Unable to respond to text message

[WillR]

I received a text message from Openreach regarding them setting up my Sky Broadband, I am however not able to to respond to the text message, and keep getting a message that says text unable to send, despite having wifi and data. 

[Chrisee]

@WillR you will have to respond on a mobile phone. If stuck call `sky and ask them to respond to Openreach.

[WillR]

I am already trying on a phone. - any other suggestions. 

[FLC]

If it's from a short code number then your phone & your phone provider will treat it as a premium text, even though it's free to call. Generally you need to find the Premium Text option in your phone's settings & enable that. Then you also need an out of contract spend above zero on your mobile account.

Given these issues I've no idea why Openreach & others use these numbers.

[MrT2000]

I had this problem and just kept hounding Sky support. They confirmed that an engineer had been booked but I kept getting messages to ask questions that I could reply to via text. 

so I just called Sky every day. 

eventually I got a message confirming the engineer visit and for some reason it allowed the reply to this category of message. 

so weird that a communications provider sends text that can't be replied to!

[Si+sky]

I'm on O2 and couldn't sms on an iPhone 14pro on iOS 18.1.1

hours on support to O2 and still not resolved. They claim I have no premium numbers barred on

my account but I still can't reply to openreach. 

The only work around I found was to put my sim in an old iPhone SE running an older iOS. Then I was able to reply to the openreach SMS.