I'm sorry if this subject has been discussed already, but before I write a useless letter to OFCOM I would welcome any input members may have. I am sure it is technically feasible for phone companies to give an announcement before recording an answerphone message which gives one the option of NOT leaving a message (and therefore not being charged). As things stand at the moment, it seems virtually impossible to not incur a connection charge. If the person is out, their 'free' answerphone service (ie free to them, but not to me!) will kick in. This is especially irksome with mobile phones - when I call a mobile in almost all cases it is because I want to speak to the person THERE AND THEN - otherwise I would use a landline to call them later! This 'service' will also take your money when making a call from a public call box - again, in a lot of circumstances this call is being made because it is urgent. My daughter recently had no way of contacting me for a lift late at night because the first number she had phoned had resulted in an answering machine kicking in and taking her last coins.
The related bugbear is phone queues not telling you how many callers are ahead of you in the queue. I know this is technically feasible, because I have witnessed its use (though not recently, I must confess - probably companies realise that if people are told they are 45th in a queue they will hang up rather than hold on for ages earning commission for the company).
Great site, by the way. Not good for the health though, to know how much we are being ripped off.

This is one of my pet hates too. It's obvious the phone companies only offer these free answering phone services so to make more money by pocketing the minimum charge when it goes straight to the answerphone. At least if the person you are calling isn't there, you have the chance to hang up after seven rings (with BT 1571). What I really hate is when it goes straight to the voicemail if the phone is engaged - particularly a problem if you know people still on dial-up internet.

I have removed the voicemail option from my mobile. Anyone who wants to leave a message can do so on my home  answeing machine or send a text. I think this whole voicemail thing is yet another ripoff.