[rizzzzoooo]

Log on to their website today (ATTwireless.com) and into my account. As I was scrolling through the features pages I came across the BB data plans and saw that they now have a new "plan" out above the entry level $30 data pplan that states for $35 you get "unlimited AND 200 messages.!!!" Now when you click on the info it states 200 messages of any kind such as mulitimedia and/ or(here is the kicker) Instant messages!!!!!! IS AT&T WORKING UP THE GALL TO START CHARGING US FOR INSTANT MESSAGING LIKE AIM, GOOGLE CHAT, AND (GULP) BBM???!!!! There next plan up states that for $50 you get unlimited data AND UNLIMITED MESSAGING.

PS. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE $20 you would have to shell out for plain old unlimited "texting"

Has anyone noticed that on their website????? Are we now gonna have to spend an extra 40 a month for unlimited text and messaging??? I think I am going bonkers thinking that is what they are gonna do!!!!

[ericjackson28]

I doubt it. But if that happens they can just kiss my ***

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[bt224]

Messaging is texting.

[vbev84]

drop the att texting package and use the $50 bb data plan, thats what i use

[rizzzzoooo]

Messaging is texting.

I understand that messaging is texting but they are billing them as separate. They have a "texting" bundle package for text messaging and then the data plans WITH messaging if you want to add them. So basically the way it plays out is you would have to up you data plan to 50 bucks to get unlimited "messaging" (mulitimedia AND instant messaging) and then pay a separate 20 bucks if you want unlimited "texting"


PS according to the website, the 35 buck plan comes with 200 "instant messages" included, then they would bill you at 10 cents/message sent/received when overage occurs.

[rizzzzoooo]

drop the att texting package and use the $50 bb data plan, thats what i use

But then what happens when you text (SMS)? (and what I mean by text is sending a message to a non blackberry user using sms)

[DanRobbins]

My at&t bill seems to get bigger every month.

I'm really sick of them ... and their shoddy service (especially here in NYC).

I love my Bold, but the company behind it is abyssmal.

[bt224]

I pay $30 for the BB plan, and $30 for family unlimited texting. Other than that, it's just the minutes for the phone.

[agirl65]

I pay $30 for the bb plan and $20 for the unlimited texting.

[FishbuIb]

The $50 plan is just a combination of the $30 for BB and $20 for messaging(text, picture video). You would never pay $50 + $20 for unlimited texting, as the $50 already includes that. On a BB instant messages are treated as data, unless otherwise stated by a third party app, and are unlimited. On a "dumb" phone instant messages are considered sms, and are billed as such. Nothing is changing for you, it is just bad wording in what you read.

[silkshocker]

I pay $30 for the bb plan and $20 for the unlimited texting.

ditto, that is exactly what I paid for 5 lines. What can you do? the more you *****, the higher the fees. You can switch to another carrier but they will do the same thing in a year or two. You cannot fight corporate greed. Just throw in the towel like the rest of us.

[FishbuIb]

ditto, that is exactly what I paid for 5 lines. What can you do? the more you *****, the higher the fees. You can switch to another carrier but they will do the same thing in a year or two. You cannot fight corporate greed. Just throw in the towel like the rest of us.

You aren't paying $20 unlimited texting per line, are you?

[trixnrice]

op. i think u got it a little twisted.
regardless.BIS is 30 bucks("unlimited data'). messaging has been regarded as SMS, MMS, IMs etc for a while and comes in increments of 200, 1500, and unlimited @ $5,$15, and $20. so you can have any combination of the data and messaging. thats it. thats all there is to it. that 50 dollar unlimited data n messaging plan that att advertises so well, is just a combination of two of these going rates. no other chargers, unless u go over.
lates.

i apologize. i'm being redundant as i failed to read the above posts. they already clarified the issue for you. oh well.

[rizzzzoooo]

op. i think u got it a little twisted.
regardless.BIS is 30 bucks("unlimited data'). messaging has been regarded as SMS, MMS, IMs etc for a while and comes in increments of 200, 1500, and unlimited @ $5,$15, and $20. so you can have any combination of the data and messaging. thats it. thats all there is to it. that 50 dollar unlimited data n messaging plan that att advertises so well, is just a combination of two of these going rates. no other chargers, unless u go over.
lates.

i apologize. i'm being redundant as i failed to read the above posts. they already clarified the issue for you. oh well.

So let me get this straight...Your telling me that if I just have a basic data (30 bucks) but no sms package I would be charged for IM's? Aren't IM's data??? This is where I am getting confused. Why would they be considered "text" (SMS) I understand the multimedia. That is a given. BUT IM's. And then what about IM's using BBM. They would charge me for that too?

PS...Not getting nasty with you, just I am getting aggravated with all these added charges. See I have a theory that when the new BBM 5.0 is released and catches on like wildfire, which it will, carriers will try to cash in on that. I think this is where it is all going. I can't stop feeling like we will have to pay for sms separately from IM's like BBM 5.0.

[bp3dots]

So let me get this straight...Your telling me that if I just have a basic data (30 bucks) but no sms package I would be charged for IM's? Aren't IM's data??? This is where I am getting confused. Why would they be considered "text" (SMS) I understand the multimedia. That is a given. BUT IM's. And then what about IM's using BBM. They would charge me for that too?

PS...Not getting nasty with you, just I am getting aggravated with all these added charges. See I have a theory that when the new BBM 5.0 is released and catches on like wildfire, which it will, carriers will try to cash in on that. I think this is where it is all going. I can't stop feeling like we will have to pay for sms separately from IM's like BBM 5.0.

No.

If you have BIS data (30 bucks) but no sms package. BBM would be free as it uses DATA. IM's (through most clients for BB) use DATA so they would also be free. If, however, you were using an IM client that uses SMS then you would be charged per message as if you were just texting.

If you have the 50 dollar BIS w/ messaging plan you get both unlimited data and all messaging (SMS and MMS)

[daabsolute1]

I pay $30 for the BB plan, and $30 for family unlimited texting. Other than that, it's just the minutes for the phone.

Me too. AT&T sucks. How you gonna charge me for a second line when I got a family plan? Shouldn't the second line be included?

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[applejosh]

My understanding is that on non-smartphones, the IM clients really use SMS. For IM clients on smartphones that specifically use data, there are no SMS charges as stated previously. Someone probably just cut and pasted the description from the dumb phone plans. The dollar amounts and included services look the same as they did for me 6 months ago. They may have just added a "bundled" package which is probably the same cost if you bought the things a la carte. (At least the $50 plan includes the same thing as the $30 unlimited data and $20 unlimited SMS.)

Maybe this should be discussed in the AT&T forum since I'm guessing it's not a Bold specific discussion. Just my thoughts.

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[trixnrice]

i feel you. its a little confusing. but above post should clarifies the issue with BBM and IM's. its the IM clients that are considered mobile versions of their normal software that service IMing via SMS. for example. an aim client that shows you as mobile having mobile status (the little cellphone icon) is a client that uses SMS for iming. hope i helped a little. gl.

[jubu]

I pay $30 for the BB plan, and $30 for family unlimited texting. Other than that, it's just the minutes for the phone.

+1 ...that way, I know I won't ever go over.

[fabuloso]

Google voice is free sms...

Aside from that, att forums has a ton of these threads already. So what else is new?

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[Laura Knotek]

If you have the 50 dollar BIS w/ messaging plan you get both unlimited data and all messaging (SMS and MMS)

That's what I have. I never get any extra charges. IM is included in that price, but I almost never use it. I usually just text.

[skygear]

doesnt bbm use data.... not sms!

[WolfmanRobby]

Actually, this has been that way for as long as I can remember.

Many people link their IM accounts to their phones. Like, in my Yahoo, when I sign out there, it sends the IM's to my phone as txt's.

Many people disputed this as they were using an IM system. So, they have to have that disclaimer.

If you use Yahoo Messenger the application on your phone, it's data.

If you link your phone to your Yahoo account and have your IM"s sent as SMS then it counts as TXT messages.

[Laura Knotek]

doesnt bbm use data.... not sms!

Yes, but the $50 unlimited data and messaging plan covers it. It is well worth it for me. I was paying $40 a month for unlimited data and messaging on an ordinary cell phone. $10 a month for a BB plan won't make any difference to me.

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[cavingjan]

It really just boils down to how the IM program operates. If it sends via SMS, then you will be charged for those messages. If it goes over data, you won't be charged. On the PalmOS, it was about 60:40 leanign towards the SMS route since it was more battery friendly. It seems that BB is more data heavy with them.