Setting up call divert before roaming overseas

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Setting up call divert before roaming overseas

phrozenpenguin

868 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 90

#159831 14-Dec-2014 11:28

I have a 2 Degrees Pay Monthly plan and am going to be overseas for a while. I am looking to avoid large roaming charges.

Two Degrees Website details how voicemail works overseas - namely you will be charged if anyone leaves a message, even before you check it. As I am also unaware of any voicemail-to-email services from 2 Degrees I am wanting an alternative option.

Would it work if I divert all calls from my mobile to another number e.g. a 2talk VoIP number. Then if someone calls me on my mobile, they end up either getting through to me (via 2talk voip) or they get 2talk voicemail (which can email me the file).

Any thoughts or is there a better way to do this? I tried this before in a hurry and it failed; but I think they key is to divert "all calls" - as hopefully 2Degrees don't interfere with that when roaming, like they do with the standard voicemail diversion.

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1461
Inactive user

#1197192 14-Dec-2014 11:38

You'll pay for all diverted calls, so if someone pocket dials you, it may get very expensive.

It sounds like you're really not going to be using your phone at all. Why not just swap to a local sim over there and access your 2degrees voicemail periodically from that.

BlakJak

1330 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 735

Trusted

#1197206 14-Dec-2014 12:24

Im still amazed at the idea of getting charged when some leaves you voice mail. Wow.

No signature to see here, move along...

phrozenpenguin

868 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 90

#1197217 14-Dec-2014 12:41

In terms of paying for all diverted calls - you mean from my inclusive minutes? Or a roaming charge?
I will be using my phone for iMessage a lot and it would be good to have the option to take calls.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1197218 14-Dec-2014 12:44

BlakJak: Im still amazed at the idea of getting charged when some leaves you voice mail. Wow.

It's because of the way the call is routed - Vodafone only moved away from this a couple of years ago, and didn't actually support voicemail on most foreign networks unless your phone was turned off.

toejam316

1516 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 888

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1197222 14-Dec-2014 13:06

I think depending on how many minutes you have, you might be best off to buy a data sim overseas, set up a 2talk number on your phone, and then leave your SIM in the country redirecting all your calls to your 2talk number.

Or just change your voice-mail to say "Please call me on 2talknumber if response is needed urgently - otherwise I could take up to x weeks to respond. Cheers."

Join Quic Broadband with my referral - no sign up fee and gives me account credit

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

SaltyNZ

8864 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9539

Trusted

2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#1197225 14-Dec-2014 13:21

sbiddle:
BlakJak: Im still amazed at the idea of getting charged when some leaves you voice mail. Wow.

It's because of the way the call is routed - Vodafone only moved away from this a couple of years ago, and didn't actually support voicemail on most foreign networks unless your phone was turned off.

It's a fundamental issue with the GSM standard. To work around it requires installation of equipment which includes signalling changes we don't really like to make, because they add no value except for this one specific instance, but they introduce another point of failure.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

kiwiharry

1064 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 476

ID Verified

Subscriber

#1197289 14-Dec-2014 16:53

Hi.

I did a similar setup last year when I went to the USA for 4 months.

I diverted all calls to my mobile to a 2Talk Voip number and then diverted that VOIP number to a USA cellular number.

Worked a treat especially as you can set what time of the day the 2Talk diversion is active, so prevents calls in the middle of the night depending on your timezone.

If you can't laugh at yourself then you probably shouldn't laugh at others.

phrozenpenguin

868 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 90

#1197317 14-Dec-2014 17:34

kiwiharry: Hi.

I did a similar setup last year when I went to the USA for 4 months.

I diverted all calls to my mobile to a 2Talk Voip number and then diverted that VOIP number to a USA cellular number.

Worked a treat especially as you can set what time of the day the 2Talk diversion is active, so prevents calls in the middle of the night depending on your timezone.

Thanks thats great - just what I wanted to hear :-) Think I will give it a try.
I will have a local SIM as well, for those that were commenting.

kiwiharry

1064 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 476

ID Verified

Subscriber

#1197323 14-Dec-2014 17:46

You are right. The key is to divert all calls to the VOIP number.

Also if you can, review your pay monthly plan. Before I left I changed mine to a lower cost open term plan that still included over 250 calling minutes per month. That was more than enough for me for the incoming call diversion.

If you can't laugh at yourself then you probably shouldn't laugh at others.

bazzer

3438 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 267

Trusted

#1197748 15-Dec-2014 13:50

Yes, as above, I also do this. I get heaps of minutes that I don't use (and they carry over) so I am not worried about the "cost" of the diverted minutes.