MTN SMS Query

D

doc_msk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Messages
217
Reaction score
4
Location
Sandton
Hi,

I have an MTN contract (Anytime 750, also Yellow Genie). A few weeks ago one of the numbers I regularly SMS from SA in the UK on the Orange network stopped receiving my SMS's. The number in question in the UK can send me SMS's and also receives SMS's locally from the UK and internationally from the US, Europe, Asia etc.

At first I thought the problem may have been on that end. However, the number in the UK can receive SMS's from Vodacom in SA, but not from any MTN number I have tried (three other MTN subscribers have also tried SMSing that number with no success). Other Orange numbers in the UK can receive my MTN-originated SMS's.

So, my query is how do I go about reporting this to MTN and bypassing the not to-technical call centre staff (who start suggesting silly things like is my roaming activated!)?

Anyone out there who is an MTN-insider who can suggest how I get MTN to check this problem out?

Thanks
 
I have been having the same problem for about a month. The lady at MTN Canal Walk says MTN & Orange have stopped trading SMS's?? :confused:
 
Thanks for your reply. I don't think that is true since I can SMS myself from my South African MTN contract phone to my British Orange contract! It appears that I cannot SMS one particular Orange number. Strange.
 
I have also come across the same issue. I can send an SMS to a SA MTN number (from the UK via the O2 network), but only that number cannot reply? This started happening around 12:00 on the 31'th of March 2009 ...

Did you guys manage to sort out the issue?
 
Hi

I can confirm that is still a problem. I am an Orange (UK) prepay customer and have tested this with multiple MTN users in South Africa.

We have tried 2 x MTN prepay and 1 x MTN contract. The results I get are:

  • SMS's are never received.
  • SMS's arrive hours late.
  • Failure to receive the second half of truncated SMS's.
  • SMS's are received multiple times (up to 6 SMS's in one instance).

I have no problem receiving SMS's from Cell C so this does appear to be an MTN issue.

I have called Orange in the UK who claim there is no problem on their end.

If anyone has resolved this problem please let us know. Perhaps someone knows an MTN Tech support number that I can call?
 
Orange number not receiving MTN SMS messages

I am a South African and have been living in the UK for the last 6 years. I’ve been here in the UK with Orange as service provider, using the same mobile number from 2004, with no issues until my frustrations started 2 weeks ago.

All of a sudden I do not receive SMS messages from MTN numbers in South Africa but the same MTN users can receive my Orange SMS messages. I can send SMS's and also receives SMS's locally from the UK and internationally from Europe, New Zealand, Australia etc.

At first I thought the problem must be with Orange but now I have my doubts as my Orange number in the UK can receive SMS's from Vodacom in SA, but not from any MTN number (including my bank (ABSA) who use MTN for sending me SMS notifications for online banking). Other Orange numbers in the UK can receive my MTN-originated SMS's. I have determined that it is definitely not my phone or SIM card.

To make the problem even more complicated – I was on a Orange pre-paid contract for 5 years and then went on Orange pay-as-you-go for a few months and then 3 weeks ago back to Orange pre-paid contract. Orange is convinced that the switch-over from pay-as-you-go to pre-paid 3 weeks ago has nothing to do with the current problem and that it is just a coincidence. Orange escalated the issue to the highest support levels in their applications and networks departments and have now told me that it is definitely an issue with the MTN network in South Africa so Orange is going to close the call as they can’t do anything else to resolve the issue.

My brother in South Africa tried to escalate the issue within MTN but it is so difficult to find a MTN support number that works and if you eventually do manage to talk to a customer services person the only help they give is “I can see the SMS messages are in “pending” status on MTN network and nothing else they can do”.

This is very frustrating and I’ve ran out of ideas now on how to do any further fault finding for the issue.

Anybody out there that is experiencing the same issue at the moment or in the past?

Anyone out there who is an MTN-insider who can suggest how I get MTN to check this problem out?

Thanks
Heindrich
 
Hein01 said:
I am a South African and have been living in the UK for the last 6 years. I’ve been here in the UK with Orange as service provider, using the same mobile number from 2004, with no issues until my frustrations started 2 weeks ago.

All of a sudden I do not receive SMS messages from MTN numbers in South Africa but the same MTN users can receive my Orange SMS messages. I can send SMS's and also receives SMS's locally from the UK and internationally from Europe, New Zealand, Australia etc.

At first I thought the problem must be with Orange but now I have my doubts as my Orange number in the UK can receive SMS's from Vodacom in SA, but not from any MTN number (including my bank (ABSA) who use MTN for sending me SMS notifications for online banking). Other Orange numbers in the UK can receive my MTN-originated SMS's. I have determined that it is definitely not my phone or SIM card.

To make the problem even more complicated – I was on a Orange pre-paid contract for 5 years and then went on Orange pay-as-you-go for a few months and then 3 weeks ago back to Orange pre-paid contract. Orange is convinced that the switch-over from pay-as-you-go to pre-paid 3 weeks ago has nothing to do with the current problem and that it is just a coincidence. Orange escalated the issue to the highest support levels in their applications and networks departments and have now told me that it is definitely an issue with the MTN network in South Africa so Orange is going to close the call as they can’t do anything else to resolve the issue.

My brother in South Africa tried to escalate the issue within MTN but it is so difficult to find a MTN support number that works and if you eventually do manage to talk to a customer services person the only help they give is “I can see the SMS messages are in “pending” status on MTN network and nothing else they can do”.

This is very frustrating and I’ve ran out of ideas now on how to do any further fault finding for the issue.

Anybody out there that is experiencing the same issue at the moment or in the past?

Anyone out there who is an MTN-insider who can suggest how I get MTN to check this problem out?

Thanks
Heindrich
Click to expand...

This issue has now been resolved by MTN.

Thanks a lot to everyone who commented on this issue and the advice given in this forum but especially to Parmalat who resolved the issue and Snakepit who also provided his assistance.
 
Issue Not Resolved

Hi,

I am having the same issue described in the posts above. I recently opened an Orange contract (Was O2 pay-as-you-go before that) and since changing to orange have been unable to receive any MTN originated sms's.

The post above says the issue has been resolved. Can anyone tell me how this was achieved so that I can try and get this fixed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Warm regards,

Vaughn
 
MTN Orange

As someone working in the telco sector a South African friend who has asked me to look into this for her. First of all the issue has to be investigated by the originating network as the destination network has no way of tracing the route these messages take. To give an example a roaming agreement with the Russian network pass through a Belgian network. Orange still have a roaming agreement with MTN. You will need to get this escalated to a technical support department and not be dealt with by front line. Do not accept a fob off, even if the fault lies at the destination network Orange it needs to be traced by MTN. If the person on the line will not take the issue seriously ask to speak to a manager to get this referred up. I do not know if this will effect but MTN use imsi numbers (International Mobile Subscriber Numbers) that are one digit less than the norm, this is in the wikipedia reference to imsi. Good luck with sorting this out I know it can be distressing not being able to communicate with loved ones thousands of miles from home as I have been in this situation for three years.




doc_msk said:
Hi,

I have an MTN contract (Anytime 750, also Yellow Genie). A few weeks ago one of the numbers I regularly SMS from SA in the UK on the Orange network stopped receiving my SMS's. The number in question in the UK can send me SMS's and also receives SMS's locally from the UK and internationally from the US, Europe, Asia etc.

At first I thought the problem may have been on that end. However, the number in the UK can receive SMS's from Vodacom in SA, but not from any MTN number I have tried (three other MTN subscribers have also tried SMSing that number with no success). Other Orange numbers in the UK can receive my MTN-originated SMS's.

So, my query is how do I go about reporting this to MTN and bypassing the not to-technical call centre staff (who start suggesting silly things like is my roaming activated!)?

Anyone out there who is an MTN-insider who can suggest how I get MTN to check this problem out?

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X