I read David Pogue’s post about “Take back the beep“; He offered up the email address for an AT&T person. Update below with bypass info for the major voicemail systems;

AT&T: Send e-mail to Mark Siegel, executive director of media relations: MS8460@att.com.

This is my complaint email to Mark Siegel. I even threw in a quick semi-coherent rant about my SMS plan and pricing hatred.

I am an AT&T gophone prepaid mobile customer. 714-XXX-XXX
I’m already tired of paying you guys to listen to my voicemail via my mobile phone, and then I get stuck with listening to a 15 second message you guys put there purely for your own profit since i am unable to turn off that function myself.  You know how to turn it off, you do it for the iPhone users at Apple’s behest.

Also I’m pissed off that you decided to collude with other carriers to raise and essentially double SMS fees in efforts to get customers to pay for more services monthly, since the SMS plan for prepaid expires every 30days no matter what, and has a “roll over” if you refill it within 30 days. Well I never use up the 200, and while there is a magic option to refill the prepaid minutes every 30days, there is no option to re-add the message plan, so I end up forgetting, maybe not get around to adding the 200 plan, the next SMS I get there goes $.20, $.40 if I decide to reply before going through the 5 minutes of 611 automated IVR voice hell just to turn on a SMS plan, this should be done by sending an SMS to 611. Ever try to access 611 somewhere noisy? HELLO!?@#?!@
SMS->611 “purchase 200 sms”
611->users “200 SMS plan purchased; your balance is now $X.xx”

Thanks for wasting my time, and stealing 1/4 of the minute I pay to you for service to check voicemails.
Your stupid and faithful customer since 2002

-r0b friedman
714-XXX-XXX

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/the-mandatory-15-second-voicemail-instructions/

Bypass info.

STEP ONE. Press 1. If it’s Sprint, you get the beep, and you’re done. If you hear an error recording, go on:

STEP TWO. Press *. If it’s Verizon, you get the beep. If not:

STEP THREE: Push #. You get the beep for T-Mobile or Cingular.

You have to pause after each one, and you have to keep listening. But it’s one small way to fight back. Remember: One Star Pound.

above image of money cc by EricGjerde