OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?
--
Graeme

News wrote:

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

No, the only service I'm aware of in the UK which can charge to your
phone account as a result of receiving a call is if you "accept" a
reverse charge call (either via the operator or via 0800REVERSE)

News wrote

OT, I know ...

I'd have you publicly flogged if you hadn't enjoyed that so much the last
time.

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone until
now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,

Is he really that much of a horrible little brat ?

which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using the
service?

Nope, its only the american system that does that and
that is because they don't have a unique series of numbers
for mobile phones and mostly do have free local calls, so
they have the terminally stupid system where the receiver
of the call or text pays for receiving the all, even if they
don't want it or its spam etc.

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the caller
is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting something
that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is that possible?

Yes, its possible you will believe the lie in a
text that you have just won the lottery etc.

But that is just as true of your mobile
or a phone call to your landline.

News wrote:

OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

The golden rule is the same as ordinary calls. Don't depend on anything
if you're unsure of its source.

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

On 02/03/2016 09:37, Jonno wrote:
News scribbled


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?


Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.


+1 (assuming the OP has a mobile).

In message , Mike Barnes
writes
News wrote:

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

The golden rule is the same as ordinary calls. Don't depend on anything
if you're unsure of its source.

Sorry, I wasn't being clear. I don't mean conned by the message
content, I mean conned by accepting it in the first place, i.e. is there
any way I can be charged an outrageous sum just to listen to the
message? The answer appears to be no, for which many thanks.

Getting back to the school, the messages are not child specific but
rather updates to the bus service, school closures etc [1]. Quite
annoying really - the local authority operates a web site for exactly
the same purpose, with each school updating info for their own news.
However, it seems the SMS service has priority, with the site being
updated later, if at all.

[1] We have also had updates re the bingo night run by the parent
council [2]. Oh joy.

[2] What used to be the PTA.
--
Graeme, Harper Valley

In message , Allan
writes
On 02/03/2016 09:37, Jonno wrote:

Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

+1 (assuming the OP has a mobile).

Therein lies the problem :-)

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one ex son
has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen on his. Anyway,
neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless we actually need to,
by which time the battery is flat anyway.
--
Graeme

On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 19:34:11 +1100
"Rod Speed" wrote:

Nope, its only the american system that does that and
that is because they don't have a unique series of numbers
for mobile phones and mostly do have free local calls, so
they have the terminally stupid system where the receiver
of the call or text pays for receiving the all, even if they
don't want it or its spam etc.

However, the advantage of the American system is that, to a caller, a
mobile is the same as any other 'phone, so when somebody gives out his
mobile number as a contact point, the caller is not charged extra for
connection to a mobile, as is the case here. Here, I contact somebody
with a view to having him do work for me, he gives me a mobile number,
and it costs me extra to call him just because he is using a mobile.
And yes, I know this can be mitigated by selected Calling Plans or
calling from another mobile, but that is not always so simple, it is the
basic principle that annoys. If anything, as it is his choice to use a
mobile, it should be him that pays the extra cost.

--
Davey.

On 02/03/2016 10:07, News wrote:
In message , Allan
writes
On 02/03/2016 09:37, Jonno wrote:

Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

+1 (assuming the OP has a mobile).

Therein lies the problem :-)

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one ex son
has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen on his. Anyway,
neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless we actually need to,
by which time the battery is flat anyway.

+1

In message , Jonno
writes
News scribbled

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one ex son
has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen on his. Anyway,
neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless we actually need to,
by which time the battery is flat anyway.

There's no answer to that kind of 'logic'.

Well indeed. We don't feel we need mobiles, or at least, very rarely.
--
Graeme

On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 11:02:51 +0000
GB wrote:

On 02/03/2016 10:07, News wrote:
In message , Allan
writes
On 02/03/2016 09:37, Jonno wrote:

Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

+1 (assuming the OP has a mobile).

Therein lies the problem :-)

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one ex
son has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen on
his. Anyway, neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless we
actually need to, by which time the battery is flat anyway.

+1



+2.

--
Davey.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2016 08:27:12 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

We now get them occasionally confirming hospital appointments.

The ones I get for that (and the Dentist) are just an automated
service putting pre-recorded phrases and words into the correct
order. These are fine and easy enough to understand being a recording
real person speaking, stilted but fine.

We get SMS messages from the electricity DNO about outages. The text
to "speech" conversion normally manages to mangle the SMS into
something unintelligible.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Jonno wrote:
News scribbled


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?


Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

Very useful if one lives in a place with no coverage.

--
Chris Green
·

News wrote:
In message , Allan
writes
On 02/03/2016 09:37, Jonno wrote:

Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

+1 (assuming the OP has a mobile).

Therein lies the problem :-)

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one ex son
has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen on his. Anyway,
neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless we actually need to,
by which time the battery is flat anyway.

Exactly our problem. There's a thread on ok.mobile where I complain
that although our landline *can* receive SMS messages as text I can't
persuade many systems that send them that this is so.

--
Chris Green
·

On 02/03/2016 08:04, News wrote:

OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

No.

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

Not really.

Just give the school a mobile number to send the SMS message to...



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 12:48:10 -0000
Jonno wrote:

News scribbled


Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one
ex son has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen
on his. Anyway, neither wife or self actually turn ours on
unless we actually need to, by which time the battery is flat
anyway.

There's no answer to that kind of 'logic'.

Well indeed. We don't feel we need mobiles, or at least, very
rarely.


I don't use mine a lot, but it's not a problem to keep in charged and
kept in a place where I can hear it ring or check for messages. In
the past I've lost money because I never made or received enough
calls to keep O2 happy and they blocked my number. That's something
to consider if you seldom use a PAYG mobile.


I use a £5 per month service, if I make no calls, there is no problem,
and I have £5 worth of calls available if I want to use them.
I think it can send and receive texts as well, but it's only powered up
if I want to make a call, so I never bother with that.
It's always kept charged, after I broke down in the car, and nearly ran
out of 'phone battery directing the RAC to where I was.

--
Davey.

On 02/03/2016 14:11, Davey wrote:

I use a £5 per month service, if I make no calls, there is no problem,
and I have £5 worth of calls available if I want to use them.

I use GiffGaff, without any pre-paid minutes. I've used the phone quite
a bit in the last year, but it still only came to £20 in total.
Obviously, this depends on your usage.


I think it can send and receive texts as well, but it's only powered up
if I want to make a call, so I never bother with that.
It's always kept charged, after I broke down in the car, and nearly ran
out of 'phone battery directing the RAC to where I was.

John Rumm wrote:
Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

Not really.

Just give the school a mobile number to send the SMS message to...

Why should one have to give them a mobile number to send the SMS
message to? Our landline receives SMS texts perfectly OK and works
much better than a mobile as mobile coverage at our house is decidedly
flakey.

--
Chris Green
·

On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 08:04:34 +0000, News
wrote:


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

As has been explained, the only chargeable *incoming* calls are from
reverse charge (collect) automated services like 0800MUMDAD &
0800REVERSE and even then, the IVR system explains that it's
chargeable and you have to press a key to acknowledge that you
understand.

So don't worry about being charged.

If you still find these calls a nuisance, do as I have dine and bar
them by dialling 0800 587 5252

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

--

Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Jonno wrote:
scribbled


Jonno wrote:
News scribbled


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?


Tell the school to send messages to your mobile.

Very useful if one lives in a place with no coverage.


If there's no coverage, there would be **** all point in asking someone
to text would there.

I think one is often forced into it, e.g. the *only* way I can
authenticate some transactions with my bank is via an SMS message
they send me. Similarly I suspect the OP's texts from a school were
not asked for.

--
Chris Green
·

Davey wrote
Rod Speed wrote

Nope, it's only the american system that does that

[charges the receiver for incoming calls or texts]

and that is because they don't have a unique series of
numbers for mobile phones and mostly do have free
local calls, so they have the terminally stupid system
where the receiver of the call or text pays for receiving
them all, even if they don't want it or its spam etc.

However, the advantage of the American system is that, to a caller,
a mobile is the same as any other 'phone, so when somebody gives
out his mobile number as a contact point, the caller is not charged
extra for connection to a mobile, as is the case here.

Sure, but the modern reality is that most get their calls to mobiles
included in their mobile phone plan, so there is no marginal cost
to call you at all, whether you are called on your mobile or landline.

Here, I contact somebody with a view to having him do
work for me, he gives me a mobile number, and it costs
me extra to call him just because he is using a mobile.

But not if you have a mobile plan that includes
a number of calls or a dollar value of calls.

And yes, I know this can be mitigated by selected
Calling Plans or calling from another mobile,

In fact you can get the call to that person for free that way.

but that is not always so simple,

Yes, I choose not to have one of those plans myself.

But even when I don't, I normally get short calls for a lower cost
than I would have paid if he had a landline number instead.

it is the basic principle that annoys.

There is no basic principle, just a variety of ways of doing things.

I'd be much more annoyed at having been charged
every time some damned arsehole calls me claiming
to be Microsoft or trying to flog me solar panels.

If anything, as it is his choice to use a mobile,
it should be him that pays the extra cost.

And he can do that if he has a full time
divert of his landline to his mobile.

On 02/03/2016 14:48, wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

Not really.

Just give the school a mobile number to send the SMS message to...

Why should one have to give them a mobile number to send the SMS
message to? Our landline receives SMS texts perfectly OK and works
much better than a mobile as mobile coverage at our house is decidedly
flakey.

Depends on how much you like getting the SMS robot on the landline I
suppose... ;-)

My dentist used to give a ring the day before an appointment to remind /
confirm. At some point they switched to automating it via SMS. Problem
is I normally book more than one family member at a time to cut down the
number of trips etc. That meant I would get woken up by an early morning
robot informing me of an appointment. Followed every 3 mins or so by
further calls for each additional appointment! It was far preferable to
have them arrive at my mobile, on my desk downstairs where I could look
at them later!


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote:
On 02/03/2016 14:48, wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

Not really.

Just give the school a mobile number to send the SMS message to...

Why should one have to give them a mobile number to send the SMS
message to? Our landline receives SMS texts perfectly OK and works
much better than a mobile as mobile coverage at our house is decidedly
flakey.

Depends on how much you like getting the SMS robot on the landline I
suppose... ;-)

My dentist used to give a ring the day before an appointment to remind /
confirm. At some point they switched to automating it via SMS. Problem
is I normally book more than one family member at a time to cut down the
number of trips etc. That meant I would get woken up by an early morning
robot informing me of an appointment. Followed every 3 mins or so by
further calls for each additional appointment! It was far preferable to
have them arrive at my mobile, on my desk downstairs where I could look
at them later!

No different from receiving them on our landline. Our landline is SMS
capable, send it an SMS and it *doesn't* ring, it does the same sort
of thing as a mobile, a very soft single tinkle.`

I agree the robot is a bit of a pain but it's not the only way a
landline can receive SMS.

--
Chris Green
·

Davey wrote
Jonno wrote
News wrote

Wife's mobile is dead. Needs a new battery. Mine, a used one
ex son has been reclaimed by son because he cracked the screen
on his. Anyway, neither wife or self actually turn ours on unless
we actually need to, by which time the battery is flat anyway.

There's no answer to that kind of 'logic'.

Well indeed. We don't feel we need mobiles, or at least, very rarely.

I don't use mine a lot, but it's not a problem to keep in charged
and kept in a place where I can hear it ring or check for messages.
In the past I've lost money because I never made or received
enough calls to keep O2 happy and they blocked my number.
That's something to consider if you seldom use a PAYG mobile.

I use a £5 per month service,

I dont pay a cent if I dont make any calls, send any texts or use any
data.

if I make no calls, there is no problem,

Except the waste of that £5 per month.

and I have £5 worth of calls available if I want to use
them. I think it can send and receive texts as well,

I'd be very surprised if it couldnt.

but it's only powered up if I want to
make a call, so I never bother with that.

I do make quite a few calls and receive about as
many now that we coordinate the garage/yard
sale opening times by mobile phone. Most months
I dont spend more than $10 on all calls, texts and data.

It's always kept charged, after I broke down in the car, and nearly
ran out of 'phone battery directing the RAC to where I was.

Trivially avoidable with a cheap charger that charges your phone in the car.

On 02/03/2016 20:22, wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 02/03/2016 14:48, wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

Not really.

Just give the school a mobile number to send the SMS message to...

Why should one have to give them a mobile number to send the SMS
message to? Our landline receives SMS texts perfectly OK and works
much better than a mobile as mobile coverage at our house is decidedly
flakey.

Depends on how much you like getting the SMS robot on the landline I
suppose... ;-)

My dentist used to give a ring the day before an appointment to remind /
confirm. At some point they switched to automating it via SMS. Problem
is I normally book more than one family member at a time to cut down the
number of trips etc. That meant I would get woken up by an early morning
robot informing me of an appointment. Followed every 3 mins or so by
further calls for each additional appointment! It was far preferable to
have them arrive at my mobile, on my desk downstairs where I could look
at them later!

No different from receiving them on our landline. Our landline is SMS
capable, send it an SMS and it *doesn't* ring, it does the same sort
of thing as a mobile, a very soft single tinkle.`

I agree the robot is a bit of a pain but it's not the only way a
landline can receive SMS.

I am not sure how many (if any) of our phones are SMS capable. I doubt
the signal would make it through my PABX though...


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Graham." wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 08:04:34 +0000, News
wrote:


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

As has been explained, the only chargeable *incoming* calls are from
reverse charge (collect) automated services like 0800MUMDAD &
0800REVERSE and even then, the IVR system explains that it's
chargeable and you have to press a key to acknowledge that you
understand.

So don't worry about being charged.

If you still find these calls a nuisance, do as I have dine and bar
them by dialling 0800 587 5252

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

Far fewer of the kids' parents would have an email
that they check regularly than have a phone number.

On 02/03/2016 08:04, News wrote:

OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

I have not used them, but there are several SMS-to-email services.
Sounds ideal - if you notice your emails arriving.

--
Rod

Rod Speed wrote:

If you still find these calls a nuisance, do as I have dine and bar
them by dialling 0800 587 5252

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

Far fewer of the kids' parents would have an email
that they check regularly than have a phone number.

Surely it's not beyond the wit of man (or the school) to allow for
alternatives. I certainly check my E-Mail far more frequently than I
look at my mobile (basically because the mobile is useless at home, I
only use it when away from home).

--
Chris Green
·

polygonum wrote:
On 02/03/2016 08:04, News wrote:

OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

I have not used them, but there are several SMS-to-email services.
Sounds ideal - if you notice your emails arriving.

They only work by forwarding the E-Mail from your mobile though, not a
lot of use if the mobile is turned off or (as at our house) not able
to get a signal.

--
Chris Green
·

In message , Graham.
writes

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

I wish! Someone has obviously told them that SMS is 'the way forward'
or some such bollix, so that is what they do. As mentioned earlier,
they have a perfectly good web site that was updated with emergency
information [1], but that seems to have fallen behind the all new SMS
service.

[1] Rural school, so most pupils travel by school bus. The web site
used to be updated whenever busses were delayed or cancelled due to
weather, school closed etc.
--
Graeme

In message , polygonum
writes

I have not used them, but there are several SMS-to-email services.
Sounds ideal - if you notice your emails arriving.

Yes, I had thought of that, but I don't think the school would be happy.
Getting them to send SMS messages to a land line number was difficult
enough! Getting them to send to a service provider number or an e-mail
address would be 'interesting'.

To be honest, now I'm reassured that I'm not paying to receive the
messages, I'm quite happy to answer the land line phone.
--
Graeme

News wrote
Graham. wrote

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

I wish! Someone has obviously told them that SMS is 'the way forward'

Or they worked out for themselves that it is a better approach than the web
site.

or some such bollix, so that is what they do. As mentioned earlier, they
have a perfectly good web site that was updated with emergency information
[1],

But that is nowhere near as useful as getting an SMS when the
bus won't be coming or will be late, because the web site needs
someone to check it every single day in case there is a warning
that the bus won't be coming or will be late. MUCH better to
be told by SMS that it won't be coming or will be late.

but that seems to have fallen behind the all new SMS service.

They should continue for both for the dinosaurs that refuse
to have a mobile phone or landline but can check the web site.

[1] Rural school, so most pupils travel by school bus. The web site used
to be updated whenever busses were delayed or cancelled due to weather,
school closed etc.

And an SMS is a much better way of doing that.

We are doing that for local emergencys like bushfires
and floods and mega wild weather now, broadcasts
by SMS to mobile phones in the area. Leaves web
sites for dead.

Rod Speed posted
News wrote
Graham. wrote

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

I wish! Someone has obviously told them that SMS is 'the way forward'

Or they worked out for themselves that it is a better approach than the
web site.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.


or some such bollix, so that is what they do. As mentioned earlier,
they have a perfectly good web site that was updated with emergency
information [1],

But that is nowhere near as useful as getting an SMS when the
bus won't be coming or will be late, because the web site needs
someone to check it every single day in case there is a warning
that the bus won't be coming or will be late. MUCH better to
be told by SMS that it won't be coming or will be late.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

but that seems to have fallen behind the all new SMS service.

They should continue for both for the dinosaurs that refuse
to have a mobile phone or landline but can check the web site.

Especially for those dinosaurs who do not have mobile reception at their
home.


[1] Rural school, so most pupils travel by school bus. The web site
used to be updated whenever busses were delayed or cancelled due to
weather, school closed etc.

And an SMS is a much better way of doing that.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

We are doing that for local emergencys like bushfires
and floods and mega wild weather now, broadcasts
by SMS to mobile phones in the area. Leaves web
sites for dead.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.



--
Les

Big Les Wade wrote
Rod Speed wrote
News wrote
Graham. wrote

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

I wish! Someone has obviously told them that SMS is 'the way forward'

Or they worked out for themselves that it is a better approach than the
web site.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

Just as true if you have a landline.

or some such bollix, so that is what they do. As mentioned earlier,
they have a perfectly good web site that was updated with emergency
information [1],

But that is nowhere near as useful as getting an SMS when the
bus won't be coming or will be late, because the web site needs
someone to check it every single day in case there is a warning
that the bus won't be coming or will be late. MUCH better to
be told by SMS that it won't be coming or will be late.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

Just as true if you have a landline.

but that seems to have fallen behind the all new SMS service.

They should continue with both for the dinosaurs that refuse
to have a mobile phone or landline but can check the web site.

Especially for those dinosaurs who do not have mobile reception at their
home.

But do have a landline.

[1] Rural school, so most pupils travel by school bus. The web site
used to be updated whenever busses were delayed or cancelled due to
weather, school closed etc.

And an SMS is a much better way of doing that.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

Just as true if you have a landline.

We are doing that for local emergencys like bushfires
and floods and mega wild weather now, broadcasts
by SMS to mobile phones in the area. Leaves web
sites for dead.

But only if you have mobile reception at your home.

Just as true if you have a landline.

On Thu, 3 Mar 2016 10:11:43 +1100, "Rod Speed"
wrote:



"Graham." wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 2 Mar 2016 08:04:34 +0000, News
wrote:


OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

As has been explained, the only chargeable *incoming* calls are from
reverse charge (collect) automated services like 0800MUMDAD &
0800REVERSE and even then, the IVR system explains that it's
chargeable and you have to press a key to acknowledge that you
understand.

So don't worry about being charged.

If you still find these calls a nuisance, do as I have dine and bar
them by dialling 0800 587 5252

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

Far fewer of the kids' parents would have an email
that they check regularly than have a phone number.

Don't they all have overpriced contracts and smartphones?
Don't they set them up with their email accounts?

--

Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Graham. wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Graham. wrote
News wrote

OT, I know ...

We have rarely, if ever, received SMS messages on our landline phone
until now. Son's school have started sending updates by that method,
which is OK, but is there any possibility we will be charged for using
the service?

Whilst I'm confident the school service is OK, I don't know who the
caller is until accepting the message. What concerns me is accepting
something that is not from the school, and somehow being conned. Is
that possible?

As has been explained, the only chargeable *incoming* calls are from
reverse charge (collect) automated services like 0800MUMDAD &
0800REVERSE and even then, the IVR system explains that it's
chargeable and you have to press a key to acknowledge that you
understand.

So don't worry about being charged.

If you still find these calls a nuisance, do as I have
dine and bar them by dialling 0800 587 5252

Then tell the school about email and to stop wasting their money!

Far fewer of the kids' parents would have an email
that they check regularly than have a phone number.

Don't they all have overpriced contracts and smartphones?

Nope, plenty don't have an overpriced contract, plenty
only spend something like $20 a month on their mobile
phone contract and plenty of those who do spend more
than that don't bother with a landline anymore and are
spending not much more than they did for the landline.

Don't they set them up with their email accounts?

Plenty of people don't have an email address and plenty
don't check them very often even when they do.

The absolute vast bulk of the parents would have either
a landline or a mobile phone or both and those are much
better ways of getting the info to those who can use it than
an email. Which is why we now have broadcast SMS
messages to all mobile phones in the area with urgent
stuff like bushfires and floods and mega storms etc.