Costing them to text me

[Anonymous]

I started a new contract with o2 and I got a new number but it's costing my friends and family who are on o2 to text me? Any solutions to this?

[Cleoriff]

What tariffs are your friends and family on?

If they are on free O2 to O2 calls and texts then they need to contact CS and ask why they are being charged http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[viridis · Accepted solution]

Are they sending lots of emoticons with the texts?
Sending to multiple recipients?
These are commonly converted to mms and are charged, same if they send pics.
If it's just a standard text charge, they can call customer services and get the amount credited to the account (if tariff inclusive of the texts)
It may just be because the number is new, O2 systems are having an issue with it.

[PhoneChanger]

This looks like a case where SMS is being changed to MMS, as @viridis said, if they are sending lots of emoji's in the texts some phones will convert them to MMS at which point they are chargeable

[Cleoriff]

If these people are sending texts using emoji's or emoticons which is by no means certain (as it appears to be happening to more than one person)...have a look through this thread to see how to avoid it in future.. http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-Services/Accidental-MMS-Sending-and-How-to-Avoid-it/td-p...

As matter of interest having conducted my own test on this...the first emoticon takes up about 90 characters and every one thereafter takes up 1-2 characters...

[MI5]

A new number will take a few days to populate the O2 system.
Give it a week and it should all be set up OL. CS will refund anyone any charges incurred in the meantime.

[jonsie]

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@MI5 wrote:
A new number will take a few days to populate the O2 system.
Give it a week and it should all be set up OL. CS will refund anyone any charges incurred in the meantime.

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^^^ what @MI5 says is correct but your friends need to call customer service and they will refund any charges without question.