With Voice Mail, am I now getting charged for *incoming* calls as well?

[BobR]

I have local message service where I get 65 local calls a month free, plus 10 cents for every local call above the 65.  I have had this for about 30 years, and I have never gotten close to making 65 calls a month -- usually it's around 30 or 40, tops.

I got Verizon Voice Mail hooked up two months ago, and the two bills I've gotten since have billed me for 120 local calls the first month and 105 the second.  I called up Verizon both times to get the charges taken off, but there is no explanation as to what's going on.  I know that I have to dial the system number to retrieve voice mail (so I get charged for only one local call instead of two), but there is still no way I'm coming anywhere close to 65 calls.

I am wondering in the back of my mind whether I am now also getting charged with a local call every time someone calls my home phone and gets forwarded to the voice mail, whether they leave a message or not.  I asked the Verizon billing department, but they didn't know what they bill me for (arrrgggh), so of course they forwarded me to the repair department for answers (arrrgggh), who didn't know anything about it and suggested I call the business office (arrrggggh), and when I asked how I could contact the business office, they reconnected me to the computerized menu that would steer me back to the business office again (AARRRGGHH).  

Can someone *authoritatively* tell me whether I'm now being charged for one of my 65 local calls every time someone calls and connects to my voice mail?  I would like to know before the election comes and I get a zillion robocalls from political candidates and issues advocates.

Thanks

Bob

[garywms01]

Having been a rep for Verizon business customers, what number do you call to retrive your messages.  If it's an 800#, I'm out of my league, but if iy is a local number, that is included in your message unit count.  Hope this helps