As it turns out, a sore subject for many is how Belarusian operators make money on the gullibility of subscribers. But gullibility is not the only “sin” of clients. ARPU can also be slightly increased due to our forgetfulness and inattention.
Part one, reference
"Melofon"
In order to find information about this service of the first GSM operator in Belarus, you will have to tinker. In description tariff plans, the procedure for providing services, and even in the full description of the service itself, there is not a single mention of the fact that it is automatically connected to all new subscribers.
Only the skills of Sherlock Holmes will help us find the lost link “Rules” and find among dozens of documents the one we need - “Procedure for the provision of the Melofon service.” Only there it is written that “the Melofon service is automatically assigned upon concluding an agreement for the provision of telecommunication services at tariffs velcom plans(except for tariff plans for the Internet and special tariff plans) and PRIVET tariff plans.”
The essence of “Melofon” is this: instead of the usual beeps, callers hear different melodies, from the imperishable creations of Mikhail Bublik to the soul-touching chants of Stas Mikhailov. How many subscribers need such pleasure? Not sure. But it has been connected to every newcomer for a long time.
The cost of the service is 7,900 rubles per month. The first month is free. Not bad, especially for budget tariffs with a low monthly fee like “On the Line” (13,900 rubles). That works out to be a more than 50 percent increase in the subscription fee!
How to get rid of Stas Mikhailov? It will not work via the Internet using ISSA - in the “Personal Account” there is no “Melofon” in the list of services. You will either have to register on the service’s website and disconnect there, or, which is easier, send an SMS with the text rbtoff to number 424. Even better, dial the USSD request *424*5*1#call.
"What's new"
Melofon was sorted out, but that’s not all. The operator also has a “What’s New” service in its arsenal. Here's what velcom itself says about it: “For your convenience, the service starts working automatically after installing a SIM card in the phone. Periodically, after completing a voice call or sending an SMS, messages on various topics appear on the mobile phone screen. If you are interested in the announcement, just click OK and read, listen, view detailed information, and also use entertainment services.”
The service itself does not provide for a subscription fee, but by accidentally or inadvertently clicking OK, you can easily, as they say, “get into money.” The service is especially dangerous for older people and children, who, without reading it carefully, can click OK to close the window, and end up paying more than a thousand rubles for news about how Taiwanese take “selfies” in bags. In this case, you may also have to pay for Internet traffic.
Getting rid of the service is not easy. Again, “Personal Account” will not help. But we still advise you to look there and activate the services “Opt-out of IVR|USSD newsletters” and “Opt-out of SMS mailings”. This will get rid of some advertising messages, but, judging by the descriptions of the services, it will not in any way affect the nature of What's New. There is also no universal SMS or USSD request to disconnect.
You can try going to the operator’s SIM menu and sequentially selecting “What’s new”, “Settings”, “Service enabled”, “Disable” and “Confirm”. However, for some reason this particular menu item was not on my phone. So the only sure and reliable way is to call the call center at 410 or 411 and ask to be relieved of the service.
Finally, another pitfall, whose name is “Voicemail”. For five years now, it has been automatically connected to all new and existing clients, having already become quite boring for some. Some people have resigned themselves to it and gotten used to listening to voice mail prompts over and over again, while others weren’t too lazy and got rid of a service they didn’t need long ago.
The danger of “Voicemail” lurks primarily for the caller. By default, voicemail forwarding is enabled if the called party is unavailable or does not answer within 30 seconds. As a result, the person making the call pays for the call according to his tariff, although he never spoke to you.
Abroad, the payment problem is easily resolved. The person is given a few non-chargeable seconds to decide whether to leave a message or not.
Let's be honest, almost all callers, when asked to leave a message using voicemail, simply hang up. In this case, as a rule, the money still manages to be written off. It turns out that you are actually paying for “air”. And even if you decide to leave a message, the chances that the called subscriber will listen to it are minimal - they would rather call you back than deal with your voice mailbox.
The service is especially dangerous abroad, when the forwarded call is paid for as an incoming and outgoing call at roaming rates.
There are several ways to get rid of voicemail. The simplest one is using a USSD request. On your phone we dial *441*1#call. Next, select the first item and cancel all conditions for call forwarding. SMS notifications about missed calls should remain.
More fine tuning services are available through ISSA. Let's go to " Personal assistant" and go to the "Call Forwarding" tab. Here you can select under what conditions Voicemail is allowed to trigger.
Part two, practical
The Onliner.by journalist went to the operator's showrooms. The task is as follows: connect to an inexpensive tariff and see if they will offer us to disable third-party services and whether they will say anything at all about them. Or is it still better for the future subscriber to arm himself with knowledge before going on a trip?
It is worth noting that before this I sent the operators only three simple questions, slightly different in wording depending on the recipient. From velcom, for example, I wanted to get answers to the following questions:
- What additional services outside the tariff plan does a subscriber receive when connecting to velcom?
- For what purpose are new users automatically connected to the paid Melofon service?
- Does the operator inform the subscriber making the call that money will be debited from his account for a message left using Voicemail?
Almost a week of velcom was not enough to satisfy our curiosity. MTS, by the way, also ignored questions addressed to them.
I visited the operators' salons on the same day, at approximately the same time (there was a place where the service centers of velcom, MTS, and life:) are located nearby). At velcom there was no need to wait at all - three consultants quickly cope with their work and practically prevent queues from forming.
So, I clearly formulate my goal: I want to subscribe to the “Summer Calling” tariff, they say, I chose it especially for my mother and it suits everyone. Attempts to offer something more “talkative” or “Internet” were not successful - I want a cheap tariff, and that’s it!
We must pay tribute to the consultant: he immediately warned that for terminating the contract before three months of service, you would have to pay a “penalty” of something in the region of 60,000 rubles.
A few minutes - and the contract is finalized! Surprisingly, the young man immediately suggested turning off Melofon and did it in a couple of clicks on the computer. But the consultant didn’t remember about “What’s new.” After I asked about the service, a velcom employee carefully wrote on a piece of paper step by step instructions to disable the service.
- Can’t you turn it off right now?
- Unfortunately no. You need to activate the SIM card and disable "What's New" yourself.
Overall I was pleased with the service. They connected and advised quickly, clearly, to the point and as politely as possible. I was pleasantly surprised that they got rid of Melofon immediately, without questions or reminders.
An interesting moment is associated with a call to the velcom call center when I tried to disable the “What’s New” service. The girl on the other end of the “line” noted with surprise that for some reason this automatically activated service was deactivated for me. How did this happen? After all, at the salon they told me that I could only turn it off myself. I just recently installed a SIM card in my phone and haven’t had time to do anything yet!
The operator, no less surprised than me, suggested that perhaps the service was closed during the connection. At the same time, the girl confirmed that deactivating “What’s new” from via SMS or USSD is not possible, but it is possible through ISSA (although I didn’t have such an item in my “Personal Account”) or calling the call center.
Well, let this little mystery remain unsolved. Be that as it may, you need to keep your eyes open, and in order not to burden your account with unnecessary expenses, it is enough to take into account a few simple recommendations given in the article:
- *424*5*1#call - USSD request to disable the Melofon service.
- *441*1*1#call - USSD request to disable forwarding to " Voicemail».
- 410 or 411 - call the call center and ask to disable the “What’s New” service. Or you can look for the corresponding item in the operator's SIM menu.
In the following articles of the series, we will talk about how MTS and life:) take advantage of forgetfulness and inattention of subscribers, and we will also write how to disconnect from operator services that you do not need.
Operators mobile communications operating in Belarus, for example, Velcom, often inform their clients about an increase in the range of gadgets or the provision of new services by SMS. It is not surprising that many subscribers are annoyed by such actions and, sooner or later, they wonder how to disable advertising on Velcom. Not everyone knows about the existence of simple ways that do not contradict the operator’s terms and conditions to disable SMS messaging from Velcom and refuse many unnecessary services(for example, turn off Melofon), and they will be discussed in this article.
Possibility to unsubscribe from mailing lists
For quite a long time, namely since 2008, the Velcom company has provided its customers with the opportunity to disable SMS messaging. The exception is messages relating to subscriber services and the fulfillment of the conditions specified in the agreement between the operator and the client. Refusal from SMS mailing is carried out through ISSA, USSD requests or submitting an application to the employees of the Velcom service point.
Disabling SMS “What’s New” from Velcom
The Wellcom operator provides its subscribers with an SMS newsletter called “What’s New”. Here's what company representatives say about this option: “For the convenience of customers, the “What's New” SMS newsletter begins to function by default after a person inserts a SIM card into his mobile phone. Regularly after the end of an incoming or outgoing call (or sending an SMS message), notifications pop up on the device display for the most different topics. Subscribers who are interested in the content of the SMS newsletter simply click “OK” and study the detailed information, as well as use Velcom’s entertainment services.”
There is no charge for using SMS messaging. subscription fee, but if the user accidentally clicks the "OK" button, he may incur serious financial losses. The most vulnerable in this situation are the elderly and young children, who may, without reading the notification, confirm the action only to close the interfering window. This can lead to spending more than a thousand rubles for receiving some trivial news. You may have to pay a fee for using traffic.
It is quite difficult to disable Velcom advertising sent by SMS to your phone. This cannot be sorted out in the subscriber’s Personal Account, but it’s still worth logging in to activate the “Disable newsletter” and “Disable SMS newsletters” options.
Such actions will help disable some of the intrusive advertising on Velcom, but not the “What’s New” SMS newsletter. Universal SMS or USSD request there is also no way to block or completely disable unnecessary messages sent via SMS.
How to disable "What's New":
- Enter the Welkom sim menu.
- Click “What’s new” -> “Settings” -> “Service activated” -> “Disable” -> “OK”.
Judging by the reviews of Velcom subscribers, not everyone can disable SMS messaging in this way: on some mobile phones The operator menu does not contain the items described above.
The only option that will definitely work is to call the call center (numbers 410,411) and ask to unsubscribe from the mailing list and turn off the “What’s New” SMS newsletter.
Disabling Melofon
Only by making an effort, you can find the “Rules” section on the official website of the Velcom company, and then find the necessary one in the extensive list of documents – “Procedure for the operation of the Melofon service.”
It says here that it is connected by default immediately after concluding an agreement on the provision of communication services at Velcom tariffs (all except Internet tariffs).
Why do you need Melofon: when other people call the subscriber to whose number it is connected, instead of beeps they hear music. Naturally, not everyone needs this option, but it is connected everywhere.
Important! Using the option will cost the client 7,900 Belarusian rubles per month (only the first thirty days are free). If we recall the budget tariff offers of the Velcom operator, for example, “On the Line” with a subscription fee of 13,900 rubles, then we get an almost fifty percent increase in this amount. Therefore, it must be disabled.
It is not possible to remove “Melofon” online using ISSA - the list of connected services displayed in your Personal Account does not include it.
You must disconnect in one of three ways:
- register on a separate website of the service and switch it off there;
- send the message “rbtoff” to 424;
- send USSD command *425*5*1#.
Disabling Voka TV
Voka TV is a service that provides subscribers who have installed on their phone special application, the ability to use it as a TV or cinema. All sessions and broadcasts are available around the clock.
The service can be used by individuals and legal entities located on the territory of Belarus and who have entered into an agreement with Welk for the provision of communication services.
How to turn off Voka TV on Velcom:
- V mobile application in the “Subscriptions” tab;
- directly from the voka.tv website.
A notification that the Voka TV service on Velcom has been disabled will be sent to the subscriber’s number via SMS message.
You should use the services of mobile operators as carefully as possible to avoid unnecessary expenses and connect only what you really need. To do this, it is enough to take into account the recommendations and instructions given in this material.
Operators cellular communications in Belarus they take care of their subscribers and provide them with many necessary and useful services, one of which is “Voice Box” on Velcom numbers. After connecting it, the company’s client does not have to worry about missing any important calls, even if the phone turns off, or there is simply no way to pick up the phone in this moment. If a subscriber used the option for some time, and then wanted to disable “Voicemail” on Velcom, this is his choice and right. The information on how to disable Velcom’s “Voice Box” presented in this material is specifically for such clients of the company.
A function called “Voicemail” is available to subscribers using any Velcom tariff offers. You can use it for free if the standard option is intended, that is, when the client has not activated the “Plus” package.
The service works according to the following principle: forwarding to service phone Velcom company. The user can choose the forwarding type independently: SIM card is not registered, the subscriber does not answer, busy. To ensure that the call is forwarded if all required conditions are met, you can set the general type.
Why disable
Sometimes even a Velcom client who uses Voicemail all the time has to disable this 
How to refuse Voicemail
In order to disable the option (it does not matter whether it is disabled temporarily or permanently), you need to cancel all forwarding on your phone. Instructions on how to disable “Voicemail” on Velcom:
- A user with access to the subscriber information system Velcom can change the list of connected functions and disable what is no longer required.
- Send the combination *441*1# from your mobile phone. If the operation is successful, the operator will disable the function and send an appropriate alert.
- In parameters voice communication, which are in general settings devices, it is also possible to disable and cancel the use of Voicemail.
Connecting to the service and listening to messages
If mail was disabled for some time, and then the subscriber decided to reactivate it, you need to access the Welkom option menu by sending the same USSD combination *441*1. After this, all that remains is to set up call forwarding to the Velcom service number +375296000210 according to the conditions described above.
Important! Also, the phone owner can leave a greeting or appeal to callers no longer than a minute long in “Voicemail”. You can do two, but the duration remains the same: for example, one will last forty seconds, and the second – twenty.
How to listen to messages
Messages are listened to in one of two ways:
- Make a call to the service number.
- Call the number public access– +375296000201, and then indicate a unique code with “#” to the authorization information and telephone number.
The described services are also available to those who are roaming.
Once the message has been listened to, the Velcom client can:
- save it by pressing button 3;
- remove by pressing button 5.
Email messages are deleted only after you finish working with Voicemail. Because of this, the subscriber has the opportunity to familiarize himself with them again by going to the optional menu.
Managing Voicemail on Velcom is quite simple: you can connect and disconnect it remotely, and you don’t need to submit any applications to the company’s office. If you do not want to use this function in principle, you can refuse it immediately after purchasing and installing a SIM card in your mobile device.
1. “Melofon” is a service that allows you to set audio accompaniment (melody, audio message) against the background of the ringback tone (RTC):
when a subscriber of the Unitary Enterprise “A1” (hereinafter referred to as the company), who has activated the “Melofon” service, makes an outgoing call to a specific subscriber number of the A1 network;
when other subscribers of the company make a call to the number of the subscriber who connected Melofon.
2. Audio is played if the called party is available and the line is free.
3. The Melofon service is provided to all subscribers of the company upon conclusion of an agreement, except for Internet tariff plans and special tariff plans.
4. Subscribers - individuals and legal entities have the opportunity to disable/connect the Melofon service independently using one of the methods specified in clause 9 of this procedure.
5. New users of the Melofon service and subscribers who reconnected the service 30 or more days after disconnection are given the opportunity to:
use the Melofon service without charging a subscription fee for 30 days, including the day the service was activated. The period of validity of the period without charging a subscription fee is not extended if the service is disconnected and reconnected before the expiration of 30 days. Starting from the 31st day, the Melofon service is provided with a subscription fee in accordance with clause 7 of this procedure;
Upload one of your own audio files to your personal list without charging a fee.
6. A1 subscribers (except PRIVET subscribers) who are disconnected from outgoing and incoming communications due to debt, as well as in the case of using the “Pause” service, are not provided with the “Melofon” service. For PRIVET subscribers, the “Melofon” service is provided in the “Active” status, as well as in the “Banning outgoing communication” status if there is an amount on the balance equal to or exceeding the cost of the service.
7. For using the Melofon service, a subscription fee is charged according to the tariffs approved by the company.
7.1. For A1 subscribers (except for PRIVET subscribers), the monthly subscription fee is charged daily in equal installments depending on the number of days in the month.
7.2. For PRIVET subscribers, the subscription fee is charged daily in a fixed amount.
8. Ordering a melody, recording/downloading your own audio file, setting a melody for an outgoing call are paid separately according to the tariffs approved by the company.
9. Management of the “Melofon” service (connection/disconnection, ordering/deleting melodies, operations with the “Jukebox”, setting a melody for an outgoing or incoming call) is carried out using:
USSD menu *424# call
SMS to number 424
10. Clients of the company - legal entities, if necessary, can prohibit independent connection subscribers of the Melofon service. The prohibition is established upon a written application issued by the client at the A1 sales and service center or sales and service points of attorneys or through Personal account For legal entities(access level Administrator).
11. Ordered melodies are stored in the subscriber’s personal list until the subscriber deletes them. After disabling the Melofon service, the melodies are saved in the profile for 30 days.
12. The subscriber has the opportunity to order several melodies at the same time at a special price - a package. The package may include melodies of one or different price categories. Removing such melodies from the personal list is also carried out individually.
13. The subscriber has the opportunity to record an audio message (his own audio file) using the voice portal at number 424, as well as upload his own melody to the personal list through the web portal of the Melofon service. For uploading your own audio content, a one-time fee is charged according to the company’s tariffs, regardless
on the quality of the audio file/melody.
13.1. When downloading a melody or recording your own audio file, the subscriber is responsible for their content in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. Unitary enterprise "A1" provides technical feasibility use of your own audio files in the Melofon service, and is not responsible for the quality of files downloaded and recorded by the subscriber. The subscriber can familiarize himself with the technical requirements for the downloaded audio file before downloading it on the website www.melofon.by.
13.2. Own audio files are included in the subscriber’s personal list (without the possibility of gifting to another subscriber).
14. Ordering a melody for a friend/Ordering a melody for two.
14.1. You can order a melody for a friend/for two, provided that both subscribers are A1 subscribers and users of the Melofon service.
14.2. Ordering a melody for a friend/for two is paid for by the subscriber who placed the order. At the same time, the melody (in case of ordering a melody for two) will be added to his personal list after placing the order and debiting the funds.
15. Disabling the Melofon service is carried out by the subscriber independently. After disabling the service, the subscriber’s profile (subscriber settings and melodies/own audio files from the personal list) is saved for 30 days. If the Melofon service is reconnected within 30 days after disconnection, the subscriber’s profile is restored with all settings.
16. Tariffs, features of the provision of the Melofon service, incl. restrictions and technical requirements for your own audio file are contained in the description of the service on the website.
17. Correct operation of the Melofon service is guaranteed when making calls from/to company subscriber numbers in the A1 network.
18. The company has the right to unilaterally change this Procedure without additional notice by publishing the changes on the official website.
19. In everything else not regulated by this Procedure, the client and the company are guided by the provisions of the agreement on the provision of telecommunication services concluded between the client and the company.