> When you reach that recording, is that call chargeable?
> Of course not.
>> I called a few times using my Calling Card but couldn't reach him
>> and I was billed for the calls.
> I suspect your calling card was charging you for any call over N
> seconds rather than checking for supervision. I make test calls from
> my landline to my cell numbers in Luxembourg and Switzerland from time
> to time, hanging up once my phone starts ringing, and I don't ever
> recall being charged unless I answered.
> R's,
> John
I know > >> If you call a cellphone (without voicemail) and it doesn't answer,
> after a few rings an intercept recording will come on and tell you the
>> party is not available and terminate the call.
>> When you reach that recording, is that call chargeable? I don't think
>> it should be since it was unanswered, but my experience is that one
>> does get charged.
> In general, it's not chargeable. However, some systems get "confused"
> (intentionally misbill, since the consumer probably won't notice, and
> the company need only refund the amount of the overcharge, so there is > little risk.)
> (TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: However, considering that a cell phone
> is normally always within its owner's reach (a holster fastened to
> your trousers, in your purse, in a holder near the driver of an
> automobile, etc) it would seem very odd that it had to ring more than
> three or four times, at best, unanswered. PAT]
I have friends that have not c> snipped-for-privacy@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> If you call a cellphone (without voicemail) and it doesn't answer,
>> after a few rings an intercept recording will come on and tell you
>> the party is not available and terminate the call.
>> When you reach that recording, is that call chargeable? I don't
>> think it should be since it was unanswered, but my experience is
>> that one does get charged.
>> A few years ago I was meeting a friend at a convention, and I was
>> to call his cell phone from a pay phone upon my arrival. His cell
>> phone number was long distance from that point. I called a few
>> times using my Calling Card but couldn't reach him and I was billed
>> for the calls. I complained and they took it off.
>> Now I realize most people today have such low per-call fees (ie 10c)
>> so this isn't an issue, but there are times from a pay phone, long
>> distance, or peak period cell phone roaming where the per-call
>> charge is indeed significant, even as much as a dollar or more per >> minute.
> And using a calling card from a payphone can be significant these
> days since the payphone owner can now "legally" extort huge charges
> from the long distance carrier or card provider, who will then extort
> those surcharges from us.
>> It doesn't seem to fair to charge for unanswered calls. I don't
>> know if traditional supervision (call answered) signals are passed
>> back from cell phone switches.
> Answer supervision is indeed passed back from cellular service
> switches. But remember that these days (and even in times past as
> well), standardization is not perfect. And it isn't always consistant
> as to which cellular providers will supervise back your calls to
> such messages. It can vary from switch to switch within the same
> cellular provider as to whether you are charged or not for reaching
> such a "subscriber not available" (vacant) message.
> Even with traditional landline providers, sometimes you can find a
> charge condition on reaching intercepts (which are really the digit
> by digit quote back systems), and "vacant condition" recordings. And
> as I said, there were times this happened even in years past, back
> when the telephone industry in the US was still mostly managed by > AT&T and Bell.
> If you are concerned, make a note of such calls, and check to see
> if they were indeed billed when the bill arrives. And then complain
> to your long distance company or card provider to get a credit.
I know that when I first got mine, if you let it ring more then 3 rings Pacific Telephone Cellular (later AirTouch) would charge you as it would if you let a busy tone go too long. I remember calling one of our switchroom numbers which was set for no supervision and getting charged for the call as well as a couple of times being dropped off since the originating switch was looking for supervision and when it got none it would timeout, that was before SS7 and when there was still a "C" lead in the switch.
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