how stupid is this? why should customers pay MORE to listen to their voice mails? Networks like O2 and Orange do it for free or at least inclusive within the minutes but T-Mobile do not.

why? Whats the reason behind it?

There is a workaround for this (at least with T-Mobile anyway).
Instead of calling your voicemail, dial your own number and you'll get to your voicemail (you may have to set up a PIN first though).
Doing it this way means that you will be charged for calling a mobile (yourself) and this call will come out of your inclusive minutes.

And in response to your question - they charge you so they can squeeze more money out of you. Several million pounds of profit per year is obviously not enough eh?

The thing that really annoys me is when people's voicemail kicks on so quickly after a few rings!

voice mail is a real money spinner for the network if they charge you to listen to it. they get to charge for terminating the original call, you listening to it, then your return call.

i am on orange and get charged 11p a minute for using answer phone.
i have free inclusive minutes .
whats the numnber i need to call to get it within my free minutes.

Just 'call' yourself and you should get to your voicemail (as I said, you may have to set up a PIN first)

Well profits warnings have been issued as people leave T-Mobile
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...s-warning.html

I don't think it is an excuse to increase voicemail charges but I guess it is their way of getting a bit more money. I think T-Mobile has two problems. Firstly, their coverage is probably the worst in the UK (2G). Secondly, they don't have the handsets. I for one left T-Mobile, not because of poor service but because I wanted an iPhone. Other customers probably do the same, not just with the iPhone but with other phones like the Blackberry Storm.

You normally have to press '9' while your voicemail message is playing and then you get asked for your pin. As Appleseed said, you may have to get into your voicemail normally and set up a pin first.

When T-Mobile started charging for voicemail, I turn my voicemail off, but the general increases encouraged me to look at other tariffs, I thing that I could be bothered to do before, I emailed them register my anger at their greed, they didn’t seem bothered, which was good news for ASDA Mobile which is half the price and a good service (so far)