Missed Calls Services with O2 and Vodafone

monomer

Over the past few months I've noticed that both O2 and Vodafone have introduced a service to alert mobile users of missed calls when their phones are off, or out of service coverage.

These services are not the same, and there's a sting in the tail for callers to O2 users with their service active.


Vodafone

Vodafone's offering is called 'Call Catcher'

Vodafone Call Catcher will make a note of the caller's number - even if your mobile is switched off - and will send you a text message as soon as you're available again. It can store details of up to 12 callers for 72 hours.

Source: http://www.vodafone.co.uk/callcatcher

This service is free and was automatically activated on all vodafones, with the option to turn it off. When it was first introduced was supposed to work whether you had voicemail activated or not, but it didn't do it properly and was only working with voicemail turned off.

From what I could tell, the caller is not charged for the call when the recipient cannot answer.

This service also doesn't work whilst using your phone abroad.


O2

In contrast, O2's Call Alert service sounds a bit more complicated. They state right off that it's not compatible with their voicemail service, and that some callers actually get charged for phoning an O2 user with this activated! The callers that don't get charged are the ones that withhold their numbers.

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).

Source: http://www.o2.co.uk/productsservices/O2CallAlert/0,,120,00.html

Luckily, you have to opt in to this service if you want to use it.

It's not really clear whether anything special needs to be done to use the service whilst abroad and not get charged for incoming calls when your phone is off. From the webpage, it doesn't sound like you need to do anything apart from have the service active. Does anyone know?


Other networks

I understand that Orange have had a service similar to Vodafone's Call Catcher for some time already.

It's worth noting that both Vodafone and O2 have a 1471 service that will be able to report who called last. Vodafone also have a network code *#147# which will return the last caller via a network message that's free (even when abroad).


Anyway these are just things to be aware of in case you're asked about it, say, in a polite dinner conversation. If you anyone has any experience of using the O2 Calls Alert service abroad, let us know!