What do you think when you call someone's cell or home phone and get a message that the inbox is FULL and can accept no more messages?

Their memory card could be full too.

I figure they’ll never call me back.

They don’t have time to bother deleting old messages.

@XOIIO isn’t that the same issue? Why is the memory card full?

Think nothing of it and send them a text msg. or e-mail.

That hasn’t happened to me in like 10 years…...I would be worried.

@plethora Music, videos, ringtones, pictures, phones usually have like, 512 or even 256mb of memory default.

Happens to me all the time. I save some messages for sentimental reasons, and forget to delete others when I decide I’m tired of having been on the phone for more than 30 seconds.

That they never listen to their voicemail. Guilty!

I don’t think anything of it. My inbox is full after only 3 or 4 messages.

I’ve been guilty of it as well on the home phone. Messages are stored on the local service site, not on the phone like in the olden days. A message could not be deleted unless the whole thing was played. When v-mail is filled with telemarketing, vote for this candidate, etc, calls, it starts to become less important to get rid of them. If anyone important wanted to get in touch with me, they had my cell phone number.

@plethora
Welcome back.
I think how annoying.

I don’t even have my voice mail set up. I don’t like getting messages that way. I like to be text messaged, so I have set my phone up in such a way that you are forced to text message me. Deal with it.

I figure they just don’t worry too much about it.

That they’re very busy and don’t get around to all their messages or that they don’t know how to clear their messages from memory. I’ve encountered both types. The first type, my general contractor, gets a lot of calls and can sometimes get backed up; the other type, one of his regular employees just doesn’t know how to clear out his messages.

That they’re not particularly fond of answering the telephone.
(...and I’ve asked you NOT to put my business online!)

Seriously though, I don’t think it’s odd at all.
I’m a particularly private person and I value by solitude as much as I value my peace of mind.
For me, caller ID and the answering machine is the best thing since sliced bread.
It allows me to avoid speaking with anyone I choose not to speak with.

Unfortunately, the people I choose not to speak to are 99.9% of the people who try to call me.

Perhaps my always full answering machine will give them a HINT.

I don’t really care because I don’t leave messages anyway.

I think it’s odd that people believe that just because you have a phone you’re required to answer it.

No I don’t.

What kind of reasoning is that?

Just because you have a door to your home doesn’t mean you’re required to open it for anyone who wants to enter. Why should the telephone be any different?

I purchased the phone for my convenience, not anyone else’s.

I answer the phone or respond to phone messages only when I decide to do so.

My case worker at the company that handles my disability benefits often does not deal promptly with messages from clients who are often people in some form of distress or another.
I often think people whose job it is to answer their phone and respond to their calls fail to live up to what is expected of them.

Private individuals are not obligated to answer their calls, nor are they required to process their messages. Sometimes people have strong reasons for acting this way and they have every right to do as they please. As far as I know, Homeland Security, so far, has not mandated otherwise!

@SABOTEUR While I agree with your response, it doesn’t address the topic. The question is about people who allow their answering machine/service fill up so that a new message cannot be left.

@KateTheGreat I don’t leave messages either, except in business. But that’s not really the point. I see that most people on this thread are not affected by it. I am readjusting my attitude.

I believe these vocal messages are not stored on one phone. [ I might be wrong though ] And this because the question is asked from the iphone so I believe it’s related to mobile phone and not home phones.

But if someone doesn’t bother to make room for incoming messages then it’s his fault he did not get “important” ones. I wouldn’t call back to deliver a message unless he was a close friend or a family member.

@Pied_Pfeffer Sorry…my answer then, is, I don’t think anything about them. It’s not an issue with me.

Answering machines, as we’re familiar with them today, are still relatively new conveniences. I’m from a time where there were no answering machines. If they weren’t home or chose not to pick up the phone you were just out of luck.

That was considered normal.

So I don’t expect free space on someone’s answering machine because (1) I don’t expect they will have an answering machine, (2) that they’re going to use it if they do have one and (3) I’m not going to stick around to find out either way.

As soon as it’s obvious I won’t hear a human voice, I’m gone.

@athenasgriffin THAT is a very good idea. I’d rather get text messages anyway. My son did that too. Except he doesn’t text. He says if he sees my number he will call me.

I think it would depend on how urgently I need to contact them. If I really need to speak to them and that is my only form of contact, I would probably be frustrated by it. Otherwise, oh well! Can’t speak to that person right now then.

My sister’s inbox is constantly full because she doesn’t “have the heart to erase all the memories”. And you know what? I call bullshit. Voicemails barely constitute as memories. They’re the kind of memories you forget are there until somebody bitches about your voice mailbox being full. And what about all the new memories? My only memory with any important message was totally ruined when one of my teachers told me that my grandmother was in the hospital when, in actuality, my cousin went into labor. So, yeah, I think it’s pointless.

In hindsight, though, I swore off voicemail because I think it’s pointless, but there isn’t much difference between having an empty mailbox and never checking it no matter, and having a full one and never being able to check it no matter, so it appears I’ve caught myself in a bit of a double standard.

I’d think I’ve found a kindred spirit.