Until June 28th, 2011, I have been able to send SMS Messages to a mobile number in Beirut Lebanon that has not changed, and to which I have sent successful messages over the past 8 months. I am able to successfully send SMS Messages to this same Lebanese mobile number from my SprintPCS mobile phones here in the U.S. without incident, up to an including today June 30th, 2011. I made another attempt today to send an SMS Message via Skype to this number and it is still pending (showing a spinning circle to the right side of the message) after more than 1.5 hours since the transmittion was sent. This normally is an good indication that the transmission will change later today to FAILED - indicating it is believed to be a problem with the number being contacted, which it clearly is not. My last successfully DELIVERED SMS Message to this number was on June 27th, 2011.
I did contact Skype Customer Service today, and they opened Case ID: 530840 on this issue and they directed me to similar past problems at the old forum site: forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=337151&st=0 . Since these issues seem to have been occurring since May 2009, I'm uncertain whether or not this problem will ever be resolved. The friendly support representative I spoke to via Skype Customer Support chat at first thought this problem had been successfully resolved in the past, but then later felt the need to back off of that claim, saying only that I should await further word from Skype on the matter, and to watch the link: heartbeat.skype.com for status updates and/or further information.
I was told this is NOT an issue with Skype in Lebanon not being allowed to accept SMS Messages from a VoIP service since other Skype customers appear to be able to successfully send SMS Messages (still) to other Lebanese mobile numbers. Also this problem appears to affect random customers sending to Lebanon and/or Belgium (to date).
With the new potential for an outbreak of civil war looming over the horizon in Beirut and Lebanon, due to the U.N. Lebanon Tribunal decision today (June 30th, 2011) to hand down indictments of three existing Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah parliment members regarding the 2005 assassination of then Christan Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - service interruptions to people with friends and family in Lebanon is now even more critical than ever, since for many of us Skype is virtually our only means of regular affordable communications to Lebanon. This is NOT THE TIME for a loss of commincations to Skype paying members in reaching their loved ones in the Middle East.
Since I have an active case on file, I am completing this online report mostly in order to inform other Skype community members of this problem so that they have vital current information regarding this issue should they encounter the same problems during this potential crises situation. I would be most appreciative if any other Skype community members have information on this problem or had success in the past in dealing with this issue.
I went through the agony in 2010 of listening/watching on my mobile phone while loved ones on their mobile phones in Beirut were running to get to bomb shelters or other protective housing while rockets and mortar fire fell in their portion of the city around their homes and apartments. The mere thought of a similar occurence or worse happening now is nearly unbearable to me, but I don't have the luxury of allowing my loved ones in Lebanon to comprehend my current fears when they are likely to need my strength in the coming days to remain calm themselves. This problem needs to resolved quickly please!
Thank you, Danny Callaghan, Austin Texas
