topic Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy) in Mobile Services

Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:20:44 GMT

Hi I changed iphone and after migrating all the apps, the Italian PosteID App to allow me back in wants to send me a one-time code via SMS. The App is essentials to me to pay for tax bills and access other government services in Italy.

I have attempted many times, while in the UK and even from Italy when I was roaming there but I never receive the SMS.
Other SMSs are received without problems.
I have also attempted using a spare old android phone where I stuck my EE SIM - but nothing happened.

I have contacted the tech support for the App and they told me that sometimes foreign (for them) operators block these SMS so told me to check with my provider (EE UK).

I have seen this other thread https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Mobile-Services/Problems-with-receiving-SMS-OTP-verification-codes-from/m-p/1371862. but no resolution. Please help

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

bristolian — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:19:02 GMT

Assuming that you can receive SMS from other senders OK and this is definitely a problem with one specific recipient, you should next contact EE-CS.

They have access to your individual account, but specifically can check your incoming SMS logs to ascertain whether the texts in question are arriving onto EE's network. That should help ID where the problem lies.

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 19:49:17 GMT

Thanks @bristolian I've spent time today one the phone with 3 different EE people, last one was from the tech support.

Essentially they checked and reset all and concluded 'not my fault' go back to the service provider who sends the SMS.

I fully expected this ping pong of responsibility, but it's disappointing and I'm no closer to a solution ☹️

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

bristolian — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 19:58:33 GMT

The team that I would understand as Technical Support are not customer-facing, thus I can only assume you've spoken to a frontline CS agent who have chosen to call themselves TS.

Did they advise what their basis was, for this not being an EE-network issue? I'm not suggesting either way, but I'd want to know their reasoning before accepting advice to contact someone else.

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:11:16 GMT

Unfortunately not much info from them - I have been asked twice to restart my phone and to remove my blocked contacts (so now I'm open to receive phishing SMSs again, thank you EE).
It's really hard to pin a fault - the only sensible suggestion so far has been from PosteID to try the SIM in another phone, which I did.
I'm back waiting for the service provider as the network provider says 'not me' .

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

bristolian — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:33:08 GMT

That sounds more like a "stabbing in the dark" attempt rather than anything methodical, which sadly doesn't surprise me.

Were the CS agents not prepared to check the incoming SMS logs or raise a fault ticket to offline technical support who can?...

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:34:44 GMT

I mentioned the SMS logs but they didn't have access to them

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

Peter_W — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:42:20 GMT

Hi there @edoardoc, welcome back to the Community.

This isn't always possible, but it can help our technical teams investigate the issue if you know what the other provider is sending the messages from.

As @bristolian has highlighted though, it's definitely something that needs further investigation at our end, and would usually be passed to our Level 2 technical team.

I'm confident if you get back in touch and make sure you're following the options for technical queries, we'll be able to investigate further.

Peter

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

bristolian — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:43:21 GMT

@edoardoc wrote:

I mentioned the SMS logs but they didn't have access to them

The correct process would then be for a fault ticket to be raised into (non-customer-facing) technical support for them to be checked, once you've taken all sensible steps to prove it's a particular sender being affected and it's not a device issue.

Testing your SIM in another phone would sensibly eliminate that, but that then proves the problem to either your SIM, the sender or EE's SMS platform. The SMS logs would ID whether the text is landing on EE's network or potentially being blocked by the anti-spam filters.

The latter would not be a huge surprise, especially where a (relatively low UK use) foreign sender is concerned, but this still needs a fault ticket being raised if the frontline agent doesn't have access. You should be able to provide a handful of examples of "lost" SMS with dates & times.

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:58:23 GMT

Thanks @bristolian and @Peter_W
I spent another hour with EE and their technical support and esclated. No resolution.

They say the SMS is not even hitting their network because they would see if it was captured by the filters.

Suggested that possibly the PosteInfo certificates are not recognized . I suppose I must look for a new SPID provider in Italy

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

Leanne_T — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:58:05 GMT

Hi @edoardoc

I am sorry the team could not find the root cause of this for you and the SMS is not showing on the network.

If the team are unable to get this resolved for you, it may be worth getting back in touch with PosteInfo and letting them know what you have been advised from the tech team.

Leanne.

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

andres76 — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:31:44 GMT

Hi Edoardo, did you manage to solve this? I'm trying to do exactly the same and not receiving the text messages from PosteID.
Failing that, did you find any wordarounds?

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:54:48 GMT

Hi @andres76

no I could not solve this. Tried so many times with both EE and PosteItlaiane but no resolution. I am stuck

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

RomanoKhokon — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:39:53 GMT

Hi Andres76 & Edoardoc,

I'm exactly on the same boat.

apparently the sms are not even hitting the EE network as Edoardoc mention earlier. So they can't see it and can't do anything about it.

they said the fault must be from the other side.

i used to receive OTP from PosteID just fine previously.

what should we do now? Any advice?

many thanks.

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:29:26 GMT

Hi @RomanoKhokon

I am not confident in pointing the finger to any of the two.
I have been bounced from one party to the other too many times.

Unfortunately the only solutions I see are

- get another SIM (maybe an Italian one temporarily?), and good luck with PosteID updating your registered mobile to that one over a phone call . Maybe go to Italy and a Post office with your passport and pray.

- get another iItalian digital identity provider (my route, still pending and it will take months)

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

RomanoKhokon — Mon, 12 May 2025 21:50:33 GMT

Hi,

thanks for the update.

which alternative SPID provider do you recommend? Specially if there is any that does work with email rather than SMS based OTP which is a pain in the bum 😕

Re: Unable to receive SMS OTP from POSTEINFO (Italy)

edoardoc — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:52:15 GMT

@RomanoKhokon On my last visit to Italy I went in person with my passport to a Buffetti agent, resigned to pay for another SPID.
They asked for the Consulate PDF certificate for my CF and then they said it had expired, even though they know that the info contained in it is immutable !!! (except the certificate issue date). So I could do nothing and I am still SPID-less.
I will go in person to the Consulate to get a CIE and hopefully that will replace the SPID for me.

I occasionally try to get the SMS from posteid in case but no luck. The only constant is frustration.