I too have gripes about what I call Trash-Mobile (that's what the T stands for). I know this is a late reply considering you said you couldnt officially end your contract until Dec 2008 (and I'm writing this is Jan '09) but for other readers, the only solution is to have someone else take over your account. You can officially switch the acct holders name if you go to a T-Mobile store. I dont know what's involved, but here in New York on Craigslist I've seen many ads of peoples' posts offering to dump their carrier and asking for someone to take over the remaining contract that they no longer want to be in. When my contract expired, I kept T-Mobile, but I am not under contract with them. I've been able to still use my phone regularly. A friend told me that its better to NOT be under a contract with them because if anything goes wrong, you call up their Cust Svc and threaten to drop them entirely and as a result, you should find they're a little more accomodating. Good luck.
This is T-Mobile's voicemail. When there is a busy or "no answer" the caller is forwarded to voicemail, 805-637-7249, FROM THE PHONE. This is a forwarded call and is charged from the phone wherever it is turned on.
The caller is talking from USA to your phone (wherever it is) and back to T-Mobile voicemail. The return trip is billed by the minute at roaming rate on your dime.
If you're in Canada, you get billed from Canada back to USA. If Egypt, you get billed for forwarding from Egypt back to USA. You can wade through your phone's menus and see "call forwarding" when busy, when no answer, and call forwarding in general. This is a function of your phone.
Maybe T-Mobile can turn this feature on or off. I tried to change it with my phone menu and it reverted back to 1-805-637-7249.
I'd recommend keeping your T-Mobile phone turned off when you leave the country. Maybe use only text messaging.
805-637-7249 its your T-mobile phone trying to give you voice messages when roaming.....should read the international charges....turn off the phone is the only way to NOT be billed for these.....FYI.....
I've had the same roaming charges all over the world from t-mobile (S. America, Europe, Istanbul, China, etc.) I never make calls but want to keep my phone on in case people text me. The charges are outrageous and T-Mobile won't do anything about it. Like the other said, the only way is to keep your phone turned off while out of the country.