Why are Vodafone.ie blocking free texts messages to foreign mobiles? at RunningWithBulls.com

Why are Vodafone.ie blocking free texts messages to foreign mobiles?

Published by bbt November 7th, 2007 in bernard, irishblogs, nokia siemens networks, runningwithbulls.com

I thought this was my mistake, but it seems like its setup by Vodafone.

Vodafone give subscribers 300 free text messages when they log into their website. A simple-ish web interface. Enter the message and the number and Bob’s your uncle (of course they don’t guarantee delivery, but hea, thats all SMS traffic anyway..more or less).

But now, it seems that Vodafone want to tell you where you can send your free text messages.

Here it seems that they are only allowing you to send them to Irish mobile numbers. I wonder why? Is it because they don’t want to you to actually send them to competitors and therefore cost them money? If you send text messages to other Vodafone subscribers, it costs them nothing.

o2.ie on the other hand, don’t seem to have any restriction on sending text messages, (they give 250 free text messages).

Thats pretty mean if you ask me. They want to tell you what you can do..

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3 Responses to “Why are Vodafone.ie blocking free texts messages to foreign mobiles?”

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1 SG Nov 9th, 2007 at 11:04 pm

No harm to you but is this not a free service offered to you as a customer? If they allow you to send to mobile operators in other countries, there is an interconnect charge they would have to cover. So that potentially is 2.2 million users x 300 messages x 12 months x say 5c per international text message, so that €396,000,000 (if my maths don’t suck). That’s worst case scenario so even if half the people used did it (that’s still €2,000,000).

So it’s pretty simple really, international text messages cost the operator money and they are
2 P Mar 8th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

Ya, but they make squillions off people all over the world and they’ve been the front runners in overcharging customers for having the arrogance to leave the country and try to use their phones abroad!!something like 12 times what it should have been I think the European authority who reprimanded them said!!So, why not let people send the odd text abroad… They make enough off us.I know I’ve been charged ridiculous tariffs when traveling. A gesture like allowing texts abroad off the website wouldn’t go astray.
3 deirdre agnew Mar 16th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

i would love if i could webtext to uk from vodafone ie unfortunately i have to use my husband number