Prepaid

[hugh]

I am currently travelling in the USA with my prepaid Vodafone mobile. Your information says that prepaid is automatically set up for international roaming with Vodafone Traveller and I checked in my settings and it said that international roaming was active.

When I arrived in the USA I got your welcome text and can send and receive texts to/from Australia. However, whenever I try to make a call it fails and I get a text saying either "You're not allowed to call this number" or "You're not allowed to make or receive any calls while roaming. Please contact your Service Retailer".

I tried to call on 1555 and 0414 141 414 but these calls failed as well.

Any suggestions?

[Kirsty]

Hi hugh,

You're definitely able to roam in the US using your Vodafone prepay mobile. It sounds like you've already done some great troubleshooting (confirming you can sent and receive txt, and that roaming is set up on MyVodafone). I can run you through some more troubleshooting, to help get you roaming properly.

1555 is a short code number, and it's only valid while you're in Australia. 0414 14 14 14 can be called from overseas, but like all Australian numbers, it will need to be in international format for you to call it - +61414141414.

+ is the international exit code - it will route your call out of the US.

61 is Australia's country code - it will route your call into Australia

You follow the + and 61 with the local number, minus the 0 at the start of the mobile number, or area code.

If you wanted to call our store in Hurstville, for example, you would take the local number (02) 9585 8777) and convert it into international format before dialling - you would dial +61295858777.

Are you dialling numbers in their international format? If you have only the local numbers stored in your contacts, you will need to manually dial the international format, or change the entries.

If you are dialling the numbers in international format, and you're still not able to make calls, please post back here, and I will be able to help you further.

Thanks,

Kirsty.

[edit: spelling]

[hugh]

Hi Kirsty,

Thanks for your reply. I have been using the +612 xxxx xxxx and +614 xx xxx xxx forms of the numbers I have been trying to call. I even tried 011614 xx xxx xxx (as 011 is the international dialing prefix here in the USA). I cannot dial any number -- not Australian, not local American, not Vodafone assistance. I can send and receive texts to and from Australia, however.

One of the texts I received from (I presume) AT&T said:  "You're not allowed to make or receive any calls while roaming. Please contact your Service Retailer".

I have recently been in Thailand and Singapore and used roaming without any problems.

Another interesting problem is occuring. I usually recharge my SIM with the 365 day recharge. Before I left for USA I recharged $30 on the $30 prepaid cap. The text I got back (24/2/12) said: $450 flexicredit expiring 25/3/12 and $32.82 365 Day Left Over expiring 28/12/12. Then on 28/2/12 I get a low credit alert and when I check my account on line the $450 hasn't been touched, the $32.82 has gone down to $7.97 and Usage Details shows NO usage! What is being deducted from my balance, why is it being deducted from my 365 Day Left Over instead of my flexicredit, and why does nothing show in Usage details?

This issue (not being permitted to make calls) has been raised once before on this forum, but no solution was found. See:

http://community.vodafone.com.au/t5/Prepaid/International-Roaming-no-calls-allowed/td-p/89033

I would be very grateful if you could help me solve this as I am stuck in USA unable to call or be called by my family.

Thanks, Hugh

[Nick]

Hi Hugh,

Thanks for getting back to us.

---

hugh wrote:

What is being deducted from my balance, why is it being deducted from my 365 Day Left Over instead of my flexicredit, and why does nothing show in Usage details?

When you recharge on the $30 prepaid cap, your remaining 365 prepaid allowance actually rolls over. You will use this credit before you start using your $30 prepaid allowance.

The usage details are provided to use from the carrier you are roaming on. Whilst they may be providing us with the amount of credit you are using, which we use to update your remaining balance, there may be a delay in the actual details of how the credit has been used. Whilst this delay can vary depending on when we receive the information, I would expect it to be updated soon. Does this make sense?

I'd like to have a look in to why you aren't able to make calls, and help get you up and running so you can call your friends and family back home. Are you able to email me some details to help me do this? I will send you a PM with my email address, which you can access by following the link here. Once I have some more information I can look in to the issue, and escalate it if needed.

Thanks,

Nick

[hugh]

Thank you for the explanation of the charges. The paragraph referring to changing to the $30 Cap in the terms and conditions does not mention which credit would be used first (and naively I assumed that the shorter expiry would be used first):

"3(e) If you change from a 365 Day Recharge Product, or a TXT & Talk Recharge Product (Original Recharge Product) to a Flexi Cap Recharge Product before the end of the Credit Expiry Period, unused Flexible Credit from your Original Recharge Product will be rolled over to your Flexi Cap Recharge Product and will have the same Credit Expiry Period as your Original Recharge Product. "

Also, that doesn't explain why I am now getting low credit warnings when I have $450 + $7 credit.

Thank you for the offer of help about not being allowed to make or receive calls in the USA -- I will email you as requested.

Hugh

[Nick]

Hi Hugh,

Basically, the credit you recharged with first, will be used first.

As far as the low credit warning goes, our system is set up to notify you when your recharge is almost run out, not when your actual credit is running low. So the low credit warning would just be letting you know that your 360 day recharge is almost used up. You will then be able to use the $450 credit from your $30 recharge.

I've got your email, and will look in to it for you.

Cheers,

Nick

[jewelsinperth]

so what was the resolution to this problem, as yet again I am suffering the same in the US. able to text, on the $30 cap and getting same message. please post a resolution dont do it via email so that others cant see what to do to fix it.

[jewelsinperth]

please please please can some staff help me.  [personal detail removed]    I have troubleshooted everything and searched this site and my account for hours and nothing. Im so annoyed. Im in a foreign country and only have text ability which is not good enough vodafone grrrrrrrr

[Jess]

Hey jewelsinperth, 

In some cases we do need to take a look into a customers account in order to identify why a specific issue is occurring. 

I have to ask a few questions in order to identify what is happening with your service but due to the nature of the trouble you are experiencing I want to take a look at your account also. In order to take a look at your account I have sent you a Private Message

---

jewelsinperth wrote:

please please please can some staff help me.  [personal detail removed]    I have troubleshooted everything and searched this site and my account for hours and nothing. Im so annoyed. Im in a foreign country and only have text ability which is not good enough vodafone grrrrrrrr

Could you take a look at the following Roaming Rate information just to ensure we have your phone set to the right Provider in the US and if possible test an alternate provider to see if this makes a difference to being able to call. If possible can you please let me know what troubleshooting you have completed? 

I look forward to getting to the bottom of this with you. 

Jess 
 

[Rik]

I'm having the same problem, but mine was working the first couple of days being in the states but after that I haven't been able o make any calls, I have tried using another phone to ring help but what the guy suggested did not work and y mother was scared of the cost of the call to her. I can recieve and sent texts but can't make or recieve any kind of phone call. Can some please help.