American's - is this true?

[Capture pt]

Is it true you have to pay to recieve text messages?

[belalala]

if you don't have an SMS plan on your wireless account, and you open the text message, then yes. (i think)

[Capture pt]

So what, does the sender not incurr a charge, just the recepricant?

[fractal]

both actually^

if you have 1000 msgs a month, they count for sent and received with At&t

[__________]

I find it strange/amusing that it's taken so long for texting to take off properly in America. Any reason for that?

[yoowan]

so if you're out of credit, you can't receive a message? that's so backward

[DRTY]

wtf

[secret door]

I find it strange/amusing that it's taken so long for texting to take off properly in America. Any reason for that?

Trust me, that's not true (unless you all in the UK are glued to your texting screens, I have no idea). We have laws in the US that were written to prevent people from texting and driving; sometimes in public places it's hard not to see someone walking around texting who may walk into something.

[kidshuffle]

Not American, but I'm going to guess that, yes you have to pay for text messages, provided you don't have unlimited texting in your plan

so if you're out of credit, you can't receive a message? that's so backward

Thats how it would be on a "pay as you go" plan. Otherwise you'll just get charged w/e the rate per text is.

[yoowan]

that's so shit, it's like being charged for being sent a letter in the post
glad we don't have that here

I find it strange/amusing that it's taken so long for texting to take off properly in America. Any reason for that?

Trust me, that's not true (unless you all in the UK are glued to your texting screens, I have no idea). We have laws in the US that were written to prevent people from texting and driving; sometimes in public places it's hard not to see someone walking around texting who may walk into something.

oh we have that law to

[kidshuffle]

Right, but those people are a) stupid and just got a phone for the first time, or b) will never go over their limit. From what I've heard, most people just pay the extra few bucks and get unlimited incoming/outgoing.

[Capture pt]

Right, but those people are a) stupid and just got a phone for the first time, or b) will never go over their limit. From what I've heard, most people just pay the extra few bucks and get unlimited incoming/outgoing.

ya i mean thats what most people do here too, but i still know alot of people on pay as you go or a cheaper plan without unlimited texts.... madness.


anyway,

[wormcode]

Not American, but I'm going to guess that, yes you have to pay for text messages, provided you don't have unlimited texting in your plan

so if you're out of credit, you can't receive a message? that's so backward

Thats how it would be on a "pay as you go" plan. Otherwise you'll just get charged w/e the rate per text is.

If it's not an unlimited plan, it might be like $19.99/month and that usually includes about 1000 texts for free, and then they are maybe 5 cents per message after that until you pay again. I have T-Mobile and they are one of the last with a truly unlimited plan, including unlimited internet. They also don't charge for tethering your phone to a laptop for internet which is great. I'm pretty sure they are the last company here who does that, or the last of the major mobile providers anyway. They do have a cap of I believe 3 or so GBs per month of tethered bandwidth (on my Blackberry plan anyway), and after that they throttle your tether speeds. That's to prevent people mass torrenting on their phones and clogging up networks though, so I've no problem with that.

They are about to be swallowed up by AT&T I think, I'm not looking forward to that.

I have also seen smaller mobile companies offer text only plans, meaning the phone can't make actual calls without a charge (except emergency numbers, which work for free on any mobile phone regardless if it's paid up or not).

[Raggles]

Idk if there is a difference but cell phone providers get shit tons of money from data fees over here. Basically if you want to use anything that has to do with the interent you have
to pay 30$ a month.

If you accidentally open a program that uses data, they charge you anyway...just more.

I was actually thinking about this the other day. Imo it seems like cell phone were first made for the wealthy as a luxury but then more and more people used them and our society pretty much came dependent on them.
So no you have every social class working their asses off and going in debt just to pay a phone bill. I could be totally wrong, it just seems that way.

I know I couldnt afford a fucking 300$ Droid Incredible with a regular 70$ plan every month.

[frank grimes jr.]

For 80 USD a month you can do whatever you want on your mobile.

America is awesome if you're not poor.

[fractal]

i pay 70 a month for unlimited everything... works for me

[fractal]

I find it strange/amusing that it's taken so long for texting to take off properly in America. Any reason for that?

can't tell if serious?

try talking to anyone under 18 without them sending out multiple texts while they "listen" to ya
been that way since the late 90's

i hardly ever make calls with my phone, txt only pretty much

[frank grimes jr.]

I asked an intern at my office to call someone for me, and he didn't know that he had to dial "1" before the area code.
So grim.

[Neptune]

so if you're out of credit, you can't receive a message? that's so backward

i'd be fucked.

that's proper weird. It's not your fault you've received a text, why should you be charged for it??

[laurent__duval]

For 80 USD a month you can do whatever you want on your mobile.

America is awesome if you're not poor.

my phone contract is £20 per month and i get unlimited calls, texts, internet and a decent blackbery. the uk is awesome even if you're a bit poor.

americans are mugs letting their companies treat them like that. you'd have thought that someone would have come along and set up a phone company that lets you receive texts free and rob all the pay as you business. i for one used to have PAYG and would just not top for 3 months but still be contactable.

"god save our gracious queen..."