Charge for picture message not sent

[ClareE81]

On my phone bill this month I have a charge for a picture message to a number 010020250100. Not a number I recognise and checking my messages I sent none on the date specified. Google tells me this is a scam number. How can I get EE to refund me and stop it happening again?

[Christopher_G]

Hi @The-Vicar 

If you speak with our customer service team, they'll be able to check the charge for you. They'll do their best to help make sure this doesn't happen again.

Chris

[londondesignee7]

Please dont  give false information i have spoken to ur helpful customer service they don't wanna listen to a  word  about this and blaming the customer so thank you very much 

[londondesignee7]

Please dont  give false information i have spoken to ur helpful customer service they don't wanna listen to a  word  about this and blaming the customer so thank you very much .

[londondesignee7]

Please dont  give false information i have spoken to ur helpful customer service they don't wanna listen to a  word  about this and blaming the customer so thank you very much

[AAB]

I have the same issue and you are quite right! EE do not want to know. They only offer a cap which they say will prevent ALL overseas texts which with children living abroad is no good to me. I was told that escalation of the issue would not result in a different outcome!! I raised a complaint which was opened and then closed without further contact.

I will see what a newspaper article has to say about this shocking customer service or lack of it

We have been customers of EE for decades but will now look to leave them as soon as practicable 

[Ali_A · Accepted solution]

Hi @AAB 

When itemisation shows a message was sent to a number beginning 0100 it usually means it was sent to an email address. 

This can happen if you're using an iPhone and iMessage is unavailable- your iPhone will automatically default to sending the messages as an SMS or MMS (green bubbles) instead. 

If the recipient set their email address as the main contact, the iPhone will convert the message to a Picture Message, as it's not possible to send to an email address through normal SMS. 

You can avoid this happening in the settings- 
Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Scroll down to the SMS/MMS section > Toggle Send as SMS to the OFF position. 

Ali 

[ee_user14]

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@Ali_A wrote:

If the recipient set their email address as the main contact, the iPhone will convert the message to a Picture Message, as it's not possible to send to an email address through normal SMS. 

You can avoid this happening in the settings- 
Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Scroll down to the SMS/MMS section > Toggle Send as SMS to the OFF position. 

Ali 

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Just to point out though, if you're subsequently trying to send a message via Apple's platform and - for whatever reason - your phone can't send... the fallback option of sending via SMS won't be available and thus the message will fail.

[AAB]

Thank you for this information which will enable me to investigate further!

Thank you also for your additional message which I thought would be the case when I accessed my settings and I really do not want to remove that option