ALLedgedly free SMS shortcodes

stevelikessaving

Ok the moan is this Radio 1,2,3, etc have short code text numbers like 88291 for radio 2 ( Martin are you watching this.....! ) they claim they cost the same as normal text numbers ( eg your full mobile number ) however they show as premium rate text band 1 and charge you at standard text rate.... SEEMS fair so far.................. However I have bundles of free texts and as the short code is classed as premium rate band 1 it is chargeable and not taken from my free text allocation.

Is this just BT mobile or does everyone else find this

Does anyone know the full text numbers for BBC radio stations .....

OK so it seems from replies so far that it is not just me being charged rather than having it taken from inclusive text bundle... BUT does anyone know how to get past the shortcode number i.e. the underlying full mobile number in the way that saynoto0870.com lists ordinary landline numbers to bypass companies 0870 numbers that cost you loads to ring up when you need to complain. Seeing as Martin sponsors the saynoto0870.com site he should have some interest in finding out or Has Jezza Vine threatened to keep him off Radio 2 if he gives out the backdoor text number to BBC radio stations...???

mike_wall15

Radio 1 = 81199

My Orange Inclusive texts don't count, it comes up as an MMS message I think...

Mike

rharper83

Googles SMS shortcode 64664 should be the same as a normal SMS (according to the google site) but it comes up as a Premium SMS at 10p on my O2 online account

lofty_2

works with pay as you go but not with contract for some reason...

andy88_2

I never heard it alleged that they're free or included, but was surprised when I found out they aren't; some cost 12p 85058 Radio 5

chris73

You'll find that these promotional text numbers are a fee + your usual text rate.

For example it may be a competition to text in, and billed at 25p + your usual text rate. Therefore if your provider bills you at 12p per text then the cost will be 25p (For entering the comp) + 12p (Service Provider usual text fee) = 37p total.

If your provider gives you free texts, then the cost will be 25p + 0p = 25p. The 25p is the profit shared between the text service and the promoter. If there is a charge levied by the promoter for entering the competition then this will NOT be included or subsidised by your free texts.

Most Radio / TV competitions use this method.

stevelikessaving

mike_wall15 wrote:

Radio 1 = 81199

My Orange Inclusive texts don't count, it comes up as an MMS message I think...

Mike

Thanks for confirming it is not just me being charged .... We need to find out what the full text number is i.e one starting 07xxx xxx xxx then texts sent will come out of our bundled texts rather than being chargeable.....

stevelikessaving

chris73 wrote:

You'll find that these promotional text numbers are a fee + your usual text rate.

For example it may be a competition to text in, and billed at 25p + your usual text rate. Therefore if your provider bills you at 12p per text then the cost will be 25p (For entering the comp) + 12p (Service Provider usual text fee) = 37p total.

If your provider gives you free texts, then the cost will be 25p + 0p = 25p. The 25p is the profit shared between the text service and the promoter. If there is a charge levied by the promoter for entering the competition then this will NOT be included or subsidised by your free texts.

Most Radio / TV competitions use this method.

Hi chris thanks for post...... the TEXT shortcodes i want to bypass are ones just to send texts to BBC radio stations studio eg Radio1 81199 radio 2 88291 etc if you have used all your bundled texts then there is no problem as they only charge you ( in my case 10p on BT Mobile ) the same as an ordinary text to another mobile. However, in my case i rarely use all my bundled texts ( but soon would If i could use them to annoy Ken Bruce on Radio 2..!!!!!! )

dc

Ive just discovered this "0870" moment as CPW insist in my case they are "received premium rate texts" and are therefore not related to my o2 text bundle


However does anyone know of a website that gives the full numbers, as there must be a full number behind the shortened number. One for Saynoto to get their teeth into if not.. EH...MARTIN?

dc :mad:

utilitybroker

Why must their be a full number behind the short text code? I dont think they work like NGN phone numbers!!!!

-1-

Radio 1's webpage says :-

"81199
The SMS service is only available to O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, 3 and Virgin customers. Unfortunately the service is not available to customers of other providers. Messages cost a maximum of 12p."


I think they are just chortcodes also, I didn't know they forward to a normal number ?.

A bit of info on short codes here http://www.reverse-billing.co.uk/sms-text-short-codes/ looks like they are just chort codes and you can choose how much the "texter" pays to contact the number. There is a zero charge option, so there's no excuse lol people are just being greedy.