3 Network Texting Problem

Funkiwi75

I have just got a new SE K800i on the 3 network. I have just found that I can't text my family in New Zealand who are on Vodafone I have also tried to text one of mates that is on a different network in NZ but she didn't get it either (I can't get text from them either). Has anyone else out there had the same problem?

I was under the impression when I joined the network that I would still be able to text them, I was on Vodafone here and I was able to text them and they where able to text me.

Can anyone explane to me why this is?

Thanks

chrislad

Did you ask and were told you could still text them or did you just assume?

Far as I know, Three has fairly poor roaming agreements compared with other networks.

Funkiwi75

I did ask them a lot of questions about roaming and being able to text home but unfortunatly I'm not sure what there exact answer was. I did ring customer service just now and they said that they havn't got an agreement with NZ. I have always just thought that you get a phone and you can at least text anyone in the world. I know when you go to other countrys that your phone may not connect to there network, I just thought it was different when you on your home network

chrislad

It's the opposite actually. Texting is a lot more uncertain than calling. I know Meteor can text nearly all networks down under, bar Optus, I believe.

DJ Hafez

I'm in the same situation with txting Egypt. Will find out the outcome of the problem tommorow. Will probably have to get the phone unlocked and change back to vodafone

Funkiwi75

I have just got off the phone again with 3 customer service after confirming on there website that you can call and text NZ http://www.three.ie/international/bands/3_1.html

The guy said that on the list of county's that he has NZ was not on it so they can't gareentee it will get there. So why dosen't it say that on there website. Looks like I'm going back for a refund and get my number sent back to Vodafone and back to using my old SE Z600 a bit of fulse advertising if you ask me.

DJ Hafez

I am getting a call back tommorrow about the whole issue. I will unfortunately be away from a PC for the next few days but I will let you know as soon as I can what the story is regarding it

Funkiwi75

As far as i can see with this link http://www.three.ie/international/bands/5_1.html

You should be able to call and text egypt

DJ Hafez

That's what it says but after trying to txt, it doesnt work, and then after ringing three they said that I could ONLY call and not txt. False Advertising!!!!!

rogue-entity

It isnt false advertising, 3 attempt to send texts anywhere you send them, if the foreign network is accepting, the will forward the texts along, and you get charged 25c. If the foreign network isnt, then the message ends up in the bitbucket. Vodafone, O2 and Meteor also do this, though they have agreements with more networks to gurantee delivery then 3 do.

The annoying thing is (and all networks do this) is that you are charged for the attempt regardless of weither or not it is a success. But the problem is two way as you observed, 3 are not accepting texts from Vodafone NZ anymore then Vodafone NZ are accepting them from 3. And there is just Vodafone NZ, AFAIK, there is no other network in New Zealand, at least not according to this site: http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml

Funkiwi75

Since my last post I have been able to text two mates overseas one in NZ on the Telecom network and one in Oz (not sure what network hes on). I got my mate in Holland to text me and it hasn't arrived here yet (I asked her via MSN. I havn't tried to text her).

I have now sent a text from my bosses O2 phone to NZ, I got a reply from my family on Vodafone, But i'm still waiting to hear from my mate on Telecom.

But whatever the outcome I will be leaving the 3 network, unfortunatly texting just two mates isn't ideal for me.

1huge1

You didnt really do your research did you but your not to blame 3 are its common sense that you should be able to text a vodafone number but 3 seem to be the exception...
I was txting this one from NZ I could receive msgs but my msgs wernt recieved
as for what network they were on I dont know sorry

rogue-entity

The simple fact a lot of people are forgetting (and I hate saying this so much, it makes me sound like a fanboy), is that 3 are a new network, I would assume that anyone with common sense would guess that a wide range of roaming agreements would not be in place at the time they launced a la Meteor. Anyone remember the times when you couldnt text some countries on O2 less then 5 years ago, or Meteors non-existant roaming for nearly two years after their launch unless of course you were willing to pay €60 up front for a small smattering of countries.

The point is, 3 are a new network, so you should have checkd before hand if it had the features you wanted rather then assuming that they would because its "this day and age". If you were told that you could text vodafone NZ customers, and then found out you couldnt, you can bring the phone back for a full refund since it wasnt fit for the purpose under which it was sold. I mean, I went with 3 with full knowledge of the problems they could have, such as crap roaming, crap international texting and so on, though, I chose to bear with this because I am the early-adopter type, and my only other choice for 3G was Vodafone, and I hate vodafone.

Solair

There is another network in NZ, Telecom NZ, however it's not GSM it's CDMA, another digital system that's only really used by some networks in the USA and Canada and a few random spots around the world.

Sam Vimes

rogue-entity wrote:

It isnt false advertising, 3 attempt to send texts anywhere you send them, if the foreign network is accepting, the will forward the texts along, and you get charged 25c. If the foreign network isnt, then the message ends up in the bitbucket. Vodafone, O2 and Meteor also do this, though they have agreements with more networks to gurantee delivery then 3 do.

The annoying thing is (and all networks do this) is that you are charged for the attempt regardless of weither or not it is a success.

this is true. i once accidentally entered 006 instead of 086 and it sent my text to a non-existent australian number. got charged for it anyway

rogue-entity

Solair wrote:

There is another network in NZ, Telecom NZ, however it's not GSM it's CDMA, another digital system that's only really used by some networks in the USA and Canada and a few random spots around the world.

USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Austrailia and NZ to the best of my knowledge are the only ones.

CDMA is technically superior to GSM both in cell capacity, call quality and security. Where the impliamentation in America is so poor is that they do not issue SIM cards, instead they have custom phones that contain the same data preprogrammed into them.