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Short code texts being considered - or not?

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Woodworm
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-07-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

I'm going to take your advice @dvorak. The attitude to customers asking for a perfectly reasonable service is a bit pants really. Off I go.
sweetpeas
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎29-09-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

A year has passed since the so called Answer was posted. Sorry but my patience has been depleted to -10

By this time next week I shall be with a new provider. Good bye.

Wibblyp
Rising Star
Posts: 96
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎15-05-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

The answer to the question is yes they are being considered. They will however not be implemented in our lifetimes or the lifetime of the universe, until it becomes profitable for Plusnet to do so. I mentioned this issue along with others ages ago and received the normal boring platitudes from Plusnet. It's like listening to politicians who refuse to answer a question. Do they think saying " no " is something the general public are unable to accept ? I also wish it had been made clear from the moment of joining Plusnet that this service is not provided. As previously stated few people have the time or inclination to trawl through large blocks of " terms and conditions", which is our failing but I for one would have reconsidered joining Plusnet

Short numbers are commonplace in many sectors, banking, media, marketing etc, they provide a quick alternative to enabling certain functions. They are useful and helpful.

I do wonder why the service is not offered as an extra to the monthly contract. I doubt very much that any extra hardware would be required, a little tweaking with the firmware maybe and readily available software boltons. All of this would be easy to cost and the wholesale costs to whoever are easily factored in. This would then allow those that want the service to do so and those that do not maintain their standard monthly cost. Plusnet customers would then be able to decide for themselves whether it is a cost beneficial service or not.

All of the above demonstrates Plusnets minimalist service ethos. I expect many of us would never have joined Plusnet, had their pricing structure been higher. I generally consider the service provided is value for money. I for one would not be adverse to paying an extra few pence a month to receive the service.

regards

paul

Wibblyp
Rising Star
Posts: 96
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎15-05-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

For those that are interested, here's a snapshot of Plusnets accounts to year end 2019. Figures are rounded and approximations to enable easy reading. Please don't carp on about the £1m discrepancy. It's just creative accounting.

profit     £186m

wages. £119m

tax.       £18m

profit.    £50m

Profit for the previous year was £40m so an increase of 25% year on year.

One would have thought, that with Plusnet netting £1,000,000 per week they would be considerate enough to provide this service at cost.

regards

paul

steve27
Dabbler
Posts: 22
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎31-12-2016

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

EE offer this service,both plusnet and EE are BT companies,pretty sure there could be some way round this!

japitts
Rising Star
Posts: 93
Thanks: 24
Registered: ‎17-07-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

By the same argument though, Giffgaff & O2 are both owned by Telefonica.
The point being, different brands have different offers.
steve27
Dabbler
Posts: 22
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎31-12-2016

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

it wasn't a general comment I made regarding short code text but was in reply to post no 9 regarding the commercial agreement:-

@KoolFork wrote:

Can someone from PlusNet please explain why this feature is not available?

Technical limitations that arise from our commercial agreement with EE to resell their service make it difficult for us to offer Short Code messaging services. 

Surely 2 parts of the same company should be able to resolve issues in "commercial agreements"!

also giffgaff is a total pay as you go service with no contract as such,plunet may be cheap but you have a contract and they credit check you before allowing you to join,so not anything like the same animal

jgfrancis
Grafter
Posts: 26
Thanks: 18
Registered: ‎08-05-2017

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

I understand that Plusnet does not have a direct agreement with EE, but deal with French company Transatel who provide MVNO services to many companies worldwide. 

goldiet7
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎24-12-2016

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

Have now left Plusnet  Mobile because of this and got a better deal on 3 then mates deal here 

Woodworm
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-07-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

Yes I have left too. Got a great deal from Lebara.
deeyay
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎23-01-2017

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

So as an addition to my op back in April, there are important reasons for use of short code texting in the midst of this pandemic.

I have some health conditions which means i cannot go out. The NHS contacts me mostly by text requiring a reply to a short code number. As I can't do this, I have to try contacting them by phone. this is currently almost impossible due to staff shortage at the hospital.

Short code texting is not an additional frippery but an essential service included by every other provider I've used.

It is increasingly used by the health service, banks and other essential services.

Technology has become so important in our lives now, so come on Plusnet, get your act together and start providing the service we expect for our money.

We've been banging on about this for years now and Plusnet has increasingly shown that it is not listening to it's community.

JayG
Pro
Posts: 1,145
Thanks: 143
Fixes: 6
Registered: ‎30-10-2011

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

I understand why many customers are trying to pressurise Plusnet into changing their mind, but the fact remains that despite BT owning both EE and Plusnet, in marketing terms they are rivals, each occupying a designated position within their respective markets.

To resell EE's mobile phone product cheaply, and make money out of doing so, Plusnet have no choice but to offer an 'inferior' product - only time will tell whether the economics force a rethink on short code texts, which of course will be influenced by how many customers vote with their wallets.

armalites
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎11-05-2020

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

As @JayG says this is why it's cheaper, if it's something that is important to you then you go elsewhere. Many people will be on 30 day contracts so can leave at any time.

Where we live EE is the only reliable signal and the short texting bugs my wife but not enough that she is prepared to pay 2-3 time the amount to go to back to EE,

For many people it seems to be like going to the same crappy restaurant all the time and moaning that the food is bad in the hope that it will change. Just stop going, it's simple.

If everyone who leaves mentions the short texting as being the issue then there may be some changes.

 

steve27
Dabbler
Posts: 22
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎31-12-2016

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

your restaurant analogy isn't really relevant as the food is the main reason most folk go to a restaurant, if the food was great and maybe some other aspect was poor,like a poorly stocked bar not selling the lager you want then most would still eat there and put up with poor bar and would possibly complain hoping to get that aspect rectified, most things re PlusNet mobile are for the price very good but the short code problem is something lots of us feel should be addressed,especially as they have been promising to look at it for ages

japitts
Rising Star
Posts: 93
Thanks: 24
Registered: ‎17-07-2018

Re: Short code texts being considered - or not?

There will doubtless be additional services that PN might want to offer, but this would come with cost implications. In other words, those services could be offered but technical and/or commercial implications would result in increased prices for everyone.

 

If a particular customer wants those services enough, they are free to choose an operator with those higher prices. An interesting exercise would be to see what aspects of mobile service are considered "basic" - I suspect as far as text messaging goes, sending to and from other mobiles could be it.