Shortcodes do not seem to work with Fizz
Canadian Tire bank sends SMS notifications in case of a suspicious transactions. I was unable to confirm the legitimate transaction because Fizz network is unable to deliver the SMS messages back to their shortcode!!!! Luckily, I was able to use another credit card. But this is a nasty surprise, something that works with any Canadian operator does not work with Fizz and can make you stranded somewhere, unable to finish your financial transaction.
Fizz, why the shortcodes do not work on your network????!
Answers
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Hi, in some cases Fizz's system does not allow this yet.
« Some text messages sent by businesses such as 2-step verification messages may not be sent to your phone properly. We continue to gradually roll out this type of service so that it operates optimally with as many companies as possible. »
https://fizz.ca/en/faq/i-cant-send-or-receive-text-messages
However, the technical team may be able to "add" a company to their directory. You should contact customer service who can inform you and offer you a solution. Open this link: https://fizz.ca/en/faq/resolving-issues
and just scroll down until you see the green bubble with a question mark which you click on, then a second click to start your session.
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Incredible. No other operators have this issue. Thanks, I will give it a try and will notify also CT bank that their security feature does not work with Fizz.
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Shortcodes should work with Fizz. » Carriers and Aggregators (txt.ca)
They are a part of the shortcode program.
I get all my shortcodes, be it TD, facebook, paypal, etc...
If a specific merchant's shortcode isnt working, I'd open a ticket with Fizz support to notify them of the situation.
Use the following link: I can’t send or receive text messages (SMS). Why? | Fizz
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I have asked to submit the ticket and in this case it is specifically about responding to the messages sent from these shortcodes.
I have noticed that it works at least for some shortcodes. I was able in the past to respond to Expedia, to my dentist...they use shortcodes.
But in case of CT bank I was not able to send the response.
Now, after talking to the agent, I was suggested to check one setting. SMSC number on the phone. I had a bit of fight with USSD and now I see that the pre-provisioned SMSC value is "+15144240053",145 and the support agent tolsd me it needs to be "1-438-520-0092". I am wondering about the trailing ',145' in the original value. It seems that the original value corresponds to Videotron.
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Hi, Fizz is an entity that belongs to Videotron and uses the same networks and often the same operating elements.
It's an entirely different company though in terms of administration and policies.
Good that your issue is resolved.
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I did not say it is resolved :) I am not sure if changing SMSC number will help. Will wait for the ticket to be answered.
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Oh! On your next try, could you tell us - on the forum - if the suggestion from customer service and technical support was able to solve your difficulty? If it is possible for you.
This would allow us to better respond to similar requests. We are subscribers here. Thanks for any feedback though.
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I have modified my SMSC number to "+14385200092",145 as suggested. Restarted the phone and verified that the SMSC number is updated. Tried to send a test SMS to that shortcode, same failure.
It also appears that this change breaks the regular SMSes. At least two of my tests SMSes sent to regular Canadian numbers after that did not get to their recipients.
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That's weird..
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Really frustrating situation.
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Not too much you can do. Just report the case to Fizz support by "Contact us" , and hope Fizz add this short code in its database.
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Currently I don't have that trailing ",145" and I am able to receive 2FA/MFA messages.
But I can't test it out on CT bank. Maybe try to remove it and test?
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So, you are currently using +15144240053 as SMSC number? And I was instructed by Fizz support to switch to +1-438-520-0092. Hmm...
I will do some research tonight about this ,145 suffix. I believe it is just an indication that it is an internationally-formatted number, but I may be wrong.
I am curious what happens if you try to send some test string to "282373". This is the shortcode I have received the message from. I guarantee that the message was real (and I was on the phone with CT credit card security department this morning to discuss this situation) so the number is not $10/message trick ;)
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Sent a test message and got this reply
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Interesting, thanks for testing it. Do you have unlimited SMS plan? I pay per message. I wonder if it makes any difference.
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Yes, I am using unlimited SMS plan.
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@Andrei_ref_R7VK1 Maybe that's what makes a difference. I tried to send the message from my wife's iPhone - she is also on pay-per use plan for SMS. Same problem as on my Android, "send failed". Thus, it may be related to the plan.
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This is weird, as long as you have money in your Wallet (to use them to pay for the services not included in your plan) it should not be a problem I guess.
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Agreed it’s potentially related to your pay-per-message plan. I’m also having an issue to reply text from TD and my plan is pay-per-message too. Will open a support case for it today.
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I am still waiting for Fizz to answer. The ticket is stuck with no progress and my attempt to escalate it has failed - the link to the escalation form is dead and getting to support is difficult. I am actually about to switch both numbers to Virgin.
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Hi, thank you for your feedback regardless of the outcome. Have you tried to speak with customer service again recently? They are the ones who can prioritize your ticket. Enter your account and then settings/contact form you will see the tooltip on the right.
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I was planning to give it another try, but now I realize that it is a dead end. I cannot chase every single shortcode through Fizz support after I am unable to reply to an important SMS.
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SMS authentication difficulty is only for some of them. But I understand your situation, it becomes painful to always wait for support. Hope this all gets resolved for you.
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My problem is: I do not want to be standing somewhere in another country, trying to pay for a service or a good and not being able to confirm my transaction. In this situation, I may not even have time to call someone. Not to mention that the voice calls from abroad are expensive.
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Got to Fizz support finally. Turned out....they actually "closed" my ticket without closing it for real. It is still open in my account page but they assumed they have done their work by sending me an email long time ago :) "Je vous remercie d'avoir patienté le retour du service technique qui vous avise de contacter votre banque pour voir sur les alertes Tire Banque Canada". So, basically, dear customer, we want you to solve our problem somehow by yourself, bye.
I have just attempted to escalate this issue, will see what happens. Meanwhile, getting Virgin Mobility SIMs...
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And here is the result from the "escalation":
"Thank you for contacting us and the details provided.
After verifying your Fizz account I was able to find the ticket mentioned by you and also the forwarded reply from the technical team.
I am sorry to hear that the solution offered was not suitable for you, however after doing all the necessary investigations and actions, the technical team reached to the conclusion that in order to resolve this, it is necessary to discuss with the bank.
From our part, the necessary was done to find the reason why you are unable to reply to the short codes from your bank.
....
If they provide you the answer that, from their part everything is in order, please reach us again to reopen the ticket for the technical team to resolve this.
Your understanding and cooperation are highly appreciated.
"
So, basically, I was told to do the operator's work. Last time I worked for the cell operators, they at least paid me for solving their problems ;) ;)
OK, now I fully understand what Fizz is.
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To put the end to the conversation. I left Fizz and moved to Koodo - 20Gb for $30/month no contract. But it is not the point that it is cheaper - it is also better. With the new SIM I have tested the shortcode that did not work with Fizz. Same phone, of course. Worked as expected. Dear Fizz, you should learn how to respect your customers, especially when you know that they are right.
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It's unfortunate that you left Fizz but for your travel plans outside of Quebec, you will indeed have better results for certain "short codes".
Good luck to you.
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