| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 7:41:48 PM | Are you A texter?
Do you get lots of text messages?
Getting text messages? It'll cost you
Bell, Telus to charge 15¢ each time, even for spam
Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Cellphone users are about to be hit with new fees as two of Canada's telecommunications giants plan to bring in a levy on incoming text messages.
Bell Mobility will begin charging customers 15 cents per incoming text message on Aug. 8.
Telus Mobility is moving to the same billing practice effective Aug. 24.
Until now, their pay-per-use customers who send text messages have been charged a 15-cent fee per message, but it hasn't cost anything to receive them.
The pending new charge has sparked outrage on blogs, with customers saying they can't control who sends them messages.
That includes spammers who obtain their cell number or retailers send them unsolicited messages.
"This charge is unbelievable. If someone sends me 'spam' on my Bell phone, I have to pay for it? I made the mistake of giving my cellphone number to a car rental agency and now I get spam text messages," a Bell customer ranted on a Canadian technology blog.
"I actually work for Bell and I think this incoming text messages being charged is bogus!" posted another.
Text messaging has ballooned in popularity since inter-carrier service came to Canada in 2002.
In its first year, there were 369,000 text messages sent every day, or 11 million annually.
Today, Canadians send 45.4 million per day, according to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.
And cellphone subscribers sent 4.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, close to the annual total of 4.3 billion sent in 2006 and on track to surpass the 10.1 billion sent last year.
Association spokesman Marc Choma said the phenomenon has moved beyond the teenage crowd -- known as the "early adopters" -- to parents, who use it as a "family management tool."
Telus Mobility spokesperson AJ Gratton cites this rapid growth as the reason for the new charge.
"The growth in text messages has been nothing short of phenomenal," Gratton said.
"This volume places tremendous demands on our network and we can't afford to provide this service for free anymore."
Characterizing the annual growth in text traffic on Bell's wireless network as "massive," company spokesman Jason Laszlo said the result has been greater capacity, licensing and support costs.
He said all but one of Bell's North American competitors charge for both incoming and outcoming text messages.
Bell and Telus customers can avoid the charge by switching to Rogers, which says it has no plans to institute a fee to receive a text message. But Bell and Telus both charge penalties if customers break their contracts, at $20 for every month remaining on a broken contract up to $400.
"We just don't charge for it, and have no plans to. Now it's a unique differentiator for Rogers," company spokeswoman Elizabeth Hamilton said of the move to charge for incoming messages.
Howard Chui, based in the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, runs an online forum about the mobile phone industry in Canada. He isn't optimistic that consumers are going to win this fight. And he's not sure how long Rogers will hold out.
"I think overall customers will just have to take it," he said, characterizing the three Canadian carriers as an "oligopoly."
Canadians already pay more than Europeans and Americans for cellphone services. Industry Minister Jim Prentice acknowledged this fact in the spring when he opened Canada's wireless spectrum auction.
Industry Canada set aside 40 megahertz, out of a total 105, for smaller companies to compete against the established telecommunications giants. Prentice said "the intent behind the auction is lower prices, more choice for consumers.'" | |
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 7:54:56 PM | I am so NOT a texter. Can't stand it myself. I figure if you can take the time to text, then you can damned well take the time to actually CALL. If I can't answer the phone, then leave a message, simple.
I don't agree with this at all. I get a fair amount of spam text, and now I need to pay for it? pfffttttt.... don't think so.
I think the charges should be applied to where the text originated from.
I would think if you have been with your provider for any length of time though, you'd have some recourse? I've been with my provider for over 10 years, not difficult to sway them by telling them you will cancel your service with them if they start nailing you for BS texts. My boss and I actually were talking about this today, she has had texting completely disabled on her phone, I think I will be looking at doing the same, as I never use it anyways.
Just another cash cow. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 7:56:40 PM | wow.
People might actually have to CALL now.
What a novel idea. I think calling is much more personal anyways... how many text messages could've been clarified via phone call anyways.  | |
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 7:57:29 PM | Wow! I hadn`t heard this.
I`m glad I`m with Rogers. At least I`ll save those fees, for now. I`m also glad I bought my newest cell phone outright, without extending my contract. That will give me options much sooner, although I hear nothing good about Bell, and not much better about Telus. Rogers has horrible customer service (I`ve heard much agreement on that) but their phone service is really good.
I love texting, but would stop texting my friends if it was going to cost them to receive the messages. What if you don`t open the text messageÉ (question mark!) Do you still pay (question mark). | |
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 7:59:06 PM | Texting is a waste of time for people who are too dumb to actually talk and don't want to actually go on messenger because they can't spell!
Im just going to disable incoming text's, i have a cell phone, not a cell keyboard,  | |
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 8:16:52 PM | Wow. A little harsh Rod.
I don't have internet everywhere I go. I also don't take my laptop. I do take my cellphone. My friends will text me (sometimes at 2 am!) to see if it's a good time to talk. Nice. I love that. I can quickly read a message while I'm at work, usually I wouldn't answer my phone.
I am also more likely to read a text message than to listen to a voicemail in a timely fashion, and as you well know - you don't even know your phone went off when you're on two wheels. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 8:30:21 PM | Texting is common place all around the world, ask BBC Radio 1, with 10's of millions of listeners how many texts they get at 81199. Millions.
Whether you use text or not is immaterial. It's the cost they've placed on the text. A text message is smaller & uses less overhead than an email. How would you feel if you had to pay 15 cents for each email sent to you?
People should be outraged at the lousy wireless service we get in this country. Proof we NEED foreign competition to shake things up. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 8:36:21 PM | We keep hearing that our prices are outrageous. I think the problem is that we don't know any different. I have no idea what cell phone plans cost elsewhere. I guess I could find the info online if I really wanted to.
Has anyone used the alternative providers? My brother got his house phone through Verizon when he moved to BC (as did another friend). It was very cost effective but both of them said the call quality sucked. It was like the old radio phones where if you started talking too quickly after the other person stopped the first few words would be missed. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 8:38:06 PM | | I ditched my cell phone months ago..and most times, don't miss it at all...but....how the he!! can they say that they can't afford to privide this service for FREE any more???? What a load of bull !!! Texting is not free and never has been....whoever sent it is paying already....so now they are getting paid twice for the same text. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 8:49:06 PM | Personally, I think texting is the greatest thing since sliced bread!
And I am old enough that I don't text speak - in fact it takes me forever to send a text, because I DO spell out the words!
When Rogers starts charging me for texts, then I will have to consider disabling that feature so that nobody, including them can send me a fee.
What's next? Fee per local call?
Tessav, are you on Vista? That whole question mark thing happens to me once in a while too, takes a reboot! | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 9:11:38 PM | I think there is some misunderstanding on what is going on. If you DON'T subscribe or have as part of your plan SMS texting, then you're paying $0.15/text message. So if you're one to text, then you're already paying for it so there is no change. If you don't have SMS as part of your plan, then I would think you would pay for a service that you are using.
As for the lonwolf359 and the spam messages, there is an option (at least with Telus) to have no text messages to be received on a mobile phone. If you're one to not use text then you might as well disable it. | |
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/8/2008 9:14:08 PM | I text.
I text a lot.
I didn't think I would, but I do.
It is handy to send out quick dispatches to numerous pals (Where's the party?) or to my adult girls (Yes, I am alive).
I am with Virgin Mobile and I have the "My5" equivalent, so I can talk and text these five people all I want (in and out) for free.
I then purchased unlimited text for $5 a month. I added unlimited internet use for $10 a month.
Total package per month? $40 + 5% gst.
Big whoop. My three year contract has over 2.75 years left.
I have just found that texting is so much faster, easier, concise and I swear by it.
As an aside, my family is from the West Coast and when my father was ill, we kept in touch via text. There are 7 children and we would mass text each other throughout the day.
The fact is, it is faster and easier to get 'facts' across via text and if I want to 'talk' to someone I still call.
^^BG^^ | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 9:46:26 PM | I am on Vista. I finally did re-boot, but I forget that it's not working until I am mid-post and can't use the d@mn ?????! I'm sure there has to be an easier way to fix the problem.
Computers! We have a love/hate relationship.
Thanks BG. Sounds like a great plan. I still have almost 2 yrs with Rogers before I need to shop, but I am interested in other companies and how their service (both customer and phone) is.
I do know I often have phone service in areas that my friends on Telus don't. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 9:49:49 PM | Does this apply to the "Unlimited text" plan too?
I am with Bell now and I live on Text. I would sooner text someone then phone them...  | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 10:02:06 PM | Tessav, I've had this happen at work a lot, I won't be able to do question marks, and other punctuation marks, and certain letters have that little squiggle above them making words look spanish or something.
I always call IT, and if I remember right, they have to change the language settings, somehow it changes on it's own every so often on me at work, I hit the wrong combo of keys or something, I dunno, but I think it has something to do with your language settings.
Google it, might help you find a fix.
I've been with Telus for over 10 years now, and have had no major issues. Some minor ones, yes, but when I call to complain/get them fixed, they always compensate me, without me asking. The last time, they knocked some money off my bill.
Can't complain at all, they've been good to me. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 10:20:47 PM | Kinetix.....current plans do NOT charge for incoming text messages...only for sent messages. I think we are all well aware that it costs us money to send a text to people.
Plan or not....there is no fee for incoming text messages...which there soon will be......$ .15 for every text sent to your phone.
I don't think that is a misunderstanding......people are now going to be dinged for incoming texts, although they are already paying to send them. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 10:39:28 PM | | Well I think people need to sign a petition.. plus they always charge basic 'serivce fees' so I am pretty sure these incoming text have been covered there. Plus again if the other person/ party is paying for the text.. why we are being double charged now? I pay an extra $5/ month for texting. Like some else said.. its less data. Our phone rates here are insane as it is. I wish people would do more petitions for crap like this or have other competitors like Virgin etc come in more. That or dam charge me another $5 for unlimited 'incoming' text.. give us a option at least. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 10:47:54 PM | | I get maybe ten txts a year, so this won't really affect me. I'm also on Rogers, who aren't doing this yet. They'll wait for Bell and Telus to take the heat then slip it in quietly a couple of months later. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 11:03:24 PM | I txt all the time as well. IT's just easier to communicate that way. No long distance, no daytime minutes used. I have the My5 plan with Rogers, so it's unlimited to those five, and I have 2500 outgoing messages included as well with my plan. Data is an a$$rape at their rates, so I don't use my phone for internet or anything. Internet usually pretty weak on a cel anyway. If I need to use Internet when I'm in Edmonton, I just pull up to an apartment block, and grab someones WiFi with my iPod Touch. Works great, no contracts, no nothing.
You start to learn the hot spots around the city. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 11:11:30 PM | I stand corrected, I had called Telus early this evening as I have unlimited text bundle and they had reassured me that I wouldn't get charged. However taking a look at the website and then talking to a friend at Telus Mobility the $.15 charge does apply. This is what I get when I trust the call centres then the actual staff.
Though I have a crackberry so I prob will be using the messaging or messenger option more. It kinda cheese me off that they would do this. Though it doesn't surprise me. When I was living in Japan in 2000 it cost 5 yen ($0.04) to send and 7 ($0.06) yen to receive. Though I kinda think it's moronic that you are paying for a service you use and you end up paying more to receive it. | |
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Posted: 7/8/2008 11:18:51 PM | It is absolutely illogical to charge $0.15 for an incoming text message to those clients who have unlimited texts. Aren't I already paying a higher fee for texts regardless of their direction? Ridiculous!
However, not surprising. Greedy Guts! | |
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Posted: 7/9/2008 1:20:51 AM | If you have unlimited you WILL NOT PAY for incoming.
This i can guarantee you!
Unlimited at Telus means unlimited. Doesnt mean abuse the system mind you....
This fee is for folks who have no text messaging plan at all. If you have a set amount of text messages per month (as long as you text within that limit if you have it) or unlimited, you wont be charged.
This will affect folks who text on a pay per use basis. Frankly if you are the type of cust who send/receive more than 100 text messages a month (100 text a month? do you send/receive more than 3 a day?), you should have a text messaging option of some sort. Otherwise you're simply wasting your money, any reps at Telus could optimize your plan to actually save you money! Yes they do that!
If you think millions and millions of text messaging each day cost nothing, you couldnt be more wrong. It takes bandwith and bandwith isnt cheap. It takes servers and switches and a ton of other gear. It takes agreements between carriers, between International carriers, You need software and technicians who make sure those texts DO GO thru.
Not sure whose the guy you spoke with, not sure what department he/she work in but that person needs to check their facts because they are simply wrong.
Tessav you are using the french language on your keyboard.....
click start
click control pannel
click regional and language options
click keyboards and language tab
click change keyboards
Make sure it says US or Canada English or whatever you want.
As for receiving spam, well VERY seldom are spam messages due to the carrier fault, often time the cust sign up on some stupid stuff that they see online or something. If a carrier send text, you arent charged, as long as it is from the carrier. If you get real genuine spam you can contact your carrier and some sort of action will be taken and more than likely your carrier will or should refund you. Depends on your carrier of course.
Foreign carriers? Not gona happen, You really think Orange or Vodafone is interested in the measly millions of folks who use cells here?
hahahaha DREAM ON!
In Africa, Asia, Italy, folks can own 2 or 3 cells EACH! Why the heck do you think it is so much cheaper there? Cells are MUCH mainstream over there than they are here. Canada and the US like to think we're so smart when in Europe and in Asia they've been around and are used a lot more. Granted putting cell towers in countries like France is cake! You dont have the land mass to cover like we do here. Yet folks forget those small details! Putting up a network from scratch isnt cheap. Yet you read some BS in papers about how we got it hard! They dont bother to explain those small details. So bottom line a foreign carrier unless they team with regional carriers or fork the money to come in isnt likely.
Our market is small, too small to be of any value to the big Euro or Asian carriers.
Here we get phone that might do 2 megapixels pictures, in Asia some cell phones may have like 6 mega pixels if not more. Bitch and moan that we get shafted yet, folks cant barely program a frikkin VCR or their wall clock.....never mind a cellphone!
I might edit and add more stuff later or tomorow....nighty night for this techie
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| Text Messages
Posted: 7/9/2008 8:59:55 AM | I never thought I would be one for text messaging but find now I use it all the time.
It shouldn't replace talking to the person but it is wonderful for sending quick little messages.  | |
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Posted: 7/9/2008 9:22:48 AM | I am also with Telus and Have unlimited Text.
Texting is convientent when you want to say Hi to someone and you can't call as they are at work, but you can text and leave them a little message 
I also text my cousin in Quebec, cheaper to text then to call....!!!
I used Texting a lot. Never thought I would either, but times have changed. | |
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Posted: 7/9/2008 10:16:37 AM | | good maybe the next time i have someone out for dinner/drinks they will learn to leave that cell phone in their purse and talk like a normal person, not somone who brags they can text and talk to you at the same time. | |
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