A text message from the short code 77917 is a legitimate alert or marketing notification from a company you have likely signed up with, such as the retailer DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) or a local service that sends appointment reminders. It is a “shared short code,” meaning many different businesses use it to send communications to their customers.
If you’ve received a text from 77917 and are wondering who it’s from or how to make the messages stop, this guide will explain everything you need to know.
Who Uses the 77917 Short Code?
Because 77917 is a shared short code, there isn’t one single company associated with it. It is used by a wide variety of businesses for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging. The company sending you a message is the one to which you provided your phone number.
Common senders using the 77917 short code include:
- Major Retailers: DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) is a prominent user of this code to send its VIP rewards members promotional offers, sale alerts, and special coupons.
- Political Campaigns: This code is sometimes used to send texts about candidates, events, and donation requests to supporters.
- Appointment Reminders: Many local businesses, such as doctor’s offices, dental clinics, salons, and auto repair shops, use this service to confirm your appointments.
- Other Marketing Alerts: Various other brands and services use this code for sending coupons and notifications.
Why Did You Receive a Text from 77917?
You are most likely receiving these messages because you opted in at some point, either knowingly or unknowingly. This often happens when you:
- Enter your phone number at a store checkout to join a rewards program like DSW VIP.
- Sign up for a company’s marketing list online to get a discount code.
- Provide your phone number when scheduling an appointment.
- Text a keyword to a number you saw in an advertisement.
The text message you receive should identify the name of the company that is sending it.
Is the 77917 Short Code a Scam?
No, the short code 77917 itself is not a scam. It is a legitimate messaging service used by thousands of real businesses for customer communication.
However, you should always be cautious. While the sender is likely a legitimate business, scammers can sometimes try to imitate them. Never click on suspicious links or provide sensitive personal information like passwords or credit card numbers in reply to a text message. If a text from “DSW” offers a deal that seems too good to be true, it’s best to go directly to the official DSW website or open their app to verify the promotion.
How to Stop Text Messages from 77917
The good news is that it is very easy to stop receiving these messages. All legitimate short code programs are required to honor opt-out requests.
- To unsubscribe, reply directly to the message with the word: STOP
After you send the word STOP, you should receive one final automated confirmation message stating that you have been successfully unsubscribed and will not receive any more messages from that specific campaign.
- For more information, you can also reply with the word: HELP
Replying with HELP will usually trigger a response that provides more details about the sender and the service you are subscribed to.
Frequently Asked Questions
I texted STOP but still get messages from 77917. Why?
This is the most common issue with shared short codes. Because many different companies use 77917, texting STOP only unsubscribes you from the one specific company that sent you that message (e.g., DSW). If you are also subscribed to alerts from your doctor’s office using the same code, you must reply STOP to a message from them as well to opt-out of their separate list.
Is there a charge for receiving 77917 texts?
In most cases, no. However, the standard disclaimer “Message and data rates may apply” is always in effect. This means if you do not have an unlimited texting plan, receiving the message could count against your monthly allowance. The service itself does not typically add a premium charge.
I never signed up for these messages. How did they get my number?
It’s possible you inadvertently agreed by not unchecking a box during an online purchase or when signing up for a service. In some cases, your number may have been entered by mistake by another person. Simply replying STOP will resolve the issue.
Is it better to block the 77917 number?
It is better to reply STOP than to block the number. Blocking the entire short code might prevent you from receiving a future alert that you do want, such as an important appointment reminder. Replying STOP targets only the specific unwanted campaign.
Conclusion
In summary, the 77917 short code is a legitimate, shared number used by many businesses, like DSW, for alerts and marketing. The messages are generally safe, but you should always be cautious with links. To unsubscribe from any unwanted campaign, the solution is simple: reply directly to the text message with the word STOP.
