Grey Routes is the term used to describe low quality SMS routes that are not sanctioned by mobile phone operators. Messages are commonly routed via third-party countries, rather than going directly through home networks. Grey routes (as opposed to direct or white routes) also work by bypassing the interconnection fee that is levied between operators.

So, if you’re in the market for bulk SMS and you’re watching your budget and you’re offered a send rate that seems too good to be true, what’s wrong with using SMS grey routes?

It’s a case of getting what you pay for….

1. Delays

SMS messages sent via grey routes will be subject to delays and may be sent hours after they were submitted - potentially at the wrong time for your customers! Messages sent via grey routes can not only stall and be delayed, but they can also get completely lost in the ether and never reach their intended target in the first place.

2. No delivery reports

SMS grey routes usually don’t support delivery reports. If reports are available, they are likely to be patchy or inaccurate. Due to this complete lack of traceability, you have no way of knowing as a business sender, whether your message was ever received.

3. No sender ID

Rather than a message arriving from a well-known company or brand, messages sent via grey routes do not usually allow you to create an ID, so a random number will usually appear as the senderID. This leaves a less than professional impression and increases the chance of your message being treated as spam that’s unopened or deleted.

4. Compromising information security

Grey Routes are a huge liability as customer information is not safe and message content can be easily accessed, copied, and altered, making them more vulnerable to malicious content. This exposes your customers to unnecessary risk and damages your good name in the process.

5. Unsupported characters

If your message needs to include non-standard characters such as accents or currency symbols, these will usually be replaced with random characters that make absolutely no sense to anyone!

6. Long messages invariably fail

If you’re using a direct connection (a route which pipes directly via UK networks for example), you can increase your message length beyond the standard 160 characters. In this case the SMS message lands on a phone as one text, just as you’d expect. If you use SMS grey routes, your message will arrive as a series of texts, with the very real chance that content will become jumbled with message two arriving long before message one!

Why choose direct or white routes?

When we’re all working hard to attract and keep hard won customers, cutting corners with bulk messaging can backfire. By choosing a company like Voodoo that works exclusively with direct route telecommunication providers you benefit from:

• Security assurance and better customer protection
• Guaranteed delivery speed
• Reliability and recognisable senderID
• Avoiding lost and unsupported long messaging.

Like to find out more?

We're happy to chat and explain how the grey option route simply isn’t worth it and how using direct or white routes delivers benefits and safeguards that far outweigh marginal price-saving considerations. Get in touch today on 01484 599 311.