Cingular raising PPU SMS pricing 1/21/07 - Waiving ETF?

[DRC72]

Wirelessly posted (Xavier's V400: SonyEricssonW810i/R4EA Browser/NetFront/3.3 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I'm tired off people asking for free incoming text. This was a at&t wireless thing and that's why they don't exist. Cuz of att wireless we hav all this spoiled people wanting Cingular to be like them.

No carrier should charge you for something you have no control over. Now if your the one intiating the text then yeah you should pay no arguement there. I'm amazed all the carriers still get away with this.

[chibby]

No carrier should charge you for something you have no control over. Now if your the one intiating the text then yeah you should pay no arguement there. I'm amazed all the carriers still get away with this.

I agree 100%. Let`s all hope that a big stink is made of this to Cingular...although it prolly won`t result in anything.

Is Cingular hoping that you`ll buy a text plan to cover your butt on incoming?

[awj223]

You know, I suspect that this charge-for-incoming thing started for the same reason Intel put a 20 stage pipeline on the P4. Intel assumed that all customers looked at was the CPU's clock speed (MHz) rather than actual performance, so by running more pipeline stages they could claim to be "faster" than AMD. Unfortunately for them consumers caught on as warnings about falling for the "megahertz myth" circulated.

Could it be that providers started charging half as much for both incoming and outgoing, instead of charging twice as much for outgoing only, because they could then have their plans "include" 1000 messages instead of 500? 1000 sounds better until you realize that the 500 has free incoming so they're both about the same (assuming your inbound and outbound SMS usage is equal).

I think everyone can go back to not charging for incoming, while also making it clear to consumers that prices for the SMS packages aren't being jacked up by 100%. For example my Media Max plan currently includes 200 messages. Simply have an option where I can choose from 200 messages and pay for incoming, or get 100 messages with free incoming. If you present the options that way, people won't feel like other carriers who do charge for incoming are giving people more included messages for the buck. Set the PPU rates to something like $0.20 outgoing and free incoming.

[blume2886]

they should just make free m2m text. or even charge like $5 for it. that would b good

[pen25]

again all these things cingular is increasing prices on are pure proffit. minimal costs for them to offer this to us. should they offer us a 9 buck all you can eat sms txt msging? yes. or at least offer incoming free since it counts towards thier counts to capacity sharing. some of the smaller companies do have to pay a sms bridge provider but those are mainly the small regional carrier lke cricket.

[DannyBoy413]

Sorry if it has been asked before.. would this be considered a change with the terms of the contract???

[vPhone]

ATT was not the only one that didnt charge for incoming text messages. Look at t-mobile and other european cell companies. Why should you have to pay to receive something that someone has already paid to send to you. That doesnt make sense.

[Jayden0606]

This will not allow you to do anything but suck it up. In your contracts or TOS, it states that Cingular (we) can make a change at anytime to any feature, plan, additional services.... etc.... Same way early evenings went up to 8.99 and 16.99. Sprint in their contracts stated that material changes can allow you do let out of your contract.

[Aurora]

This will not allow you to do anything but suck it up. In your contracts or TOS, it states that Cingular (we) can make a change at anytime to any feature, plan, additional services.... etc.... Same way early evenings went up to 8.99 and 16.99. Sprint in their contracts stated that material changes can allow you do let out of your contract.

Please don't spread misinformation. The price of the early evenings and weekends went up by $2 recently and I got out of a contract; cellular service contracts are relatively "one-way," but when price increases are involved, generally the carriers agree to let you out if they increase prices.

When the price of the early evenings and weekends went up, I had to escalate my request to get out of a contract through four levels in the customer service hierarchy, but eventually reached someone who knew how to read and was logically able to conclude that the black and white words that both Cingular and I agreed when I signed up for service stated that, while Cingular does reserve the rights to raise prices, customers can be let out of their contract if they chose to upon Cingular making those changes.

Now, the specific wording is very important. The current contract states:

IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE, BEYOND THE LIMITS SET FORTH IN YOUR RATE PLAN BROCHURE, OR IF WE MATERIALLY DECREASE THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA IN WHICH YOUR AIRTIME RATE APPLIES (OTHER THAN A TEMPORARY DECREASE FOR REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE), WE WILL DISCLOSE THE CHANGE AT LEAST ONE BILLING CYCLE IN ADVANCE (EITHER THROUGH A NOTICE WITH YOUR BILL, A TEXT MESSAGE TO YOUR EQUIPMENT, OR OTHERWISE) AND YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE OR RETURNING OR PAYING FOR ANY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE.

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I have to be to see that if you're SUBSCRIBED to any SERVICES and the price of those services increases, then you can get out of a contract.

However, since the price of incoming SMSs is increasing and that is not a service that you subscribe to, I would argue (and I bet Cingular would, too) that you can't get out of your contract. In fact, the reason you're paying for an incoming or outgoing SMS @ $.15/message is because of a LACK of a service subscription.

Just my $.02 worth.

The terms of service (i.e., the contract you signed with Cingular when you signed up), btw, can be found here.

[irockash]

However, since the price of incoming SMSs is increasing and that is not a service that you subscribe to, I would argue (and I bet Cingular would, too) that you can't get out of your contract. In fact, the reason you're paying for an incoming or outgoing SMS @ $.15/message is because of a LACK of a service subscription.

That sounds contradictory... I would just say something along the lines of "I'm subscribed to pay per use messaging... as in, pay each time a message is sent or recieved." or some BS like that. When a line is activated, pay per use features are automatically added on... you can take them off if you like, but for something Cingular automatically "subscribes" you to, i think would legally work.

Question though, out of everyone thats said something, who here actually uses pay per use messaging? How many do you end up using every month?

[brv0000]

whats up with international text? is it still 0.20?
just wondering

[chemikaldreem]

That sounds contradictory... I would just say something along the lines of "I'm subscribed to pay per use messaging... as in, pay each time a message is sent or recieved." or some BS like that. When a line is activated, pay per use features are automatically added on... you can take them off if you like, but for something Cingular automatically "subscribes" you to, i think would legally work.

Question though, out of everyone thats said something, who here actually uses pay per use messaging? How many do you end up using every month?

this is an interesting argument, because cingular does in thier own words call ppu texting a feature, and subscribes accounts to it. thus, being on a subscribed feature, and this coming price increase, and with the TOS which aurora posted, i think you would have a case to get out of contract.

its cingulars own use of the term "feature" for ppu texting......doh....i think maybe we should all make new accounts and get free phones, then decide that we want out of contract because of the price increase.

edit: on rereading the TOS, it refers to "services" but not features, then on browsing the site, i found this, under the tab "services" indicating that they are defining features as services. haha, i think we have a case, guys!
http://www.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/services/?&dsessionid=F1d2WGdx8GXfDvQWmggnF9pyG1QpwL0JQp01n nTv9xZyHyGh12B5!373034795!1165303286125

[hawk1500]

Tmobile doesn't charge for incoming text still?

But yeah, this sucks. I was thinking about leaving Cingular, and I think I just might (been out of contract for like 2 years).

[Playstation3]

whats up with international text? is it still 0.20?
just wondering

Yes, it is. I just got my bill and all texts to Europe were 20c a piece.

[DRC72]

Tmobile doesn't charge for incoming text still?

All the major carriers do including Tmobile.