Changing GSM provider's forwarding settings
 

I have a prepaid sim (Telcel Amigo MX) that has the "forward if no answer" (and "if unreachable") set to the network's voicemail number.

Other than feature codes such as *61*[dest]*[sec]# is there any way to override this?

The feature codes (and menu options producing feature codes) give me "request not completed", which I assumes means they've locked it down. Won't even allow me to set it to the exact same as it is now (nor cancel it), so it's the update that's not allowed, not the target.

Main reason is so I can forward to another country, or at least to voicemail in a language my callers understand. I assume it's not possible?

Rob

In my experience, on most prepaids worldwide, changing the forwarding number is network disabled. This is the same whether you try it menu-based or via GSM codes. You could try and speak to Telcel and see if they can help (after all it is more revenue for them), or at least ask them if they can activate English (I presume) on their voicemail software. I think most of the software will have that embedded anyhow. I'm sure you won't be the first to have asked, and at the very least the more people who ask, the more they will realise they need to provide such a basic service to the gringos. ;)

Otherwise your best option maybe to give callers a DID where you have more control.

I wonder if the first two potential issues are that not many prepaids support call diversion at all, and that not many networks support diversion to international numbers.

On the other hand, most SIMs obviously do support diverting to voicemail

I have one which can do ordinary diversion including some international numbers, and for the voicemail I have managed to reset the conditional forwards to a different UK number, done en bloc rather than working through each section of the menu

what I have saved in contacts to do this again if I wish are:

*004*07802xxxxxx# vm divert giffgaff
*004*0203xxxxxxx# vm divert Ribbit
#004# vm diverts off
*004# vm diverts on

maybe you can get the last two working but not change the number

Afaik the standard GSM code for deleting all diversion is ##002#.

I do that for non-local calls. Main reason for a divert is for anybody within Mexico calling my Mexican mobile when I'm out of the country (they mostly don't have another number, and don't all speak Spanish). There's no option to change the voicemail language.

Other than enquiries like *#61# none of the feature codes work, including the ones mentioned above.

7-11 Speakout prepaid in the US had call divert (domestic only, I forwarded it to an ipkall number), and my replacement there (eKit) has worldwide divert, but Telcel does seem to block it. I'll see if I can get voicemail turned off fully, apparently some have managed it, it's better than having a message I'd never hear.

Rob, any luck with Telcel on this front? I would like to forward my PVR Telcel number probably using a Localphone number (closest avail. is in GDL)