Blocked Numbers

[Anonymous]

Hi

My wife lost her mobile so I rang O2 to block the number. So far so good as I cannot ring that number. I then tried sending an SMS to it and that worked. I got nothing back from O2 saying that the number was blocked! Just wondering where this SMS is!

I think O2 could improve their aervice by sending an SMS back saying that the number is no longer active.

What about all my wife's friends who probably sent her SMS and are now wondering why they didn't get a reply? Come-on O2, be a bit humane!

All the best

Patrick

[Anonymous]

It isn't technically possible, because of the way SMS works its not a real time system, (its was an afterthought and uses the control channels). The message goes to a message centre, where its held and repeated attempts are made at delivery until its either delivered or timed out. If its delivered then the receiving phone can signal receipt, but there is also no way to signal not received.
O2 can't change the way SMS works or you wouldn't be able to text across network.

So that message you sent, is waiting in the message centre for a phone to become available on that number or for it to time out. This will be up to 7 days, depending on the validity period you have set on your handset.

[Anonymous]

I understand what you are saying but it seems to me that O2 could check the recipient number before letting the message go to the message centre and signal the sending phone if the recepient happens to be a blocked number.

[Anonymous]

As I've explained, it isn't possible. Unless, you know a way to do it?

[Anonymous]

If the recipient of an SMS message can see who the sender is then this is part of the SMS "header" and the message centre also knows. If a message times-out then the message centre could send an SMS back to the sender. Is this also beyond the technical workings of SMS?

[Anonymous]

Yes.

The closest you can get is a Delivery Report as mentioned above.

The issue, as I've tried to explain, is that the way SMS works is that the sending handset is in charge of what happens its not a real time two way system like instant messenging where you would be able to do this.

[Anonymous]

Please correct me if I am wrong but O2 does not send delivery reports. Would be helpful if they did. O2 does send me a message (probably Flash-SMS) telling me that my account has been charged (I am on PAYG) so why can'y O2 check, or ask BT or whoever to check, if a number is blocked. It does it for voice cals.

Surely if I call an O2 number from an O2 phone then the call never leaves the O2 network! Would be silly for the call to be sent outside the O2 network only to be routed back in!

[Anonymous]

Yes, but text messaging and calling work in completely different ways!

You can get a delivery report by starting your message with *0# , that won't appear in the received message. But when the receiving handset signals receipt, you will receive a text.
Incidentally, the balance notification isn't a flash SMS.

[Anonymous]

Now that shoes me the O2 is doing things slightly differently.

When I was on T-Mobile PAYG, I received a delivery report if I turned this feature on in my handset settings. This has no effect on O2; instead I have to start my SMS with '0#'. What a pain!

Just wish that turning delivery reports on using my handset would insert that '0#' before sending!

[Anonymous]

The code works on T-mobile as well. (you can also use double bang for flash messages).
Delivery reports are an add-on to SMS and each network deals with them slightly differently. There is no other significance than that.