I know the issue about checking voice mail and using peak minutes has been discussed before, so forgive me if this has been addressed.

I went over my minutes by a rather hefty amount this month. I am using a minute counter and it was almost 200 minutes less than what Verizon said I used. While trying to determine why this happened, I found the following:

1. Several calls not in my call history. There were other calls on those days, but some calls were just not there. Some looong calls... My history is set to 63 days and 999 calls, so it was not truncating, just missing. They are to numbers I would call, so I do not believe it was an error other than an error in my call history.

2. Once I went over my peak allotment, I was charged for checking my voice mail. I call my own number and was charged. I was under the impression that calling my own number would fall into the M2M bucket or free bucket.

I know when I first got my phone, the discussion was did *86 count as peak and I thought it did back then but later on Verizon stopped charging for that too. The person I spoke with said both *86 and calling your own number are considered peak minutes, period. Obviously calling from a land line to check voice mail is not charged.

*611 calls are not on the bill at all. Since they are free I see why, just interesting that they are not accounted for in the call detail.

Soooo.... ouch on the bill and I will pad the minutes counter in the future.

Any thoughts on the problem with the call history?

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My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing

Did you have many resets ?

If you make a few calls and then do a hard reset, when you rebuild the data bases, then the call history will be the same as the one you last backed up.
You'll be missing all the calls you made since the last backup file was generated.

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy

In addition a call won't get logged to the call history if there was a soft reset during or at the end of the call.
mg

When folks suggested that dialing your own number would count towards M2M minutes I was pretty psyched, but quickly found out that they don't.

But, a good reason to change from the *86 anyway is that *86 won't always work when roaming out of state (not really sure if it works at all).

Just got my bill, so when I saw your post, I flipped it open.

You all know that Mobile to Mobile is now called IN-Network calling now, right?

Anyway - I have my phone set to call my moibile number to check voice mail messages and here is an interesting tid-bit of information:

The lines all read similar to this:

Called Phone Number (my mobile #), Call Destination (Voice Mail), Minutes (4), Usage Type (RMA) or (RMW) Home Airtime Charges (Included)

Ledgend for RMA, RMW:

R = Voice Mail Retrieval
M = Mobile to Mobile
A = Price Plan Allowance
W = Wknd/Nght Feature Mins

Sooo.... if I am reading this right, you should not be charged for checking your voice mail if you called your mobile number and were under your M to M minutes.

-Patrick

I think you solved the problem MGuzzy, I do sometimes have a soft reset during a call. I continue the call and move on.

No hard resets. Obviously if I remove the call history and restore an older version some would be gone. But thanks for the suggestion

pkaine, my calls were not flagged as "M" and were charged as peak minutes. I thought they shouldn't be billed but per the rep I spoke with (I know one of many) and unfortunately my bill, they were.

__________________
My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing

I believe it is the third letter (A or W) that is significant in the billing, not the second (M). On my January bill I also had the RMA and RMW when retrieving my messages.

A means you're using peak minutes.
W means you're using weekend/night minutes.

However, on my February bill these same calls are showing up as RMN.

N means you're using mobile to mobile minutes.

A change in their policy or a billing error???? Only time will tell.

I wish I could have "solved the problem" instead a clearer discription of then issue is what you really got.
On a related note I too use minute counter to track my time, its an invaluable tool. But I'll also compare it occasionally with VZW's estimate of my usage by dialing #646 (or #MIN for minutes, get it, darn clever of them, aye?). If you don't want a text message sent to you as well dial *611, option 1, option 2, zip code. I hate getting uneccesary text messages so I have this one setup in my speed dial list to put in options and my area code. My Speed dial entry reads:
"*611,,12zzzzz"
where the "z"s are the zip code, and the comas are pauses.
mg

Hmm, I've been seeing interesting things with Verizon lately, too...

When I go to the verizon web page to check my minutes (#646 doesn't work; tech support says it is probably because my phone is an Alltel phone and needs a firmware update) it isn't logging my M2M minutes at all. When I call them they confirm that I have the free M2M (or IN, whatever they're calling it).

My minute counter doesn't match Verizon's at all, either. I was chalking it mostly up to the M2M logging problem - but I do know I've had to do soft resets when my phone hangs during a call - usually when I'm downloading email. Thanks for the heads-up; I have three more days in my billing cycle, and I'm cutting it pretty close on my minutes...

-Karyl

What I decided to do was pad each call with a few seconds and also if I have a call with a soft reset, add some minuts to the month.

Not much the program can do when the call history is wrong

__________________
My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing

Just noticed this on the Verizon website under billing notes:

Voice Mail Retrieval Charges
In order to standardize charges for Voice Mail retrieval across the country, beginning with your April 2004
billing statement, accessing your Voice Mailbox from your wireless phone by dialing *86 SEND or by dialing
your wireless phone number will be deducted from your general airtime allowance minutes or your
night/weekend allowance minutes depending upon the time that your call is placed. IN-Network/Mobile to
Mobile minutes do not apply to Voice Mail retrievals. Voice Mail access exceeding your airtime allowance
minutes will be billed at the airtime rates specified in your wireless service agreement. Depending upon your
price plan, toll and/or long distance may also be charged when you access your Voice Mailbox. Accessing
your Voice Mailbox from a landline phone will not incur airtime charges.

__________________
My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing

I knew when I didn't get charged last month it was too good to be true.

We knew it was too good to last...

Maybe they are reading this board! (we could only be so lucky)

-Patrick

But this says the change begins in APRIL 2004 - Did the billing programmers jump the gun by a few months???

No, but it was very inconsistent, depending on which part of the country you were in and frankly I think sometimes which phase of the moon....

__________________
My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing

But this says the change begins in APRIL 2004 - Did the billing programmers jump the gun by a few months???

FrankH, um...I responded to your first post, are you just testing me??

__________________
My sordid past:

Kyocera 6035, Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700, iPAQ 6315, iPAQ hx4705, Motorola a630, BB 7100t, iPAQ rx3115, JAM 850, BB 8700g, Samsung i320 (just for fun), imate KJAM, TMO SDA, MDA, TMO Wing