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The following questions and answers should give you
all the information you need to know about MobileLocate.
If you have questions that are not answered in this section, please write to support@mobilelocate.co.uk or call 0870 44 500 33.
How do I authorise tracking from a mobile phone?
I have sent an authorization text message but the status still says "waiting"?
Can I locate someone without his/her consent?
What does it cost to add more locatable mobile phones to my account?
What is the basic charge for a location request?
How do I make a location request?
Online
Text Messaging
How can I check my credit balance?
What happens if a mobile phone is switched off or is out of network coverage?
How does the person I am locating opt out of the service?
Can I tell whether somebody has stopped me from locating them?
Can I change the mobile number I am locating?
Do I need a special phone to use the service?
How quickly will I receive a reply to my location request?
Can I use MobileLocate from abroad?
What happens if I forget my password?
I made a location request but it did not work. Why?
How can the users of locatable mobile phones check who can locate them?
How do I send SMS text messages from the web site?
Who do I contact if I need help with MobileLocate?
How do I authorise tracking from a mobile phone?
From the target phone reply "Yes" to the request to locate text message.
I have sent an authorisation text message but the status still says "waiting"
Please make sure that the content of your authorisation text message complies exactly to the format require.
If the authorisation message is correct and the status still remains “waiting” it could be due to a delay within the text messaging network. However vast majority of text authorization are delivered within minutes.
Can I locate someone without his/her consent?
No you can not. The person you wish to locate needs to give his/her permission to be located via text message. Once consent has been given we send out notifications to the mobile handset, including information about who can locate the mobile handset.
What does it cost to add more locatable mobile phones to my account?
You can register 5 mobile phones with the service within your tariff. Additional phones are charge at £12
+ VAT, per year.
What is the basic charge for a location request?
We deduct credits from your credit balance as follows:
1 Location Request = 1 Credits
1 Text Message = 0.5 Credit
To top-up your credit balance go to "Buy Credits".
How do I make a location request?
The MobileLocate service can be accessed by any of the following means at any time:
- Online by logging on to your account
- By text messaging
Once you have registered for the service, you can log onto your account by using your user name and password. From the main application page tick the circle in front of the mobile number and name you wish to locate.
After a short while, you will receive a reply online giving the location of the mobile phone: Eg 'Graham is in the area of Guildford Train Station, Guildford' together with the date, time and accuracy of the location. You will also have the option to see a map showing street names and points of interest.
Using the Service by Text Messaging
You can only use this service if you registered your account under your mobile number. From this phone, send the text message 'Loc' followed by the name of the person you are locating (eg Loc Graham) to telephone number 60066. You may want to add this number to your phonebook. After a short while, you will receive a text message reply with the location details, eg 'Graham is in the area of Guildford Train Station, Guildford' together with the date, time and accuracy of the location.
When locating by text message, you will also incur the usual charges for text messaging levied by your network provider.
How can I check my credit balance?
Your current credit balance is displayed in the top right corner of the main application page.
What happens if a mobile phone is switched off or is out of network coverage?
MobileLocate relies on the mobile phone network to locate a phone. If the phone is switched off or is out of network coverage, you will not be able to find its current location. Instead, MobileLocate will inform you of this and return the last location that it registered, if available, together with the date, time and accuracy.
Can a mobile user stop me from locating them after they have already agreed?
Yes, the mobile user can opt not to be located at any time and the service is suspended. Each subscription is valid for 12 months, even if the mobile user opts out and you are no longer able to locate them. Subscription is non-refundable, even if the person you are locating opts out.
How does the person I am locating opt in or out of the service?
The person being located must give their permission by opting in or withdraw their permission by opting out.
To opt in:
The person being located should use their mobile phone to to reply to request to locate text message with "Yes".
To opt out:
The person being located should use their mobile phone to send the text message 'Loc Stop' to telephone number 60066.
Can I tell whether somebody has stopped me from locating them?
Notification that somebody has opted out of the service will be sent via text message and/or email.
Can I get a refund if someone withdraws their consent?
If a locatable mobile phone user chooses to opt out of the service before the subscription expires, no refund will be payable.
Can I change the mobile numbers I am locating?
You can change the mobile numbers at any time simply by deleting your existing numbers and adding new ones. If you exceed 5 numbers we will charge you £18 pound every time you add a new number to your account.
Do I need a special phone to use the service?
No, but the person you are locating needs to be on one of the following networks: O2, Vodafone, Orange or T-Mobile. Phones with Tesco Mobile, BT Mobile and Fresh can also be located.
How does it work with Pay-As-You-Go mobile phones?
If you are making a location request using a pay-as-you-go mobile phone, your phone will need to have sufficient credit to send a text message or make a telephone call. If you do not have sufficient credit on your pay-as-you-go phone, you will still be able to make a location request from the web site, as long as there is sufficient credit in your MobileLocate account. If the mobile phone you are locating is pay-as-you-go, you will be able to make a location request as long as the phone is switched on and within network coverage.
How accurate is the service?
MobileLocate is dependent upon information provided by the networks so MobileLocate cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. The ability to locate a mobile phone is dependent on the cell coverage of the network provider, so the greater the density of the network's masts, the greater the accuracy of the location. In urban areas, the accuracy can be down to 300 meters. In less built-up areas, the accuracy may be reduced to kilometers.
How quickly will I receive a reply to my location request?
The MobileLocate service is capable of returning a reply within a few seconds of a request being submitted, but is dependent on the response from the network provider of the phone being located.
Can I use MobileLocate from abroad?
Yes, as long as the phone that you are locating is still in the UK. If you are using text messaging to locate, you need to ensure that your network provider has a roaming agreement with the country that you are visiting and that any applicable roaming bars have been lifted from your phone.
What happens if I forget my password?
Go to www.mobilelocate.co.uk, click 'Forgotten Password' and enter your log in mobile number in the box. We will then send you a new password via e-mail.
I made a location request but it did not work. Why?
There are a number of reasons why a location request might not be successful. In most cases, MobileLocate will return a reply stating that your request has not been successful and giving a reason. The list below gives the most common reasons for unsuccessful location attempts:
- User requested privacy from network provider. The user of the locatable mobile phone may have consented to being located by MobileLocate, but has previously asked their network provider not to supply location information to other service providers. To be locatable by MobileLocate, the user will need to contact their network provider and ask them to remove the bar from their phone.
- Mobile cannot currently be located. This could be due to the network provider not being able to locate the phone, perhaps because it is switched off or out of network coverage. Usually, in these circumstances, MobileLocate will return the last location that is registered but there are some circumstances when this is not possible, especially if a location request has not been recently performed. Alternatively, the provider's network or location service may be temporarily unavailable.
How do I send SMS text messages from the web site?
Log on to your account at www.mobilelocate.co.uk and tick the circle in front of the mobile number you wish to send text message to. Each text message sent cost 1 credit.
Who do I contact if I need help with MobileLocate?
If the answer to your question is not on this web site, call 0870 44 500 33 and one of our operators will assist you.
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