short code reply fails message not sent phone number formatted incorrectly

[#1]

Hi trying to reply to a text from a short code.

I agreed that I would pay for sending back the reply, but then got the message not sent phone number formatted incorrectly.

It worked back on 5 January, but has stopped working, since I moved from EE to plusnet.

Thanks

[#2]

I have tried restarting my phone and taking the sim in and out.

I do get occasional loss of network that is solved by restarting, but everything else is working fine.

[#3]

@ronaldduncan 

Plusnet Mobile does not support short codes.

[#4]

I have checked my SMS center number and it is correctly set to the plusnet +44 7870002308

[#5]

Any reason for this banks and others use short codes and it is much easier to respond to alert messages by text than having to wait in a queue to resolve the issue.

[#6]

A suggestion,

I just read the long forum thread on plusnet does not support short codes.

It would be good to put this into the FAQ section so that when people get the error

message not sent phone number formatted incorrectly

They understand that it is because plusnet does not support short codes, rather than other common problems like
My flacky plusnet SIM is not connecting the the network
I have not shutdown my phone 2x removed the SIM for 5 minutes etc etc
Have I go the correct SMS center number
Etc etc.
One help guide for the problem suggests 7 options before contacting your network operator.
http://www.techbae.com/message-not-sent-phone-number-formatted-incorrectly-android-fix/

Personal position doubly annoyed.

Having spent an entire day trying to get through to the bank earlier this year and being on hold from 8:30am to 6pm when the call was dropped by the bank since they were shutting up for the day, being unable to respond to short codes is a deal breaker.

Having wasted a chunk of today to find out that
A/. Plusnet does not support short codes and
B/. Plusnet is fully aware of the issue and does not want to highlight it because people would not switch to plusnet.

2017 https://community.plus.net/t5/Mobile/Plusnet-mobile-does-not-support-shortcodes-to-sms/td-p/1425931

2018 https://community.plus.net/t5/Mobile/5-Digit-Numbers-not-supported-My-Bank-Payments-are-failing/m-p/...

[#7]

Other issues, you need to text register to 999 if you want to send an emergency text.

Found that is one of the above forum threads, where there were some helpful responses from plusnet support.

It is a contractual issue with EE and I assume that since it was going to be raised in 2018 it has not yet been agreed, since in 2018 the plusnet position was plusnet are looking to add it to the contract.

Given it is now 2021 it would be good to get the current plusnet position.

[#8]

What is current plus net position on adding support for short codes?

And when will this decision be next reviewed.

[#9 · Accepted solution]

PN have stated there is no current news on if / when short codes may be supported.
The only time we will be told anything is if there is an official announcement.

[#10]

Wow. After all this time - 4yrs+? Still no Short Code support.
While I agree with the Support comment about Plusnet not supporting Short Codes, we are requesting that you do support them, so the issue is NOT "Fixed!"
So many UKGov services (especially the NHS!!) require replies via Short Codes that this omission is just getting silly.
When I signed up, I was not warned of this deficiency. So many other companies use these codes to peddle their wares these days that there and there is no way to opt-out of their nonsense due to this service being absent.
I really like my Plusnet Internet and my mobile service otherwise, but I'm gone from these contracts as soon as I can.

[#11]

Do any other telco's not support short codes?

It would be great if OFCOM ruled that either short codes must be supported, or that anyone using a short code service must also provide a full number as an alternative. But I guess that won't ever happen if it's only Plusnet.