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Understanding Texting in AutoRaptor and Why Messages Can Fail

A quick guide to understanding common SMS issues and how to prevent message failures.

AutoRaptor allows you to send and receive texts directly with your customers — making it quick and easy to follow up on leads, confirm appointments, or share updates.

Just like phone calls or emails, sometimes text messages don’t go through as expected. When this happens, AutoRaptor will mark the message as failed.

Let’s go over the most common reasons why an SMS might fail and what you can do to fix it.

Common Reasons for Failed Messages

1. The Phone Number Isn’t a Mobile Number

AutoRaptor can only send texts to mobile numbers.
If the lead’s phone number is a landline or VOIP (like Google Voice), the message will fail.

What to do:
Double-check that the number is a mobile line. If it’s not, try calling or emailing instead.

2. The Number Is Invalid or Entered Incorrectly

Even a small typo — like a missing digit or wrong country code — can cause a message to fail.

What to do:
Make sure the phone number is in the correct format, for example:
(555) 123-4567 or +1 555-123-4567 for US numbers.

3. The Recipient Has Opted Out

If someone has replied STOP to one of your texts, they’ve chosen not to receive any more messages from your dealership.

What to do:
You’ll need the customer’s permission to text them again. Once they reply START, YES, or UNSTOP, texting will work again automatically.

4. The Carrier Blocked the Message

Cell phone carriers (like AT&T or Verizon) sometimes block texts that look like spam or contain restricted content — especially messages with links, all caps, or too many special characters.

What to do:
Avoid using too many emojis, links, or repeated words. Keep your message simple and conversational.

If you need to include a link, use AutoRaptor’s built-in URL shortener (available when sending a text or email) to make your links cleaner and reduce the chance of the message being blocked.

5. The Customer’s Phone Is Off or Out of Service

If the recipient’s phone is temporarily out of service or their plan has expired, your text may fail to deliver.

What to do:
Try sending the message again later or reach out by phone.

6. The Message Was Too Long

SMS messages have a character limit. Very long messages may be split into multiple parts or rejected altogether.

What to do:
Keep your texts short and to the point. If you need to send more detail, try emailing instead.

7. Carrier or Network Delays

Sometimes, message delivery is delayed due to network congestion or carrier maintenance.

What to do:
Wait a few minutes and try again. If multiple texts fail, contact AutoRaptor Support for help.

8. Messages Are Queued

Sometimes, your text may not send immediately but is queued to be delivered. This can happen if there’s high network traffic or temporary system delays.

What to do:

  • Wait a few minutes — most queued messages send automatically.

  • If a message stays queued for a long time, check the phone number and message content.

Quick Tips to Prevent Failed Messages

✅ Always confirm that the phone number is a valid mobile number
✅ Avoid using too many links, emojis, or special characters
✅ Keep your texts under 320 characters
✅ Make sure customers have opted in to receive messages
✅ When in doubt, try calling or emailing as a backup

Need Help?

If you continue to see message failures and you’ve already checked the above, please reach out to AutoRaptor Support.
Include:

  • The customer’s name or lead ID

  • The phone number you tried to text

  • The date and time of the failed message

We’ll be happy to review it for you!

 

Quick SMS Troubleshooting – AutoRaptor

If a text isn’t sending, check for these common issues:

  • The number isn’t a mobile line (texts only work on mobile phones)

  • The number was entered incorrectly (missing digits or wrong format)

  • The customer has opted out of receiving texts

  • The carrier blocked the message (links, all caps, or special characters can trigger this)

  • The recipient’s phone is off or out of service

  • The message is too long (consider using AutoRaptor’s URL shortener for links)