Thread: Interactive text messages on phone (not SMS)

Hello

Has anybody else started getting these messages?

As of yesterday morning my phone started displaying interactive text messages. These are not SMS text messages or cell info. They arrive at less than 5 minute intervals and display for around one minute. Most of them invite user interaction such as answering a quiz or pressing OK for more text.

Here are some that arrived while I was composing this post:

• Do you like or dislike Bollywood stars hosting reality shows?
• Business quiz: a business that sells products in several different markets is said to be?
• Best of 2009 song quiz: Tere ... Has Dye Bas Gye Mere Man n Mein
• Learn a new word every day! Esoteric. Click OK to get meaning.
• Katrina Quiz: which of these actors was not part of the starcast of Race?
• National News: "Aus taking measures to curb attacks'

I showed one to customer services at the Vodafone company shop in Puducherry. He did something on the phone and said it wasn't a service so must be local advertising.

I have a few problems with these messages:

• Invasion of privacy.
• When the phone is in power saving mode (screen off) these messages turn power saving off so reduce battery life.
• They may be malware.
• The phone flashes to get attention (such as missed call or SMS arrived). Seeing the phone light up when one of these messages arrives attracts attention -- a distraction and loss of and quiet enjoyment.
• They make it one click harder to see the clock.

In case it matters, the phone is a nokia 3110c with 7.21 firmware on a prepaid contract with Hutch (now Vodafone), used around Puducherry (Chennai Circle?). DND is configured and no advertising SMS messages are received.

Best

Charles

The messages came from a Vodafone Service called "FLASH!" and turned off by Menu->"Vodafone Services"->FLASH!->Activation and selecting Deactivate.

This information came from taking the phone back to the Vodafone company shop in Puducherry and speaking with a more knowledgeable customer services representative.

I don't know if the setting changed or if Vodafone just started sending messages on the "FLASH!" service. I normally lock the phone and it is set to lock itself after 1 minute so accidentally changing the setting is unlikely.

someone at vodafone changed the settings...

Thanks mickey

Good chance. Apart from GPRS and MMS settings I've refused every Service Message and hoped that was enough to prevent Vodafone from changing settings but I did notice that the menu item which was originally "Operator Settings" had become "Vodafone Services" ... ?

send startdnd to 1919
you should not recieve any...

Did that on 28 May last year.

EDIT: apparently it does not apply to "FLASH!"

Call your customer care and bash them.

Would do but I can't be 100% sure that Vodafone did it. It started when I was shopping in town with the phone in my bag. Maybe I dropped it in the bag, relying on the 60 second timeout to lock it. Something pressing on the main button could have changed the setting: once for menu, twice on the bottom edge of the main button to select Vodafone Services, five times on the main button to activate FLASH! and confirm.

I agree with your sentiment of not accepting bad service. If we all did it then we would routinely get better service. But I am also aware of the damage done by complaining when we are not 100% sure, especially as I recently complained hard about petrol pump attendants not zeroing the pump and then found out the tank is bigger than I thought and they did give the correct amount of petrol. That wasn't nice. I deeply regret the distress caused and will go back to apologise.

Originally Posted by catkin

But I am also aware of the damage done by complaining when we are not 100% sure, especially as I recently complained hard about petrol pump attendants not zeroing the pump and then found out the tank is bigger than I thought and they did give the correct amount of petrol. That wasn't nice. I deeply regret the distress caused and will go back to apologise.

aah forget about it...
when i pay someone, i have all the rights to bash them.. and in this world, noone really cares..