@CalgaryBen wrote:
@stonechucker wrote:@CalgaryBen, I see what you're saying, but wondering how quick the update of the count on the overview page is applied. Honestly, as I'm not on a metered plan other than add-on LD, I have no clue what happens.
@stonechucker: the Overview page in the Self-Serve portal is actually very reliable and updated practically in real-time! The Usage History page, on the other hand, can have some latencies in updating (not huge, in my experience -- maybe 10-15 min for voice/SMS? It's greater for data, presumably because the calculator relies on some defined dwell/silent time).
To mitigate latency effects, I actually made the 2 phone calls (going to VM) before I left my house this morning, and then logged into the account to capture details when I got to work (about 45 min later). Plus, I have a call to VM in the history from yesterday, just further rule out any latency effects...
@stonechucker the count is immediate, so there is no need to be concerned about delayed updates... I tested that too (as did @CalgaryBen)... 🙂
@CalgaryBen wrote:
@won27 wrote:I am on the $10 50min plan. Each time someone call and if i am busy or did up pickup, call will be forwarded to the voice mail. Each call forward will also cost 1 minute from the 50min regardless of the caller leaving a message.
Calls going to VM should not consume your minutes, and I conducted a test to confirm this.
My son is on this $10 50/50 plan, and his plan just renewed, so he has used 0/50 minutes. Both yesterday, as well as this morning, I made calls to his number, and all 3 of these went to VM. These are the 0:09 calls:
3 calls went to VM
As you know, if these actually consumed minutes, they would be rounded up to the nearest minute, and we should see 3 minutes consumed. However, after making the calls to VM, he still has 50 minutes available:
No minutes consumed from callers going to VM
Is that inconsistent with your experience/observations?
This is exactly my observation. But the records in the transaction history is what I believe contributes to some thinking they are being charged minutes for those calls.
And the count is immediate, so there is no need to be concerned about delayed updates... I tested that too (as you did)... 🙂
@Anonymous wrote:
@srlawren wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Hey @srlawren - the original announcement was updated at some point to clarify/specify that forwarding and voicemail (leaving or getting) all count towards minutes 😞
Officially
@Anonymous was it you that was saying you're on this plan and that calls forwarded to your voicemail absolutely didn't count toward your 50?
I'm on this plan and that has been my experience. @pm-smayer97 has also talked about it at length.
But I'm aware of official policy.
Yes, I am the one that documented this extensively here in the forum (can't recall which thread). The policy wording is incorrect and misleading...
In summary, the only time minutes are used regarding voicemail is when a customer calls from their cell phone to retrieve messages. Any other means of access (landline, another cell) or anyone leaving messages does not use up minutes, even though they show up on the transaction history.
The only exception is if someone uses the true call-forwarding feature and directs calls to their voicemail. This has to be very deliberate, but there should never been a need to do this. Better way: if available use 'do not disturb' feature, turn off the phone or ringer, press off when call comes in, or simply do not answer the call.
And again to clarify, 'call-forwarding' is a very special feature and is not the same as a call "going to voicemail" because you did not answer the call, even though users tend to call this a call being "forwarded" to voicemail.
@srlawren wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Hey @srlawren - the original announcement was updated at some point to clarify/specify that forwarding and voicemail (leaving or getting) all count towards minutes 😞
@Anonymous are you sure? this is so confusing, I kept telling people that and people kept correcting me saying they had this plan and they were absolutely not being charged for calls that were forwarded to their voicemail. I wish I could remember who said this...maybe @Anonymous?
@srlawren, to jog your memory, jump to this post/thread. 
However, in Brooke_C's original post, there's mention that "Update as of June 19, 2018: This post has been updated to provide additional clarity that leaving a voicemail message uses minutes."
I'm guessing that blurb is just a "CYA" (cover your -- um, accountabilities) statement due to some inconsistent observations/experiences. In practice, it doesn't seem to be the case.
@stonechucker wrote:@CalgaryBen, I see what you're saying, but wondering how quick the update of the count on the overview page is applied. Honestly, as I'm not on a metered plan other than add-on LD, I have no clue what happens.
@stonechucker: the Overview page in the Self-Serve portal is actually very reliable and updated practically in real-time! The Usage History page, on the other hand, can have some latencies in updating (not huge, in my experience -- maybe 10-15 min for voice/SMS? It's greater for data, presumably because the calculator relies on some defined dwell/silent time).
To mitigate latency effects, I actually made the 2 phone calls (going to VM) before I left my house this morning, and then logged into the account to capture details when I got to work (about 45 min later). Plus, I have a call to VM in the history from yesterday, just further rule out any latency effects...
@won27 wrote:I am on the $10 50min plan. Each time someone call and if i am busy or did up pickup, call will be forwarded to the voice mail. Each call forward will also cost 1 minute from the 50min regardless of the caller leaving a message.
Calls going to VM should not consume your minutes, and I conducted a test to confirm this.
My son is on this $10 50/50 plan, and his plan just renewed, so he has used 0/50 minutes. Both yesterday, as well as this morning, I made calls to his number, and all 3 of these went to VM. These are the 0:09 calls:
As you know, if these actually consumed minutes, they would be rounded up to the nearest minute, and we should see 3 minutes consumed. However, after making the calls to VM, he still has 50 minutes available:
Is that inconsistent with your experience/observations?
@srlawren wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Hey @srlawren - the original announcement was updated at some point to clarify/specify that forwarding and voicemail (leaving or getting) all count towards minutes 😞
Officially
@Anonymous was it you that was saying you're on this plan and that calls forwarded to your voicemail absolutely didn't count toward your 50?
I'm on this plan and that has been my experience. @pm-smayer97 has also talked about it at length.
But I'm aware of official policy.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Hey @srlawren - the original announcement was updated at some point to clarify/specify that forwarding and voicemail (leaving or getting) all count towards minutes 😞
Officially
@Anonymous was it you that was saying you're on this plan and that calls forwarded to your voicemail absolutely didn't count toward your 50?
@Anonymous wrote:Hey @srlawren - the original announcement was updated at some point to clarify/specify that forwarding and voicemail (leaving or getting) all count towards minutes 😞
Officially
