[djrobsd]

[I have edited this post to reflect items that have occured since my initial post]

Venicom changes their terms and conditions frequently on their web site, and then forgets to update the old sites.... Right on their old web site (which says offer expires Dec 23rd), it says $19.99 blackberry add on plan that includes unlimited instant messaging and more. However, the truth is that it's not unlimited, it's 5 cents per message, and the ONLY way to get the unlimited text message is to sign up for the 1000 minute plan with NO nights and weekends, and unlimited blackberry for $59.99 a month. If you sign up for the unlimited blackberry with 600 minutes and nights and weekends for $59.99 you WILL BE CHARGED 5 CENTS EACH FOR TEXT MESSAGES.

Their new site no longer states that you get unlimited instant messaging, so obviously they must have realized their mistake, and corrected it, but it would have been nice if they had updated all the corresponding sites.

[jbairdjr]

On my AT&T plan (unlimitted data and 1 hour of local voice) I pay 10cents for each message. I dont use it that often, when I can email the phone instead.

[jibi]

why don't you change the method of SMS to GPRS instead of GSM? that way it will be data and not SMS IMs...

[mariog7]

Really? I have a 7290 on Cingular and they charge me 10 cents per SMS. So if I go into options - SMS and change the method from GSM to GPRS I will not be charged since I have an unlimited data plan? If that works, that it awesome!

[jbairdjr]

I'd be interested if this works also. My SMS is set to GSM now.
If anyone has tested this to see if it works, please reply.

[mariog7]

Just tried this. Set my SMS settings from GSM to GPRS. And Cingular is smarter than I thought - it didn't work! Every time I tried to send a text message, it came back with the big red X stating "packet error". I guess they are trying to get that dime from every sent text message. Please let me know if anyone else has tried this with success on Cingular. Thanks.

[pollisis]

I bought my blackberry from Venicom and they did not have anything on there about free SMS. I just double checked and i still didn't see anything about it.

If someone SMS's me do I have to pay .05 cents?

[jbairdjr]

I have not gotten billed for received text messages (AT&T).

[djrobsd]

Originally Posted by pollisis

I bought my blackberry from Venicom and they did not have anything on there about free SMS. I just double checked and i still didn't see anything about it.

If someone SMS's me do I have to pay .05 cents?

Their web site says "Unlimited instant messaging and more"

If that's true, then why am I being charged 5 cents each for every AIM message?

[Mark Rejhon]

Ouch! Try these approaches:

1. Check HowardForums.com and find out what other members did to fix this problem with their Carrier

2. Use data instead of SMS, by using Verichat found in BlackBerry Instant Messaging FAQ

This is a Network Specific post, so I am moving to "BlackBerry Network"

[greenejason]

So if I change my SMS to GPRS then I won't have to pay 5 cents for every outgoing text message? (I'm using the $30 BB addon with T-mobile).

[djrobsd]

I just spoke with one of the folks at Venicom, and aparently the link which I had book marked in google was expired, and the offer listed on that link which said "Unlimited Web Browsing, e-mail access, instant messaging & more."

Now their new link from google says under the plans page:

"Unlimited Web Browsing, e-mail access & more."

They have offered to give me a credit on my account, so I guess that will have to work for now, until I can figure out how to work around the system. I find it rediculous that T-Mobile charges you $20 or $30 a month for a data plan with "unlimited" in the name, but then they charge you extra for AOL Instant Messaging. One of the #1 reasons for many of us to get a data plan is for the instant messaging functionality.

[sbass]

Originally Posted by djrobsd

They have offered to give me a credit on my account, so I guess that will have to work for now, until I can figure out how to work around the system. I find it rediculous that T-Mobile charges you $20 or $30 a month for a data plan with "unlimited" in the name, but then they charge you extra for AOL Instant Messaging. One of the #1 reasons for many of us to get a data plan is for the instant messaging functionality.

Are you talking about SMS messaging or IM? Those are two different things.

Shawn

[greenejason]

I'm talking about SMS messaging. It sounds like djrobsd is talking about IM which should be included.

[sbass]

I'm not sure what each person is talking about here, but the only thing that I know of that's tied to a 5 cent per message thing is SMS. IM should be billed under a data connection at whatever rate you pay per MB. Most mobile plans comes with 300 or 500 included SMS messages and have incremental additives for a few dollars more. If you don't want to pay that you can always use IM (if you have an unlimited data plan) or the BB email functionality.

Shawn

[djrobsd]

I guess I am really confused here. On my bill it specifically says:

AIM MESSAGE Outgoing .05

I'm assuming the INCOMING AIM messages must just be these:

Incoming Text Message .05

The reason is I only see outgoing aim messages, not incomming.

So I'm not sure what to do other then just not use AIM on my phone.

[djrobsd]

Woah... help me understand this:

Text messages include the following:

Voicemail notifications – received when you are unable to answer a call and the caller leaves you a message.
Any T-Mobile On-Demand Alerts that you may have signed up for on My On-line Account (i.e., horoscopes, weather, sports, stocks, etc.)
Any email that is sent to your handset
SIM Card Updates
Standard Text Messages sent from another wireless handset to yours.


So every time someone leaves me a voice mail and i get a notification that i have new voice mail i have to pay 5 cents for those??!

[djrobsd]

Changed to GPRS, btw, and it won't let me log in, so i guess back to GSM I go!

[linxcod]

There is pretty much no way to get the unlimited texting unless you get the combo voice/data plan through tmobile. All the add on plans are setup to charge you for text messages. Since tmobile no longer offers unlimited texting for 9.99 they have really put us in a terrible situation (those of us who are text heavy users). For the time being I am going to use my sidekick2 with tmobile till they bring back unlimited texting. Otherwise when i use my blackberry I get reamed with text messaging charges.

[PhilMax]

I, too, get charged $.10 ea for SMS outgoing by Cingular. One of the reasons I have hesitated to install an IM app is becasue I'm somewhat confused. I thought I read somewhere that some of them use SMS messaging as their "technology" and I sure as heck don't want to pay for chat. Cingular does offer a SMS messaging add on package, but I am not sure I will use SMS that much with PIN and emailing to phones.