[pangelpip]

Yeah so admit - I am a newbie when it comes to BB and such. Here is my question - I am trying to find the cheapest way out and I am lost. I noticed there is a whole leap and load to chose from when it comes to the plans. I want unlimited. Bascially what i would use it for is checking Gmail with that one store blackberry links you to as well as the AIM - icq and all that. I would be using it very often. What is the difference between the choices? I should mention it is for personal use not a network or company...

1. PDA Connect for BlackBerry Connect Unlimited 49.99 Unlimited 0.015/KB 0.0195/KB


2. Blackberry Personal Plan 34.99 Unlimited 0.015/KB

3. Data Connect (Unlimited) 44.99 Unlimited 0.015/KB 0.0195/KB

4. SmartPhone Connect Unlimited w/Xpress Mail 19.99 Unlimited 0.015/KB 0.0195/KB View Details


I dont know what the differences are. Can someone please explain? Sorry to bother you with such a noob question!

[DiRN]

You want option two. None of those other plans are for BlackBerrys. There are a couple of other BlackBerry data plans that you haven't listed, but they are for BES users. There is also a BlackBerry plan that includes tethering for about $79.99.

[Pizzle]

The only one that will work on a Blackberry is Number 2. The others are for various other smartphones or configurations.

For what you want, it's number 2.

Welcome to the Forums.

[Pizzle]

Ha. You beat me by two minutes.

[thatboiwes]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8700c: HTC-8500/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

With a voice plan, the unlimited BlackBerry plan is $29.99. That is if it is for personal use (BIS) and not through your company (BES).

[John Clark]

For more info and help with Cingular send a PM to Coreyg510. He works for Cingular and is a moderator on this forum. He's offered his help/services to everyone here.

[Alxcab]

Total noob here also so don't feel bad about your question as I am having the same dilema since i just got a 8700c for free a couple days ago and I didn't know which plan to purchase. Thanks for the info!

[pangelpip]

Thanks to all of you and I will defitely be adding that name to AIM...right to my blackberry also

[Peter Andrew]

One question about the BlackBerry Personal plan from Cingular: Does it include unlimited text messages as well? The Cingular rep said it did, but she also told me that she was still learning about the plans.
Thanks,
Peter

[ajp00]

Originally Posted by Peter Andrew

One question about the BlackBerry Personal plan from Cingular: Does it include unlimited text messages as well? The Cingular rep said it did, but she also told me that she was still learning about the plans.
Thanks,
Peter

The plan with 1000 text messages is 39.99 for personal use (BIS), or you can get the unlimited plan with no text for 29.99 and and 4.99 for 200 text a month, I believe. Hope that helps.

[Peter Andrew]

Originally Posted by ajp00

The plan with 1000 text messages is 39.99 for personal use (BIS), or you can get the unlimited plan with no text for 29.99 and and 4.99 for 200 text a month, I believe. Hope that helps.

One rep told me that text messages are included with the 29.99 plan. This is how Cingular describes it:
Blackberry Personal
Access and manage e-mail from up to 10 ISP accounts with a BlackBerry Wireless Handheld. Send, receive, forward and reply to messages while on the go! Service is not available at all times in all places. View Map and Coverage Limitations. This rate plan may not be used with BlackBerry Enterprise Server to access corporate e-mail.

What do they mean when they say "Send, receive, forward, reply to messages"? Is that text messages, or email messages?

[DiRN]

That is emails. There is no way to get unlimited text messages with Cingular.

[takeshi]

SMS is not included in any Blackberry data plan from Cingular except for the two Max plans. I forget their official names but they are $10/mo more than the normal BIS and BES data plans. I don't recall how many text messages are included.

[potthoff]

If you have a voice plan already, sign up for the $29.99 plan and purchase a separate text plan. I pay 4.99 for 200 SMS/month. There are plans with more SMS than that if needed.

[Peter Andrew]

Originally Posted by potthoff

If you have a voice plan already, sign up for the $29.99 plan and purchase a separate text plan. I pay 4.99 for 200 SMS/month. There are plans with more SMS than that if needed.

Now that I understand that I have to pay for text messages (or buy a more expensive BlackBerry BIS package), I'm wondering if instant messages (e.g., from AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo or MSN) count as text messages or are part of the unlimited data you get for 29.99.

[jlink38]

Originally Posted by Peter Andrew

Now that I understand that I have to pay for text messages (or buy a more expensive BlackBerry BIS package), I'm wondering if instant messages (e.g., from AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo or MSN) count as text messages or are part of the unlimited data you get for 29.99.

Instant messaging counts as data when a program that utilizes data is used. When you send a text message to the AIM server or whatever that Cingular has then youre using text messaging.

For example, Ramble and Yak-On use data, not text messaging.

[Alxcab]

It seems like cingular doesn't train their reps very well. If I didn't know any of this information prior to calling they would have signed me up for something I didn't even need. I don't recall how many times I had to tell the lady I spoke to on the phone the actual name of the plan I needed and she still didn't know what I was talking about. Got it figured out and what does it say on my online statement? The same code I kept giving her yet she asured me that there was no such thing.

I have to go out on a limb and say that cingular trains their people to disagree with the customer as part of their procedure, there's no other explanation for arguing with a customer.

[potthoff]

Originally Posted by Alxcab

It seems like cingular doesn't train their reps very well. If I didn't know any of this information prior to calling they would have signed me up for something I didn't even need. I don't recall how many times I had to tell the lady I spoke to on the phone the actual name of the plan I needed and she still didn't know what I was talking about. Got it figured out and what does it say on my online statement? The same code I kept giving her yet she asured me that there was no such thing.

I have to go out on a limb and say that cingular trains their people to disagree with the customer as part of their procedure, there's no other explanation for arguing with a customer.

I agree with you. It's unbelievable the trouble they put us through to get the correct service. I had to call many times before they admitted that there was a $29.99 plan. My bill came out yesterday, and guess what! They charged me for two services covering the same period. So I've got to get on the phone with them again. I'm procrastinating.................. I hate customer service.