Domestic mobile operators offer their subscribers many different additional services. Some of them lead to expenses that the client is not aware of until he reads the detailed statement.
Subscribers need to know how to disable charges for local traffic in Megafon and what these charges mean.
What is “local voice traffic accrual”
A charge for local voice traffic is a debiting of money for calls in your home region. When your package of minutes runs out and you call a subscriber of any other operator, the call is indicated in the details as follows. If you are sure that you did not call anyone, and the amount charged is exactly 3.5 rubles. - most likely this is a redirect. This is a paid service that Megafon builds into some tariffs by default. It can work:
- If you are offline;
- If you don't answer;
- If you are already talking to someone;
- On an ongoing basis.
When someone tries to call you, the person will hear that the number is “temporarily blocked.” And 3.5 rubles will be immediately withdrawn from your account. — for forwarding the call to a robot.
At the same time, you can make outgoing calls without restrictions. That is, you may not even realize that the service is connected until someone tells you about it. This redirection has two serious disadvantages. Firstly, it prevents people from calling you - even in those moments when you are not busy and ready to take a call. Secondly, your money is constantly debited, even if you do not use communication services and do not pick up the phone.
How to check
To check whether the “charge for local voice traffic” on Megafon is caused by redirection, enter the following USSD commands:
- * # 21 # - for unconditional forwarding;
- * # 61 # - if there is no answer;
- * # 62 # - if you are offline;
- * # 67 # - if the phone is busy.
The answer will come to you in a pop-up window or as an SMS message. Try all the options one by one.
How to disable
If “local voice traffic charges” on Megafon were caused by redirection, you can refuse this option. Turn it off in your Personal Account or call 0500 to have a consultant do it. Here’s how you can disable “voice traffic” on Megafon using USSD requests:
- ## 21 # - for unconditional forwarding;
- ## 61 # - if there is no answer;
- ## 62 # - if the SIM card is not available;
- ## 67 # — if the phone is busy;
- ## 002 # - disable all redirects.
Enter the command and click on the call button. You will soon receive an SMS message informing you that forwarding has been disabled.
Disadvantages of Forwarding
Users who have the forwarding service activated often experience difficulties with mobile communications.
The most common problems are:
- It is impossible to make calls to the subscriber. The service robot notifies the person trying to call that the called party's phone is temporarily unavailable, but you can leave a voice message for him. In this case, the subscriber himself will be able to make calls only after replenishing his balance.
- The subscriber's balance suddenly decreases, even if he did not make calls, did not use the Internet, and did not send text or multimedia messages.
In order to determine the exact cause of these problems, it is recommended to contact Megafon support service and request a detailed statement of the movement of funds.
What is “message transfer charge”
“Charges for sending messages to number X” are charges for outgoing SMS. If you write to someone after you have run out of messages, an entry with that name will appear in the details. If you didn’t send SMS, and the account statement shows huge amounts, it’s probably a matter of a paid subscription.
Important! Large amounts for SMS messages are appropriate if you see “charges for transferring multimedia messages” in Megafon’s details. MMS are always expensive.
How to check
To find out if the “messaging charges” on Megafon are caused by paid subscriptions, try the following:
- Open the “Services and Options” section in your personal account. This can be done on the website and in the application. Go to the “Paid” tab and see if there are any subscriptions here.
- Enter the USSD command * 505 # - it will display all connected services on the current SIM card, including any paid subscriptions.
- Send an SMS with the text “INFO” to 5051. All subscriptions that are on your SIM card will be displayed in the response SMS message.
In addition, you can always contact Megafon consultants. Call them on 0500 or visit a phone shop with your passport and the required SIM card.
How to disable
To disable the “charge for sending messages to a number”, you can do the following:
- Send an SMS with the text “STOP” to 5051. You will receive an SMS with all your subscriptions and instructions to disable each of them.
- Open your personal account on the website or application. Go to the “Services and Options” section, open the “Paid” tab, find the option you need and disable it.
- Enter the command *505# to see all connected options and options for removing them.
- Call 0500 and ask a consultant to delete all subscriptions.
- Visit Megafon's communication salon with a SIM card and passport. Contact consultants personally.
You can also send an SMS message with the text “STOP” to the phone number specified in the details. But it’s better not to do this - they will also charge you money for such SMS.
Why can't they call me?
The service mentioned above forces Megafon customers to simultaneously face two problems:
- The user cannot be reached. When someone tries to call a number to which the service is connected, the robot reports that the subscriber is blocked for an indefinite time. At the same time, the user himself can make outgoing calls if he tops up his balance;
- Money disappears from the balance, even if the client does not go online, does not send SMS or calls anyone.
To sort out the problem, you need to contact the operator. However, in order to better understand the situation, you should request the charges on the account (the latest), which will come in the form of an SMS alert.
How to get your money back
If you have been charged for a subscription or forwarding that you did not activate, the funds can be returned forcibly. To do this, do the following:
- Come to the Megafon salon with your passport and SIM card.
- Ask your consultant for a claim form.
- Tell us about the problem in any form. Try to give as much specificity as possible - dates, times, amounts, provide evidence if possible.
- Sign and give the form to the employee.
The application will be reviewed within a few business days. If the problem was with a paid subscription, you will most likely get your money back. There may already be problems with redirection. The fact is that this service is most often activated automatically when you change your tariff or buy a new SIM card. And the operator believes that you agree with its presence, since you signed the contract. You will only be able to get your funds back if the option was added separately. Be sure to check the list of services and options on the tariff after changing it or when purchasing a new operator SIM card so as not to get into this situation.
Number temporary blocking problem
Charges for local traffic are a fairly common situation that can lead to consequences such as:
- Inability to reach the subscriber, which means the number is blocked for some time. But at the same time, the user can call his friends if he deposits money into his mobile account to restore the balance.
- Write-off of money even if the company's client does not use the phone functions.
To clarify the circumstances, you can directly contact the operator using the contacts listed on the official website or online. Before this, you need to make a request for a detailed analysis of transactions, which will be sent to your smartphone via SMS message (you should not contact support without understanding the whole picture).
Summary
“Charge for voice traffic” and “charge for messaging” on Megafon are essentially not very fair treatment of subscribers when money is debited from the account without your knowledge. Sometimes the operator is to blame for this, but in some situations this can happen without his participation - for example, in the case of paid subscriptions. Now you know what it is and how to disable such services. In addition, you can try to return the money - there is a high probability that they will meet you halfway.
Features of the service
Having made a request for detailed account expenses, you can see the inscription - charges made for local voice traffic. This is how Megafon means write-offs for calls made to local numbers. If the prefix “Lego default” is included in the accruals, forwarding to the service’s answering machine is activated by the number, the service is provided for a fee. Its purpose is to forward calls when the client’s number is offline or simply busy. The cost of the option is 3.5 rubles for 60 seconds.
Forwarding is done to a couple of numbers, the order of their determination is unclear. When someone calls the user, the robot tells the caller that the subscriber is blocked. Call forwarding is activated from the user's phone, and money for the service provided is debited. Therefore, after incomprehensible disappearances of funds from the account, you need to make sure that the mentioned service is not activated. Let’s quickly check which forwarding is active on your number:
Requests for checking call forwarding in Megafon
How to disable the service?
To disable call forwarding on Megafon, dial the combination ##002#.
Despite the fact that the message will indicate information about the removal of the forwarding, funds from the balance may continue to disappear.
Subscribers noticed that the service is automatically activated along with the free services “Who called +”, “They called me S” and the like. You can check their availability through your personal account in the mobile application in the “Services and Options” section. After they were turned off, funds, as those affected by Lego Default noticed, were no longer debited from the balance.
Unlimited social networks
The “Communicate” tariff is intended for active Internet users. In the tariff for 600 rubles. per month includes 500 minutes of calls, 12 GB of Internet traffic, unlimited access to instant messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion) and social networks (VKontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki).
The “Look” tariff plan is intended for active Internet and video streaming users. For 950 rub. per month, the tariff offers 1.2 thousand minutes of calls, 16 GB of Internet traffic, 20 GB of traffic to the YouTube service and unlimited traffic to instant messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion) and social networks (VKontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki, Instagram ).
| Rate | Subscription fee, rub/month | Included voice call package, minutes | Consumption of minutes from the intercity package | Included Internet traffic package, GB | Included SMS package | Using packages in intranet roaming | Unlimited social networks | Unlimited messengers | Unlimited music services | Traffic for video services | MegafonTV |
| "Write" | 350 | 350 | — | 2 | 200 | — | — | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion | — | — | — |
| "Listen" | 500 | 250 | — | 6 | — | data only | — | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion | “VKontakte Music”, “Yandex.Music”, BOOM, Zvooq | 20 GB for Youtube | 50 TV channels |
| "Speak" | 500 | 600 | + | 3 | — | only voice | — | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion | — | — | — |
| "Communicate" | 600 | 500 | + | 12 | — | + | “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, Facebook | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion | — | — | 50 TV channels, 2 films |
| "Look" | 950 | 1 200 | + | 16 | — | + | “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, Facebook, Instagram | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion | — | — | 50 TV channels, 4 films |
| "Premium" | 3 000 | 5 000 | + | 20 | unlimited | + | “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki”, Facebook, Instagram | WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion, Telegram, FB messanger, OK messanger | "Yandex.Music", BOOM, Zvooq | 20 GB for Youtube, Rutube, Vimeo | 100 TV channels, 4 films |
CNews Analytics
Finally, the Premium plan is aimed at the most active users. For a subscription fee of 3 thousand rubles. per month it provides 5 thousand minutes of calls, unlimited SMS messages, 20 GB of Internet traffic, 20 GB of traffic for video services (YouTube, RuTube, Vimeo), unlimited access to instant messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, eMotion, Telegram, FB Messenger, OK Messenger), social networks (VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Instagram) and music services (Boom, Yandex.Music, Zvooq).
Why are there connection problems?
The forwarding service creates a number of problems for Megafon customers. Basic:
- They cannot reach the user - the robot says that the number is unavailable, but you can leave a message in voice format. The user can make calls, but after replenishing the balance.
- Money disappears from the account, including if the subscriber does not use the Internet, does not write SMS, or makes calls.
To resolve the issue, contact the operator, clarify the details and request expenses on the balance. The Megafon manager is required to send an SMS with details.
Replacement for tariffs with unlimited traffic
The new line of tariffs replaced the “All inclusive” tariff line. In the latest modification of this line, the subscription fee was from 300 rubles. per month up to 2.7 thousand rubles. per month. The new line has a slightly higher subscription fee. Users of the new tariffs will receive an additional opportunity in the form of unlimited traffic to social networks and instant messengers, but most tariffs will not have a package of included SMS.
This corresponds to Megafon’s new approach to tariff setting - “more for more” (more opportunities for more money), announced last week by the operator’s commercial director Vlad Volfson .
