Neptune refusing to fix known problem

[ZombieEngineer]

There is what appears to be a global issue effecting a reasonably large number of apex users that is disabling text message notifications. I made them aware of the issue and they basically refused to fix it.

I have given Neptune the ultimatum that I will not be providing programming assistance until they resolve this matter (I am Zombie on Neptune forums). If you agree with my sentiment, please send an email to [email protected]. I will resume my help when they actually attempt to resolve the problem.


This is the canned response they gave me.

"
Hi Jonathan,

Sorry for any inconvenience you are having.

This bounced message happens when Fusion sends a message for an alarm condition to a phone carrier to send that customer a text message. If the phone provider does not accept the message and bounces it back to us. Once this happens multiple times, we then block the number. This Bounced Message is the only way we can now notify you that you might not get alarms from the Apex due to the carrier is not allowing the messages to be sent to you.

This is now happening more frequently than before due to the recent spam SMS's that everyone is getting, phone carriers have started blocking certain SMS request and sometime this is alarms to our customer. We know how important it is to know instantly if there is an issue with our tanks. Because of these changes phone carriers are now making, we have been forced to recommend using push notifications through the Fusion App as a primary way to be notified of an issue. This type of alarms gets to you faster than SMS and emails do.

With all that being said, unfortunately, we will not be able to unblock your number. Generally speaking, we are beginning the process to move away from text message alerts for several reasons and have moved to a policy to not enable blocked numbers. I apologize, we are not able to meet your request in this ticket at this time.

Here is another company that was faced with the same issues:
https://www.coralvuehydros.com/product-support/hydros-control/important-changes-to-the-sms-service/

The team will still be looking to see how we can provide SMS support again. However, it needs to make sure it meets our strict standards of making sure you know immediately if there is a problem, so we know how best to act in that situation.

Thank you for your understanding, and I know we are still looking for how we can reliably offer constant SMS Alarms that we can rely on.


Below is how to get push notifications and remove SMS alarm about bounced messages.

• If you do not already have Push Notification set up, then please delete the Apex Fusion app from your mobile device and re-install it. (This will not lose your programming) When you re-install the Apex Fusion app on iOS, it will ask if you want push notification. However, on Android it is enabled automatically.

• To remove your SMS number, navigate to your username in the upper right corner of Fusion and click on Setting and then Notifications. Find the SMS and remove it, and this will remove the alarm bell.

Please let us know if you have any other questions, or need any additional clarification."

 

[ZombieEngineer]

@NeptunePaul

 

[areefer01]

This has no business here and should have been addressed through private channels.

 

[RedoubtReef]

They should use Grammarly and proof read before sending out any communication to customers.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

This has no business here and should have been addressed through private channels.

You're wrong. There have been a plethora of people noting this problem within the last few days, then happened to me too. Neptune could have easily handled the problem along the lines of "we are researching the problem and will unblock affected numbers as soon as we can determine a fix, please be patient" would have been a minimum response to something like this. Neptune refusing to work on this when it was not only reported by several other users, but then also by the guy who basically taught the entire community how to code the apex makes it public.

 

[JCOLE]

I had the same thing happen to me. I found a "fix" to this awhile ago. I had this happen to me over a year ago. What I do now is have apex send an email which is to my texts and I now receive texts again.

If anyone needs to know your text address then just send a text message to your email. Use the text address that was sent to your email in the spot for email notifications in Apex.

It works again with no problems doing it this way.

 

[areefer01]

You're wrong. There have been a plethora of people noting this problem within the last few days, then happened to me too. Neptune could have easily handled the problem along the lines of "we are researching the problem and will unblock affected numbers as soon as we can determine a fix, please be patient" would have been a minimum response to something like this. Neptune refusing to work on this when it was not only reported by several other users, but then also by the guy who basically taught the entire community how to code the apex makes it public.

I am not wrong. We disagree. However you have back channels. In their reply they actually stated what you requested that they are looking into it.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I had the same thing happen to me. I found a "fix" to this awhile ago. I had this happen to me over a year ago. What I do now is have apex send an email which is to my texts and I now receive texts again.

If anyone needs to know your text address then just send a text message to your email. Use the text address that was sent to your email in the spot for email notifications in Apex.

It works again with no problems doing it this way.

That trick doesn't work any more.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I understand where you are coming from, just curious if the app notifications aren't working for you either, or just your personal preference to get a text?

 

[Smoke-Town]

Whistleblowing should be commended not shamed. I'm sick of everyone trying to sweep issues under the rug and hide them from the public.
Chevy is doing the same thing. Known issue on garbage lifters that are extremely expensive to replace being in the middle of the engine blocks. I'm a chevy fan... and I'll warn everyone I know about it before they buy because that's the right thing to do. Chevy refuses to recall this known issue since 2014. Now I'm a Chevy fan and will buy it anyway, but there are plenty of people that may not care of the brand and this information may help them make a better decision when choosing a brand. Accountability is important.

This has no business here and should have been addressed through private channels.

 

[JCOLE]

That trick doesn't work any more.

Hmmm..well I am not going to be loud about then because it is still working for me.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I understand where you are coming from, just curious if the app notifications aren't working for you either, or just your personal preference to get a text?

App push notifications do work, but I have used text notifications for the past decade and prefer them. I have a tendency to clear my notifications and the text keeps a good running record easily accessible to me.

The larger issue is this is a pattern that seems to have come from a recent patch or change on their side and their dismissal of the problem

 

[areefer01]

Whistleblowing should be commended not shamed. I'm sick of everyone trying to sweep issues under the rug and hide them from the public.
Chevy is doing the same thing. Known issue on garbage lifters that are extremely expensive to replace being in the middle of the engine blocks. I'm a chevy fan... and I'll warn everyone I know about it before they buy because that's the right thing to do. Chevy refuses to recall this known issue since 2014. Now I'm a Chevy fan and will buy it anyway, but there are plenty of people that may not care of the brand and this information may help them make a better decision when choosing a brand. Accountability is important.

There is no whistle blowing. The topic is discussed in the thread linked below. You will also see in the thread below that he is threatening to no longer help the community until Neptune does what he believes is right. Furthermore he has sent the message into neptune, received a reply, and continues to post threads with threats. They said they are looking into it.

Let the company do their homework and investigate as they replied. Which was also what he asked for and they are. Go figure.

Apex text alarms

Has anyone had trouble with text message apex alarms? I stopped receiving them and now fusion says I can’t add my phone # because text messages were bounced back. Any clue as to contacting apex support or carrier to fix this? TIA

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reefer Matt]

I just wonder if this is a phone carrier issue, on top of Neptune locking out the number.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I just wonder if this is a phone carrier issue, on top of Neptune locking out the number.

It's plausible, but the fact that they are completely locking out numbers and not unblocking them keeps me from even being able to test the issue. If a fix is found, I would have to find out the fix took place, beg to get my number unblocked and then test to see if it worked only to possibly have it blocked again.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

App push notifications do work, but I have used text notifications for the past decade and prefer them. I have a tendency to clear my notifications and the text keeps a good running record easily accessible to me.

The larger issue is this is a pattern that seems to have come from a recent patch or change on their side and their dismissal of the problem

Just so you know there is still a record being kept In The fusion app. Your text message record is just a text that you have to look at in your messages. Buttttttttttt even better where it all belongs is the record of alarms if you click the triangle with Exclamation mark in center will show you every alarm sent. And it’s all in the same place as all your other info you need to look at regarding fish tank

 

[((FORDTECH))]

It's plausible, but the fact that they are completely locking out numbers and not unblocking them keeps me from even being able to test the issue. If a fix is found, I would have to find out the fix took place, beg to get my number unblocked and then test to see if it worked only to possibly have it blocked again.

Beleive me I’m old school and I also don’t like change but when this happened many years ago I never even questioned it because the push notifications works perfectly

 

[n2585722]

Beleive me I’m old school and I also don’t like change but when this happened many years ago I never even questioned it because the push notifications works perfectly

I like the push notifications since I get them on my iPad and my phone. With text notifications they would only show on my phone. I prefer getting the notification on both. I spend a lot more time on my iPad than my phone. I do not have the Apex but the controller I do have does use push notifications and email. I have the email turned off since it is redundant anyway.

 

[MartinM]

As someone who owns a company that uses programmatic SMS and who employs Twilio programmers, I’ll tell you that it’s getting a lot stricter. It’s a very complex issue and a large portion of it is outside of any one’s control excepting the carriers. I would suspect that they’re having issues that are related to carrier and/or compliance that aren’t entirely within their ability to control. Things like spam reports and opt-out rates can negatively impact deliverability via certain carriers, area codes, etc resulting in outages they can’t control. Of course, I can’t be certain that this is the issue, but I can say it’s a complex, multi-pronged problem.

 

[mehaffydr]

Looks to me that Neptune gave you a very reasonable explanation and also stated they are working on a solution. Why not just take their advice and allow the push notifications?