How to Resolve Undelivered Messages in Great Agent

Undelivered messages in Great Agent can result from various issues, including message filtering, incorrect phone numbers, or problems with the recipient's device or carrier.

This guide provides strategies and troubleshooting tips to address undelivered messages. 

Strategies to Prevent Message Filtering:

• Ensure Consent and Clear Opt-In: Send messages only to users who have given their consent and provide clear sender identification and opt-out instructions.
• Select Appropriate Use Cases and Senders: Adhere to Great Agent’s SMS Guidelines for each country and avoid categories of messages that are forbidden.
• Optimize Message Content: Use your own URL shorteners and domains, avoid using emojis or special characters, and maintain correct grammar and spelling.
• Safeguard Against Account Takeover: Keep your Great Agent account credentials secure to prevent unauthorized use.

 

Great Agent Messaging Policy

This Messaging Policy applies to SMS, MMS, Chat, and WhatsApp messaging channels. Our aim is to ensure that the messages our customers wish to receive are delivered without hindrance from filtering or other blockers. A key step in achieving this is to prevent and eliminate unwanted messages. We work collaboratively with our customers to ensure messages are sent with the consent of the recipient, and in compliance with applicable laws, communications industry guidelines or standards, and general fairness and decency.

This principle is a core part of Great Agent's Acceptable Use Policy.

Great Agent Messaging

Great Agent treats all messaging transmitted via our platform - regardless of use case or phone number type (e.g., long code, short code, or toll-free) - as Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging. All A2P messages originating from Great Agent are subject to this Messaging Policy, which covers rules and/or prohibitions regarding:

• Consent (“opt-in”);

• Revocation of Consent (“opt-out”);

• Sender Identification;

• Messaging Usage;

• Filtering Evasion; and

• Enforcement.

This policy applies to all customers who use Great Agent’s messaging channels. If you provide your end users or clients with the ability to send messages through Great Agent, for example as an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), you are responsible for the messaging activity of these users. You must ensure that any messaging activity generated by your users is in compliance with Great Agent policies.

 

Consent / Opt-in

What Is Proper Consent?

Consent cannot be bought, sold, or exchanged. You cannot obtain the consent of message recipients by purchasing a phone list from another party.

You must meet each of the following consent requirements prior to sending the first message:

• Obtain clear agreement from the message recipient to communicate with them. Keep a record of this consent.

• If initial contact is not made within a reasonable period after receiving consent, reconfirm consent in your first message.

• Consent is specific to your brand or campaign. It cannot be transferred to other brands or campaigns.

Proof of opt-in consent should be retained as set forth by local regulation or best practices after the end user opts out of receiving messages.

Alternative Consent Scenarios

There are two scenarios where consent can be differently obtained:

1. Contact initiated by an individual: If an individual sends a message to you first, you can respond. This initial contact counts as consent but is limited to that conversation.

2. Informational content based on a prior relationship: Messages based on actions like appointments or orders are permissible if the individual has not opted out of such communications.

 

Identifying Yourself and Opt-out

• Every message must clearly identify you as the sender.

• Include standard opt-out language in your initial message, such as “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”

Usage Limitations

• Do not allow content that is illegal, harmful, unwanted, or originates from a hate group.

• Be aware of and comply with country-specific rules and age/geographic gating for sensitive content.

Messaging Policy Violation Detection and Prevention Evasion

• Do not use the Great Agent’s platform to evade detection mechanisms. Prohibited practices include content designed to evade detection, snowshoeing, and other practices against this policy.

Handling Violations

• Violations of these principles will be addressed in good faith to bring customers back into compliance. However, severe violations may lead to suspension or removal of access to Great Agent’s platform with limited notice.

This policy is designed to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of messaging channels for all users of Great Agent.

 

Consent and opt-in Troubleshooting

• Ensure that you only send messages to mobile users who have provided consent (opted-in) to receive messages from you.
• Ensure that your messages clearly identify who is sending the message, and how to opt-out. If you are contacting the same recipients multiple times per month, you do not need to provide opt-out instructions in every message, but you must do it at least once per month.
• The opt-out language you include in your messages must include a widely accepted keyword for opt-out. In the US and Canada this is typically STOP, e.g. "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." Using alternative phrases like "text 2 to opt out" is not compliant, and will result in filtering.
• If you are sending messages to users repeatedly over a long period of time, you should check in with your recipients at least once every 18 months to ensure they still want to receive messages from you. The mobile number you are sending messages to may have changed owners, or the recipient may not remember giving consent to receive messages from you.
• Monitor your opt out, and consumer complaints data for any spike in activity.  This is an indicator that there is something that needs corrected in your consent or opt out mechanisms.  Carriers will start filtering heavily, or completely block traffic as phone numbers receive complaints/high opt out rates.

Troubleshooting Messages Undelivered for Other Reasons:

Identifying Possible Causes:

• The destination number may be incorrect, unknown, or non-existent.
• The recipient’s device could be off or lacking sufficient signal.
• The phone number might belong to a device that cannot receive SMS, like a landline.
• There might be an issue with the recipient's mobile carrier.

Implementing Solutions:

• Verify Phone Numbers: Double-check that you are sending to the correct number, formatted in E.164 format: [+] [country code] [subscriber number including area code].

Follow a Troubleshooting Checklist:

• Check if the destination device is on and has a strong signal. If not, try rebooting the device.
• Ensure the device is connected to its home carrier's network.
• Test if the device can receive SMS from sources other than Great Agent.
• Try sending messages from a different Great Agent number or with a simpler message format.
• Determine if other devices using the same carrier are receiving your messages.

Reworking Message Content:

• Avoid using all caps, symbols like $, or hyperlinks in your messages.
• Replace words like "cash," "buy," or other sales-oriented language with neutral terms.
• Simplify your message content to reduce the chance of being flagged as spam.

If you continue to experience issues with undelivered messages despite following these steps, gather relevant information and contact Great Agent Support for further assistance. They can investigate the issue and, if needed, involve the Compliance team.