Odd messages from BT?

[iadom]

I have had a lot of recorded voice messages from BT over the past few months. Sometimes three or four times a day and then nothing for a week or so.

They are all the same message informing me that I have been sent a text message that is undeliverable due to it being either blank, containing a picture, or other attachment. It then goes on about how to get info on receiving text messages via landline and then gives me the number that the supposed message came from.

I have phoned this number on two or three occasions and every time get an answerphone message from an Orange mobile.

I did a 1471 and phoned the 0845 number that came up and it led me the 'SMS text store from BT'

It informed me that I had two messages in my 'store'

The mobile number is not known to me and I have been with Ntl/VM for at least 12 years although I have retained the same phone number for over 40 years, originally with BT.

How can I stop these messages, I was apparently able to delete them from my 'store' at BT.

Jim.

[v0id]

A quick search suggests you Dial 0800 587 5252
Select Option 1, then Option 5 to disable all messages.

Sounds like some space cadet has your home phone number saved in their mobile, in error. The day they actually try to phone you, they will realise they have the wrong number ...

[iadom]

Originally Posted by v0id

A quick search suggests you Dial 0800 587 5252
Select Option 1, then Option 5 to disable all messages.

Just done that, will see how it goes.

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:12 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

Sounds like some space cadet has your home phone number saved in their mobile, in error. The day they actually try to phone you, they will realise they have the wrong number ...

But why does the text they are trying to send go to BT and not come direct to my phone?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by iadom

Just done that, will see how it goes.

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:12 ----------



But why does the text they are trying to send go to BT and not come direct to my phone?

You answered your own question earlier, it's because the text is either blank, contains a picture or an attachment

Did these messages stop after the action you took?

[iadom]

I still don't follow you, up to now they have not returned but that doesn't explain why these messages went to BT in the first place. If someone from many years ago had my number then as it hasn't changed it follows that it should have come through to my VM phone.

Why should it go to BT just because it is blank???

Why do I 'apparently' have an SMS message store at BT when I have not had an account with them for over 12 years?

[qasdfdsaq]

The message goes to BT because your phone number is still owned and operated by by BT.

If you kept your number when moving from BT to VM your original number will still be listed as a BT number, calls to you get redirected to your VM line by BT as if it was a permanent call forward. Text messages cannot be forwarded, so when sent to you the sender's SMSC will look up the number, see that it belongs to BT, and send it to BT's SMS fudging device.

[iadom]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

The message goes to BT because your phone number is still owned and operated by by BT.

Interesting, didn't know that. I cannot dial 1471 to retrieve the number now, busy phone line so possibly had 50 or more legit calls and countless other cold calls since I first posted.

Hopefully disabling all messages as advised above will stop anymore. we shall see.

[qasdfdsaq]

It's a technical limitation. Number blocks can be moved between providers but not individual numbers, so the old number gets kept by the old network who forwards your calls. Incidentally, the old provider also still gets paid the termination fee when someone calls you - though they may have sorted that out now. The same applies to mobiles incidentally, though providers there tend to be more on the ball about removing numbers from their services after being ported out, the old "donor" network still forever gets paid by anyone who calls you, not the actual network you're receiving the call over.

The "correct" number for BT Message Store is 0845 602 1111. If that's the number you got then it's legit, but as mentioned you can turn off the service completely - again with BT as SMS to landlines is handled at the network level by a go-between that receives all messages for BT's number blocks.

[iadom]

From memory that was the correct number, thanks for explaining.