EE blocking receiving all texts on brand new uncredited payg sims?

[ee301]

As per the title, a brand new payg sim is not able to receive text messages (both from shortcode and standard numbers). EE service texts come through fine.

I'm presuming you have to top up to initiate full access but this never used to be the case. Receiving calls from all numbers come through fine.

Is this a new thing EE are doing?

[XRaySpeX]

@ee301 : No! Receiving texts is free. So you don't have to top-up to get them. So there must be some other reason.

I have a never-been-topped-up PAYG in a router & it can receive all texts & send texts to 150.

Can you send texts to 150, e.g. AL to 150?

[ee301]

I can text 150 and receive replies. 

I can receive calls from any number. 

I can not receive texts from anywhere but 150. I've tried texting the SIM from a normal mobile number and also tried requesting verification codes to it, nothing comes through. I have a suspicion it may be since the online saftey act kicked in, I tried to remove the content filtering to see if that was the cause but I can only do so remotely with a credit card (which I don't have). 

[XRaySpeX]

The Online Safety Act & content locks do not apply to texts.

[ee301]

Well I've tried 2 seperate brand new PAYG SIMs (with different bundle tarrifs, one number starts 073 and the other 074) and they both have this issue. 

[Chris_B]

@ee301  If your receiving text from 150 then your receiving a text,  just because it’s from EE doesn’t mean it’s not a text.   The only difference is it’s not sent by a mobile phone with someone putting your number on it.  But it’s still a text.     Just to ask are you within the UK ? 

[ee301]

That's true, buts it's also an EE service number which would presumably be whitelisted *if* they had a block on texts.

Yes I'm in the UK.

I've tried in 2 separate phones so it's not the phone either and to make sure I wasn't going mad I just tried an uncredited O2 SIM which received all the texts I sent to it.

[Debbie_G]

Hi @ee301.

New Pay As You Go SIMs should receive incoming texts, even without a top-up.

Because you've already tried the SIM in two different phones and had the same issue, I'd recommend getting in touch with our Technical Guides. They’ll be able to run through some checks and investigate this further for you.

Debbie 

[ee301]

I did some more digging and found a seller on ebay had written "EE NEW SECURITY MEASURE YOU MUST TOP-UP TO RECEIVE TEXT"  in the item description of an EE PAYG SIM so it does seem like something is afoot.

Is it possible to get concrete information on this from an official source?

[Markovchains]

I’m facing the same issue, have you figured it out?