Byr Home Easy SMS Base Station PAYG

[checkeye]

Hi

I have a Byron SMS base station for home automation.  The station uses a vodafone PAYG sim card.  SMS are used to control home appliances such as central heating via a conrtolling mobile phone and the base station.  The base station sends conformation SMS to the controlling mobile.  Firstly I couldnt get the base station and the appliances to pair but that isnt really a PAYG issue, what is a PAYG issue is the that the conformations should be deducted from the balance at 10p each.  I purchased a £10 top up then chose a freebie with unlimited texts,I'd assumed the base station would use the free texts, between 10 and 20 SMS were sent to the controlling mobile after which the balance went to zero.  Anyone know why?

[Sukhi]

Hi checkeye,

I think it's best we take a closer look at your account to see if you've got the correct Freebee set up. Contact us here.

Thanks,

Sukhi

[checkeye]

Can anybody answer the above question?

thanks

[grolschuk]

Did you get in touch with Sukhi so she could check your account?

[hrym]

Two possible issues, which may or may not help.

1. Freebees only last for 30 days.  Were the texts sent outside this period?

2. Long ago, I used an Outlook plugin that would send texts - seemed a brilliant idea.   However, I abandoned it when it became clear that they didn't come out of my (contract) allowance.  The plugin is no longer available, but there was clearly something in the way the messages were sent that differentiated them from ones sent from my phone.   I just wonder whether it's possible that somethign similar is happening here?

And, yes, reply to Sukhi as the team will be able to look into this for you.  If the Freebee is correct, they may be able to see what else is happening.

Actually, another thought: 20 SMS shouldn't use up all your £10 credit, but a data charge of £2 a day could.  Is the device using data instead of SMS, somehow?  Perhaps even MMS?  In fact, 20 MMS might well use up £10.  Aside: I thought the SMS Freebee came with data too, so maybe it is MMS versus SMS??

[checkeye]

Hi Hyrm

thanks for the reply.  I'll try to clarify.

I bought the SMS base station, which is not locked to any network, and it was supplied with a vodafone PAYG sim.  A mobile phone has to be registered to control the base station which in turn controls the home appliances.  So for example with a mobile phone i'd txt the base station " turn on hall light" and it should then send a signal to the hall light.  Once the signal has been sent a confirmation text is sent to the controlling mobile confirming the light is on. 

The guidebook states that txt confirmations are charged at 10p but i'd hoped it would use the freebee.  If it doesnt or cant isnt that important but I purchased a £10 top up for the base station and after setting up the devices and sending a confirmation text, which includes a statement of balance, the balance had gone down to £1,00 and it seems that subsequent text messages were charged at the correct rate.  I was concerned about buying a further top up if i was going to charge £9 for the first text, i'd be throwing good money after bad.  As far as I can see there is no option for use on the base station other than SMS.   I've bought another top up so I have £10 credit again. 

I havent had further reply from Sukhi, perhaps because I didnt want to give personal informations.

If it happens again I guess I'll use up the freebee and try another network.

Any more help would be great.

thanks

[hrym]

In short, I don't know.  You'll need to give the team/Sukhi enough information to be able to help them identify your account and look at what's happened and you shouldn't worry about providing personal details - it's all confidential and away from the public board.

It's possible that, as I intimated, this is down to how the system itself interfaces with the network and I don't know whether the team will be able to tell you how it's working charge-wise.  Equally, they should be able to tell you whether the Freebee is set up correctly and being used (or not).

When you emailed, did you get an acknowledgement with a reference beginning #7?   If you post that here, they'll at least be able to tell you whether they have it.  The fact that you haven't had a reply may simply be that it's in the queue - and no more than that.

I'm hoping we don't get into the situation where Vodafone say "we don't know how the device works" and the manufacture says "we don't know how Vodafone work" :smileysad:

[checkeye]

I've returned to provide update and say thanks.

I bought a second £10 top up as a last throw of the dice, so to speak.  I still have my previous unlimited text freebee and an additional £10 in credit.  I managed to get the device to send conformation texts to the controlling mobile and the credit did not diminish so it would appear that it is using the unlimited texts but that somehow I lost £10 credit from the first top up.   If vodafone reimburse me that would be good if not at least it works now.

thanks

[Retired-Sarah]

Hi checkeye,

Thanks for keeping us up to date.

I’m glad to see you can now use the text messages.

We’ll be able to look into the £10 credit your missing, by getting in touch with us here.

Thanks,

Sarah 

[hrym]

Oooh, I wonder whether the device sent a text before the freebee had activated?  That would reduce the credit and mean you didn't have enough for a freebee - so there simply wasn't one first time round.   @Annie_N  is the PAYG specilaist and and may be able to give you more advice on that.