[lifesaver1]

Let me start by advising those who have trouble using Verizon to send SMS messages internationally (or wish to do so) that Verizon's international texting feature basically doesn't work, to any acceptable degree of reliability.

I am an officer in an international NGO and regularly need to send SMS messages to colleagues in other countries, texting while in the USA and while traveling internationally. I previously used T-Mobile, which I found to be seamless with respect to international texting and calling. I have used it while in the US and overseas to call and SMS others on various systems in various countries. No problems.

I recently switched to Verizon and use the Storm 2. I tried to use it to text colleagues in Belgium, Denmark, and Australia. In each case, the SMS was not received (I tried repeatedly).

I checked the Internet and found a number of complaints from confused Verizon users unable to text internationally. I phoned Verizon customer service. After several calls involving uninformed representatives, a "trouble ticket" was opened and shortly thereafter an individual called me. I eventually ended up talking to three different people on three different occasions, each escalating the problem. When I advised one representative that Internet chatter suggests the system often doesn�t work, he exclaimed, �That�s not true!� Alas, it was to turn out, it is true.

I was eventually called and advised by a Verizon representative that Verizon does not have an agreement with the carriers of the mobile phones to which I was texting in Denmark and Belgium. I asked about the Australia number and was advised I would need to open another trouble ticket for that number � essentially that I would have to personally test their system before they would investigate the issue. In any case, it didn�t work for me from the US to three different carriers, unquestionably in three different countries.

I asked the representative if I could get a list of international carriers that accept SMS from Verizon and was advised that I could not. I asked if I could get a list of carriers that do not accept SMS from Verizon and was advised I could not. I did find a list on the Verizon website though which enumerates every carrier with which Verizon purportedly has texting agreements.

I found that the carrier of the phone to which I tried to text in Belgium was Mobistar, which was listed as one of those to which a Verizon customer can text. Therefore, I find the list to be unreliable and deceptive.

When sending an SMS internationally from my Storm 2, I receive no notification that the SMS was accepted or rejected. Thus, there is no way to know if the person received the text or not. As a result, the system is completely undependable and essentially useless, unless you can confirm that the other person receives your texts. Confusingly, receiving text messages from these systems seems possible, so it would seem that the problem is with Verizon�s outgoing system.

Some specifics, of a sort, can be found in Verizon�s website where I was able to find several notices while searching on international texting. For example:

Verizon states: �International Text Messaging allows you to send and receive text messages from your wireless phone to select international destinations while within the Verizon Wireless Nationwide Coverage Area.� The operative word is SELECT, but the Verizon representatives to which I spoke would not direct me to a list of carriers (perhaps because they realized the list is wrong). In any case, I found it to be incorrect in at least one case, and I presume others.

Verizon states: �If you run into problems, confirm that the recipient is using a participating carrier.� Again, no Verizon representative advised how I could do this, but when I found a way, I found it to be incorrect.

My Storm 2 will theoretically roam in countries with GSM carriers on GSM systems. I have yet to try this, although I am quite familiar with international GSM roaming, having used Verizon global phones in the past and, as noted, T-Mobile. I regularly use SMS messaging when overseas, in part to avoid the high cost of international calling. Clearly, Verizon will prevent me from doing so in many cases.

Because Verizon is a CDMA carrier and has high quality service in the USA, it would seem to be an attractive service for many. In the past, when I have used Verizon's global phones for roaming in other countries, I have had very poor experiences (nonfunctional, etc.) I had hoped Verizon had overcome them. I have yet to test the Storm 2 overseas, but this experience with international texting leads me to believe that for international travel, a carrier such as T-Mobile would be a much better choice. I, unfortunately, am stuck in a contract now.

[Enriqueftw]

It is unreliable, texting MEXICO seems to be a hassle.

It either takes forever for the message to be received, if they even receive it.

I have an additional phone, a t-mobile phone, which doesnt seem to have any problems texting mexico.

I often text with my verizon phone to mexico, and when i don't get a reply within a few hours, i text with my tmobile phone, get a response quickly, with a "I didint get a message from your other phone" attacted to the end of the message.



Fun times? No,
Seems verizon also CHARGES for the messages even though they were not recieved.

[bs1two]

Let me start by advising those who have trouble using Verizon to send SMS messages internationally (or wish to do so) that Verizon's international texting feature basically doesn't work, to any acceptable degree of reliability.

I am an officer in an international NGO and regularly need to send SMS messages to colleagues in other countries, texting while in the USA and while traveling internationally. I previously used T-Mobile, which I found to be seamless with respect to international texting and calling. I have used it while in the US and overseas to call and SMS others on various systems in various countries. No problems.

I recently switched to Verizon and use the Storm 2. I tried to use it to text colleagues in Belgium, Denmark, and Australia. In each case, the SMS was not received (I tried repeatedly).

I checked the Internet and found a number of complaints from confused Verizon users unable to text internationally. I phoned Verizon customer service. After several calls involving uninformed representatives, a "trouble ticket" was opened and shortly thereafter an individual called me. I eventually ended up talking to three different people on three different occasions, each escalating the problem. When I advised one representative that Internet chatter suggests the system often doesn�t work, he exclaimed, �That�s not true!� Alas, it was to turn out, it is true.

I was eventually called and advised by a Verizon representative that Verizon does not have an agreement with the carriers of the mobile phones to which I was texting in Denmark and Belgium. I asked about the Australia number and was advised I would need to open another trouble ticket for that number � essentially that I would have to personally test their system before they would investigate the issue. In any case, it didn�t work for me from the US to three different carriers, unquestionably in three different countries.

I asked the representative if I could get a list of international carriers that accept SMS from Verizon and was advised that I could not. I asked if I could get a list of carriers that do not accept SMS from Verizon and was advised I could not. I did find a list on the Verizon website though which enumerates every carrier with which Verizon purportedly has texting agreements.

I found that the carrier of the phone to which I tried to text in Belgium was Mobistar, which was listed as one of those to which a Verizon customer can text. Therefore, I find the list to be unreliable and deceptive.

When sending an SMS internationally from my Storm 2, I receive no notification that the SMS was accepted or rejected. Thus, there is no way to know if the person received the text or not. As a result, the system is completely undependable and essentially useless, unless you can confirm that the other person receives your texts. Confusingly, receiving text messages from these systems seems possible, so it would seem that the problem is with Verizon�s outgoing system.

Some specifics, of a sort, can be found in Verizon�s website where I was able to find several notices while searching on international texting. For example:

Verizon states: �International Text Messaging allows you to send and receive text messages from your wireless phone to select international destinations while within the Verizon Wireless Nationwide Coverage Area.� The operative word is SELECT, but the Verizon representatives to which I spoke would not direct me to a list of carriers (perhaps because they realized the list is wrong). In any case, I found it to be incorrect in at least one case, and I presume others.

Verizon states: �If you run into problems, confirm that the recipient is using a participating carrier.� Again, no Verizon representative advised how I could do this, but when I found a way, I found it to be incorrect.

My Storm 2 will theoretically roam in countries with GSM carriers on GSM systems. I have yet to try this, although I am quite familiar with international GSM roaming, having used Verizon global phones in the past and, as noted, T-Mobile. I regularly use SMS messaging when overseas, in part to avoid the high cost of international calling. Clearly, Verizon will prevent me from doing so in many cases.

Because Verizon is a CDMA carrier and has high quality service in the USA, it would seem to be an attractive service for many. In the past, when I have used Verizon's global phones for roaming in other countries, I have had very poor experiences (nonfunctional, etc.) I had hoped Verizon had overcome them. I have yet to test the Storm 2 overseas, but this experience with international texting leads me to believe that for international travel, a carrier such as T-Mobile would be a much better choice. I, unfortunately, am stuck in a contract now.

VZW uses a 3rd party provider (Inphonmatch) to handle international text messaging. Anytime something goes through multiple switches there is possibility for things to not be delivered. As far as getting a confirmation on a text... you don't get that when it's between carriers within the US either. Only VZW to VZW bc VZW has full range to know when it was sent, delivered, and received. Anytime it crosses over from carrier to carrier there is a possibility that it may not be delivered.

I have tried to find this disclaimer on the verizonwireless.com website but have had no luck. I know it's there. I have found it in InfoMgr but that's an internal tool.

As far as a list of carriers:
https://text1.vzw.com/text/jsp/txtintl_viewall.jsp#

[Polychrome]

Technically, all inter-carrier messages go through a 3rd party. Even the ones in the US.

I will confirm one other thing... The big red X does not necessarily mean the message did not go through. All a delivery confirmation means is that the other phone sent a "receipt" text back (like an email expecting a receipt would). However, anything goes when you're on somebody else's carrier, which is what roaming essentially is. If two people of two different carriers are roaming on two more carriers...well...something's just bound to happen. LOL Just think of how many 3rd party connections between *those* carriers are going on, and you have an utter mess.

Not every phone will respond with a reciept text, especially if the other phone is roaming as well. Not every roaming carrier will allow a reciept text even. The only way to know for sure is whether the other person responds.

The thing I remind customers is that if they have blackberries, PIN is better to use. You have the option of unlimited messages, and are only limited by where you find an internet connection. It's far more reliable. Heck, anything internet-based is. There's only so many ways you can mess up an internet connection...

I'd like to add one final note: Let us not forget that the telephone is a rather archaic system that's been around for a century. Even though many things are handled by computers these days, things run very similar to the way they did all those years ago, which translates to: very inefficiently.

Remember all those "long distance" carriers from the 80's? The ones that charged you by minute to call the people in the next town? Those "long distance" carriers did the exact same job as the 3rd parties that handle inter-carrier calls and messaging. (Why do you THINK cell carriers still bill in minutes?) You're still jumping from switch to switch to switch, the same way landlines have always done, and as I said before, it's an utter mess. Until the phone as we know it is replaced by some sort of new internet system (which I figure will happen eventually), expect crud like this to continue.

[Evermore707]

Can the parties in question in other countries text back to you? Also, I believe you can send to a sms phone number by using email. For example, T-Mobile: [email protected]
Virgin Mobile: [email protected]
Sprint: [email protected]
Verizon: [email protected]
Nextel: [email protected]
Now you would have to find the address to the carriers in question that you need.

[Evermore707]

Here is a even better list How To Send Email To Any Cell Phone (for Free)