connections to this number is restricted

[baryart]

I am based in the UK and I am trying to make an international call, unfortunately to no avail. It doesn't matter which number I pick I hear "Connections to this number is restricted on this phone. Please contact your customer care agent".

I've been to Vodafone support centre twice already to make sure that they unblock all necessary extras on my account. They said they did but I still can't call my doctor or my parents abroad. 

One more thing (maybe it could help)- when I was abroad in country XYZ I was able to call people in this country! But once I came back to the UK I can't do it anymore. ( "Connections to this number is restricted on this phone. Please contact your customer care agent".) 

[AnnS]

Hi @baryart 

From the sound of what you have written there is an international calling bar restriction on your account. Take a look on your online account or My Vodafone application, you can remove the restriction from there. 

When you speak to Vodafone they need to look at international calling bars and not extras.

[baryart]

Hi AnnS,

I've logged to my account , I go to Services and Extras and I click on Bars and Data alerts. Is that what you meant? There is a section about international calls which seems to be switched on (see below). 

It strike me as odd that toggle option for setting up 'making international calls' is not available for me ... ??

If you look at calling when abroad, except back to the UK section you can see that there is toggle option on the right hand side but there isn't one for making international calls. Please see below. The text after clicking "find out more" suggests that I should be able to change options myself? Anyway, it seems for me that international calls are switched on.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @baryart 

Might just be worth checking any call settings in the phone itself to ensure nothing there is hindering the call.

Maybe give the Vodafone Social Media Team's via Contact-us-for-account-specific-queries a go at resolving this for you if it is account based.

I wish you all the best with this. 

[AnnS]

It's a difficult one for sure @baryart there is still a restriction on the account somewhere and this is something Vodafone will need to look at.

You don't by any chance have Spend Manager on the account here: Spend Manager this would stop you spending anything above your monthly price plan.  

If you are going to be making calls overseas from the UK definitely add an International calling extra here: Vodafone Extras depending on the country you are calling, this will save you a lot of money.

With it being a bank holiday weekend live chat would probably be quicker for account access, you can also speak directly to the Social Team through Social Media channels from the link left by @BandOfBrothers 

[baryart]

Just to give an update. I've got in touch with support on Facebook and it turns out that the issue is that I have a Basic Plan. I always thought that I would be able to call abroad and then be charged for that accordingly (19p per minute or something like that) no matter what plan I use as this seems to be a very basic (pun) thing but it is not the case. I need to upgrade the package to more expensive one to make literally 2 or 3 phones calls few minutes long per year. Frankly, I'm quite disappointed by that. Before Vodafone I was with giffgaff, EE, Three and I've never heard about not being able to call abroad because the package doesn't include that. Anyways, Thanks for your help. 

[donnyguy]

Yeah I was looking at the Vodafone Basic tariffs for a friend of mine who was shopping around for new deal, you get linked to them by some of the price comparison websites (I think Vodafone Basic is a favourite of USwitch).

It seems the cheaper monthly price is aimed at people who just need the basics.