Visual Voicemail and Short Codes

[Pandaj]

Just been with Smarty for 1 month from Voxi. Though I can't complain about the 5G coverage. I'm surprised I am unable to reply to a short code from my GP nor do I get visual voicemail. It's 2024 hardly new technology. I feel I will need to go back to Voxi once my contact nesrly is up which is a shame as I like the network coverage, but if I cannot submit readings to my GP (which I could do with VOXI) then its not a safe network for me. 

[Decembersangel]

Hi @Pandaj 👋

SMARTY mobile does not support short code texts 🙄. This has been an ongoing complaint by many, many customers and they have yet to do anything about it (if you search the Community board for this topic you will see how many posts there are about it!) 😤. Unfortunately, SMARTY do not make it clear that this is the case for any potential new customers (which, I personally, think is very wrong) so they don't find out until they have joined 😡.
Have you looked at iD Mobile as they also use the THREE network? They support short code texts (there is a charge as they are not part of the data) and the cost and plans are comparable to SMARTY.
As for 'visual voicemail' .... I have never heard of that 😲 so I can't say which providers support it.
x x x

[Badger]

Something @Decembersangel said gave me an idea. Smarty block all things not paid for, or not in your plan. As short code is out of plan, have you tried adding some credit to your account and see if that lets you send short codes? 

Put say £5 on and test. Unlike everyone else, you don't lose that money either! It stays in your account forever/until used up and at any point you can apply it to your bill so effectively get it back. I tend to add £5 to my account to cover things like this.

@Decembersangel 'Visual Voicemail' is something that has been around for decades yet barley no network in the UK uses it so its unsurprising not many people know about it. I think only the very over priced networks use it like O2 and maybe one other? Basically when you click on the voicemail button you get a list a bit like an email list of your voice mail, allowing you to ignore and not even listen to your messages and just select the ones you want to listen to. When it came out I thought I really wanted it, but then the reality of how vastly expensive it would be (changing to a mega expensive restrictive account) in combination with I get roughly 1 voicemail a year, and the "I want it" soon became "meh!".

😁

[MSF]

@Badger That unfortunately does not work because Smarty do not support the system of short codes.

[Decembersangel]

Hi @Badger 👋
Many years ago I did try the 'add-on' £ for short codes when I was with SMARTY but it doesn't cover them as they do not support the technology/system for them (as informed by @MSF )  😤🙄
Ahhh, that kind of explains it (nope, not one bit 🤣) and like you I very rarely (once a decade .... maybe 🤔😁) get a voicemail.
By the title of 'visual' voicemail I thought it was an ability to leave a 'video' voicemail e.g. 'call me back beatch' (with a menacing eyeball upclose to the camera from someone I know! 👀🤣) How wrong was I?!?!? 😂
Maybe I'm onto a 'new' thing 🤔😂

[MSF]

@Decembersangel  I must confess that In thought the same as you re: visual voicemail.

In fact, what you have just described sounds more like 'Voicemail with intent to cause fear" 😎☠️

[Decembersangel]

@MSF  🤣🤣🤣🤣
Oh what fun could be had with 'visual' voicemail!! 🤔 😈 🤣
Although I think a lot of mine would just be a video of my left ear!
I love technology but it just doesn't understand me! 🙄😂