Heads up for Cingular customers who Text Message

[BarTopDancer]

I've heard from two different original Cingular Wireless customers (not those who are Cingular customers via the AT&T merger) that they are now charging for incoming text messages.

I went and checked to see if those on an AT&T contract are effected by this change and it says that AT&T customers can still receive text messages for free.

[Name]

does that include the text messages that cingular sends advertising their own stuff?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh man, if I get an unsolicited spam text message and have to pay for it...hell to pay! On the other hand, if it means they will stop that practice of sending unsolicited spam messages, huzzah! As I don't use text messaging anyway, that sound great. Of course, we're from the AT&T side, so it won't affect is right away.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Cingular.com

What messages am I billed for?
Cingular bills for all messages whether sent or received, read or unread, solicited or unsolicited. Also, any message sent or received that is longer than 160 characters will be delivered as multiple segments of up to 160 characters each. Each segment is billed as a separate message.

Here is the link to where this is Here is the link to the Cingular FAQs where this is located. The wording "solicited or unsolicited" is key here. It appears they can, and will charge you for any and all advertising messages you receive. IIRC, the ability to send advertising text messages was one of (if not the main)the reasons companies stopped charging for incomming text messages.

Originally Posted by AT&T section

Getting Text Messaging
Pay-per-use Text Messaging is already available on your account. Each message sent is $0.10 and incoming messages are free. To add a Text Messaging plan and save, former AT&T Wireless customers who have not transferred their calling plan to Cingular must call 1-877-400-1080. Or you can transfer your service online to a Cingular Wireless rate plan with Rollover, and add a Text Messaging package.

This will be very interesting to watch as it unfolds. Both people I spoke with said they had no noticeable notification of this change. That's not to say it wasn't in size 1 font buried in their bill.

[Name]

I seem to remember reading about a local SD based company called SMS(something) that would get you to sign up for free SMS text messages(like 10 free messages a month or something like that) but then they would turn around and spam you like 10 messages a day, so instead of free SMS text messages, you were billed exorbinate amounts of money for spam. [queue monty python tape] This Cingular policy is sounding like a similar scam to me.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Well, seems simple for me. The second I see a charge for an advertisement from them, they get themselves an earful from me, and then I disable text messaging on my phone. I suppose I could just disable it now, but then where would I get me some righteous indignation?

[Not Afraid]

My latest phone bill just arrived and I haven't been charged for text messages sent, nor have I ever been. Maybe they want to keep my business.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Your plan probably includes some number of free ones.

[Kevy Baby]

Whenever Verizon sends me a message, it is ALWAYS at no charge. That Cingular would charge for sending you an unsolicited message is fraught with class-action lawsuit.

[Not Afraid]

Cingular does NOT charge for sending ads and they usually tell you that somewhere within the ad.