Method and system for handling wireless messaging errors

A method for handling wireless messaging errors resulting from an attempted receipt of a message by a wireless telephone comprising the steps of:

• receiving a message notification from a first messaging switch, the message notification being associated with a message at a second messaging switch;
• initially attempting to retrieve the message from the second messaging switch;
• if an error message describing an error condition is received from the second messaging switch, then
• classifying the error condition as temporal or permanent and if the error condition is temporal then:
• automatically performing a first retry attempt to retrieve the message, the first retry attempt being performed after a first waiting period has elapsed after the classifying step;
• automatically performing a second retry attempt to retrieve the message, the second retry attempt being performed after a second waiting period has elapsed after the first retry attempt;
• and
• automatically performing a third retry attempt to retrieve the message, the third retry attempt being performed after a third waiting period has elapsed after the second retry attempt.