.

>>>>> "SMS" == SMS <[email protected]> writes:

SMS> Look at
SMS> Consumer Reports survey of all the different cities. Very
SMS> large statistical sample too.

If that's a typical CR survey of its members with voluntary return and
no followup, the statistics are suspect. It's not a random sample.