Cingular Will Raise Its Text Messaging Rate By 50%

[Rocco Augusto]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2007/01/014588.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2007/01/014588.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It should go down, but from January 21st, Cingular Wireless will raise the text-messaging rate it charges customers without a monthly texting plan to 15 cents per message sent or received, an increase of 5 cents. "The rise comes two months after an identical move by Sprint Nextel Corp., which also raised the rate for pay-as-you-go texting from 10 cents to 15 cents per message," reports the IndyStar. "Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA each charge 10 cents per message sent or received without a texting plan."</i><br /><br />Yikes, looks like it is time to hop on a text messaging plan if you have not done so already. If you are a Cingular customer using a Smartphone, there is no reason why you should not already have the MEdia Max 200 Bundle feature plan added to your account. The MEdia Max 200 Bundle includes unlimited MEdia Net, unlimited access to Cingular Video and 200 messages for only $19.99 a month! :)

[bleeman]

Make sure you check out their plans carefully however. My plan for my 3125 went from the $19.99 I paid on my Mpx220 to $24.99 as they've started to tier their pricing plans. For example, if you have the Cingular BlackJack the plan is either $34.99 or $39.99 (I can't remember which). The reason according to the rep is, they feel that since it has a keyboard, you'll potentially be putting more demands on their system as you'll use it more so although it's not a really a PDA, it just looks like one, they price it more like a PDA than the Smartphone it is. That's one of the reasons why I stayed with my 3125 when the BlackJack came out 3 days before my "return in the first 30 days" option came up. I probably would have taken the plunge anyway, except that I'm already paying $59.99 a month for my Broadband Connect card for my Tablet. Since that contract doesn't run out until December I decided to wait. Besides, I really like my 3125, although having external access to my microSD card would have been nice.

[webini]

Make sure you check out their plans carefully however. My plan for my 3125 went from the $19.99 I paid on my Mpx220 to $24.99 as they've started to tier their pricing plans. For example, if you have the Cingular BlackJack the plan is either $34.99 or $39.99 (I can't remember which). The reason according to the rep is, they feel that since it has a keyboard, you'll potentially be putting more demands on their system as you'll use it more so although it's not a really a PDA, it just looks like one, they price it more like a PDA than the Smartphone it is. That's one of the reasons why I stayed with my 3125 when the BlackJack came out 3 days before my "return in the first 30 days" option came up. I probably would have taken the plunge anyway, except that I'm already paying $59.99 a month for my Broadband Connect card for my Tablet. Since that contract doesn't run out until December I decided to wait. Besides, I really like my 3125, although having external access to my microSD card would have been nice.

You can run the Blackjack on the Media Max 200 plan. Just change plans online.

[Rocco Augusto]

Make sure you check out their plans carefully however. My plan for my 3125 went from the $19.99 I paid on my Mpx220 to $24.99 as they've started to tier their pricing plans. For example, if you have the Cingular BlackJack the plan is either $34.99 or $39.99 (I can't remember which). The reason according to the rep is, they feel that since it has a keyboard, you'll potentially be putting more demands on their system as you'll use it more so although it's not a really a PDA, it just looks like one, they price it more like a PDA than the Smartphone it is. That's one of the reasons why I stayed with my 3125 when the BlackJack came out 3 days before my "return in the first 30 days" option came up. I probably would have taken the plunge anyway, except that I'm already paying $59.99 a month for my Broadband Connect card for my Tablet. Since that contract doesn't run out until December I decided to wait. Besides, I really like my 3125, although having external access to my microSD card would have been nice.

The reps are not allowed to change your plan without permission, if they do, just call customer service and change it back to the lower plan. Unfortunately since the device has a keyboard, they consider it a pda but you can still use the $19.99 plan

[Damion Chaplin]

I have the Cingular unlimited Smartphone Connect package, which does not include text messaging. That's OK though, since I send maybe 10 text messages in a month. That's $1.50.

Does anyone else find it ironic that with unlimited Smartphone Connect I can send as many emails as I want to but I'm charged .15 per text message? :roll: