Can't send MMS without Internet access - o2 says upgrade....

[Anonymous]

Ever since I have been an o2 customer I have been unable to send MMS messages - despite numerous calls over the years to o2 to have the correct settings for the numerous handsets I have had since I joined o2 either sent directly to the handset or in latter years being sent an email with step-by-step instructions to apply the settings manually to the handsets to enable MMS sending (and receiving) and none have been successful in any way, shape or form.

I called o2 again this afternoon - yet again - to see about the prospects of being able to send/receive MMS messages (specifically pictures messages) from my iPhone 5s and I was informed that I can only send picture messages IF I HAVE I have Internet access enabled on my phone.  I explained to the o2 "guru" - obviously a title nicked from my iPhone manufacturer Apple's tech support - that I do not need Internet access on my phone as I do all of my surfing either on my home wi-fi network or via secure wi-fi networks on the infrequent times I do need to access the Internet when I am out.

I explained that I am on an older SIMPLICITY PAY MONTHLY tariff that suits me and my needs perfectly and am willing to pay for the very infrequent individual MMS messages that I do send and I was told in no way could I send an MMS without enabling the Internet on my phone - and that would cost me £1.00 a day.  £1.00 to send one MMS?!  I said that was both ludicrous and ridiculous but the o2 guru told me that I either pay the £1.00 or upgrade to a newer (and, of course a more EXPENSIVE - at least 50% PER MONTH more expensive) tariff that would nowhere near match my present tariff just so I could have mobile Internet access.  I asked the guru how I would go about sending an MMS message if I did not have an Internet enabled phone and I was told that this would be done via the phone's GPRS settings, so I asked if he would walk me through accessing my iPhone 5s' GPRS settings and I was flatly told "No" and that I would HAVE to pay the daily charge or upgrade my tariff.  I was so angry that I thanked the "guru" as politely as I could for his time before I said something I might regret and I terminated the call.

Two hours later I was still so enraged that I called o2's complaints department and outlined my earlier call and about how frustrated, angry and upset it had left me and the complaints representative apologised for the earlier call and looked at my account and my tariff and he told me that there was a number of things I could try - firstly, try sending a MMS picture message while I am connected to my home wi-fi network, which I did so even though I knew what would happen - and I told him that I was met with a red exclamation mark inside a red ring which meant that the MMS picture message could not be sent.....   Surprise, suprise!  Like I hadn't thought of doing that myself over the years cos I'm an imbecile, despite my 50 years of life and the life experiences that go with reaching your half century.....

The complaints rep then said that it looked like the advice I was given earlier this afternoon appeared correct and had I considered having a bolt-on added to my account to allow me to have my handset MMS enabled and I told him that my tariff (being an old one) did not support any Internet bolt-ons and he said there was an MMS bolt-on available but I again told him that my tariff, being an old one did not support this bolt-on either as I have checked on one or other of these bolt-ons at least once a year for the past six years and each time I have been told that my tariff is incompatible.

His next suggestion was that I purchase a secondary sim card that would allow me to send MMS messages at a cost of 50% of my current monthly tariff and he apologised when he realised how inconvenient it is to have to swap over a nano sim card in an iPhone 5s just so that I could send one MMS picture message once in a blue moon.  Another solution was to purchase a data only sim card for a secondary handset - again at a cost of 50% of the cost of my present SIMPLICITY tariff PER MONTH and PLUS the cost of obtaining a secondary handset and the inconvenience of carrying said secondary handset around with me all of the time, even though I might only need to send an MMS picture message once a month, possibly as infrequently as once every 3 or 4 months.  At that rate I face either a £1.00 daily charge for sending ONE MMS PICTURE MESSAGE or as much as £15-£20.00 PER MONTH for sending the same MMS picture message?!  SHAME ON YOU o2!!!

I then asked the complaints representative what I would need to pay to access MMS picture messaging while retaining the unlimited free calls to any landline, unlimited text messages and 300 free cross-network minutes that I get with my current SIMPLICITY tariff and he checked my account and said that my current SIMPLICITY tariff was a deal I was offered back in 2010 and nothing could be done to match the same usages that I currently have incorporated in my present package with the added Internet access added onto it at present and that I would need to think about purchasing a whole new contract/package without the benefits of my present contract - and at a higher cost.  REALLY, o2?!  Pay for a package that does not meet my requirements OR match my current package contents at an inflated cost, just to be able to send ONE MMS picture message anywhere from once monthly or once every 3 or 4 months?!

I explained that I am disabled and that the unlimited calls to landlines was essential in order for me to keep in touch with family when I need assistance and was the reason why I needed to keep my current package contents and this was acknowledged with an apology but that o2 could not help me any further, even though I had stated that all of this unhelpfulness and upset is serious enough to have me contemplating switching to another supplier, which seems drastic just for being able to send the odd MMS picture message here and there.....

I am left thinking that both the guru and the complaints rep see that this would mean that by switching to a different network supplier means that I will lose the current package that my current SIMPLICITY tariff gives me, which I could not do without and I am effectively tied to o2 as a disabled customer or lose my lifeline to my family and carers.

Again, I can only add to that my comment from earlier in this post and that is: SHAME ON YOU o2!!!  Shame on you for being so inflexible!

[MI5]

Mobile data is required to send an mms - this is not an o2 requirement but a requirement of the old tech used to send mms messages. It is the same on any network.
As you have wifi you can use apps to send pictures for free to other people with the same app.
I use Whatsapp, but you can also use Facebook messenger, BBM etc.
Just make sure the person you want to receive the picture has the same app.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous Take note of what @MI5 has advised. If you change network you will still need mobile data enabled to send MMS. I send a lot of pictures and always do this using FB messenger over WiFi....which works out a lot cheaper. .....

[MI5]

Incidentally, I don't know what you are paying now, but you get get unlimited texts, 1000 mins and 1gb of data for £12.75 a month currently, or 500 mins, 500mb for £10.63

[Beenherebefore]

I'm on a 2 year old Voda calls and texts contract with no data included and I can send/receive mms

[MI5]

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@Beenherebefore wrote:

I'm on a 2 year old Voda calls and texts contract with no data included and I can send/receive mms

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But you don't use a smartphone.

[Beenherebefore]

My phone is smart capable and can connect to the internet and send/receive emails but I choose not to use those facilities.

[MI5]

Industry recognised as a "feature phone" not a "smartphone" though.

Feature phones utilise WAP over the old 2g system for send and receive of MMS (known as enhanced messaging services (EMS)) which is different to how smartphones work completely.

[Beenherebefore]

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@MI5 wrote:
Mobile data is required to send an mms - this is not an o2 requirement but a requirement of the old tech used to send mms messages. It is the same on any network.

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So the more correct explanation is that it's a phone specification requirement to have an internet connection to send mms.

Only certain types of phones are able to send mms without using an internet connection.

So effectively "smartphones" aren't as smart as we thought ? 

[MI5]

A quick history lesson.
To send a picture message over WAP you need to have an EMS capable phone. This will send the message over the 2g GSM network without the need to have mobile data enabled.
EMS is old tech and no longer supported by modern smartphones which use the "newer" MMS protocol.
MMS has more (but still limited) capabilities and does require mobile data to send a message.
The O2 limitation is all this is the way in which they charge for data with the web daily £1 charge, which I agree is unfair for sending one MMS message, which why, in this case it would beneficial to the OP to find other means of sending pictures, if they are a vital part of the required communication.
Either that, or buy an old 2g EMS capable phone for such purposes (which shouldn't cost any more than £10).
Smartphones.... Not smart or too smart......?