My account shows incorrect available text messages

[ASH12]

Hi,

I am a new customer signed in yesterday on $10 for 30 days plan and I am supposed to get 50 text messages wi this pan. I have not used any text messages yet but when I log in to my account, it shows that I have already used 12 text messages. Why? How to fix this?

Thanks.

[Keriktr]

Hello @ASH12,

I have already seen this carbon copied response numerous times, I have verified with Apple that my phone had imessage fully disabled prior to the PM SIM being installed.  Also, the phone was off when the supposed messages were sent.  After contacting Apple Support, they have checked and rechecked my device which has not contacted their imessage or icloud servers since the day I disabled it, which was almost a week prior to when the messages were "sent".  

I appreciate the effort of copying the message and re-posting, but the research will continue as this seems to be a problem isolated to PM/KOODO/TELUS.  I did a full reset on my wifes Bell iPhone, as well as my Work Rogers iPhone, and neither one has sent a single message to the same number that shows in the history of my PM iphone, and it has been almost a week since they were reset.

[ASH12]

It will be imessage setting up for iPhones or the android dialer setting itself up.  It has happened to many people including me.  You can contact the mods and out of goodwill they may credit you these messages but are not required to.

To send a private message to a moderator click this link.  In your message please include:

          - Public Mobile Phone Number

          - 4 digit PIN 

                    - account number

                     - email address on account

                    - last 4 digits of the credit card

          -Detailed explanation

Community Moderators are available from Monday-Friday 9am(Eastern) to 9pm(Eastern) and Saturday, and Sunday from 9am(Eastern) to 7:30pm(Eastern)

More info on moderators

[Keriktr]

@srlawren I am in Mountain Time, but the time/dates are literally days off of when the phone was powered on, that is the biggest mystery to me as well as the Apple support tech as he could find no record of the exchange with my number and the Apple servers.  Lost somewhere in cyberspace!  Thanks for your advice and input, I will continue to research!

[srlawren]

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@Keriktr wrote:

@srlawren, after a lengthy call with Apple support, the only complaints they have received about this issue are from users on Public Mobile, Koodo, and..........Telus!  I assume this has something to do with how the Telus servers handshake with Apple.

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@Keriktr that's an interesting revelation.  I would think this would be an issue for anyone on a metered texting plan.  I would think most plans at most carriers these days offer either unlimited or a very large number of texts included, so it's quite possible that most people never even notice or action if they are nowhere near their limit or have unlimited.  To the best of my knowledge, the carrier isn't involved in the exchange between your phone's software and Apple's iCloud, other than to act as the data conduit for your phone.  Re: times of the reported usage--I'm not sure what time zone you live in, but the usage history always reports in Eastern time, so it could be off by a few hours if you're out here in BC or something.

[Keriktr]

@srlawren, after a lengthy call with Apple support, the only complaints they have received about this issue are from users on Public Mobile, Koodo, and..........Telus!  I assume this has something to do with how the Telus servers handshake with Apple.

[Keriktr]

Hi @srlawren, it shows the messages going to the standard 474663 (iPhone) that apple users always complain about.  The main issue is that these show times when the phone was not powered on, and 5 days apart..........I am curious if the Public Mobile system sees your device is an apple product, does it arbitrarily contact the servers on your behalf?

[srlawren]

@Keriktr to what destination phone number are the text messages showing in your usage history in your self-serve account?

[Keriktr]

Thanks @srlawren, I am an apple certified repair/service technician and telecommunications technician, I assumed that could be the case, but when the messages appeared to have been "sent" by the public mobile system, the phone had only been turned on for approx. 4 minutes with a cellular connection to register the sim and then shut off and not touched for over a week (it is an emergency back up for my kids).  Prior to installing the Public Mobile SIM, I had done the complete set up of the phone, and then disabled all imessage, icloud functions, cellular and wifi data, to avoid the phone reaching out un-necassarily.  The messages showed up on the Public Mobile site while the phone was turned off sitting in a drawer.  I also ran diagnostics on the phone and it verifies that no messages have been sent, I have since ran the same diagnostics on my primary iPhone after a reset, and it only sends background messages over wifi to enable imessage settings.  I have since spoken with a few other current users of Public Mobile, who all shared the same story of text message counts being significantly higher than expected and unable to prove the messages were actually sent.  Perhaps it is a glitch in the system that counts messages?

[srlawren]

@Keriktr that's Apple's iCloud service registering with Apple behind the scenes.

[Keriktr]

I have the same issue, just set up a new account on an iphone 8.  Cellular data is disabled, imessage is disabled, but yet it shows 10 text messages used, but the phone shows 0 sent or received.  Strange part is that the phone has only been turned on intermittently since activated, it is never left on.

[RobertQc]

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@ASH12 wrote:

Hi,

I am a new customer signed in yesterday on $10 for 30 days plan and I am supposed to get 50 text messages wi this pan. I have not used any text messages yet but when I log in to my account, it shows that I have already used 12 text messages. Why? How to fix this?

Thanks.

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@ASH12

If you log-in to self serve and click “View My Usage” you will see the outgoing text and the number it was sent to. The most common issue is both iPhones (imessage) and Google (android) phones use SMS to set up things when you first sign up a new number / phone / provider. I use android not Iphone so not sure how to disable that. But as for Andriod you can remove texting permissions from the “Dialer” app.

There is also a chance if someone sent you a message (even if you didn’t respond) your phone will send a “delivery confirmation” back without your knowledge that will count as 1 of your outgoing text. That should be disabled as well.

Also send a private message to the moderator team Click this to send them a message with your PIN & Phone number and explain what happened. Since your plan is limited 50 texts and they were not done with you it is likely they will offset these message

[ShawnC13 · Accepted solution]

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@ASH12 wrote:

Hi,

I am a new customer signed in yesterday on $10 for 30 days plan and I am supposed to get 50 text messages wi this pan. I have not used any text messages yet but when I log in to my account, it shows that I have already used 12 text messages. Why? How to fix this?

Thanks.

---

It will be imessage setting up or the android dialer setting itself up.  It has happened to many people.  You can contact the mods and out of goodwill they may credit you these messages but are not required to.

To send a private message to a moderator click this link.  In your message please include:

          - PM Phone Number

          - 4 digit PIN (or at least 3 of the following to verify your identity)

                    - account number

                    - date of birth

                    - complete address listed on account with postal code

                    - email address on account

                    - most commonly called numbers

                    - alternate number listed on the account

                    - last payment date and amount

                    - last 4 digits of the credit card

          -Detailed explanation

Community Moderators are available from Monday-Friday 9am(Eastern) to 9pm(Eastern) and Saturday, and Sunday from 9am(Eastern) to 7:30pm(Eastern)

More info on moderators