Helio users experiencing SMS/MMS outage when sending message to T-mobile USA customers

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.

• Chi Starr

  Did your friend port his number over from tmobile or from any other carrier? It sounds more likly an LRN issue, not a helio issue.

  I work for a tech support so i see this all the time, i hope your not going to be sued for liablism.

• Steve

  I have Helio also and have the same problem.

  I talked with support a whole bunch over the past few weeks and always get the response that they are aware of the issue and are working to correct the problem.

  They don’t know when it will be fixed though and always thank me for my patience while they resolve the matter.

  I wonder if Sprint customers are having similar problems?

• Binu

  Yep, I don’t think it will be libel since I am also experiencing the problem. It stopped working about the same time there was a full weekend outage with the WAP services and portal while Helio was, “Upgrading” their system (about 2 weeks ago). Ever since then I have also had problems.

• Aloha

  Chi Starr,

  I have a new phone, ( I mean device ) from Helio and I haven’t ever been able to send SMS and MMS from it to my friends on T-Mobile. I did transfer my number over from T-Mobile to Helio.

  What is the resolution to the problem is it is a LRN problem? I really need to keep my number for business reasons and I really want to stay with Helio.

  Thanx!

• graveyard queen

  How long does everyone think this problem going to last?

  grrrrr….

  My contract with Sprint is about to end and I was planning to get a Helio. The sucky part is that most of my friends have T-mobile

• FireMedic

  I have a friend who works for tmobile tech support… she cannont text my phone (helio) it actually caused a few problems because of it…

• Steve

  Graveyard Queen –

  The past two days I have only had one SMS/MMS out of about 75 not delivered. I have no problem receiving, as far as I know.

  Honestly, I say go ahead and switch. Even with the SMS/MMS not being 100% the other services are great and the devices are beyond compare! Also, I have called their support A LOT! I have never waited more than about 60 seconds to get a representative on the line and they are good about not making you hold without coming back every few minutes and giving you status.

  I am the happiest I have been with Helio compared to the other companies I have been with. Even with the SMS/MMS problem. BUT the SMS problem still sucks.

• ramon

  I have a helio ocean and never had a problem with sending txt messages to t-mobile ! it works fine with me

• TT

  I am sooooo irritated. I talked to Tmobile today and they said it could take up to 5 days to get the problem resolved

• Wicked Devotchka

  Maybe this problem is just affecting certain people in certain areas…

  I’m going to get my Helio next week! yay!

  My bf has T-mobile and he says that he doesnt get problems with recieving texts from people who have Helio.

• Vogue

  I’m on a T-mobile plan right now and thinking of switching to Helio. Are there any other problems with Helio other than the text messaging?

• Frustrated

  I am T Mobile customer and my sms/mms not being delivered or having huge delays to virtually everyone has become a part of daily existance. SO unbelievably annoying!

• verc

  T-Mobile service, cannot send text to helio but can receive with no problem from helio.

• that one chick

  i have helio and my friends have t-mobile and we have absolutely no problem with sending texts although sometimes i do have to send picture messages twice because they dont recieve it on the first try. its just sometimes but other than that, i dont think theres any more flaws to the helio

• Cory

  So check it out — I think you guys are having the same problem that I have/had.

  For starters Chi Starr is a smart guy; you should pay him some attention.

  Anyway I was not getting text messages on my Helio device from Verizon customers ONLY. My number was ported from Verizon Wireless… So deductive reasoning would say that the problem is with Verizon Wireless right?!!! So I called them and spoke with 3 effing people until a very nice lady named Cori (coincidently) and she saw the problem in the first 3 minutes and resolved it for me!

  As a side note Verizon Wireless hates to fess up to any sort of error.

  Call T-Mobile — it is their problem…

• different opinion

  i’m with helio and been so since Jan. i get and send text messages to any provider fine. sometimes pic messages are delayed or instant messages from yahoo are delayed but i get them all just fine and everyone of my friends are on a different provider and none of them are on helio and they get my texts just fine. maybe this is an issue when transfering numbers to helio from another provider.

• Kurt

  I never had a problem texting any service for the whole 2 yrs with helio. But recently I moved to Alaska Where helio does not provide service but I have been hear many times and had no problem using my phone including texting just no internet capabilities. My phone doesn’t even say roaming and i get full bars in many places. But Just about three weeks ago I decided to upgrade to their new phone the fin, so in order for them to send the phone to my new address i had to change my billing address which used to be in colorado. Then about a week and a half later all the sudden i can’t text anyone but was still receiving text. then a couple days go by and now i don’t even receive text. I still have full reception no roaming. I am beginning to think that helio is blocking me from any texting what so ever. I’m thinking that it costs them a little money to allow me to use there service up here they must since there on another company’s tower (pennies to the millions the pull in every year). I call them and they tell me there should be no problem, they say oh its must be a network problem here something wrong with the tower. but i still have full signal. On helio website they even claim that it is free to text internationally even if your roaming in another country. I’m freeking pissed off. I know there blocking me but they would never admit it, because that would be breaking contract, which would give me the right to fully discontinue service no penalty what so ever.

• annoyed

  I’ve had a helio (ocean) since January and it was a near perfect phone with the exception of the fact that I’ve had issues w/ sending texts to T-Mobile members. (which is a particularily annoying issue because my boyfriend and my best friend both have T-Mobile.)

  Also, since the Helio merge with Virgin, my helio has been sending/receiving less and less texts (not just T-Mobile) and I have worse service than I had previously.

• Jessica

  has anyone recently started having problems. I know for a fact my bf has sent me messges from his helio to mine and I havn’t gotten any. I’m very annoyed. HELP!

• prepythug

  I too am having the same issues

• pissed off.

  Well I cannot receive messages at all from my Ocean and you know what I am going to do? Throw it against the wall and go with Tmobile…I thought Helio was an awesome device with really good plans, but fuck it.

• Frustrated

  I have Helio. I have not gotten one text message sent to me since Friday. They tell me the issue is resolved but the fix but I’m still having the problem.

• Dana Parlevliet

  I don’t know what happened but starting Sunday I have only received 2 text messages out of 15. My bf and I thought we were ignoring each other because neither of us were getting or receiving the others texts. I’ve never had this problem before with my helio (ocean) Occasionally a text will be delayed and i dont think thats a problem at all but this is something completely different. Is it worth it to call Helio? What should i do!?

• Timmy

  First of all, its comforting to know im not the only one experiencing problems with text messages. ive only gotten 2 since sunday and i was beginning to think my phone was broken. this better get fixed fast because its hard keeping in touch with my friends when were not able to call each other so frequently

• John

  I’m getting frustrated and mad…it’s been 4days already that I do not receive text messages…My aim, yahoo and msn doesn’t load on time, I have to do it manually…Helio is starting to mess up with their joint with VIRGIN mobile. If this issue does not get solved today…I will fricken call Helio and I will deduct all the days my service does not work completely from my bill. They need to get on there shit, before they lose more customers.

• yessir

  I can recieve all sorts of text messages. My problem is that my device wont even try to send pic messages! it sits there and says cannot send. It worked from early sept. and just now cut off. wtf?! everything else is straight but the damn pic messaging…whack.

• Kerry

  I have the problem when sending to Verizon, but I transferred my number from T-Mobile.

  I have talked with tech support and they have told me there seems to be no problem and I have to call back WHEN I am doing it.

  I have noticed it happens from around 3-7 on business days, almost like rush hour traffic for SMS.

• Kate

  I have been having issues with my heat sending text messages for about a month and a half. The majority of the ones that I send are delayed. Sometimes by minutes, sometimes by hours, sometimes they don’t get there at all. I have been on the phone with helio tech support, and done all of there troubleshooting, and my issue has been escalated and re escalated 3 times. No one on tier 3 (the highest level, you can’t call them, they call you) has called me with any resolution. According to the notes on my account apparently (someone at tier 2 told me this) someone “tried” to call my phone and I did not answer, and they left a voicemail. I had no missed calls, or voicemails for that matter.

  I am so fed up, and no one can seem to help me. I have called their corporate office and left a message, and sent in an email, hopefully I will hear something back. I feel like I am being given the run around. I just want it resolved! If it can’t be, I want out!

  Any advice?

• mad as hell

  this damn phone will not let me even open my text messages as soon as i try the phone goes to a black screen. it is pissin me helio can have this sorry “ocean”

• helio user

  i have t-mobile and helio i just text with them and it works fine with me…

• freeking stupid

  i have friends that have a bunch of different carriers and none of them will work when pic messaging. its so anoying!

• slim

  im having the same problem with my helio device what is the cause of it….how can i fix it