O2 Callalert costs your friends money .

wsjmk04 · 25 October 2005 at 7:19PM

:mad: It seems O2 have introduced a new "service" whereby they will forward your number by text message to the person you have just called if they do not answer . As they will have this number in their missed calls list anyway it seems pointless , unless of course you can take 5p for a text message from the gullible . It is possible to turn this service off by dialling 1760 from your mobile , this will save your caller being charged but doesn' t help you much .
HOWEVER !! if we all do it ? :rotfl:

matrix999 · 25 October 2005 at 8:35PM

O2CallAlert

O2CallAlert is a simple easy to use alternative to Voicemail 901 giving you missed call information free of charge. If you're on another call, your mobile's switched off, you're out of coverage or you just don't get to it in time, Call Alert will tell you your caller's number and the last time they called so you can call them back.

If you miss a call, callers will hear a message telling them that their number will be sent to you via text message to let you know they called. If callers withhold their number you won't be sent a text and they'll be told to call again later.

If you miss more than one call, Call Alert will send you details of up to four callers with the date and time of their last call to your mobile.

How do I switch on Call Alert?
You can switch on O2CallAlert at any time by calling 1710 free from your mobile.
And if you want to switch if off, just call 1760 free.
Note: If you are a current Voicemail 901 user and you dial 1710, you will replace Voicemail 901 with O2CallAlert. You will need to dial 1750 to switch Voicemail 901 back on again or 1760 to switch it off.

FAQs

How do I get started?
Dial 1710 free from your mobile to switch O2CallAlert on.

How do I switch O2CallAlert off?
Dial 1760 free from your mobile to switch O2CallAlert off.

How much does it cost?
O2CallAlert users pay nothing to receive the SMS either in the UK or whilst abroad. Callers to an O2CallAlert user will be charged as per their standard tariff rate for a mobile terminated call, unless their number is withheld (when they will not be charged for the call).

What about when I'm abroad?
If you're abroad you will not be charged for the incoming call, nor will you be charged for receiving the text message.

Note, whilst abroad callers will not hear the standard O2CallAlert announcement advising them that their number will be sent to you via text. Instead they'll hear the relevant network response from the foreign network.

Who can use it?
All O2 users who do not use Voicemail 901 can use O2CallAlert. You may either use O2CallAlert or Voicemail 901 but not both at the same time.

What if I have no credit on my phone?
Prepay users will receive the O2CallAlert text message even if they have no credit both in the UK and abroad

DonnyDave · 25 October 2005 at 11:33PM

matrix999 wrote:

How much does it cost?
[...] Callers to an O2CallAlert user will be charged as per their standard tariff rate for a mobile terminated call, unless their number is withheld (when they will not be charged for the call).

So the answer is to withhold your number when ringing an O2 mobile.

Heinz · 26 October 2005 at 2:29PM

Am I reading this right?

If I dial a mobile number from my landline and that mobile number happens to be on the 02 network (how would I know now that porting is common?) on which this 'service' is active, I would be charged for the call if it was enaged or otherwise unavailable unless I dial 141 each time?

DonnyDave · 26 October 2005 at 2:39PM

Heinz wrote:

Am I reading this right?

If I dial a mobile number from my landline and that mobile number happens to be on the 02 network (how would I know now that porting is common?) on which this 'service' is active, I would be charged for the call if it was enaged or otherwise unavailable unless I dial 141 each time?

Yes, but it's only like getting voicemail when you don't want it. You can see why mobile networks aren't keen to allow PAYG users to use call waiting, when they can get upto these sorts of tricks rather than give the busy tone.

What's more, it may be that the person you're calling just happens to be out of range at that particular moment in time. Perhaps their phone is in their pocket and they happen to be stood in a dead spot; that's more ££ for the network in question.

2ax · 26 October 2005 at 3:54PM

I don't see that dialling 141 will make any difference.

When mobiles first came out, there was objection to people being charged for a call that was not connected. If you are connected to an answerphone you will be charged of course, unless you're on Orange and hang up in 3 seconds.

Orange introduced a text message alert, that someone called while your phone was off but didn't leave a voice message, quite some time ago. I've never been charged for these.

This appears to be the same, except that the introduction of the automatic message to the caller that a text will be forwarded may have enabled the network to make a dummy answer, like an answerphone, and charge for it. I would assume they meant that this terminated call was the chargeable item, but it must be said that the wording that matrix999 has found in the T&C is ambiguous

Callers to an O2CallAlert user will be charged as per their standard tariff rate for a mobile terminated call, unless their number is withheld (when they will not be charged for the call).

I don't see how the number withheld or not affects what my network decides to charge me for the call to the O2 phone, or how this wording implies that the charge is applied by O2 to the other phone, but I don't have technical knowledge of how termination and charges are signalled. But I have to pay my network for any other calls I make with a withheld number ...

Perhaps the networks should agree to forward these text alerts, without announcement or other notice to the caller, and therefore without any charge for an unconnected call, just like it's been for years

DonnyDave · 26 October 2005 at 4:00PM

2ax wrote:

I don't see how the number withheld or not affects what my network decides to charge me for the call to the O2 phone, or how this wording implies that the charge is applied by O2 to the other phone, but I don't have technical knowledge of how termination and charges are signalled. But I have to pay my network for any other calls I make with a withheld number ...

I think the idea is that if it's a withheld number then O2 won't send them a message (because there's no number to give), hence you get the normal message telling you "the person you are calling is not available."

2ax · 26 October 2005 at 4:24PM

I expect you are right - I wasn't thinking clearly enough about that part.

I still think they could forward the message without notice.

Browntoa · 26 October 2005 at 4:36PM

thanks for the post about how to turn it off, it was driving me up the wall !!!!!!

--Tony-- · 26 October 2005 at 4:44PM

wsjmk04 wrote:

As they will have this number in their missed calls list anyway it seems pointless

It won't be in your missed call list as its for when your already in a call, out of range or phone turned off.

GeoThermal · 26 October 2005 at 8:54PM

Thanks for that. I can't see the point of this service at all seeing as the phone registers the missed call anyway.

O2 Callalert costs your friends money .

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