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short number texts

Mav
Moderator
Moderator
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: short number texts

Just to confirm what Oldjim has said; moderators are customers like yourself with no access to members' accounts or special knowledge.

Forum Moderator and Customer
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain
He who feared he would not succeed sat still

steve27
Dabbler
Posts: 22
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Registered: ‎31-12-2016

Re: short number texts

I think he may be referring to the members who are also plusnet help team members (staff),not mods

kxthleen
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2016

Re: short number texts

Thanks for getting in touch! As mentioned by a few people, the Mods are Plusnet customers who keep the Forum tidy and civil, but we do have several staff members like myself who can respond with more specific details.

As for the mobile issue, at Plusnet we really pride ourselves on being an affordable company and that does extend to Mobile as well - like someone has already mentioned, most short numbers are for premium rates and we wouldn't want anyone running up a bill that would leave them in a bad place! I do understand wanting to use it for other things though, such as your banking or feedback for services you've used. I'll pass this on to my manager and ask her to forward it to the relevant people and hopefully it's something we can consider in future to make things easier, the idea of having them optionally enabled is a great idea and one I'm sure a lot of customers would appreciate!

 Kathleen Grief
 Plusnet Support
DS
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: short number texts

Although I'm not using PN mobile as my current service provider, I get the odd text from a short number. Their blurb also states that replying is either chargeable or free - out of interest how does PN see 'free to reply short text numbers', do they block these too?

All of our phones are currently on monthly contracts (not payg) and come with unlimited (well 5000 isn't, but I'd never get there!!!) texts and I've never been charged for replying to the free short text numbers.

I know for sure that swmbo often receives texts from short numbers but hers tend to be chargeable to reply. On the odd occasion that she replies to these she'll hit the send button but the phone also asks if she's sure she wants to continue to send.... (no idea if it's a sim alert to phone or a phone setting itself) but she doesn't see this alert to 'normal' numbers. Due to these additional charges for these short chargeable texts all accounts have a safety buffer limit so there's no way the likes of a premium rate text service can rob us of ££'s.

quelquod
Pro
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: short number texts

I don't mind some things being blocked by default but it should be possible to have any feature enabled.

Ideally this would be possible via the account website (GiffGaff is a good example here) but at the least it should be possible to enable any feature via customer services. It's a step backwards to restrict what capabilities your mobile has.

Democracy - 3 wolves and a lamb voting about what to have for lunch!
al6000al
Dabbler
Posts: 13
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Registered: ‎20-12-2016

Re: short number texts

If Plusnet Mobile doubt that customers signing a contract are competent to decide for ourselves whether or not to use a short code text which incurs a charge then they must also accept that we are (presumably) not competent of entering into a legally binding contract for service and as a result cannot be held liable for any costs arising from such a contract.  

Plusnet Mobile already gives the option of applying a Smart Cap to prevent excessive spending and given that this control exists I cannot see how a "reasonable user" making "reasonable decisions" could possibly run up an unreasonable level of expenditure from short number texts (and thus end up in a "bad place").  

It is not "normal practice" in the industry for such a restriction to be universally applied and for this reason I think Plusnet should state, front and center, on the relevant landing pages of the website that this service is unsupported.  

Makes me think very seriously about going back to GiffGaff, where I was treated as a responsible adult.  

Sadclient
Grafter
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Registered: ‎14-03-2017

Re: short number texts

An old thread now, but Plusnet's earlier responses to this issue are typical of the scripted replies from Plusnet Support at the time, though the reasoning is flawed and the statements untrue. The reason shortcode texts are not available are of course absolutely nothing to do with protecting customers from huge bills and "evil scammers" Bills are capped anyway and people are more than intelligent and capable enough to decide for themselves when they want to use these text codes. Government departments, financial institutions, NHS, employers, educational and many other institutions are increasingly using these short codes for convenience and speed and at NO COST to the end user. Yes you can also use them to enter TV and radio competitions for a charge but that is a choice most adults are capable of making for themselves. The real reason short codes are not currently supported is just that, as a fairly new mobile service provider, Plusnet are not yet set up, technically (or maybe contractually) to provide it. Indeed this is now the official line being given by PN customer support (May 2017).  Though it was wrong and misleading (not to mention insulting) to feed this earlier nonsense to the public I can understand that PN workers were under strict instruction to "tow the party line" and indeed I personally know of one PN support employee who was dismissed for agreeing with a customer that the service should provide short codes and that the general excuse given for not doing so was wrong. 
This silly business of denial and pretence, which has been touted by PN senior management for whatever reason, has caused a great deal of damage to PN's reputation. It would have been much better if they had been honest and upfront from the start and explained the situation clearly, especially on their website where people want to know exactly what they will get when they sign up. I am glad to say that they have, hopefully, now learned a hard lesson and they are now stating the real reasons and stating that they are working towards a resolution of this issue and hoping to provide short code texts as part of the normal mobile service in the near future though exactly when this is likely to be of course remains unknown. Would've been nice if this had been their policy from the outset but better late than never eh? 😉 

quelquod
Pro
Posts: 668
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: short number texts

Couldn't agree more both about the reasons and about PlusNet's corporate untruthful 'support'.

Together with several other features available from all of the mainstream providers (including PlusNet's own carrier EE) not having this is simply to differentiate the lower-cost service so that a few more customers will choose EE and provide BT with a few more shekels.

Democracy - 3 wolves and a lamb voting about what to have for lunch!
Starmans
Grafter
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Registered: ‎03-03-2015

Re: short number texts

So this thread will explain why I am no longer receiving SMS messages from my bank with updates, and also why the like of GOV.UK Verify services are not working either.

Unfortunately these are not "premium" services as I would generally consider them and I will now have seriously consider moving back to another network - rather disappointed.

pkw
Aspiring Pro
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Registered: ‎14-04-2017

Re: short number texts

Would the sms numbers you are talking about include the likes of HMRC (60886) or WhatsApp verification? If yes, it's strange as I've never had any issues receiving them. 

Colin_Maybe
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Re: short number texts

@Starmans Neither is Plusnet a 'Premium' service, it's not supposed to be, it's a value service. Don't join Sky mobile as they don't support shortcodes either.

Starmans
Grafter
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Re: short number texts

I don't believe I suggested Plusnet Mobile was a premium service I was saying that PNM consider the ability to receive SMS text messages from GOV.UK/Barclays bank as premium according to their customer support.

steve27
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎31-12-2016

Re: short number texts

I moved to plusnet mobile from giffgaff,which is a basically pay as you go non-premium service:-they supported short number texts so don't try to imply that if such a service is required then folk should expect to use what you class as a premium service,the reasons given and excuse's for not providing this are completely bogus,the protecting customers from excessive charges when customers can cap their bills especially so,I don't have an issue(well I don't think I have,who knows if things being sent are never getting through?)with receiving texts from short numbers but do have an issue not being able to send texts to them:-it should be my choice to send ,even if it is at premium rate not plusnets who are basically using a form of censorship on the service 

Colin_Maybe
Pro
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Re: short number texts

@steve27 I moved from Gifgaff myself and you're correct, they allow shortcodes. What you fail to mention is that they heavily cap download speeds (5 Mbps max for myself over 24Mbps with PN) which is just another way of differentiating between value and premium services.

 

Censorship? Is your real name Disgusted of Dagenham?

steve27
Dabbler
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Re: short number texts

What?I am struggling to understand your logic here! speed has nothing to do with allowing short number texts neither has  the data allowance/price ratio(if either of those things were the only reasons people choose a service we would all be on the same provider!)what you are actually saying is that because speeds are so high with plusnet that it should be considered a premium service?if that is you argument then surely short number texts should be available shouldn't they