A method and apparatus are provided for sending messages such as video or voice mail messages in a telecommunications system. A recipient message number is allocated to a subscriber to the system for each recipient to whom the subscriber wishes to send messages. This allocated recipient number is then stored with an associated recipient number. The subscriber makes a call to the recipient message number and a message is recorded in the call. A recipient pick-up number is then allocated to the recorded message and the recorded message is stored. A separate message including the recipient pick-up number is then sent to the recipient and he is able to dial the recipient pick-up number to retrieve the stored message.