Texts are used even though I didn't text any - I just activated $10 plan

[slpless]

Hi,

I am new to Public Mobile. I activated $10 plan yesterday at Walmart. Then, I signded up for my account on the website and found that seven texts are used. How come? I checked this morning again and now nine texts are used. I don't know what's going on here. I never texted. Can one of moderators please help me? I don't know how to send a private message to a moderator, so I post this with this tag, @Moderator_Team.

Thanks.

[frankieshi]

Same as me

[srlawren]

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@Korade wrote:

That number that texts are being sent to are the iMessage server for configuration. It sends a few back and forth texts when you first install the SIM card into your iPhone. I believe this has been explained previously, but you should not incur additional texts to this number. 

Since the $10 plan is the first plan to have limited text (previously, all plans were either unlimited or no texting at all), perhaps PM can look into not counting texts to certain numbers, such as this iMessage one as I am sure it affects many customers (me included). 

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@Korade it's a good suggestion.  It's also a bit ironic.  I'm not sure how long you've been a customer, but allow me to stroll down memory lane a moment to explain.

Once upon a time, PM used to offer a couple of different texting options:  one was "Unlimited Global Texting", which is the same as the current "Unlimited International Texting".  The other was "Unlimited Canada-wide Texting", which was cheaper than the global option by a small amount.  Back then, a lot of people with the Canada-wide texting were having problems with iMessage trying to text that number too (or a similar one?) because it's outside of Canada, and the texts wouldn't go through.  Back then, there were numerous suggesitons for PM to whitelist the iMessage set up number(s), similar to your suggestion.  A while later, PM made the change to eliminate Canada-wide texting and only offer all or nothing.  I personally believe this was because they were unable to whitelist the iMessage numbers so they decided to simplify by just offering international texting.

So yes it's ironic that this has come back to bite them in the rear again; this time not due to geographical limitation, but due to unwanted consumption of the tiny 50 messages in the $10 plan.  I really don't think they thought the $10 plan through very well, personally, before jumping to offer it to match [was it Chatr and Freedom, I think?] competitors that offered a $10 highly-limited plan.  

[Korade]

That number that texts are being sent to are the iMessage server for configuration. It sends a few back and forth texts when you first install the SIM card into your iPhone. I believe this has been explained previously, but you should not incur additional texts to this number. 

Since the $10 plan is the first plan to have limited text (previously, all plans were either unlimited or no texting at all), perhaps PM can look into not counting texts to certain numbers, such as this iMessage one as I am sure it affects many customers (me included). 

[srlawren]

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@Yiatiohi wrote:

The same is happening to me again - in my case texts are shown to originate from my phone to -- cut and pasting as follows --

474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:18	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:15	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663

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@Yiatiohi please see the post immediately before yours.  To wit:

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@CS_Agent wrote:

Hi,
If you have any questions concerning your account, you can send a private message to the moderators through the following link:
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

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[Yiatiohi]

The same is happening to me again - in my case texts are shown to originate from my phone to -- cut and pasting as follows --

474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:18	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:16	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663					Minutes	$0.00
31/05/2018 4:15	Outgoing Text	2894236002	474663

[CS_Agent]

Hi,
If you have any questions concerning your account, you can send a private message to the moderators through the following link:
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

[Someone_here]

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@ElleBee83 wrote:

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@Someone_here wrote:

I had the exact same problem with that plan and an iPhone... 

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@Someone_here And what was your solution?? I’m in the same boat!

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I messaged the mods and the credited the text messages back on my account. 

I didn't happened again after the first day.

When activating the iPhone it sends texts for some reason in relation with iMessages. In my case I simply disabled iMessage because I wasn't intending to use it, so I don't know it it would continue to send messages if it were to stay activated.

[ElleBee83]

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@Someone_here wrote:

I had the exact same problem with that plan and an iPhone... 

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@Someone_here And what was your solution?? I’m in the same boat!

[Someone_here]

I had the exact same problem with that plan and an iPhone... 

[LEGO]

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@meocon wrote:

Im pretty sure it has a problem with MMS settings as $10 plan doesn’t have data. 

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Sorry, but this is incorrect! All Public Mobile Text option plans include data in order to send MMS, but you cannot use this data for other purposes. 

[meocon]

Im pretty sure it has a problem with MMS settings as $10 plan doesn’t have data. I have a same problem with you when I just activated $10 plan 6 messages sent out and then I tried to turn off cellular data and it stopped at 6 messages.

[Yiatiohi]

I had the same and worse problems - It turned out to be a faulty cell number - on the advise of a moderator I changed my number and all went well. Hope that works for you.

[slpless]

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@will13am wrote:

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@slpless wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

@slpless, have you received any text.  I am not 100% certain, it is possible that incoming text are also being counted.  In any event, go to the usage history and check what phone numbers are involved here.

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@will13am, I received two incoming texts from Public Mobile. I didn't send out any. When I check usage history, I see 9 outgoing SMS. I have no idea what's going on. I sent a private message to the moderator_team. Hopefully, they have a clear picture. Thanks for your help.

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Well this is strange.  Your phone doesn't show the same 9 text being sent?  If there is a big in the system, isit possible that any account can have usage history problems.  Please report back the final outcome for the benefit of others.  

Edit:. It looks like you may have identified the "smoking gun".  

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Yes, I think I did. I had iMessage off and iCloud relogged in. Hope this will work. Thanks again!!

[will13am]

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@slpless wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

@slpless, have you received any text.  I am not 100% certain, it is possible that incoming text are also being counted.  In any event, go to the usage history and check what phone numbers are involved here.

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@will13am, I received two incoming texts from Public Mobile. I didn't send out any. When I check usage history, I see 9 outgoing SMS. I have no idea what's going on. I sent a private message to the moderator_team. Hopefully, they have a clear picture. Thanks for your help.

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Well this is strange.  Your phone doesn't show the same 9 text being sent?  If there is a big in the system, isit possible that any account can have usage history problems.  Please report back the final outcome for the benefit of others.  

Edit:. It looks like you may have identified the "smoking gun".  

[slpless · Accepted solution]

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@will13am wrote:

@slpless, have you received any text.  I am not 100% certain, it is possible that incoming text are also being counted.  In any event, go to the usage history and check what phone numbers are involved here.

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@will13am, I received two incoming texts from Public Mobile. I didn't send out any. When I check usage history, I see 9 outgoing SMS. I have no idea what's going on. I sent a private message to the moderator_team. Hopefully, they have a clear picture. Thanks for your help.

EDIT: I took a look at usage history further and found that the destination number is 474663. Then, I found a discussion on this issue. It seems it's related to iCloud or something.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/outgoing-messages-to-474663/td-p/66707

[will13am]

@slpless, have you received any text.  I am not 100% certain, it is possible that incoming text are also being counted.  In any event, go to the usage history and check what phone numbers are involved here.

[closng]

Hi @slpless,

Sorry to hear about the anomaly on your texting records. Tagging the Moderators will bring their attention to the topic but you will still need to message them with your account details.

To send a message to the Moderators, click on the following link, be sure to include a detailed explanation of your issue, account number, phone number, 4 digit PIN, and account email address:
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437