Personal computing discussed
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Flying Fox wrote:I usually ignore those, but the annoying thing is I am charged on incoming text so there is nothing much I can do about it.
Meadows wrote:Who the hell charges for incoming texts?
Meadows wrote:Flying Fox wrote:I usually ignore those, but the annoying thing is I am charged on incoming text so there is nothing much I can do about it.
Who the hell charges for incoming texts?
Zoomastigophora wrote:Meadows wrote:Who the hell charges for incoming texts?
Uh, every major cellular carrier in the US? For me on T-Mobile, it's $0.20/message, regardless of whether it's incoming or outgoing.
danny e. wrote:US Cellular does not charge for incoming. Maybe you should move to a "non-major" carrier to get some better deals.
ludi wrote:Yeah, that's text spam. I got one very much like that a couple of days ago for a "free iPad 2" and I think I've seen a Best Buy one in the past. This has been going on for a couple of years now; I get one every two or three months. It's annoying, and I always fill out the FCC complaint form (which you can do if the message uses an Internet address that includes an Internet domain name -- ie from an email address or promoting a website -- but you can't if it's just phone-to-phone texting because then the CAN SPAM act doesn't apply). (BTW, on the complaint form the correct category is "Telemarketing, Prerecorded Messages, Caller ID Spoofing, and Do-Not-Call"). You will actually get a paper form back from the FCC via snail mail, probably saying they couldn't do anything (these guys tend to move on pretty quickly) but I figure there's an open file somewhere and when/if they catch them (as they do, occasionally) it'll be one more "count" on the charging papers.It's 1:30am and I happen to still be up, changing out my laundry. A text pops up from 12404639125, "Your entry last month has WON! Go to (website) and enter code xyz to claim your $1000 Best Buy gift card." Root website is http://www.bestbuy.com.gccp.biz
danny e. wrote:I'm on a pay-as-you-go plan with T-Mobile, and as Zoomastigophora indicates it's $.20 per text, either direction. (It used to be chearper, but when they announced they were merging with AT&T they "harmonized" their rates by jacking them up, which was just one early indication that merger was going to be bad for consumers; of course, now that the merger's off and their customers have been paying the higher rates, they show no sign of dropping them again). Then again, I've never paid more than $100 per year for my cell phone usage (I buy that much once a year and always have some left over) so I doubt I can find a better deal for my usage than ~$8.33/month.US Cellular does not charge for incoming. Maybe you should move to a "non-major" carrier to get some better deals.
just brew it! wrote:AFAIK texts are typically included unless you're on the bottom-tier plan.
Flying Fox wrote:just brew it! wrote:AFAIK texts are typically included unless you're on the bottom-tier plan.
I specifically picked the least amount of minutes (still 450! I am at max rollover every month) and unlimited data. I don't really need text, except for these and AT&T's own spams. I will also get text every 3-4 months from people I have not specifically told to Whatsapp/call me instead and they have unlimited text themselves, but those are ok with me.
If only I can have like ~100 talk minutes and everything else going towards data.
piercestanley wrote:Ah, but by doing that you have now created "express prior authorization" so they can continue to call and spam you and you have no appeal to the FCC. (Since it's almost certainly fraud the FTC and other state and local entities theoretically could get involved, but as a practical matter you're probably out of luck). Not that the FCC is likely to do anything either, but initiating contact with the bad guys is always a bad idea (since they sell these lists of "marks" to others and reuse them in their next scam).Glad you brought this up because I got a text like that, too. Just that, mine was from Walmart. It said I won a $1000 worth of gift certificate and I can claim it by visiting a website and typing in the code, which I did.
Flying Fox wrote:I know, right? Back in the 90s, around the time of the analog-digital transition, I had an AT&T Wireless account (that I'd already had for long enough that the plan I was on officially no longer existed). Since I had to get a digital phone I went in to their storefront trying to get a cheaper monthly rate but the "best" they could do for me was offer me more minutes at the same rate. Since I wasn't using anything close to the minutes I already had, that wasn't very tempting and I began the migration through various other carriers that finally lead me to prepaid at T-Mobile. I always wonder about these people who actually use thousands of talk minutes a month.I specifically picked the least amount of minutes (still 450! I am at max rollover every month) and unlimited data.
UberGerbil wrote:I know, right? Back in the 90s, around the time of the analog-digital transition, I had an AT&T Wireless account (that I'd already had for long enough that the plan I was on officially no longer existed).
UberGerbil wrote:Since I had to get a digital phone I went in to their storefront trying to get a cheaper monthly rate but the "best" they could do for me was offer me more minutes at the same rate. Since I wasn't using anything close to the minutes I already had, that wasn't very tempting and I began the migration through various other carriers that finally lead me to prepaid at T-Mobile. I always wonder about these people who actually use thousands of talk minutes a month.
Flying Fox wrote:If only I can have like ~100 talk minutes and everything else going towards data.
derFunkenstein wrote:Flying Fox wrote:If only I can have like ~100 talk minutes and everything else going towards data.
Tmobile has a prepaid plan exactly like that - 100 talk minutes, unlimited text, and "unlimited" data (which is 5GB/mo before it gets throttled) for $30/mo, but I have not been able to find a postpaid plan similar. Plus you have to go with mostly bottom-of-the-barrel phones.
just brew it! wrote:Yeah, I was a Speakeasy DSL customer back when they were just a local Seattle ISP. Once the mergers started, I saw the writing on the wall and moved on.In a similar vein, my broadband plan (Speakeasy residential DSL with static IPs) hasn't officially existed for something like 5 years now. Still grandfathered in with MegaPath (current owner of the rotting carcass of what used to be a stellar independent ISP). They keep trying to entice me into signing a new long-term contract, but there's no frikkin' way. I wish there were other decent alternatives...
By all accounts their data coverage isn't as good as Verizon, but I haven't really had any issues with them as a phone/texting service. I do worry a bit about their competitive position vs the other big players (I was against them merging with AT&T because of the reduction in competition, but I hope they a merger partner who isn't already another wireless carrier).Yeah, I've been meaning to look into T-Mobile. Sprint is really pissing me off these days.
DancinJack wrote:I've been seriously considering doing exactly this with precisely this plan, if I see a good deal on a phone I think I'd actually want. I have the added complication that I travel to Canada quite frequently and TMobile hands off to Rogers up there; I haven't looked into what I could do in terms of getting a compatible SIM card there to avoid roaming.derFunkenstein wrote:You can buy any un-subsidized phone to work on that plan. I guess if you could find something decently priced on a sale, from a friend/family member, or ebay you could cancel out the first few months price of a postpaid plan. 5GB a month should be plenty for most people.Flying Fox wrote:Tmobile has a prepaid plan exactly like that - 100 talk minutes, unlimited text, and "unlimited" data (which is 5GB/mo before it gets throttled) for $30/mo, but I have not been able to find a postpaid plan similar. Plus you have to go with mostly bottom-of-the-barrel phones.If only I can have like ~100 talk minutes and everything else going towards data.
UberGerbil wrote:I have the added complication that I travel to Canada quite frequently and TMobile hands off to Rogers up there; I haven't looked into what I could do in terms of getting a compatible SIM card there to avoid roaming.
DancinJack wrote:You can buy any un-subsidized phone to work on that plan. I guess if you could find something decently priced on a sale, from a friend/family member, or ebay you could cancel out the first few months price of a postpaid plan. 5GB a month should be plenty for most people.
derFunkenstein wrote:Well now you've got ME thinking. I had assumed (perhaps mistakenly) that the only phones that would work were the ones they offered. I wonder if any old unsubsidized quad-band GSM phone will work or if I'd have to get something in T-Mo's past/present lineup?
derFunkenstein wrote:Also Amazon has that Exhibit II 4G for $200. Snapdragon, 512MB RAM, Gingerbread...seems like a reasonable deal. About $25 more than a Galaxy Player 4.0 and as a bonus it does mobile phone type stuff. And Newegg has refurbished iPhone 3Gs's that people claim in the reviews to be using on T-mo. Dunno if that's pre-paid or post-paid, though, or if they have a pre-paid micro SIM.
derFunkenstein wrote:Well, I'm not going to get an iPhone. All the same that's pretty cool.
So where would one go for an unsubsidized phone? I've been looking on Amazon Wireless and Newegg, but their selections are kind of weak. nOt sure where else to look that's reputable and has a good selection.
DancinJack wrote:Well, he did specifically say "reputable"You obviously don't want to go here because you would have suggested it already, but eBay has phones.
Flying Fox wrote:Yeah. Moblicity and Wind are out for me anyway because they don't have coverage in Victoria AFAIK. Two years ago when I was up there dealing with an emergency for a couple of months I wasn't able to find much of anything prepaid whatsoever (and then I was able to borrow a phone so I stopped looking). If you ever stumble on anything, shoot me a PM.And that is my problem, T-mob's default 3G bands are 1700/2100 which only the new comers (Wind, Mobilicity) are using. Using a T-mob only phone you will most likely be switched to GSM/EDGE, and that is assuming you have a quad band GSM phone (lucky for us there are a lot of phones with quad GSM bands that do not suck as much as a few years back). I chose AT&T because I know I can get my H mode with my current phone. Penta band 3G phones are still in the minority and now they are trying to push us on the even messier LTE (another set of frequency bands we have to learn about).
DancinJack wrote:You obviously don't want to go here because you would have suggested it already, but eBay has phones. If I were you I'd look for something SLIGHTLY used. It'll take a good chunk of the price off the phone. You could also check Craigslist.
derFunkenstein wrote:Well, I'm not going to get an iPhone. All the same that's pretty cool.
So where would one go for an unsubsidized phone? I've been looking on Amazon Wireless and Newegg, but their selections are kind of weak. nOt sure where else to look that's reputable and has a good selection.
Flying Fox wrote:You looking for feature or smartphone?