Question about adding Alert Cops

[lvf]

We just arrived in Madrid, and are heading to Leon to finish our Camino that we started last year. We have the Alert Cops app on both of our phones, and we’ve answered the questions to get it set up, but when we get to a code that they’re supposed to send to our phones it stops there. We’re from the US so we put +1 with our area code and number, but no code comes through. Are we doing something wrong? Thanks!
Rick and Lucia Fletcher

 

[trecile]

This was a problem for me last year. Ultimately I had to email them at alertcops@interior.es to get it set up.

Here's a thread from last year about the topic:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

 

[Synnove]

Try to type 001 instead of +1. Not sure if it makes any differece, but have experienced that 00 works better than + for my landkode (Norway) in some Spanish apps.

 

[davejsy]

I really have no idea, but I'm sure someone will.

I found this which may help.

 

[Kathor1]

We’re from the US so we put +1 with our area code and number, but no code comes through.

Assuming that you entered your US mobile phone number correctly, this is likely to be a known problem. The reason: Your US mobile phone number and/or your provider setup cannot receive the sms with the code sent to you because the sender is not a normal "long" mobile phone number but a so-called "short" number. This appears to work just fine for people who have a mobile phone with a Spanish or other European mobile phone number but it does not work in your case / for your combination.

@trecile and @davejsy have already provided a link to the thread with the likely solution. However, you don't need to go through all 47 posts. @trecile's post #46 contains the instructions to follow:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/post-1173139

 

[David]

When adding the international code don't forget to remove the first 0 from your number.

 

[camino07]

I have just contacted my bank to temporarily remove the need for an SMS while overseas as I will have a Spanish Sim.

 

[lt56ny]

This was a problem for me last year. Ultimately I had to email them at alertcops@interior.es to get it set up.

Here's a thread from last year about the topic:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

I had this problem a few years ago also. I always get a Spanish SIM card, last few camonos at Vodafone. I had always gotten a new Spanish telephone number. It didn't affect me being able to contact family on whatsapp or them contacting me. They could call or text without having to change my number to the new Spanish number) That year when the Vodafone rep asked me if I wanted to keep my original number I said yes. When I tried to activate my AlertCops app with my Mexican phone number it didn't allow me to. Since then I have gone back to getting a Spanish number.

 

[byrdie444]

I'm from the US too and could never get the Alert Cops app to accept my phone number. I was on the Frances last year alone and never was able to have it active and it concerned me. I'm glad you posted this so that the next time I will try the workaround as posted in this thread.

 

[mgnswaus]

Do you have to be in Spain before you can set it up?

 

[lvf]

This was a problem for me last year. Ultimately I had to email them at alertcops@interior.es to get it set up.

Here's a thread from last year about the topic:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

I wanted you to know that I followed your advice and emailed them, and they sent me the code. I now have the Alert Cops App on my phone. Thank you thank you!!!

 

[bprohs]

This was a problem for me last year. Ultimately I had to email them at alertcops@interior.es to get it set up.

Here's a thread from last year about the topic:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

This was a problem for me last year. Ultimately I had to email them at alertcops@interior.es to get it set up.

Here's a thread from last year about the topic:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get set up. I’m +1 and they finally told me their provider would send me the SMS code and not to close the app. They said they were staffed 24 h and I would receive the SMS code. I didn’t want to miss it so I stayed up until 4am waiting for it, but it never came. I told alert cops that and now they won’t even reply to my emails. So good luck with Alert Cops!

 

[rainswift]

That's unfortunate.

Conversely, I just tried the method @trecile described, which I'm going to quote here so that it's in as many places as possible, and it worked a charm.

First you email alertcops@interior.es .

In the email, I described in Google Translate Spanish that I am a pilgrim from Canada trying to validate the AlertCops application. I wrote that I could not receive the SMS validation code because Canadian telecoms do not allow SMS messages from the EU (being as brief and simple as possible because I was relying on Google translate). I wrote that I understand this is a common problem for North American pilgrims. I wrote that another pilgrim had described a solution after writing to AlertCops.

Then, I copied the solution that Trecile described, again in Google Translate Spanish. I asked if we could repeat this process for me.

Trecile's solution was:

To get validated in the APP follow next steps:

1. Open the Alertcops application and it will ask you for validation as in previous occasions.

2. Once the code has been requested, and without closing the application, open the email and reply to this thread indicating that you have requested the new validation code.

3. We have a 24 hour service that will answer the email as soon as possible and will proceed to provide the code.

4. Once the code is received, go to the Alertcops application, is very important that the Alertcops App stay open, or the validation process while begin again.

5. Enter the provided code and the validation process will be completed.

Here is the text of my email to AlertCops.

Buenos días,

Estoy intentando validar la aplicación AlertCops. No puedo recibir el código de validación de SMS porque las telecomunicaciones norteamericanos no permiten que lleguen mensajes SMS de la UE a mi teléfono. Entiendo que este problema es común para los peregrinos norteamericanos.

Un peregrino describió una solución que les escribió AlertCops, que copio aquí:
-----
1. Abre la aplicación Alertcops y te pedirá validación como en ocasiones anteriores.

2. Una vez solicitado el código, y sin cerrar la aplicación, abre el correo y responde a este hilo indicando que has solicitado el nuevo código de validación.

3. Disponemos de un servicio 24 horas que contestará el correo electrónico a la mayor brevedad y procederá a facilitarle el código.

4. Una vez recibido el código, acceda a la aplicación Alertcops, es muy importante que la App Alertcops permanezca abierta, o el proceso de validación comenzará nuevamente.

5. Ingrese el código proporcionado y se completará el proceso de validación.
-----

¿Podemos hacer esto conmigo para poder validar la aplicación AlertCops?

Muchas gracias!

They wrote back within 2 hours, but I was asleep. They asked for my phone make and model (e.g. iphone 12) and my phone number (don't forget to include the country code when you write back).

I wrote back apologizing for the delay and said that I had the app open and had requested the validation code. This would have been at about 4pm Spanish time, so a good hour for someone to be watching the alertcops email and reply.

Within 2 minutes, they replied back with the validation code. I was able to validate!

Now how to get my guardian validated is the question... I'd hate to bother AlertCops again to validate him as guardian :/

 

[trecile]

I'm glad that it worked for you @rainswift. I would just like point out that AlertCops has English speaking staff, and it wasn't necessary for me to write to them in Spanish. My email conversation with them was all in English.

 

[lvf]

I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get set up. I’m +1 and they finally told me their provider would send me the SMS code and not to close the app. They said they were staffed 24 h and I would receive the SMS code. I didn’t want to miss it so I stayed up until 4am waiting for it, but it never came. I told alert cops that and now they won’t even reply to my emails. So good luck with Alert Cops!

I also used the method Trecile suggested and had success . Not sure what happened with your attempt. We’re on the Camino now in Molinaseca and having an amazing time.

 

[bprohs]

I also used the method Trecile suggested and had success . Not sure what happened with your attempt. We’re on the Camino now in Molinaseca and having an amazing time.

Thanks for your response. I was finally able to get it working. They were amazing to work with once we got together. It’s working perfectly now. I’m really happy you’re having an amazing time. I’m jealous, our first Camino isn’t until September.