Did voicemail ever become a huge deal locally? With all the advantages that it offers, you’d think that mobile phone users in this country would have latched on to it. There was even a bigger case for it after the largest mobile operator, Econet, launched an advertising campaign for it back in 2013.
Econet took deliberate efforts to share the simple instructions for setting up a voicemail service, retrieving messages and letting us know that it would only cost the person leaving the message and message retrieval would be free.
That hasn’t changed, but now some subscribers are alleging that Econet is forcing voicemail diverts on all its subscribers. In a message circulating on social media, people are being told that Econet has applied voicemail diverts to all its subscribers with the service kicking in after a few rings. We received similar information as a tipoff.
The message also suggests that the service is charging all both the caller and receiver and there’s a code being shared to cancel the service.
Econet has recently applied voicemail diverts to all econet subscribers. The voice mail service comes in after a very short amount of rings which charges the person calling and aswell does not give the person who is being called enough time to answer.
To cancel all these diverts
Dial ##002# from your Econet number.
That’s ##002#
Econet hasn’t responded to the message and we haven’t received a response to questions relating to this service. A call from two Econet numbers to several Econet numbers didn’t result in a “quick activation” of the voicemail service and the ##002# code is what’s used cancel all active diverts on Econet line anyway.
Have you noticed activation to a voicemail service that you hadn’t registered for?
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16 comments
I noticed this on my 0782 line this morning when it said you have active diverts. I thought weird and cancelled. Didnt realize it was voice mail
is leaving a voice mail free? if not someone at econet figured out how to capitalize and make a quick dollar on all those un answered calls. shame on ewz for such practices if this is the case.
no its never free – generally its the same cost to you as talking to the person you called for the length of time you leave a message + the length of the voicemail greeting
Yes it was happening on my 0772 and used my airtyme. It was even more painful for me because I was on roaming in SA and the deduction on my balance was significant. I saw the above tip to deactivate and it worked like a charm 🙂 🙂
Yes I experienced it – kicks in after 3 or four rings and once the voicemail kicks in, it seems to divert automatically WITHOUT RINGING the next time you try and dial that same number. Its extremely annoying.
Lots of typos in this article
Typical of Techzim
Whats does Econet and the old Missionaries have in common?
Crooks with hiding behind the bible!
Hahaha, funny, but I think if you believe capitalism and religion can co-exist then you are mistaken. Capitalism thrives on greed, true religion fights greed
techzim, start a petition to stop this, i leave a voicemail i will be charged for it and person i am calling will be charged for listening to the message i leave, no way lets stop this before it goes too far.
TechZim can’t start the petition, they have to be neutral. Maybe you can start it, simple process when using https://www.change.org/
Hehehe cheeky buggers. Make a few easy cents (times x subscribers!) from each voicemail..
noticed this too. Suddenly when calling someone got diverted. Checked my own phone and for sure “somehow” there was now calls diverted. Deactivated and did same for all household. Thanks Econet for yet again not asking or informing
I think econet is cheating. After only 3 rings you start getting forced to the mailbox. They must allow those who want the service to dial *???# to join. Alternatively we all know that when the phone rings, at some stage it will cut off. It is at this moment that the sender may be asked to press anything e.g space bar or any keyboard letter to activate the recording of mailbox
https://www.change.org/p/econet-wireless-zimbabwe-please-stop-stealing-our-airtime?recruiter=354599412&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
I experienced this and phoned econet twice. The second customer rep advised me to use the ##002# code to cancel the diverts I had never activated and it worked. Did this for the whole family and sent a whatsapp message advising friends and relatives.