Being charged for accessing voicemail from landline??

[rlg999]

I just looked at my online statement and noticed some funny entries. I am seeing my voicemail number with 1148 in front of it. It says it is an outgoing call, but I haven't made those calls from my cell. So I called my voicemail number from a landline, noted the time, and waited about 30 mins. Went back and checked my online account and bam, there was a charge for 1 min to my voicemail with that 1148 in front of the number!!. WTF?? I get charged minutes to check my vm from a landline?? Anybody else got any input on this? I think I need to call Page Plus in the morning and see what this is about. I just wanted to make sure that everyone else is not getting charged the same thing. I'm only about 5 days into my plan, and already have about 20 mins of these mysterious minutes on my bill. Seems strange to me, has anyone else noticed this??

[mrvmrvmrv]

It's normal, and there was a topic about it recently. You're being charged when you check your voicemail because you're essentially calling your own cell phone number from another number (your home number).

[deathcab]

this is standard practice from every cell phone service provider, prepaid and postpaid.

[slyphoxj]

AlltelU is about the only prepaid that I know of that charges to check your voicemail from a phone other than your handset. They even charge you when people leave messages!

[Yeswap]

this is standard practice from every cell phone service provider, prepaid and postpaid.

No it's not. I've never been charged for calling my voicemail from a landline on Boost, ATT or T-Mobile prepaid or Sprint post-paid.

According to Cellguru's prepaid comparison page ( http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm ) PagePlus doesn't charge for accessing voice mail from a landline either.

The OP should file a support ticket ( http://www.pagepluscellular.com/supp...%20ticket.aspx ) requesting a refund.

[slyphoxj]

I just now checked my balance, then turned off my phone, then called my cell # from my house landline, left a blank message by mistake (I hit "*" when I shoulda hit "#"), then called my voicemail again from my landline to clear the blank message, then turned my phone back on to check my balance- same as it was before I called my voicemail.

[fearlessflyer]

To avoid the charge just use one of the Verizon Backdoor VM Numbers. Just google to find a list of them.

[Dodorkahedron]

this is standard practice from every cell phone service provider, prepaid and postpaid.

As YesWap has already stated, it is not standard practice with most providers. Just adding Virgin Mobile to his list. I had a VM account for 5 years and was never charged to check my voice mail from a landline.

Just be sure to interrupt the greeting as soon as it starts (so you don't leave a blank message, which would correctly incur a charge.)

[3c3]

I'm on the standard per minute plan, and I have never been charged for people leaving messages nor checking voicemail from landline. Those calls are in the call records, but all charges are zero.

[MetroConnect]

I'm on the standard per minute plan, and I have never been charged for people leaving messages nor checking voicemail from landline. Those calls are in the call records, but all charges are zero.

Same here. So while the OP may indeed be being charged, I have to vote for adding Page Plus to the list of carriers where it's not standard practice.

[willmatt]

rlg999:
I had the same problem with my Verizon contractual account. If anyone called my cell phone and the call routed to voice mail I was charged for a one minute call. I discovered the problem when I started receiving calls from some Idiot that kept calling my number and asking for the person previously assigned the number. I stored the numbers he was calling from and set it on my directory to no ring. When I checked my bill at the end of the billing period I found a number of charges for calls from his number even though I did not answer the call and the call forwarded to voice mail.

When I contacted Verizon and complained I got the excuse that I had not used up my 700 Minute allowance the CSR did not understand what the problem was. After I complained a number of times the charges stopped.

I had the same problem when I used Sprint in South Florida. It took a second level CSR to explain that Sprint charges one minute of usage for calls that ring a cell phone for more than 30 Seconds, mine was set to Six Rings or about 36 seconds. If I did not want to be charged for calls that were forwarded to voice mail, Sprint would have to lower the time calls ring on my cell phone and forward to voice mail to 28 Seconds.

Do any of you folks out there know if Verizon has the same policy?

[ncguy]

willmatt - I did a test the other night and what I saw with my phone is I was charged when calling vmail from a landline if my phone was on.(the charges take quite a while to show up online at pageplus so don't be fooled if they aren't there within 15 minutes) If I turned my phone off and called voicemail there was no charge.

This kind of matches up with what you are saying about the number of rings also since when the phone is on and when you call voicemail from a landline you have to wait until the person doesn't answer to hit #. I'll have to play around with my phone a little more later and see if I call it and hangup without leaving a voicemail if I'm being charged also. Not a huge issue to me, but it'd be nice to save a few minutes.

[rlg999]

Hmm, I just read Page Plus' Dealer website, and it clearly says you will be charged for checking vm from your cell, but landline messages and retrieval is free. After talking to Page Plus for 43 minutes this morning, then getting "disconnected" I still don't have a clear answer for what is going on. They did say to dial #738 to retrieve messages. I'll try that and see if it fixes part of my problem. They didn't have an answer as to why I'm being charged minutes to leave a message on my vm though. Here's a link to their dealer website page:

http://pageplusdealer.com/Information/FAQ.html

[bw01]

I'm on the standard per minute plan, and I have never been charged for people leaving messages nor checking voicemail from landline. Those calls are in the call records, but all charges are zero.

This is the same for me as well. At least so far.

I haven't tried it recently.

[willmatt]

This is what I found on the Verizon Prepaid Website about charges for calls:

Toll and airtime free numbers are 911, #PAY (#729) and *611. If a charge depends on an amount of time used, we'll round up any fraction of a minute to the next full minute. Time starts when you first press SEND or the call connects to a network on outgoing calls and when the call connects to a network (which may be before it rings) on incoming calls. Time may end several seconds after you press END or the call otherwise disconnects. For calls that are made on our network, we only bill for calls that connect (which includes calls answered by machines). Charge per call for 411 Search may vary when not in the Verizon Wireless Prepaid Rate and Coverage Area.

The sentence in Red seems to indicate that Verizon charges for an incoming calls whether or not it forwards to voice mail. It appears that when the handset is off calls connect directly to VM and do not incur a charge. It would be helpful if a forum member that has a connection with Page Plus or Verizon clarifies the exact policy on unanswered calls forwarded to voice mail.