Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:04:58 -0600 From: Matthew Tarpy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [IP] : A warning to Cingular customers using their cell phones abroad To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dave--
He should read the terms of his international roaming service. For T-Mobile, Cingular, and ATTWS (the 3 major GSM carriers in the US that I have experience with having been a customer of each at one point) it is made VERY clear that calls forwarded back to voice mail FROM Europe are going to be charged. In the most recent case, I specifically had to agree to a ToS (both online when I activated the service, and when they called me back to confirm) with T-Mobile before they turned on international roaming on my account. From my own experience, I can vouch that this type of charge is very normal and customary.
It's not Cingular's fault that this guy didn't bother to check the terms of the service he wanted to use. Maybe next time he'll read the agreement before he goes and gets charged up the ying-yang. It's a hoary old chestnut, but RTFM.
--Matthew
T-Mobile.com (http://www.t-mobile.com/international/coverage.asp): You will be charged for all calls processed through your phone, which can process more than one call at a time. Certain types of calls or features involve multiple calls and you will be separately charged for each call. These include forwarded calls (incoming to your phone and outbound to the forwarded number), call waiting or hold, conference calls and unanswered incoming calls that are forwarded to your voicemail.
ATTWS.com: Please note: When roaming internationally and registered on a foreign carrier's GSM/GPRS network, calls that you do not answer that are routed to the AT&T Wireless voicemail system may be charged as an international roaming incoming call to your phone. In addition, the foreign carrier's routing of that call to the AT&T Wireless voicemail system may generate an outgoing call charge from your phone's location to the U.S. These charges apply even if the caller disconnects from the voice mail system without leaving a message.
And finally, Cingular (http://www.cingular.com/standalone/houhou/roaming/roaming_index.htm) which does contain a list of terms and conditions of international roaming, one of which is that you have to pay for rerouted calls (such as no-answer voicemail).
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Farber Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:41 PM To: Ip Subject: [IP] : A warning to Cingular customers using their cell phones abroad
-----Original Message----- From: Eric Glover <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:31:21 To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: A warning to Cingular customers using their cell phones abroad
I recently traveled to Europe, specifically Hungary. Surprisingly when in Hungary, my cell phone had very good service, I was able to send and receive text messages, however GPRS did not work for me.
While there I figured I would save myself some money by leaving my phone on, and whenever someone called, I would read the caller ID (which only worked sometimes), and or check for a voicemail alert, and then use a calling card from a landline, or local cell phone - this way I could receive calls, but not have to pay $2/minute. I did answer a small number of calls, and even placed a few calls.
When I received my bill I noticed several charges to calls placed TO my voicemail. I immediately determined what had happened was that the call was forwarded to my voicemail when I didn't answer, and for some stupid reason the European carrier actually forwarded the call, as opposed to the call being terminated in the US and sent to voicemail domestically.
When I called Cingular to complain, the customer service person insisted that the call appeared as if *I* had called to my voice mail, which certainly I did not, and that she would not credit my account.
Eventualy I said I had not made the calls, and was not going to pay. She even agreed that IF the calls had been to my phone and I didn't answer (and went to voicemail) I should not get charged, however she still refused to credit me. So I said that it must be fraud, and she transfered me to the fraud department.
What the fraud department said was that they could not credit me for any calls which came from a foreign carrier, unless my phone was actually stolen or cloned AND that the way the foreign carriers work, I could end up being charged for not answering my phone - even though clearly in the US an unanswered call will not be charged, nor would a call that is sent to voicemail.
WARNING: If you are a Cingular customer and travel outside the US, YOU COULD BE CHARGED $2/MINUTE FOR UNANSWERED CALLS. Even though their customer service reps are not notified of this, and will tell you otherwise. I say per minute, because one of my "unanswered calls" was 2 minutes and they are trying to charge me $3.98.
Supposedly if your phone is off, you won't get charged, but what's the point of that?
Later, Eric
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