$0.03 charge to send/receive SMS?

[LaMerVipere]

I just reviewed my AT&T account online for the first time as I'll have to be paying my first (iPhone) bill soon, and I saw something that I'm wondering about.

It looks as though I'm being charged $0.03 when I send or receive a text message, but it isn't ALL the time. That's already added almost $9 more to my monthly bill.

I bumped up my SMS from the included 200 to 1500/month when I first signed up.

Just wondering if this is a normal thing with AT&T, or with the iPhone plan. Anyone know?

 

[siurpeeman]

i had to bump my message plan as well, hitting well over 200 messages each month. it's important to note that it isn't worth upgrading to the 1500/mo plan if you're not consistently hitting over $10 in text message charges. i'd much rather pay $5 in overcharges than $10 for messages i don't use.

 

[method525]

3 cents per message that is odd. With seeing your bill I could tell you how our billing system came up that figure. My best guess is that you changed in the middle of billing cycle after you had went over.

 

[JBaker122586]

I had the 1500 message plan about about 1400 messages in AT&T decided to inform me that i didn't actually have a 1500 message a month plan, but a 50 message a day plan. So everyday I went over 50 messages I was charged overages and ended up racking up $20 worth.

I complained to no avail before deciding to just screw it and upgrade to unlimited.
Maybe the same thing happened to you.

 

[scaredpoet]

I had the 1500 message plan about about 1400 messages in AT&T decided to inform me that i didn't actually have a 1500 message a month plan, but a 50 message a day plan.

That makes no sense. There is no "50 messages a day" plan.

What probably happened is that you were prorated for the first billing cycle that you had it because you switched in the middle of a cycle. In such a case, then you'd get a portion of the alloted messages and pay a portion of that month's amount for it (which could possibly be calculated at 50 messages a day, because 50 x 30 = 1500). After that cycle completed though, you would've gotten the full 1500 message allotment to use as you wish.

 

[alljunks]

our data plan comes with 200 msg free..

 

[JBaker122586]

That makes no sense. There is no "50 messages a day" plan.

What probably happened is that you were prorated for the first billing cycle that you had it because you switched in the middle of a cycle. In such a case, then you'd get a portion of the alloted messages and pay a portion of that month's amount for it (which could possibly be calculated at 50 messages a day, because 50 x 30 = 1500). After that cycle completed though, you would've gotten the full 1500 message allotment to use as you wish.

Nope. Got the iPhone in July, and this happened to me just now in October.
I know, it sounded absolutely ridiculous and I argued with them because of it, but that's what they told me.

 

[ryanobjc]

Nope. Got the iPhone in July, and this happened to me just now in October.
I know, it sounded absolutely ridiculous and I argued with them because of it, but that's what they told me.

my coworker had this happen to him - for him it was because he was using the AIM <-> SMS integration.

Double check what you are doing with your texts...

 

[macduke]

our data plan comes with 200 msg free..

Just thought I would chime in before somebody says "omg you have to pay for it its not free".

Well, for me my bill went down, and I was upgraded (like everyone else) to 200 texts and unlimited internets. So it's almost like they're paying me now since I pay less then before, which helps offset the cost of the iPhone.

 

[JBaker122586]

my coworker had this happen to him - for him it was because he was using the AIM <-> SMS integration.

Double check what you are doing with your texts...

There is no AIM on iPhone and mine isn't hacked or anything, so I don't see how I could be doing things different than anybody else.
Whatever, I was having to ration my texts recently any, so upgrading to unlimited saves a bit of a hassle and I won't be getting charged the overages.

I probably never sent/received more than 500 texts a month before the iPhone... but the way they have it set up on this thing just makes it too easy to get into texting conversations and not even realize it.

 

[DoFoT9]

3cents a message!?!?!?!?!?! far out that is redculous!!!!

in australia on my service provider we pay around $0.25-$0.45 cents per message.

hmph

 

[ryanobjc]

There is no AIM on iPhone and mine isn't hacked or anything, so I don't see how I could be doing things different than anybody else.
Whatever, I was having to ration my texts recently any, so upgrading to unlimited saves a bit of a hassle and I won't be getting charged the overages.

I probably never sent/received more than 500 texts a month before the iPhone... but the way they have it set up on this thing just makes it too easy to get into texting conversations and not even realize it.

you misread me - there is an AIM SMS integration gateway that allows you to use AIM via SMS for phones that don't have IM programs on it.

Also, other services may charge you extra for SMSs - like stock quotes, etc.