T-Mobile Messaging Cost Increase 8/29/08

[MOTOhooligan]

In keeping with the other major wireless companies, T-Mobile will be raising their per-message rate to $0.20/msg.

Starting August 29, 2008, messaging rates will increase to 20¢ per message. This change applies to messages you send or receive while you are in the US, Canada, or Puerto Rico.

If you have a messaging bundle or a plan that includes messaging, the new rate will apply to domestic messages in excess of your monthly allotment.

[spleck]

Like, OMG! Can I use that to get out of my contract ETF free?

I just wanted to be the first to post that...

But really, why don't the carriers just grandfather in the text messaging rates? Then we wouldn't have to hear all about who canceled and who couldn't.

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by spleck

But really, why don't the carriers just grandfather in the text messaging rates?

Money.

How many customers have service with T-Mobile and how many are either affected by this or care? I don't care because I already have an unlimited package, so it's no biggie to me, most people probably feel the same way so the extra $0.05/msg they're getting, spread out over how every many messages they charge it for is more than the cost of whatever people are getting out of their ETFs.

[tmobileman]

I am already tired of those customers and there are always going to be the ones that use every loophole they can to get out of their committment. Won't tell you why they really want to cancel, or are dumb enough to think that I don't know the 3g iphone comes out this week so that is why they are trying to get out of their contract with tmobile...I average about 60 calls per day and for about the last week a third of them at least are about this.

[Barciurek]

lol.
I remember once ERA (T-Mobile Poland de facto as they DT owns 97% of Era.. rebranding soon) had some problems with their contracts.. they added something insignificant to their terms of service.. and Polish Office of Telecommunication informed their customers that they can get out of their contracts... ERA lost about a million customers that way.. and they have 10 million.. that's pretty big loss in a 40 million country.

[bluebird]

Hi ya'll - I've been lurking for a while, and a happy Tmo customer since 2003 - BUT I had to say:

I do not text. Period. I don't need it and I don't want to pay for it.

I want to not have text in my plan. No text, no fees, nothing. I know I can tun off the email address for text, but I get "wrong number" text from boneheads in town all the time. I will have to start complaining about each one, I guess. I heard than in Mexico and in Europe, they have a more sensible approach - you only pay to send text. If costs more than here, but that seems fairer to me.

Anyway thanks for letting me vent!

[scotsboyuk]

Originally Posted by bluebird

I heard than in Mexico and in Europe, they have a more sensible approach - you only pay to send text. If costs more than here, but that seems fairer to me.

That's true, but most tariffs include a bundle of texts so you are effectively paying for texts whether you use them or not. Some tariffs don't give you a set allowance of either minutes or texts though, ironically T-Mobile UK does this. You pay a fee each month and they give you a monetary allowance to spend on whatever you like e.g. £35/month gets you £180/month to spend on any combination of calls, texts, etc (not data).

[bluebird]

Originally Posted by scotsboyuk

they give you a monetary allowance to spend on whatever you like

Wow, that would suit me fine! Some months I barely use the phone for calls, and if I could use some of that to offset the odd text spam my bill would not go up as a result. I notice some pre-paid plans have a similar approach to this, you have a balance and then your calls and texts drain it. But I don't want to go pre-paid, it is a costlier approach. (Yeah, I'm cheap!)

[tmobileman]

Originally Posted by bluebird

Hi ya'll - I've been lurking for a while, and a happy Tmo customer since 2003 - BUT I had to say:

I do not text. Period. I don't need it and I don't want to pay for it.

I want to not have text in my plan. No text, no fees, nothing. I know I can tun off the email address for text, but I get "wrong number" text from boneheads in town all the time. I will have to start complaining about each one, I guess. I heard than in Mexico and in Europe, they have a more sensible approach - you only pay to send text. If costs more than here, but that seems fairer to me.

Anyway thanks for letting me vent!

Not to worry valued customer by the end of July before the new rates go into effect tmobile will begin offerring the option to block all chargeable sms/mms/email/im so there is no need for people who don't want the feature or the charge to worry. Tmobile has your back.

[spleck]

A few things I wish would happen to text messaging:
Option to deduct a minute from your plan for each message
Option to block all messages
Option to reject a text message the same as not answering a phone call
Option to create a white list of acceptable numbers to receive texts from

Until one of those happens, the text messaging world is just messy.

[EdwardP]

Originally Posted by MOTOhooligan

In keeping with the other major wireless companies, T-Mobile will be raising their per-message rate to $0.20/msg.

Just like on the other site, no one can point to a page on T-Mobile's own web site where it has that information on a price increase...


This page states it is 15 cents to send and receive. Nothing about a forthcoming increase.

[EdwardP]

Originally Posted by tmobileman

I am already tired of those customers and there are always going to be the ones that use every loophole they can to get out of their committment. Won't tell you why they really want to cancel, or are dumb enough to think that I don't know the 3g iphone comes out this week so that is why they are trying to get out of their contract with tmobile...I average about 60 calls per day and for about the last week a third of them at least are about this.

I am in the belief that someone CANNOT cancel their service, simply based on a SMS price increase during the duration of their contract.

When I converted to T-Mobile postpay (January 1995), I agreed to a rate plan, I did not agree to use or not use the SMS service. My contract at the time indicated I could change to a different rate plan, which I did, without penalty or an extension of the contract.

My contract ended January 2006, have been off-contract with T-Mobile since then and remain very happy with the service.

[tmobileman]

Originally Posted by EdwardP

I am in the belief that someone CANNOT cancel their service, simply based on a SMS price increase during the duration of their contract.

When I converted to T-Mobile postpay (January 1995), I agreed to a rate plan, I did not agree to use or not use the SMS service. My contract at the time indicated I could change to a different rate plan, which I did, without penalty or an extension of the contract.

My contract ended January 2006, have been off-contract with T-Mobile since then and remain very happy with the service.

Technically you're right, it does state in our terms and conditions that we reserve the right to increase prices at any time but as a courtesy we give customers the option to opt out of their contracts if they meet certain criteria, however I will not divulge that criteria but it is an option for SOME Customers. It's too fun telling people they don't qualify to make it easier for them to read my post and use it to exploit a loophole. This thing doesn't matter for customers like you (good customers), but there are those customers that use anything they can to get what they think is an advantage over the company, then they get what they want and move to a more expensive carrier that charges the same thing so they don't really gain anything, and they will be back because these are the people that play the cell phone circuit, oh well usually those types that make you the most money anyway because they are irresponsible and go over their minutes and pay way more than they have to if they just changed their plan or added a feature.

[tmobileman]

Originally Posted by spleck

A few things I wish would happen to text messaging:
Option to deduct a minute from your plan for each message
Option to block all messages
Option to reject a text message the same as not answering a phone call
Option to create a white list of acceptable numbers to receive texts from

Until one of those happens, the text messaging world is just messy.

Our new format will be kind of similar to this, you will have the option to block all SMS, and still receive MMS and IM, or block what you want and receive what you want basically. If you choose to block SMS you will not receive any sms unless it is a free one from tmobile, if you block email you can still receive email on the sidekick or BB plans, FYI if you have a win mobile device and are paying for internet service your email is already unlimited so not to worry. but it is going to give people a choice in the messaging that they want and I am looking forward to it, I believe it is out by the 21st, but don't quote me on that.

[EdwardP]

Originally Posted by tmobileman

Our new format will be kind of similar to this, you will have the option to block all SMS, and still receive MMS and IM, or block what you want and receive what you want basically. If you choose to block SMS you will not receive any sms unless it is a free one from tmobile, if you block email you can still receive email on the sidekick or BB plans, FYI if you have a win mobile device and are paying for internet service your email is already unlimited so not to worry. but it is going to give people a choice in the messaging that they want and I am looking forward to it, I believe it is out by the 21st, but don't quote me on that.

How does voicemail notification play into this? My understanding is that the displaying of the tape icon is actually a specially-formatted SMS message that is sent to the phone. Or at least, it used to be this way...

[tmobileman]

Originally Posted by EdwardP

How does voicemail notification play into this? My understanding is that the displaying of the tape icon is actually a specially-formatted SMS message that is sent to the phone. Or at least, it used to be this way...

Not affected as this is not a charged sms.

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by EdwardP

Just like on the other site, no one can point to a page on T-Mobile's own web site where it has that information on a price increase...


This page states it is 15 cents to send and receive. Nothing about a forthcoming increase.

There is a webpage that states this information but you have to log into T-Mobile.com to view it and, therefore, I could not post a link.

I received a bill insert with the same information from the webpage with my T-Mobile bill this month, so most people should be aware after they receive their July/August invoices.

[bluebird]

Originally Posted by tmobileman

Our new format will be kind of similar to this, you will have the option to block all SMS, and still receive MMS and IM, or block what you want and receive what you want basically.

Praise be! I think this will turn out to be a smart move. There's not a lot of talk about it much anymore, but my thought is that Baby Boomers are not big texters. If the Jitterbug people can afford to pay for National TV advertising, there has to be money to be made from this crowd. I've heard that the issue is they have no idea how to read or delete the message. Who's heard this one: "Here kid, can you get this stupid envelope off my screen for me?"

I'm afraid the main focus of the T-Mo marketing machine is the young set, though. Hipness, rap ring tones, etc. If they want to compete more effectively with the big networks, they have to appeal more to folks with money - people with high paying jobs and business accounts. I'd have to think that these kind of accounts tend to be better at paying their bills, that has to be good business.

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

Originally Posted by tmobileman

Our new format will be kind of similar to this, you will have the option to block all SMS, and still receive MMS and IM, or block what you want and receive what you want basically. If you choose to block SMS you will not receive any sms unless it is a free one from tmobile, if you block email you can still receive email on the sidekick or BB plans, FYI if you have a win mobile device and are paying for internet service your email is already unlimited so not to worry. but it is going to give people a choice in the messaging that they want and I am looking forward to it, I believe it is out by the 21st, but don't quote me on that.

this is a real clincher cuz on AT&T i know when you turn off messaging you dont even get those free system messages either

Originally Posted by EdwardP

How does voicemail notification play into this? My understanding is that the displaying of the tape icon is actually a specially-formatted SMS message that is sent to the phone. Or at least, it used to be this way...

from the looks of it T-Mobile isnt turning off SMS but they are blocking anything that comes from outside their systems

[tmobileman]