Diverting to voicemail - O2 (Contract)

Yakuza

Hi
A quick question about diverting. If I set my phone to divert to voicemail (before leaving the country), if someone rings my number, it will go straight to my mailbox, without attempting to ring my phone. Therefore, I should not incur any roaming charges from that call (unless I ring my voicemail from abroad, which is fair enough).

I was trying to set my phone to divert on the way to the airport and it wasn't working, so I rang 02 customer care).

Here's my query...the guy I was speaking to (a nice enough bloke, but he said he was only there about a week and wasn't 100% himself, but he had asked his colleagues) said that if I had my phone on divert (having set up my phone to divert prior to leaving the country) I would still get charged for any callers leaving a message for me (as an outbound roaming call, as in effect they would be ringing my voicemail from the country I'm in) - surely this is wrong?? His advice was to not use divert and just receive calls as usual. That if I didn't want to take a all, not to answer it and let voicemail kick in from then. Surely that would incur roaming charges?

My understanding was that all calls (diverted to voicemail) would remain in Ireland. I'm positive I've read this on the blurb I got with my contract. I've no access to any printed 02 blurb at the moment as I'm abroad, but what he said to me made no sense. Has roaming changed in some fashion?

As I mentioned above, the reason I rang Customer Care at all was because when I tried to use my phone (Nokia 6230i) to divert the calls (Settings/Call Settings/Divert/Divert all Calls/To Voicemail) it kept coming up "Request not completed). I now know I can use **21**(mobile number) and I'll try that when I get home.

Is this some conspiricy by 02 to make it harder to get divert to work, and to drive up roaming revenues???

dohouch

Don't know how it is these days but when I first did that "divert all calls to voice mail" before leaving the country, the text alert " you have new (1) message in your voice-mailbox" was free anyplace in the world. In those days international txts were the same price as national so don't know if those alerts are still.

pob1

If you put an unconditional divert (all calls) on to your voicemail , any incomming calls will re-route nationally to your VoiceMail and you will not incur any roaming cahrges.

However if you have the voicemail setup to notify you (via TXT or automated call) you will incur a roaming charge for the incoming Voice call or TXT.

Hope this helps

Yakuza

That's how I thought it always worked. Kinda sad that we know more than the support folks.

Now, all I need to figure out is why I can't set my phone to divert using the menu.

Thanks for the reply.

Random

If you're on O2 you WILL BE charged for any voicemails left for you while roaming. I was onto care 3 times about this to confirm .. it all seems insane ...

Pythia

Yakuza wrote:

That's how I thought it always worked. Kinda sad that we know more than the support folks.

Now, all I need to figure out is why I can't set my phone to divert using the menu.

Thanks for the reply.

You have to ring o2 to set up the diverts. AFAIK, they don't allow you to change it on the handset.

Random

Pythia wrote:

You have to ring o2 to set up the diverts. AFAIK, they don't allow you to change it on the handset.

They do, on Sony Ericssons and Nokias anyway.

jrey1981

say your number is 086 1234567, you have to set type in the number divert to 086 51234567

if you divert before you leave the country you shouldn't be charged

Random

jrey1981 wrote:

say your number is 086 1234567, you have to set type in the number divert to 086 51234567

if you divert before you leave the country you shouldn't be charged

You'll be charged if someone leaves you a voicemail while you are roaming. You'll also be charged for checking that same voicemail if you do so while you're away.

Ring them and ask.

It's a complete pain and O2 should really do better for their customers, but all they've been able to advise is that I should disable voicemail before going away and reenable it when I get back. Basically, miss any important calls or messages while away or pay through the nose. Joy!

chrislad

If I recall correctly, you'll be charged for checking your O2 voicemail in Ireland too, ciaran

The only network to charge for it.

Random

This is true chrislad, but the reason I mention the charges abroad is because it's roaming charges abroad to check aswell!

At least in Ireland it comes out of your mins (still ****e might I add though ...)

jrey1981

I didn't realise that. Also depends where you're going. In the UK, calls made and received are taken out of your monthly minutes.