T-Mobile Rate Plan Confusion...

[ScottE22]

I am about to sign up for T-Mobile, but I have some confusion over their rate plans from various sources... I figured I'd appeal to people who actually use the service to see if I am missing something....

(1) Text Messages - The dude at the T-Mo corporate store said they are 5 cents apiece if you don't get the $2.99 package of 500 messages. Well - if I send 10 in a month, that would be a lot for me, so I figure that I have no need to get that package. I like them for sports alerts, weather alerts, etc. Then I look in their "Rates & Coverage" brochure and it says "50 inbound messages included per month." Confusing...

(2) T-Zones - T-Mo Man (the guy in the store) said that with T-Zones Unlimited for $9.99 I can connect my laptop to the Internet through the phone. True? I thought you needed the T-Mobile Internet for that?

(3) The brochure also lists "Send and receive AOL Instant Messages" under the "T-Zones" section... But it also lists it under the "$2.99 for 500 Messages" section. BUT in another section it says that each AIM you send or receive counts against your text messages... Now I'm REALLY confused... Seems like this one brochure says three different things... The way I interpret it is that if you have T-Zones, you can send/receive as many AIM messages as you want because you're online ANYWAY... Make sense? I don't know if I'd really use this much, but if I have the feature I'd sure like to know how I'm being billed for it...

Anyway - that's about it I guess... I really liked the salesman in the store. He seemed very knowledgeable, but when I got home and read the brochure, I got even more confused... The brochure has a date of "04/03" on the back - maybe things have changed in 6 months...

Thanks in advance!

-- Scott

[Matt]

1. Text messaging. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 50 free incoming messages are no longer available as part of the rate plans. The website might be inaccurate. So, in that case the rep. would be correct. BTW the $2.99 package now includes 300, not 500 messages. That changed about a month ago. Sports and weather alerts count for text messages, so be aware of that. That brochure is old.

2. The $9.99 t-zones.....officially you are not supposed to be able to connect your laptop and use the Internet. I think it may be done by some; but I've also read that TM is closing (and maybe has closed) that technical loophole - forcing everyone to move to the $19.99 TM Internet plan, which is the way TM really wants it. T-Zones is supposed to be for using your phone only.

3. I don't use AIM, so I'll tell you what I think is correct [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] you might be better asking the question on the T-M forum here. Anyway, I think there is supposed to be a way to use T-Zones to send AIM messages. Although I'm not sure how that gets billed. $2.99 T-Zones give you 300 SMS, although I don't think that is advertised (I have that option.) If you go with the text messaging only option, all AIM counts except for log on/off messages, supposedly. I know what you are asking about T-Zones and AIM but I can't confirm it.

[ScottE22]

Matt -

That helps a lot, thank you! I will check out the forum that you suggested! I've been looking high and low for a T-M forum...

[warriorfootball9]

For the AIM. There is two ways you can get Aim on T-Mobile. 1st you can get T-zones and use Aim thought the internet you do not get charge for text messaging. 2nd you can use the aim software which is on some of the phones, and you do get charge for text messaging on that. Hopes this helps you.

[roamer1]

Actually, three ways

3), of course, is "get a Sidekick" [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

-SC