Just a heads up on this guys, I just noticed this recently as I was baffled in the past as to why I was accumulating charges while I am abroad even though I don't normally answer the phone while I'm abroad for obvious reasons.
Anyway after a quick look into this I have realised the following:
1. The i-phone doesn't have a hang up button! (stupid apple!!) what you can do though is press the on/off button on the top right part of the phone and that will insure the call is disconnected and redirected to answer phone.
2. Once you press that button you are in effect starting the following chain of events, you automatically get charged the customary (CHF0.80 for receiving a call abroad) and then you will be charged for the call effectively being redirected to the combox the making a call while abroad for (CHF1.80).
This is so absurd it's unbelievable! If this was in the UK I would be writing a strongly worded letter to the operator with an implied threat of escalating to offcom! This opens the door for abuse and it's totally not acceptable, I mean how can you get charged for not actually answering the call!, how can not answering the call be more expensive than actually answering the call (it doesn't get redirected to the combox you see and you can tell the caller "F-Off I'm abroad!")
I await the call back of the Orange manager who will be at the receiving end of The Love Doctor's WRATH and OUTRAGE!
Not sure if this happens with other operators, but my word of advice is double check, block calls abroad if you don't want to pay these stealth charges or simply answer the phone! It's CHEAPER!
Hasn't this always been the case on all phones and all operators? I.e. unless you put in "automatically redirect", you get charged for the call to the answering machine....
I'm pretty sure this has been standard operating procedure for years, both here and in the UK. At least, it certainly used to be the case in the UK - there was a watchdog program about in the late 90s...
if this is the case then there is seriously something wrong with these operators and they should be stopped from doing this...
I mean it's so stupid, I just need to find an unsuspecting holiday maker and ring them a 100 times and watch their bills stack up, then when you have a thousand people complaining to the operator that's when you get some results!
I guess the most reasonable solution is to deactivate all diverts as I don't want anyone to leave any voice mails, and because I don't check them anyway.
It seems it is the standard practice indeed between the mafia operators and more fool me for being on their network. That will teach me in the future. But that manager is still gonna be made to feel like an insect when he rings!
this problem is called "voice tromboning" and it is well-known problem in the GSMA specifications (specifications on how mobile networks should handle calls, data, etc).
The problem arises as follows:
1) circuit is established to the visited network (i.e. network where you are physically when you are abroad) before you pick up the call
2) if you don't pick up the call, the forwarding number (the number of the voice mail) is used. Then, another circuit is established from visited network back to your home network's voice mail.
(imagining this - it looks like a trombone, hence the name 'tromboning')
This is well-known shortcoming of the specifications, and there is EU directive against it. It says that Mobile Operators are not able to charge for this extra charges: