Question

cant send SMS to france / French number

  • 14 November 2023
  • 25 replies
  • 803 views
D
Rank

I can’t send any text messages to a french number - which I could do before moving to ID. 
 

I have previously sent numerous text SMS message to a few people in France. That was when I was using the EE network as my provider.  
 

Now with ID, to the same people, the messages are failing.  I get the red (!) icon.  I try to resend and it fails again. 
 

is there a setting on my iPhone that is blocking this? Is it in my ID account?  
 

i have roaming turned on.  Mobile data is on.  
nothing has been manually changed since moving to ID. 
 

please help.  
 

thank you. 
 

Duncan. 

25 replies

andewhite
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Badge +9

If you’re in the UK and sending a text to a French mobile number, this would be considered an international text message, which costs 6p per SMS on the iD network.

If your online iD account bill cap is too low @DuncanRE, these text messages cannot be sent.

 

D
Rank

Hi,

Thanks.  I have no problem with paying the 6p per text.  My account cap is set at £25, of which I have used zero. 

“Your Extra Usage Charges are capped at £25.00

 

You have £25.00 remaining.”

Also I see this…

“International.

Your international feature is now on.
You can now make international calls, and send international texts and MMS.”

So why would it be being blocked?

andewhite
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Yes indeed, the international feature would also need to be turned ON @DuncanRE. 

Have you changed handsets between EE and iD Mobile?

If you turned ON the international feature, for your iD account today, you might need to restart the handset with the iD SIM card.

 

D
Rank

It is the same handset as before.

I did not turn on the international feature myself at all.  I wondered at the use of the words “is now on” so I did turn the phone off and on again, but I still cannot text to France.

Any other ideas please?

andewhite
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Normally with an iPhone, the device prefers iMessage over SMS for sending text messages, unless the recipient’s device is not Apple, or your iPhone cannot get an Internet data connection. 

Have you transferred your number to iD Mobile recently @DuncanRE? 

Is the correct mobile number shown in the following setting:

Settings > Messages > iMessage > Send & Receive under “YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM” 

 

 

D
Rank

I am on wifi connection at home with superfast broadband - and also the same problem happens when I am outside of wifi, and do have phone signal and 4G.  I can send UK SMS, just not international. 

I have iMessage turned off because it causes other problems.   I should be able to send SMS.

I Have been with ID for 4 of months.  My phone number was migrated over to ID 4 months ago.

Since receiving your message above about iMesage I have tried this - turned iMessage on - rebooted phone - tried again - still cant send to France.

Does ID actually have any support who can specifically look into my account and into this problem?

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
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Okay @DuncanRE, I’m just a forum user like yourself, trying to assist other members here. 

There’s online help & support available from iD. Their primary channels for this are: 

  • Online iD Live Chat at https://idmobile.co.uk/live-chat (via a popup window in a browser).
  • By private message using Facebook Messenger.
  • By DM using X (formerly Twitter).

The agents work until 8pm on weekdays - iD support team might even review your iD account settings today.

🤞

Kash
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Userlevel 7
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Hi @DuncanRE,

Welcome to the Community!

I hope that you managed to get in touch with the team and get to the bottom of the issue.

Please let us know if you require further assistance.

 

Kash

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D
Rank

HI Kash,

I contacted ID mobile via Facebook messenger.  I am waiting to hear back from them. 

Kash
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Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @DuncanRE,

The team should get back to you within an hour if contacted between 8am-7pm Monday-Friday and 9am-4.30pm on the weekend.

If you haven’t heard back, please let us know.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
D
Rank

Hi. This has still not been resolved. 

Tom
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Badge +4

Hi @DuncanRE 

 

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account, so we can discuss your issue further. 

 

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’. 

 

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview  

 

We’ll see you there. 

 

Tom

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
Frederieke Grange
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I’d love to know if this was resolved and how, because I have the same problem!

WelshPaul
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Have you set your account cap to something higher than zero @Frederieke Grange? You also need to enable the international calls, texts and MMS setting from within your online account.

If you have done the above, what number format are you using? French mobile numbers start with 06 or 07, I believe? So, try sending a text with the following +336 or +337 followed by the rest of the mobile number. If SMS fails, try replacing the + with 00 (ZERO ZERO), e.g. 00336 or 00337 followed by the rest of the mobile number.

 

 

Frederieke Grange
Rank

Thank you, what do you mean “from your online account”?

ive checked my (iPhone) settings and the settings in the ID mobile app, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t work.

The only thing I’d not tried was changing the + to 00, but sadly that didn’t solve it either…

Tom
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Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Hi @Frederieke Grange 

 

Unfortunately the above case was closed as we had no response from the user.

 

Where @WelshPaul refers to online account, they mean the iD Mobile app/website while logged in.

 

Is the issue with all international number or just some? Is it consistently the same ones?

 

Tom

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
Frederieke Grange
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It’s just the one particular number and I do receive text messages from this number so it’s definitely correct!

I do have another contact with a French number and that works fine.

WelshPaul
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Userlevel 8
Badge +6

If the issue is only happening with one particular number then the issue is likely their end. Have they ported a number between networks recently? Could be the result of a split port.

Kash
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Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Frederieke Grange,

As @WelshPaul suggested if it’s working with one number but not another it sounds like it could be an issue on their end.

Are they able to text you without issues?

 

Kash

 

 

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
NigelBB
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I have only been with iD Mobile for a couple of months (I switched from BT Mobile) & never needed to send a text to a French mobile before. I have a French friend visiting who sent me a text when he had exited the channel tunnel. When I tried to reply I got the error “Not Delivered”. I tried to send a text several times over the course of two hours but all failed. When he arrived we did some testing. Texts fail but I am able to phone him. I have International switched on & sufficient account bill cap. I was able to send texts to my friend when I was with BT Mobile.

It looks like this is a widespread iD Mobile problem as my wife has been with iD Mobile for over a year has the same problem. She can call a French mobile but cannot send a text. I see that there have been other customers with the same problem who didn’t seem to get resolved. 

I had a chat with iD Mobile yesterday without any resolution. I was given a reference number & told that my problem had been forwarded to the technical team who would get back to me within 48 hours. I followed the instructions to send the chat transcript to me by email & then the chat screen was cleared. I did not receive any email so don’t know what the reference number was.

BTW I tried to create a new thread to report this issue but every time I try to submit the post I get the error “You haven't selected a subject”. Needless to say I have selected Question & provided a title for my post but cannot find any field that is titled “subject”.

UPDATE - I found the ‘Subject’ drop down so have started a new thread.

Kash
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Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @NigelBB,

Welcome to the Community!

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account so we can discuss your issue further.

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’.

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview

We’ll see you there.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
ahambea
Rank

Hi @NigelBB,

Have you got any resolution with this, I have the same problem, I had a call from a French number and called it back but I can’t text the number, I tried with my wife’s phone (also on ID) and it does the same thing and I get error message 0,

Regards Andrew

Kash
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @ahambea,

Welcome to the Community!

Just checking if you have a cap on your account?

If so you may need to increase the cap first.

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
NigelBB
Rank

Hi @NigelBB,

Have you got any resolution with this, I have the same problem, I had a call from a French number and called it back but I can’t text the number, I tried with my wife’s phone (also on ID) and it does the same thing and I get error message 0,

Regards Andrew

No. I have had no resolution of this. I have identified that it’s a number with the SFR network that I can phone but not text. I can send a text to phone number on Orange network OK.
It seems that it’s a generic iD Mobile problem as my wife (also on iD Mobile) cannot text the SFR number either.
I have no idea why the technical folk at iD Mobile cannot tell where the message fails.

Kash
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @NigelBB,

We’ll get back to you via PM and escalate the extra information you have provided.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.

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