Text messages (SMS)

VAREK’s SMS notice lets the board reach shareholders and members by text message — including the people who don’t follow email or the app. It’s made for time-critical situations: an AGM-meeting reminder, a water shut-off, a lift service break, or anything that needs to go out fast. Email and in-app notifications stay primary; SMS is the reach-everyone extra channel.

Requires activation

The SMS notice only appears once VAREK has enabled the text-message service for your housing company. If you don’t see it in the menu, contact VAREK support.

Sending a text message

1. Open Tekstiviestit (Text messages) from the left menu.
2. Choose recipients the same way as a board email: by role (e.g. Shareholders, Board, Tenants) or by searching for individual members.
3. You immediately see how many of the chosen recipients have a phone number on file (e.g. 18 / 24 recipients have a number). Only those with a number receive the message — the rest are skipped.
4. Write a short message. A message fits in a single text message: at most 70 characters (one segment). A counter shows the characters used.
5. Send.

Tracking delivery

The Sent history tab shows, per send:

• the status (sending / sent / partial / failed),
• sent / delivered / total counts (delivery updates as the operator confirms it),
• the cost (SMS is a paid service for the housing company),
• and a per-recipient breakdown when you expand a send.

Good to know

• A phone number must be on file in the member’s details for the message to arrive. Encourage shareholders to add their number in their own details.
• The sender shows as “VAREK”.
• Text messages are chargeable and the cost is shown with each send. Sent messages are gathered onto the housing company’s next invoice as their own line (price per message × messages sent) — there is no separate SMS invoice.
• VAREK relays the messages through a reliable EU-based SMS provider; phone numbers are not transferred outside the EU.

See also

• Emails
• Communication overview