Turn off voicemail abroad (while abroad) and changes to service

[article82]

After a very protracted exchange in the chat, it turns out that mysterious charges on my account due to calls made and received on my phone, but not actually by me, were as a result of unknown numbers leaving voicemail. I am currently in Canada. I'm going to keep getting these charges unless I turn off voicemail, but the short number doesn't work from here. Can anyone assist me in turning it off?

Also: has voicemail policy changed? I was previously able to receive voice messages without charge, as long as I didn't listen to them while overseas. Now I am charged (an extortionate amount) just for receiving them -- actually, charged twice: once as an incoming call, and one as outgoing without even listening to them. I don't recall receiving word about this change.

[Cleoriff]

@article82 

When outside of the EU you will always be charged for VM whether you listen to them or not. That's due to your phone receiving a call. I have never heard of a charge being made if you don't return the call however.

Guide: All you need to know about O2 Voicemail 901 

Edited to add: There is some info about VM abroad in the above guide.

[MI5]

You're pretty much gonna have to call O2 to turn off VM when you're abroad @article82 

[article82]

Thanks for this information, @Cleoriff, and for suggesting I need to call O2 directly, @MI5.

I don't seem to have been charged to receive messages in the past, even while in Canada -- but I don't recall any specific voicemail messages, so it's perhaps possible that I just can't find these details in my bills. This time, though, I'm definitely being charged double. Last week I received 3 calls within 10 minutes (the first two within two minutes) and was charged £1.66 twice in each case (as evidenced by one incoming charge while roaming and one outgoing charge while roaming) which amounts to almost £10 on one day for calls that were likely spam. The time stamps from unknown callers in my phone and from the numbers on my bill are off by about 10 minutes or so, too. Curiously I've also been charged 5p for data usage even with data roaming turned off, but that's inconsequential.

In any case, it's clear that I have to contact O2 and have voicemail deactivated until I return to the UK. Thanks again for the help!

[MI5]

@article82 

You are charged twice I'm afraid.

One charge is for the incoming call to you as the phone is roaming and the second charge is because the calll is then diverted back to the UK where the voicemail servers are located.

[article82]

Wow, those are then incredibly high charges (£3.30+) for spam calls that I can't really do anything about. That's very unfortunately. I wonder if this is typical of all carriers or if changing should be considered.

Thanks for this clarification though.

[madasaf1sh]

@article82

This has been the case ever since roaming was enabled back in the 90's , this only now applies if you are outside of the EU.

All networks do this if outside of their roaming plans.