Thailand charges

[Anonymous]

In Thailand, with international roaming turned off before I even landed, and have declined all calls received, not listened to any voicemail messages or made a single call.

Initially on O2 Travel, I assumed as no data has been sent or received, I would NOT be charged £4.99 a day, as per O2's conditions. However I noticed I had been charged each day for the first 5 days.

I sent NOTRAVEL to their text number, but now I receive a £1.50 charge everytime my phone rings, and £1.25 for every message left. I still have not answered the phone once nor called my voicemail or made a single call.

Incredibly on restarting my phone I get charged £1.25 everytime as the voicemail notification comes up!

I have now put my phone on airplane mode!

Surely all this is wrong and I should not have been charged at all? Am I really expected to turn my phone off to avoid charges while in Thailand?

My new wife has not been charged, she too is on O2 but has as yet not received a call to decline.

I intend to be firm with O2 on my return as their welcoming text was clear:

"Welcome to THAILAND . While you're here, calls within the country and back to the UK will be £1.50ppm. Receiving a call will cost £1.25ppm. Texts are 40p to send and free to receive. Data is £6 a MB.
Or sign up to O2 Travel and for just £4.99 a day, get all the data, minutes and texts you need in THAILAND . And you'll only be charged for the days you use it."

Thanks
Simon

[Anonymous]

Thanks .

I should have mentioned that when first arriving in Thailand I attempted to turn off voicemail by 1760 send: it just rings and then the line cuts off.

After now searching specifically for voicemail charges abroad I found a little know passage stating that I AM liable for charges if voicemail is turned on! How many people travelling abroad turn their voicemail off to avoid such charges? How many know to do so? Seriously?!

Shame this is not stated in any text or other communication from O2 on my arrival. It should.

I leave tomorrow, feeling tricked by O2 as they have failed to be transparent with these charges, but slightly justified to realise that some of those in the know didn't know either.

Thanks again
Simon

[Cleoriff]

@Anonymous. It's such a pity you didn't come here before you travelled to Thailand (but then why would you, if you thought you understood?). Our advice is always to turn voicemail off before travelling anywhere abroad. One of our members@jonsie now lives in Thailand and he knows everything about avoiding charges whilst there. He uses TuGo to contact family in the UK...and also has a local sim for contacting friends in Thailand. He uses Messenger and Skype (again over WiFi)  That doesn't help you now of course. I wish you all the best with any effort to get things sorted...

[adamtemp64]

As you have unfortunatly found out the shortcodes do not work abroad .

only buy contacting o2 customer services and asking for a good will gesture may you get any recompense .

[gmarkj]

Just had a quick read of the o2 travel guide, and the Ts & Cs and can find no mention of being charged to receive a voicemail message.
In fact, it actually says there is no charge to receive a message if you do not listen to it.

The below is for travel outside of travel destinations, but nowhere else does it mention voicemail.

It only says that MMS, premium messages and non standard texts are not included...

[Cleoriff]

However, the op did not turn voicemail off so did receive calls. In effect whether he listened to them or not is irrelevant surely? He received a call. His phone connected in Thailand and someone left a message... Hence the charge? I know it is confusing but that's how I understand it. Otherwise why are we always advising people to turn voicemail off before they travel?

[MI5]

Doesn't it state "There is no charge for receiving a message if not listened to" in the message above?

[Cleoriff]

The OP had O2 Travel and turned it OFF after 6 days. He then went onto standard rates. (which is what my link shows) So surely in effect he received a call whether he listened to it or not??

[gmarkj]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

However, the op did not turn voicemail off so did receive calls. In effect whether he listened to them or not is irrelevant surely? He received a call. His phone connected in Thailand and someone left a message... Hence the charge? I know it is confusing but that's how I understand it. Otherwise why are we always advising people to turn voicemail off before they travel?

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I suppose it would depend on what you class as receiving a call.

Me personally would be if I answer it.

o2 might mean if your phone rings, in which case the charge for receiving would be correct.

@Toby can we get some clarity as to what is correct?

[Toby]

Hi @gmarkj,

I shall talk to the rest of the team. To clarify, the question you're asking is, "If I receive a call and a message is left, does it class as a call received via O2 Travel?"

Is this exactly right? Are there any other questions you'd like to clarify? Please let me know if so, as I can take them all to the right team.

[Cleoriff]

I just think the key is the OP had O2 travel originally as I said in my last post. He opted out of that after 6 days so in effect went onto the International roaming rates...where he was charged for receiving a call...as his phone connected to voicemail? ....The fact he didn't listen to the call was irrelevant (I think) People called him and left messages on his voicemail....