Reply With QuoteST Dog, Thanks for the update on the new phone. I'll attempt to call Kim next week.
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I've climbed a cellphone tower
As expected, no change. I do have contact in for for people that loot to be trying to help.
Kim @ ext 6100 and Donovan @ ext 3912 (Donovan is Kim's manager)
800-876-3753 or 305-715-6500
I have an address to send the old one to so that they can look into it more.
Suggest others contact Kim so they have lots of complaints about it.
Annepani, through the S425G into the mix too
My screen is bigger than yours
ST Dog, Thanks for the update on the new phone. I'll attempt to call Kim next week.
Cheers!
Phone Collector
Ok, sorry to rehash this if it's been answered, but every time I try to do a search it comes up as a time out or my browser stalls. Not sure if it's my DSL or this site, so if these have been answered just post the links to the replies that have them in it and I'll go read up on it.
Got the 390g Net10 version today. Got it up and running. Two things I've noticed...
1) When doing a picture message, it's taking about about 6.5 to 7.5 minutes - even when I'm on WiFi. Maybe I'm being naive, but when you're on WiFi, should it be taking ANY minutes out at all? This is when you're sending a text picture message. Maybe I'm doing that wrong - if on wifi maybe to avoid minute deductions I should be emailing the pics (?). Please clarify.
2) Noticed plain text messages are .50 minutes per text. I thought they were supposed to be lower than that for this phone(?). Can anyone confirm this.
Thank you
Phone Collector
Are you using regular service cards or the $25.00 for 750 minutes card? Just curious.
Originally Posted by greg30127
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Is your WiFi icon green or blue. Blue means WiFi is on but you are not connected so you will be charged cell data minutes. WiFi icon green means you are connected and not using cell data minutes. There is a discussion in this thread about how to go into Airplane Mode etc to avoid using cell data minutes if your WiFi connection drops.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Please provide some info that will help us all? What is the value of parameter 106? To find it,
Menu > PrePaid > Code Entry Mode > *#106 > OK
It might be
BW=T R=0.50
or BW=T R=1.00
or BW=ACT R=1.50
or something else.
Please report back. Thanks.
Phone Collector
--------------------------------
It says BW=ACT R= 1.50
To answer someone's question - I'm on the easy pay plan where they add 200 minutes to my phone per month at $15.00. No glitches using that (so far) after several months.
It's been a zoo on the phone with Net10. I get completely different stories from each rep I've tried to talk to. For instance, I inquired with the first rep in India about having .50 minutes for regular plain text messages taken out (I thought maybe it should be lower per text). She told me it's supposed to be 0.10 per text and that my phone was defective. She put in a ticket for a replacement phone and during the call I had to repeat my address to her no less than 6 times as she kept getting it wrong. Suspecting she was just plain "duh", I called back and the next time got a rep in Belize who said that no, numeric Texts ARE supposed to be 0.50 per text on this phone. Ugh.
Regarding the picture messaging issue: I have a strong (green) wifi signal and have tried to send pics to another cell phone via message (not email), and also to an email address in my contacts via message (not email). I have also send the pictures just using 3G and not wifi. The SAME rates are being taken out of my phone no matter whether I have wifi on or not.
Example - I choose a 2MP photo to send.. it says it's resizing it down to send (it sends them at around 1000 pixels in size). I hit "send" and it immediately says that 2.50 minutes are deducted. Once the image has gone completely through, you have to click "ok" when it confirms sent, and then it says, 6.4350 deducted on top of that (!).. which can very slightly vary per photo. So in total I'm being charged roughly 9 minutes total per photo message, sent via 3G or WiFi, regardless. The 2nd rep I talked to confirmed this was we watched my total minutes drop an average of 8.9 to 9 or so minutes per photo message sent. For the record, I know the WiFi is working properly because web browsing is super fast, and it is charging correct amounts per time used.
I hope this all makes sense. I've been on the phone with them for about 3.5 hours so far. If anyone can tell me if this is the "norm" for this phone, I can accept that. But so far the two reps I've talked to keep telling me that something is wrong with this thing and that come Monday they're sending me a new phone and I have to switch over to that one when I get it. I also asked if it was truly new or "refurbished" and they said it was indeed NEW. Anyway, any insights to this will be helpful.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
@greg30127 --
MMS (picture messaging) does not go WiFi. It charges cell data rates. The email app built into the phone does not go WiFi either. As far as I know, only the browser uses WiFi.
I have the Tracfone versions of both the S390G and S425G and they both charge those rates for MMS and data so I am sending them back. I'll rethink this when Trac/Net10 have a fix for the problem.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Browsing, email, and most apps will us wi-fi and not charge any minutes.
Text messages (SMS) and picture messages (MMS) always use the cell network, and will always cost minutes.
Norm, yeah, so far. Not what the documentation says though. Spme of us are working to get it fixed, but it's going slow.If anyone can tell me if this is the "norm" for this phone, I can accept that. But so far the two reps I've talked to keep telling me that something is wrong with this thing and that come Monday they're sending me a new phone
The 2.5 minutes at the start of an MMS seems high, but I don't know Net10 rates.
0.5 per text is likely the norm for Net10. What does the documentation say?
So far, a new phone hasn't helped. They are all programmed for the wrong, high rate.
In addition to parameter 106, check 8, 40, 103, 206
(*#8 , *#40, etc)
Phone Collector
Well, as stated earlier, 106 was "It says BW=ACT R= 1.50"
8 is showing as: MO SMS: 0.50 and under that MT SMS: 0.50
40 is showing as: SMS chrg: Abs and under that MS=M MR=M
103 is showing as: MMS=ON CM=D and under that BT=A
206 is showing as: AT: 4459.9950 and under that SW Scale: 100
Of course I have no idea what any of these things mean other than that last one which is my accumulated minutes - when I got my last phone this one replaced, I actually won a couple of HUGE minute cards in a local store contest - hence, the accumulated minutes.
Ok, so I've heard from one person above so far at least that says these huge picture message fees are "the norm" for this phone so far. The two reps at Net10 tell me the phone is defective because of what it's charging (?). I don't have much confidence in either of those reps actual knowledge of what's going on, though. Personally I don't see how a phone can be defective - it would be the network and what they are charging as the middle man for this stuff, to make extra money themselves etc. But I'm not that tech savy.
Net10 has already issued an order to send me out a new phone but since tomorrow is Sunday I'm assuming it'll be Monday before it ships. If more people step up and tell me this is their exact same experience with this phone, I'll just call them and tell them not to bother to send me a replacement. I honestly do not want to go through the time involved to switch stuff over to yet another phone and set it up, etc.
I'll then decide if I want to deal with the pricing, or just take the 1st phone back to Radio Shack and get a refund for it. Here's the thing - I use this phone for selling/buying on Ebay and also for a side photography thing I do. I do not use this phone as my primary phone and don't use it excessively every single day. I use the $15 per 200 minute per month plan and so far, that's been about enough for what I use it for. Even with these large fees involved, I *might* not go over the 200 minute monthly plan. If this were my primary phone it would be the for sure deal breaker, but as I use it, it's not necessarily that. So it's not that I'm worried these higher fees will break my phone allowance bank - I just want to make sure there's nothing wrong with my actual phone itself - or if this is just what's the norm for this particular model and the fees they're charging to use certain features on it (and the employees there being "duh" about it all).
So if others can also confirm these same 8+ minute total charges are coming in on theirs too, I'll just call Net10 in the morning and cancel that replacement phone order.
And thanks so far, for those who have answered.
Phone Collector
BINGO! I found this and this is it!!
My settings were set to resize the photo(s), but it set them at 600k sizes. I downsized the setting to 100k size and when I sent my next picture message, it still deducted 2.50 at the start, but once finished it took off an additional 1.0005 instead of the massive 6.42 or so it was before.
At 100k the images are a small 400x300 pixels on the receiving end, though. Not real bad if you're sending it to another cell phone - tiny if you're sending it to an email address to view on the computer. Thanks for this settings tip though... now I'm going to call Net10 to "train" their own employees on it.
So... the default setting in the phone is set for 600k images, and they come in around 1000 x 800 pixels in size if you send them to an email address - and repeating my whole thing above, comes up to a total charge of around 9 minutes per picture message when you do it. Here's what it seems to come out to based on sending the pics to email addresses and viewing them on a computer...
Default setting 600k = 1000 x 800 approx. pixel image. 9 minute av. charge.
Setting to 300k = 700 x 525 pixel image. 6 minute av. charge.
Setting to 100k = 400 x 300 pixel image. 3.5 minute av. charge.
Which repeating, won't matter a whole lot if you are sending them to other cell phones, but sending to an email address for someone to see a more detailed look at something I guess you have to settle for the happy medium of the 300k setting. It doesn't seem to have any effect on resizing your pics on your memory card - just when sending them out.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
SMS (text message) rates. Shows it's set to charge 0.5 for incoming and for outgoing.
My understanding is that's what NET10 charges.
My theory is that is how many KB the R in param 106 counts for.206 is showing as: SW Scale: 100
So 1.5 units/100KB
Though there might be something to show the per MMS fee. It's 1.0 for TracFone, and 2.5 (according to the NET10 TOS http://www.net10.com/content/terms_conditions.jsp )
Both then charge for the actual data transfer (WAP Access Charge).
It's supposed to be 0.5 units/minute of access for TF (and 1.0 for NET 10, see the TOS linked above)
So far no one has posted that they are getting the rates stated in the TOS on this phone.Ok, so I've heard from one person above so far at least that says these huge picture message fees are "the norm" for this phone so far.
Everyone appears to be getting charged the same 1.5 units/100KB rate.
No one at the company seems to have a clue about an official stance that differs from the TOS.
They also don't know what to do. So they assume the phone is bad/programmed wrong and that a replacement will be correct. Sadly, the replacements so far have been the same.
I'm keeping my 3 (me my wife, and my son) for now. We haven't used data services (MMS or browsing) i the past and that's not why we changed phones. So, we can live without use those services just like we always have.
I will continue to work with TF, and hopefully it will get fixed.
The delay doesn't really bother me since those services aren't vital or even regularly used.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Read the NET10 TOS. 2,5 units just to start sending/receiving a message.
The you get WAP Access charges based on the file size and how long it takes to download the file.
The phone is not matching the TOS for the WAP Access charges, but it is consistent, 1.5 units/100KB.
Send 100KB, 1.5 units.
Send 300KB, 4.5 units.
When you set the phone to resize images for MMS, it doesn't get it exactly 100KB or 300KB. That's just the maximum size. The files size depends on the resolution (pixels) and compression. Different images compress to different file sizes.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
No, Net10 doesn't have a set rate for SMS. It depends on the phone model.
Here is parameter 8 from 6 of my Net10 phones:
Sam R355C 0.25
Sam T401G 0.30
LG 800 0.50
LG 900G 0.25
Moto W408G 0.50
Moto EM 326 0.50
It changes from model to model but it is uniform across the model.
Phone Collector
Well... as long as I can lower the data per image when resizing down to 300 or 100 and it's charging less (tested some more and it's doing so), then I can live more with that than 9 minutes per message, certainly.
Tried to call Net10 but they were closed so sent off an email telling them to stop the sending of a replacement phone. Will try to call them tomorrow morning - with my luck somehow they already shipped it out.
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