Troubleshooting Text Message Delivery Issues

Text messaging is a powerful way to reach your community members quickly, but sometimes messages may not deliver as expected. This article will help you identify and resolve common SMS delivery issues in Lome.

Initial Troubleshooting Steps

Before contacting support, try these steps to identify the source of the delivery issue:

  1. Test with multiple phone numbers - Send test messages to different people with various carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) to see if the issue affects all recipients or just specific ones.
  2. Verify phone numbers are correct - Double-check that all phone numbers in your contact list include the correct area code and are formatted properly (10-digit format works best).
  3. Check your cellular signal - Poor reception can delay message delivery. Try testing from a location with strong signal.
  4. Wait a few minutes - Sometimes there can be brief delays in the cellular network. Messages may arrive 5-15 minutes later than expected.

Carrier-Specific Issues

Lome uses Twilio to deliver text messages, which generally provides excellent delivery rates. However, some cellular carriers may occasionally filter or block messages. Here's what to try:

  • Contact your carrier - Ask them to whitelist Lome's messaging service or check if they've implemented new spam filtering
  • Check message content - Avoid using excessive capital letters, multiple exclamation points, or suspicious links that might trigger spam filters
  • Test during off-peak hours - High-traffic times can sometimes cause delays in message delivery

When to Contact Support

If you've tried the above steps and are still experiencing issues, please contact our support team with the following information:

  • The specific event or form link where you're having trouble
  • Phone numbers that aren't receiving messages (including yours for testing)
  • Whether you're seeing any error messages in Lome
  • The approximate time you sent the messages

Our team can check both Lome's logs and our Twilio delivery reports to identify server-side issues that may be affecting message delivery.

FAQ

Why do messages show as "sent" in Lome but don't arrive?

This usually indicates the message left our system successfully but was filtered or delayed by the cellular carrier. Contact your carrier to check for filtering issues.

How long should I wait before reporting a delivery issue?

If messages haven't arrived within 30 minutes and you've tested multiple phone numbers, it's time to contact support.

Can server issues affect text messaging?

Yes, during periods of high growth or system maintenance, there may occasionally be server-side issues that impact messaging. Our team monitors these closely and works quickly to resolve them.