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Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

FIXED
SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

My guess is that this is mainly a function of the PN Voicemail server.  We can see that most handsets do get a notification - it's the timing of the notification that is the issue I suspect (which may look like no notification if the handset hasn't been rebooted for some time I guess).  Perhaps something to do with a forced polling of the voicemail server when you reboot.  I'd guess that the underlying cause is the PN voicemail server not reliably sending out the trigger signals and only doing it once specifically polled by the handset on reboot.  Just a guess but it would fit the profile of the problem.  As even basic (non smart phone) handsets can handle voicemail notifications correctly (and have been doing so for many years) I can't believe that newer handsets have somehow implemented a worse version of a very basic bit of core (!) functionality.  Especially premium handsets like an S8.  Even my J5 should be able to do it (and can - it's just the timing).

My guess (again) is that this issue requires some funding approval to resolve on the PN voicemail server and that isn't being authorised by PN management.

As these are just my guesses it would be great to hear from PN Tech Support (i.e. IT chaps who actually admin the Voicemail server) - or non PN staff who do that job for another provider - as this issue doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.

HashBrown5
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎31-01-2017

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

This isn't just an S8 issue. My wife has an iPhone 6 on Plusnet Mobile and she has exactly the same issue.

Virgin Mobile has some very competitive deals, you should check them out.
stewartmanley
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎26-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

It's all a bit odd.

If you call PN voicemail, the menu offers '3' for 'voicemail options'

If you take that option, and then press '0' for 'more information', the voice tells you that in this menu you can set up how you're notified about new voicemail - by text, by email, or by a phone call. But there is NO option in the 'voicemail settings' menu to permit that configuration - only options related to access codes.

It's all a bit suboptimal really.

 

 

 

HashBrown5
Dabbler
Posts: 13
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Registered: ‎31-01-2017

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

@Meatloaf123 you're not too smart, are you. Nobody here is having any issue with accessing their voicemails. The clue is in the thread title.
SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

I get the same thing with the voicemail options. The "Help" advises that there is an option to select voicemail notification via text, email or phone call but there is no actual option to make that selection from the setup menu. This should be above and beyond the bog standard basic handset notification of course. So in reality, none of it is working as it should and not even as advised by the Plusnet help system. Any comments Plusnet? (please not the "handset problem" response which would seem to be a fob-off given everything reported in this thread thus far). This issue makes voicemail unreliable unless you constantly dial it to check for messages. Not as it should be.
RebekaPreston
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 929
Fixes: 31
Registered: ‎25-11-2016

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Hi SAABDude,

Thanks for getting in touch with us, it's much appreciated. 

I completely understand the frustration caused by not receiving a Voicemail notification however, as advised previously, the Voicemail notification function is a feature that we don't support. 

As an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) and not an MNO (Mobile Network Operator), we don't provide certain features such as Voicemail notifications that other big branded networks support. 

It has been found that some handsets receive notifications and other don't, or handsets can receive notifications intermittently. If this happens, we do advise that this in relation to the handset settings specifically.

- Rebeka 

SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Rebeka,
Thanks for the standard Plusnet reply but it doesn't really make a lot of sense (never has).
1. The Plusnet voicemail help itself mentions options to set up text, email or call options for notification. These options don't actually exist when you access the menu in the Plusnet voicemail server. Is the help system wrong (plusnet) or the options menu broken (plusnet again)? This is secondary to the basic handset notification of course.
2. There aren't many options on the handset re the basic handset notification. My Samsung J5 let's me change the voicemail number and the notification sound (thus also on / off).
3. The notifications do work - the timing is the issue. Which suggests it is NOT a handset problem as such or it wouldn't work at all. The thing that generates the trigger for the basic notification is the Plusnet voicemail server, not the handset. The handset itself cannot know if a message has been left or not.
4. The basic handset voicemail notification is a core phone function and has worked fine on even very basic handsets for years. So Plusnet are saying that this core handset function no longer works properly on handsets from major manufacturers, including their premium models, when it has worked fine on £10 Nokia handsets? Really?

As you can see, the above leaves questions 're the standard Plusnet response to this issue.
RebekaPreston
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 929
Fixes: 31
Registered: ‎25-11-2016

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

I completely understand your frustration with this SAABDude however, it is a basic Voicemail system that we use and although it may offer further options to activate notifications, it's simply a function we don't support; as an MVNO, we don't have access to certain features that other premium networks do.

At present, we don't have any plans to alter the Voicemail service in any way, if this were subject to change, we'll be sure to let everyone know. 

We appreciate all feedback that is put forward to us, and I can assure you that it will be fed back to the relevant department.

- Rebeka 

SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Ok so your reply seems to say that it isn't really anything to do with the handsets. It's just a budget voicemail system with options that haven't been implemented (even though they are specifically mentioned in the interactive help - thus probably just piggybacked from EE). Plus a standard handset notification that also needs further investment to work properly. As the voicemail server is supposed to be a Plusnet item, I'm not sure how this isn't directly under Plusnet control (mvno or not). So again it just seems to come down to funding by Plusnet.
Could you point me to the bit of contract wording or marketing blurb that points out these voicemail limitations by the way? Not sure it is very clear before anyone signs up (I may have missed it if course so happy to stand corrected if this is the case). Perhaps something along the lines of "if you get left a voicemail, we probably won't notify you it has been left so you'll have to check regularly to see if anything has" (sorry couldn't resist the dig).
Thanks for your help Rebeka, I realise it's not your fault and that you have to present the "official line" but it does seem a tad poor in this day and age so, yes if you could feed that "to the appropriate department" / senior manager that woukd be great. Cheers.
Dave777c
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎29-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

I have the same notification problem as SAABDude with a Samsung A3 (2017). You mentioned it's because you are a mvno. I have tried an asda mobile sim which is also a mvno on EE and that works fine. I've also tried a giffgaff sim which is a mvno on O2. That also works fine. So as everyone is saying it's not the handset!!
What is interesting is that my A3 used to work on plusnet, so something has changed. It seems that plusnet is not meeting the correct spec for vm notification, but is getting away with it on some handsets and/or handsets with earlier versions of their operating system.
As this is a problem with both samsung handsets and iphones i would have thought it a matter of urgency that plusnet gets to the bottom of the problem.
Dave777c
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎29-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Thank you for your informed posts on this matter. My Samsung A3 (2017) has the same problem on plusnet. I've tested it with 2 other mvno providers and it works fine. What is interesting is that it used to work on plusnet. I'm sure plusnet are doing something out of spec and getting away with it much of the time. I'm wondering if my A3 stopped getting vm notifications after it upgraded to nougat, but I'm not sure as it had taken me a while to realise they had stopped working.
SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Dave777c. Very very interesting. My Samsung J5 2017 is on v7 of android (nougat) and sees these problems. We've just tried it twice with my fiancee's J5 2015 on v6 (marshmallow) and it worked perfectly both times. Almost instant notification of the voicemail using the basic core handset notification. Thus I think you have hit the nail on the head 're the update to Nougat (for android at least). Something has changed in both android and iOS in these later versions and the code on the Plusnet voicemail server has not kept pace. So nothing to do with the handsets themselves or mvno - just a voicemail server that hasn't kept pace with the mobile OS's around it. Again just guesses but seems to fit the evidence.
Dave777c
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎29-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Hi SAABDude,
I agree. I expect plusnet get much of their business from people switching to them when out of contract, so 2 year old handsets, which are likely running android v6 rather than v7. I can't understand why they seem reluctant to get to grips with this, as, if our assumptions are correct, these problems will only increase with time.
Dave777c
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎29-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

SAABDude, bit of a development. They sent me a new sim. Vm notification is working with this - 4 days so far. I did read on this forum that someone did have a new sim, but that Vm notification only worked for a few days, then stopped again. So i will see! This does make the problem even more difficult to understand.
SAABDude
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎22-01-2018

Re: Samsung s8 has not voicemail notification

Dave777c. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I read the same feedback as you where the vm notification using the replacement SIM worked ok for a few days then stopped. As you say, it would make the problem even harder to understand.