Comments on: Just How Bad Are Carriers Fleecing Us With Text Message Charges? http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/ BlackBerry News and Reviews You Can Use Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:25:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Ronen Halevy http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17470 Ronen Halevy Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:52:15 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17470 What carrier only charges $5 a month for unlimited texts? I get charged $5 by AT&T just for 200 texts... What carrier only charges $5 a month for unlimited texts? I get charged $5 by AT&T just for 200 texts…

]]> By: solitude1984 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17452 solitude1984 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:38:37 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17452 Meh, I'm not overly bothered by the whole thing .... though I certainly would be if my phone company charged me $20/month! With my plan, I pay $5/month for unlimited text messaging. Last month I sent 463 messages and received 395. So I paid $0.00582 for every text message sent and received. I can live with that. Meh, I’m not overly bothered by the whole thing …. though I certainly would be if my phone company charged me $20/month!

With my plan, I pay $5/month for unlimited text messaging.

Last month I sent 463 messages and received 395.

So I paid $0.00582 for every text message sent and received. I can live with that.

]]> By: Duckman http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17443 Duckman Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:37:51 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17443 I knew this all along. It's why I've never used text messaging. I knew this all along. It’s why I’ve never used text messaging.

]]> By: automan69 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17414 automan69 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:47:37 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17414 Great news I just called telus and disabled but my phone and the wifes SMS. That's a saving of $10 a month. We both don't text each other anyways. Thanks for the post and the info! Great news I just called telus and disabled but my phone and the wifes SMS.
That’s a saving of $10 a month.

We both don’t text each other anyways.

Thanks for the post and the info!

]]> By: wibbly http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17410 wibbly Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:49:41 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17410 UK users on any UK network currently don't pay to receive txts even if they are roaming. I choose if/how I repond. Many of the contracts here are starting to offer minutes and ulimited txts (in the UK) too. UK users on any UK network currently don’t pay to receive txts even if they are roaming. I choose if/how I repond. Many of the contracts here are starting to offer minutes and ulimited txts (in the UK) too.

]]> By: Nikolaus http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17404 Nikolaus Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:15:05 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17404 I never use SMS (never = try to avoid has hard as I can) because I can use BBM or GTalk, but sooooo annoying when people start txting me several texts in a row as if we where in a chat. Each time that's a hit on my bill. I should have to accept the charges before I get to read it. Don't just ding me for something I don't want and call it a "service." I never use SMS (never = try to avoid has hard as I can) because I can use BBM or GTalk, but sooooo annoying when people start txting me several texts in a row as if we where in a chat. Each time that’s a hit on my bill. I should have to accept the charges before I get to read it. Don’t just ding me for something I don’t want and call it a “service.”

]]> By: DavidB http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17403 DavidB Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:54:23 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17403 That's what I meant when I said in the previous rant thread that SMS aren't actually sent as "data". They are a bandaid hacked onto the analog cellular network infrastructure and are thus exceedingly limited. As to why carriers charge so much for it, simple. Because they can. Society has become addicted to SMS since it is the only technology that is so ubiquitous. Essentially EVERYONE has a cell phone, and ALL cell phones are capable of SMS, whereas only a fraction of folks have a email capable device on their belt/in their purse 24/7. The folks making money off of SMS have done a magnificent job marketing it. The ONLY way to halt the continued reliance on SMS and its outrageous fees is just say NO. Call your carrier and ask that SMS send and receive be disabled on your account. They may complain about doing it, but they WILL do it. That’s what I meant when I said in the previous rant thread that SMS aren’t actually sent as “data”. They are a bandaid hacked onto the analog cellular network infrastructure and are thus exceedingly limited.

As to why carriers charge so much for it, simple. Because they can. Society has become addicted to SMS since it is the only technology that is so ubiquitous. Essentially EVERYONE has a cell phone, and ALL cell phones are capable of SMS, whereas only a fraction of folks have a email capable device on their belt/in their purse 24/7. The folks making money off of SMS have done a magnificent job marketing it. The ONLY way to halt the continued reliance on SMS and its outrageous fees is just say NO. Call your carrier and ask that SMS send and receive be disabled on your account. They may complain about doing it, but they WILL do it.

]]> By: Michael Jones http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/comment-page-1/#comment-17402 Michael Jones Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:37:49 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/12/30/just-how-bad-are-carriers-fleecing-us-with-text-message-charges/#comment-17402 Here's the thing - people need to reduce their reliance on SMS - it is silly to pay for something twice. Email is free, and on a BlackBerry, it is practically instantaneous anyway. Paying extra for a tiny little 'email' is silly. Carriers have sold people on SMS to make extra money for nothing. That little segment of the cell signal is already 'used up', even if there is no SMS in it. My wife sends little one-word SMS's from her iPhone to me. I think that is silly. She only has 200 SMS's coming, and wastes them on little one-word messages! I cram as much as I can get into an SMS, like 150 characters! I get my money's worth, see? Here’s the thing – people need to reduce their reliance on SMS – it is silly to pay for something twice. Email is free, and on a BlackBerry, it is practically instantaneous anyway. Paying extra for a tiny little ‘email’ is silly.

Carriers have sold people on SMS to make extra money for nothing. That little segment of the cell signal is already ‘used up’, even if there is no SMS in it.

My wife sends little one-word SMS’s from her iPhone to me. I think that is silly. She only has 200 SMS’s coming, and wastes them on little one-word messages!

I cram as much as I can get into an SMS, like 150 characters! I get my money’s worth, see?

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