Level 1

10 points

you are CHARGED for Visual Voicemail

After talking to three different ATT reps and chatting with an ATT online rep, I was told by every one of them that you are charged for visual voicemail.

First of all, all THREE of the ATT reps I talked to via phone and they all gave me conflicting answers, but when I made them go check with their
supervisors, I was told at the end of the phone conversations that I WAS BEING CHARGED. They couldn't explain why and for what I was being charged until I chatted online with an ATT rep. FYI, in the phone conversation I had with second ATT rep, I had an apple rep on the phone, too. The apple rep was surprised; he had no idea that we are being charged.

Here's the lowdown if you don't want to read the transcript of my chat:

When a caller leaves you a voice message, the time they take to leave you the voice msg is TAKEN OFF OF YOUR ANYTIME MINUTES. Of course, you can listen to the audio file of your voice msg as many times as you like without being charged for it. I accuse ATT for false advertising. Their advertising makes it look like Visual Voicemail is 100% included and that there is no extra charge. I have the 450 minute plan, and about 100 minutes of those will be taken off because of voice messages people leave me.

Now just to be fair, the online rep told me that he needed to confirm the information. When he emails me back, I will post his answer to this forum.

Below is the transcript of my conversation with him:

1:06 PM *-CATHERINE N: If I listen to my visual voicemail on the iphone, will that take off of my anytime minutes?

1:08 PM *-CATHERINE N: HI Justin_B

1:08 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Welcome to AT&T Data Support Live Chat! Hello Catherine N, I will be glad to provide you information on using the Visual Voicemail feature.

1:08 PM *-CATHERINE N: thankyou

1:10 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Actually, I believe the Visual Voicemail is counted towards the data plans that are added for the iPhones

1:12 PM *-CATHERINE N: you believe? can you confirm that? I just talked to three different att reps on the phone, and they all said that I'm charged for listening to visual voicemail.

1:15 PM *-CATHERINE N: I just tried an experiment. I turned the iphone into airplane mode and listened to my visual voicemail messages successfully. So I assume you are right.

1:16 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Hm, well the airplane mode would turn off both voice and data communication. Our Customer Service would know better than I would though. I had a co-worker here look at his account to see if the voicemail was going towards his minutes and they actually are showing up as calls.

1:16 PM *-CATHERINE N: so I am being charged?

1:17 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N It looks like it will count towards the minutes

1:18 PM *-CATHERINE N: if I'm in airplane mode, how come I can listen to the visual voicemail msgs?

1:20 PM *-CATHERINE N: and if I'm in airplane mode (off network), how can att track when and if I listen to my visual voicemail msgs?

1:20 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N The voicemail center sends a call to your phone to record the messages locally and saves them to the phone. It looks like the minutes are counted depending on the length of the messages.

1:20 PM *-CATHERINE N: just to confirm, your co-worker has an iphone? he's listening to his visual voicemail msgs and seeing that they're showing up as calls?

1:20 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Yes

1:22 PM *-CATHERINE N: so I'm charged for the length of the voice message the caller leaves. but if I listen to that message 20 million times (pressing play on iphone), I won't be charged for listening those 20 million times

1:22 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Exactly

1:24 PM *-CATHERINE N: are you reading this information anywhere, or is this your own assessment based on your experiment (which, btw, I appreciate your doing)

1:25 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Unfortunately, the information I have on Visual Voicemail doesn't specify what happens in regards to the billing. However, we are testing it here by leaving messages and then looking at current usage from the online account. He was also able to listen to all voicemails while in Airplane mode.

1:27 PM *-CATHERINE N: and to confirm another thing. I get charged for every voicemessage a caller leaves me even if I don't listen to their visual voice msg? For instance, if Sally, Ben, and Tom call, but I only listen to Sally's visual voice msg, I still get charged for Sally's, Ben's, and Tom's calls? I'm concluding this based on the info you gave me earlier.

1:28 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N Based on what we have found it looks like that would be correct. I would like to confirm some of this with our iPhone people just to be sure though because it also looks like from the current usage online that these minutes may count as Mobile to Mobile. Do you have an email address I could reach you at?

1:29 PM *-CATHERINE N: CAn I have a transcript of this conversation?

1:30 PM Justin_B: To *-CATHERINE N In the file drop down of the chat room there is are Print and View options

[End of conversation]

So there you have it. Stay tuned for the online rep's answers. If you want to read this post further, below are extra sets of questions I emailed him after our online chat:

My old questions that I need answered are:
1) Do I get billed for every voice message that a caller leaves? If yes, then why? Other att wireless customers do not get charged for callers leaving voice msgs on their mobile phones.
2) What if I don't listen to ALL the visual voice messages? Am I still charged for the visual voice messages I don't listen to?
3) You mentioned in our online chat that you weren't sure if the minutes were counted as mobile-to-mobile. Can you explain this? What is your answer?
4) If I'm charged, am I charged a flat fee per voice message or charged by time?

My new questions are:
1) Assuming that I DO get charged for every voice message a caller leaves me, will I get charged when they leave voice msgs for me on nights and weekends? (I have 5000 minutes on nights and weekends.)
2) If other att callers leave me messages, will I get charged? (I have mob-to-mob included in my iphone plan.)

Message was edited by: Host

Posted on Jul 4, 2007 12:38 PM

46 replies

Jul 5, 2007 11:00 AM in response to DrZaius

Excellent response AT&T rep.
A clear explanation with a clean delivery...
Could have hit harder at the end!

PowerMac G4 & iPhone 80GB Mac OS X (10.4.10) iMac 20 & 24, PM G5 Dual, PB G4, Ti G4, 1.5T NAS, GB E-Net, Airpt I, II & III

Cliffr39

Level 1

135 points

Jul 5, 2007 11:04 AM in response to David Bourne

There are two parts to the Voicemail messages. a) The
message left on the system by a caller AND b)
receiving the message. It seems the receiving part
(mentioned in iphonediva's list) is included with the
'free' Voicemail but the leaving a message part might
be covered by the daytime minutes, night/weekend
minutes or M2M minutes and therefore count towards
any limits. Our next bill will be an interesting read.

the second part is transmitted to your iPhone via data network (like an email with mp3 attachment) you will not be charged for it - hence the adds saying unlimited visual voicemail included with no * or other marks to give small print

I have been a Cingular customer for a while now, and
I can tell you that not only are you charged minutes
for when a customer leaves you a voice mail message,
you are also charged minutes for call forwarding in
general (Cingular treats someone leaving you a VM the
same as a call forward to the vm phone number).

So if you forward your iPhone to an office land line,
for example, and someone dials your cell number, you
will be charged minutes for the entire conversation
on your office land line.

not correct. when your caller is forwarded to the AT&T voicemail system those are free, but if you change your phone to forward to a 3rd party voice mail service you WILL be charged airtime then while they record their message.

It's just like EVERYTHING else. Reps are often misinformed and undertrained. That's what happened with the original posters conversations.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 11:45 AM in response to DrZaius

DrZaius, you wrote, "You are not charged anything for anyone depositing a voicemail when you are in the domestic US, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Vigin Islands, or Guam. Not even airtime."

However, poyiboy directed me to a section in my att online account that clearly states that Airtime Minutes apply to:
1) Toll-free numbers
2)Incoming, Outgoing, and Long Distance Calls
3) Visual Voicemail

After your authoritative explanation on how we are not charged for callers depositing voice messages, can you explain this? I read it under the "Standard Charges" section of my service summary.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 1:47 PM in response to Cliffr39

When I clicked on Service Summary in my online att account, the Service Summary very explicitly stated that Airtime Minutes apply to Visual Voicemail (along with incoming and outgoing calls). The manual that you linked me to just explains that the data part of Visual Voicemail (ie, audio file) is included in your iphone plan.

If you read the transcript of my online chat with the att rep, you'll see that he conducted an experiment with another coworker. The experiment proved that the actual voice messages were taken off of anytime minutes (airtime minutes).

Perhaps you didn't read the transcript because it was too long. I don't blame you. 😉

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 1:53 PM in response to BKRonline

My trap is still open. The service summary clearly states that Visual Voicemail is taken off of Airtime Minutes. The att rep did nothing but prove how unknowledgeable he was. Instead, a NON-ATT person was able to answer my question.

I would not be so harsh on the ATT rep had he not diluted his information (which happened to be incorrect in regards to visual voicemail) with insults.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 2:11 PM in response to GrafixRtist

do you think we can fight it? Over 2,000 people have read this post, but so far there's only a handful of us who have joined the discussion. I think most people are indifferent to it. Well, I want to fight it, but if it's just me, ATT is not going to listen to me alone. 😟

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 2:34 PM in response to Jeremy Riga

When you listen to the audio files of voice messages on your phone, then THAT is applied to your unlimited data plan. When callers deposit a voice message to your voicemail, then THAT is applied to your anytime minutes.

That is the point of this discussion. We are talking about how we are being charged anytime minutes when callers leave voice messages on our phones.

You did not resolve anything. But thank you for trying.

Jul 5, 2007 2:42 PM in response to iphoneDiva

It isn't. Visual Voicemail is included in your data. Period. You are getting all worked up over nothing.

Call and leave yourself 10 VMs and then see if your minute usage has gone up. You'll see it hasn't. Then check those 10 VMs. Same. RELAX.

And if you can't relax I'm sure AT&T or Apple will happily refund your purchase. This is life on the edge of new tech.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 2:48 PM in response to Jeremy Riga

That is a good suggestions, but I don't have to do that. One of the ATT reps did that. He called his coworker's iPhone and left voice messages. The voice messages on his coworker's iPhone were eating up airtime minutes. They were tracking this experiment in real time.

I started this discussion so that people knew they were being nickel and dimed.

What can I say? I'm a expensive iPhone-loving penny pincher. If I'm going to pay full price for a phone and be locked into a two year contract, then I'd like to be aware of all the terms and conditions. Apparently, I didn't do enough thorough research. But now that I've learned my lesson, I'd like to share with the iPhone community.

Jul 5, 2007 3:14 PM in response to iphoneDiva

You are full of it. I just spent the last 8 minutes leaving myself 6 voicemails. At the beginning of the experiment I had 58 anytime mins remaining. I left multiple voicemails and then checked them all. Big surprise I still have 58 anytime mins remaining.

I'm out! - the FAQ's say no charge for visual voicemail. The tests show no airtime for visual voicemail. Apple says no charge for visual voicemail. If you'd rather believe something else, that's your biz.

No one is being nickel and dimed. Your visual voicemail is INCLUDED. If there were to be some error and you got billed for it, they would fix it. I have NEVER called Cingular AT&T and not been well-taken-care-of. Their reps are always fast and friendly...

Best of luck.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 3:36 PM in response to Jeremy Riga

Since you are "out of here," then I am posting this for the benefit of other viewers.

How do you know your experiment worked? There are delays in checking your minute usage. Here is a direct quote that I copied and pasted from ATT's website:

"Important: There are delays in reporting and processing call or data records. It may take up to two to five days for usage on the AT&T wireless network to show up in any Voice & Data Usage category."

In order to be completely accurate, make make voicemail messages for yourself, and then don't use your phone at all for two to five days. Then see if you were charged for those minutes.

I believe the FOUR att reps I talked to over you.

iphoneDiva Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 5, 2007 3:41 PM in response to Jeremy Riga

Again, I don't expect you to read this because you are "out of here." This post is for the benefit of viewers.

The FAQ's you're referring to is in the Apple FAQ's, not the ATT FAQ's. Listening to your Visual Voicemail (audio files is free - part of your unlimited data plan). So for that part, Apple is right.

However, the actual voicemail that callers leave on your iPhone are taking up your anytime minutes.

In my book, this is nickel and diming.

Cliffr39

Level 1

135 points

Jul 5, 2007 4:03 PM in response to iphoneDiva

wow these two threads are getting out of hand.

I've NEVER been charged on any of my phones when someone leaves a messages unless I change the call forwarding from the default Cingular VM system to callwave or another 3rd party. Just watch your bills. IT WILL SAY CALL FORWARD (I have NONE, ZERO until I changed it to my 3rd party callwave.com last month)

Jul 5, 2007 4:04 PM in response to iphoneDiva

You can do this experiment.

Go to https://www.wireless.att.com

Sign up for an account.

Once you have an account set up, you can view your "Voice & Data Usage" --> "View Details."

This will give you an overview of your usage.

From what I can tell, you do get charged when someone leaves you a voice message (however, there may be exceptions -- i.e., I suspect you don't get charged when using AT&T mobile to mobile minutes ... I also suspect you don't get charged for voice messages left from callers in your home calling area ...). From what I can tell, you do not get charged for checking visual voice mail (but you do get charged for checking voice mail by calling the AT&T voice mail system).

Anyway, once you get your account set-up on line, you can track which items do and do not get charged.

Jul 5, 2007 4:04 PM in response to iphoneDiva

I should point out something that is actually advantageous with the charge on the new visual voicemail:

Old scenario: You are billed minutes for VM connection. Say you listen to a message, don't delete it, and decide to call VM and listen to message again. You would be billed for BOTH connections.

New visual VM scenario: You are billed for total message length time (recording) ONLY. The VM is retrieved to your iPhone and you may listen to it as many times as you want, sans billing.

Am I nuts or is this not better?

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you are CHARGED for Visual Voicemail