Help Google Voice/Verizon Issue

[AGWednesday]

I've experienced two problems with Google Voice that are causing me to get charged minutes I wouldn't usually get charged. If I can't solve them, I'll have to go back to using my Verizon number.

First, let me say that I'm using a new Google Voice number that isn't Verizon cell phone number or any other preexisting number. Second, my girlfriend is on my family plan, but she doesn't have GV yet. We're using the 700-minute plan, so we don't have a friends circle.

Problem 1: When I call my girlfriend's Verizon wireless phone using the GV on my Verizon phone, I get charged, and when she calls my GV number on my Verizon Wireless phone from her Verizon wireless phone, she gets charged. We don't cash in on our free in-network calling. I know, this should have been obvious, but it just never occurred to me until after I looked at the bill.

I'd be able to work with that, though, and just select "Call without using Google Voice" or whatever when calling her if it weren't for the second problem. When people call my Google Voice number, I get charged when I don't answer. Usually, it's just a one-minute charge, but sometimes it's two or three minutes (don't know why). With anything less than an unlimited plan, minutes count. Not good.

Can anyone else verify this is an issue before I call Verizon and try to work with them on a solution that doesn't include me giving up on GV altogether?

 

[tkim6599]

We're using the 700-minute plan, so we don't have a friends circle.

If you can't make your GV number a 'friend or family' then minutes get charged.

 

[EagleBoy]

You need to make your Google Voice number be in your 'friends and family'. Then, VERY IMPORTANT, you need to tell Google Voice to -NOT- deliver the caller ID of the person calling... instead, deliver your GV number in Caller ID. In other words, Verizon needs to see the incoming call as coming from your GV number in order for the F&F thing to work. If it delivers the caller ID of the person who called your GV number, then Verizon will charge for that call.

Hope that helps.

 

[MrTissues]

Does anyone know why he is being charged minutes each time someone calls him? Is it because they have to connect to Google Voice to leave a voicemail?

I only have 450 minutes so I don't get the F&F options.

 

[AGWednesday]

Thanks, tkim and EagleBoy. That makes sense. I'll have to weigh whether or not adding the minutes and the extra charge is worth it.

As MrTissues said, I still have the second problem. I'm being charged when people call my GV number, even if I don't pick up. It's only a minute or two each time, but if someone calls me three, four, or five times when trying to reach me (and some have), it starts to put a serious dent in my plan.

 

[necosino]

AG, you will notice (in time) that if someone doesn't leave a voicemail,sometimes you'll get one anyway where you hear the "To connect, press 1, to send to voicemail, press 2" due to the other person hanging up, but GV still holding the line for you to choose an option. When this happens, you are still being rung up minutes.

 

[AGWednesday]

AG, you will notice (in time) that if someone doesn't leave a voicemail,sometimes you'll get one anyway where you hear the "To connect, press 1, to send to voicemail, press 2" due to the other person hanging up, but GV still holding the line for you to choose an option. When this happens, you are still being rung up minutes.

So, basically, GV will run up my minutes, even when I don't use the phone.

That's a deal breaker. Can anyone else verify??

 

[lmbgm]

I think I am being charged 1min everytime there is a missed call to my verizon number and someone is forwarded to my GV voicemail

 

[AGWednesday]

Yeah, that's definitely not good. I guess that if I boosted my plan to 1400 minutes, that wouldn't really be a problem, but then I'm paying a sizable monthly fee for the benefit of GV. I just don't think it's worth it.

 

[MrTissues]

I don't understand why Google Voice would be eating 1 minute at a time with missed calls? It doesn't make sense.

 

[necosino]

Someone calls into your GV #, it routes to your VERIZON number (GV is not an actual phone service provider). Since your GV number is not a verizon number, you are billed for that 1 minute. It doesn't register the same as if someone called and it was forwarded to your verizon voicemail.

Additional minutes may be billed if, like I said earlier, it starts recording the "press 1 to accept, yadda yadda"

 

[iowabowtech]

Bottom line:

If you don't have a plan with friends and family, you are screwed. I still use GV as a voicemail service because I don't miss enough calls to add up to disaster. Hardly ever use half of my 700 minutes due to almost all my calls being inside the Verizon network.

 

[necosino]

Bottom line:

If you don't have a plan with friends and family, you are screwed. I still use GV as a voicemail service because I don't miss enough calls to add up to disaster. Hardly ever use half of my 700 minutes due to almost all my calls being inside the Verizon network.

Ditto.

 

[AGWednesday]

Someone calls into your GV #, it routes to your VERIZON number (GV is not an actual phone service provider). Since your GV number is not a verizon number, you are billed for that 1 minute. It doesn't register the same as if someone called and it was forwarded to your verizon voicemail.

Additional minutes may be billed if, like I said earlier, it starts recording the "press 1 to accept, yadda yadda"

Gotta say, that doesn't make sense. The "Press 1 to accept..." would simply come in as a voicemail, and I shouldn't be charged when my Verizon voicemail is activated.

 

[narf]

You need to make your Google Voice number be in your 'friends and family'. Then, VERY IMPORTANT, you need to tell Google Voice to -NOT- deliver the caller ID of the person calling... instead, deliver your GV number in Caller ID. In other words, Verizon needs to see the incoming call as coming from your GV number in order for the F&F thing to work. If it delivers the caller ID of the person who called your GV number, then Verizon will charge for that call.

Hope that helps.

Is this true if you are only using GV for voicemail and you are using your existing cellphone number? Do you still need to turn off caller ID? I like being able to scroll through my GV voicemail inbox and see who left each message. Thanks!

 

[tcbj]

Any calls using google voice are charged using your minutes. This has been confirmed on other forums.

Calls that are fowarded to your google voicemail are charged minutes when they are forwarded.

Calls forwarded to your verizon voice mail are not charged.

Calls to Check your Verizon voicemail and/or your google voice voicemail are charged against your minutes.

(Calls to check your verizon voicemail have always always always been charged to your minutes. Its not an "in" call)

As far as how F+F work into it. Doesnt google voice use a different system. I havent tried in a while, but isnt it like the number coming in is set up with a 403 area code, or something like that?

I like the voicemail part of google voice, however I dont use the number for calls. Cheapest voicemail transcription service available (free).

 

[AGWednesday]

Calls that are fowarded to your google voicemail are charged minutes when they are forwarded.

The rest of your points make sense. They're not part of my problem.

This one is the one that didn't make sense to me. I guess the phone app forwards the call back to GV, which is why I get charged.

That sucks. Now I have to call/text all of my contacts and tell them to start using my old number again, less than a month after telling them all to change my entry in their phones to the GV number. Plus, I won't be able to use all the great GV features.

Anyway, thanks for all the info, guys. It helped a lot.

 

[tcbj]

GV is a nice idea, but the carriers haven't embraced it and won't support it. I like the voicemail, and use it. VZW visual voicemail I have to pay for and it doesn't transcribe. Youmail is free, and I like their caller I'd based greeting, but I have to pay for transcription.
GV may get better rates on international long distance, but Skype is available for that and doesn't use your minutes, Skype just charges you their rate.

I went thru the same thing when I first got my invite for my blackberry. At least you know now and not at bill time.

 

[MrTissues]

When you call others with GV does it show your actual Google Voice number or some sort of 403 area code Google number?

 

[AGWednesday]

It shows my actual GV number. This is also the case when I send a text.

 

[nyngbld]

Bottom line:

If you don't have a plan with friends and family, you are screwed. I still use GV as a voicemail service because I don't miss enough calls to add up to disaster. Hardly ever use half of my 700 minutes due to almost all my calls being inside the Verizon network.

i am in this boat also; mostly txt. thank you to OP for getting all this info in one thread, very helpful!! glad i read more before i started mass converting people to my GV number..

 

[closhedbb]

The rest of your points make sense. They're not part of my problem.

This one is the one that didn't make sense to me. I guess the phone app forwards the call back to GV, which is why I get charged.

That sucks. Now I have to call/text all of my contacts and tell them to start using my old number again, less than a month after telling them all to change my entry in their phones to the GV number. Plus, I won't be able to use all the great GV features.

Anyway, thanks for all the info, guys. It helped a lot.

Perhaps I can explain this one, as I have just finished researching this for myself.

When you set up Google Voice voicemail, what you are doing is setting up a service with Verizon that says "If I don't pick up my phone, forward my call to my Google Voice number". Forwarded calls get charged minutes, regardless of whether or not the number is on your friends and family or whatever, because that is the charge for forwarding your unanswered calls.

If you are using GV as your primary number, then a series of things happen when you miss a call. The person calling you dials your GV number, which gets forwarded to your phone appearing as your GV access number (unless you have it set up to show the person's real number). If you don't pick up, then Verizon forwards that call to your GV number (not your access number). You are then charged the minutes it takes for the person to leave a message because the call was forwarded.

I believe what I have just said to be correct, but someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[AGWednesday]

Perhaps I can explain this one, as I have just finished researching this for myself.

When you set up Google Voice voicemail, what you are doing is setting up a service with Verizon that says "If I don't pick up my phone, forward my call to my Google Voice number". Forwarded calls get charged minutes, regardless of whether or not the number is on your friends and family or whatever, because that is the charge for forwarding your unanswered calls.

If you are using GV as your primary number, then a series of things happen when you miss a call. The person calling you dials your GV number, which gets forwarded to your phone appearing as your GV access number (unless you have it set up to show the person's real number). If you don't pick up, then Verizon forwards that call to your GV number (not your access number). You are then charged the minutes it takes for the person to leave a message because the call was forwarded.

Would I be charged for the forwarding if my GV number and Verizon number were the same? I'd assume I would be, but I want to be sure.

 

[closhedbb]

Would I be charged for the forwarding if my GV number and Verizon number were the same? I'd assume I would be, but I want to be sure.

Technically, your GV number and Verizon can't be the same. GV doesn't do number porting yet. My current situation is that I wanted to keep my Verizon phone number because I wanted to get all those wonderful mobile to mobile minutes on my 700 minute family plan in which I don't have friends and family numbers. I did want to use GV voicemail. When you sign up for GV voicemail, they direct you to dial a number to set it up, that number begins with "71" I believe, and they are taking you through the process to have verizon forward your unanswered calls to your GV number where it is immediately sent to voicemail.

In this case, yes, I am charged minutes for each forward, regardless of the origin of the call or time of day/day of the week.

 

[Teris]

Wow. Are you guys saying that if I only use GV for my voicemail that all messages left are charged against my minutes?

If so, the transcription service and playback of voicemails through GV is not really "free." Is Youmail a better option or does VZ charge for minutes using that too?