topic Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile in Contracts & Billing

customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:25:17 GMT

I can not resolve charges on my account because EE customer service leave a voice mail even when the phone is available and not in use. The message just says they will contact me if they need to, or I have to start another enquiry, which I have done with the same result. EE seem to have blocked all ways of talking to someone.

Has anyone else suffered this?

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Katie_B — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:49:50 GMT

Hello @Dennish.

Welcome to the community.

Are you in an area with weak signal?

Can you receive other calls OK?

Katie

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 16:38:52 GMT

I have 2 bars and receive other calls Ok, including the message that they have just left a voicemail.

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Katie_B — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 07:41:57 GMT

Thanks for getting back to me @Dennish.

Are you indoors when this happens?

Usually if it goes straight to voicemail for the agent this means the person they are contacting are either on a call, phone turned off or in an area with weak signal.

Are you able to give us another call? if yes, when calling select option 2 this will take you to the automated system and allow you wait in the queue for an agent.

Katie

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

bristolian — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:06:52 GMT

Except in one very specific circumstance which is unlikely to apply here, a voicemail is the result of an incoming call failing due to poor coverage, phone switched off or lack of call waiting.

Were you on another call when this call was received, and do you have call waiting activated?

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:29:00 GMT

No, I was not on another call, and I do not have call waiting activated.

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:14:05 GMT

I waited to speak to an agent in Falkirk. He said EE was not able to tell me why I incurred extra charges.: he could only read me a list of possible reasons including iPhone which I do not have, an EE know I do not have. He said that if I did not want to incur extra charges I must set the cap to zero. This is not a satisfactory solution in case I am willing to incur extra charges, if I know what is is for.

I need to know specifically what triggered the extra charge. If it was a text message being converted to a picture message, I need to know how I prevent this conversion.

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Katie_B — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:56:23 GMT

Thanks for coming back and letting us know @Dennish.

Please could you provide us with some information as to how the charges appear on your bill?

How much are the out of allowance charges?

Speak soon,

Katie

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:42:25 GMT

After the conversation with a man in Falkirk, I did some digging and found out that it was when I was setting up the "emergency location service" which is available on Android devices: I was not expecting this to trigger any extra charges. It seems that Android will send information to my emergency contact which can include photos and location: if the location changes, it sends the information again, and it seems it did this 4 times before I turned it off. I would have expected this to be included in my data allowance, especially as it is an emergency facility. If I use WhatsApp to share my What3Words location and a photo, I believe this is included in my data allowance.

What do you think?

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Katie_B — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:49:09 GMT

Hi @Dennish.

That's right, WhatsApp uses your mobile data.

Katie

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:37:25 GMT

So why doesn't the Anroid function use mobile data?

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Christopher_G — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:52:26 GMT

It depends on how the message is sent, @Dennish. I believe that function you mentioned sends the information via MMS, which isn't covered in your plan.

Chris

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

bristolian — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:10:12 GMT

Part of the setup for the Android ELS facility includes a prompt for permissions to use the messages & phone functions on your phone. That's a strong indication of it sending messages, and if that message includes additional content (contact details or location info) there's a good chance of it being converted from SMS > MMS. That is an Android system function independent of the MNO (network operator).

There's some further info on https://support.google.com/android/answer/3467281?hl=en-GB & https://www.android.com/intl/en_uk/safety/emergency-help/emergency-location-service/

Re: customer service leaving a voice message instead of ringing mobile

Dennish — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:18:39 GMT

Thanks for the info'. It was not obvious to me that MMS was not included in my plan, and it is also not obvious to me that enabling the "emergency location service" in Android would convert from SMS to MMS. It also seems exhorbitant that EE charge 83p for each conversion. I guess the Anroid emergency location service should come with a financial health warning!