Cingular cell phone service - The high cost of Cingular SMS

Author

The high cost of Cingular SMS

Jonathan Boswell

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.

Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?
Obviously I can tell her to pay for the Extreme plan herself, but it
seems rather pricey (to me) at $20/mo. I hate to recommend such a
crappy deal to her, even if she deserves it.

Should I go to another provider with more reasonable message plans? Do
pre-paid plans allow SMS? Is there any way to divert her messages to
email (she has a RAZR) rather than sending them over Cingular's network?

Mike M

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

Well, there's 400 for 9.99 or 1000 for 14.99,>
https://www.cingular.com/media/ mul...br /> _purchase

and also you can send text messages for free on the Cingular site>
http://www.cingularme.com/do/public

Jonathan Boswell wrote:
> I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
> herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
> hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
> free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.
>
> Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
> too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
> there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?
> Obviously I can tell her to pay for the Extreme plan herself, but it
> seems rather pricey (to me) at $20/mo. I hate to recommend such a
> crappy deal to her, even if she deserves it.
>
> Should I go to another provider with more reasonable message plans? Do
> pre-paid plans allow SMS? Is there any way to divert her messages to
> email (she has a RAZR) rather than sending them over Cingular's network?

Elmo P. Shagnasty

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

In article <rcyvg.12$uk2.11@mencken.net.nih.gov>,
Jonathan Boswell <jsbNOSP@M.ost.cdrh.fda.gov> wrote:

> I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
> herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
> hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
> free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.
>
> Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
> too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
> there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?
> Obviously I can tell her to pay for the Extreme plan herself, but it
> seems rather pricey (to me) at $20/mo. I hate to recommend such a
> crappy deal to her, even if she deserves it.
>
> Should I go to another provider with more reasonable message plans? Do
> pre-paid plans allow SMS? Is there any way to divert her messages to
> email (she has a RAZR) rather than sending them over Cingular's network?

Take her off your family plan, make her go prepaid, and have her pay it
out of her own pocket.

When the well runs dry, it's up to her to refill it--or not, depending
on her resources. She will quickly discover how real life works.

If you keep "fixing" it for her, she'll never learn.

Of course, you could always screw up and buy into those crocodile tears
of hers when she comes crying because her phone is dead and she needs a
refill and could you please give it to her pretty please please please
please please please I'll take care of it myself next time honest...

Sucker.

Bob Fry

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

Email: the new snail mail

July 18, 2006 - IM, text messaging, blogs take over communciation for
the young

CHICAGO (AP) - E-mail is so last millennium.

Young people see it as a good way to reach an elder - a parent,
teacher or a boss - or to receive an attached file. But increasingly,
the former darling of high-tech communication is losing favor to
instant and text messaging, and to the chatter generated on blogs and
social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

http://tinyurl.com/nl6pq

Steve

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

Jonathan Boswell wrote:
> I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
> herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
> hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
> free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.
>
> Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
> too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
> there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?
> Obviously I can tell her to pay for the Extreme plan herself, but it
> seems rather pricey (to me) at $20/mo. I hate to recommend such a
> crappy deal to her, even if she deserves it.
>
> Should I go to another provider with more reasonable message plans? Do
> pre-paid plans allow SMS? Is there any way to divert her messages to
> email (she has a RAZR) rather than sending them over Cingular's network?

Have her buy her own Sidekick with a prepaid plan at TMobile. $1 per day
unlimited data use. It's the device she really wants - ask her. That's
what my daughter did 6 months ago and now she wants out of her 2 year
Cingular commitment (in dad's name of course) after one year on the RAZR
that she just "had to have" last year. Sidekick II's will be very cheap
on ebay now that the Sidekick III is released.

Richard J. Wyble

2006-07-19, 10:33 pm

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jonathan Boswell <jsbNOSP@M.ost.cdrh.fda.gov>
> Sent: 07/19/2006 6:14 PM -0400
> Subject: The high cost of Cingular SMS
>

> I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
> herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
> hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
> free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.

Have SMS disabled on her phone. All that's required is a
call to Cingular customer service. I have several phones on
a family plan and have two of them similarly restricted, for
that very reason.

--
RJW

Cavity Search

2006-07-20, 4:33 am

"Jonathan Boswell" <jsbNOSP@M.ost.cdrh.fda.gov> wrote in message
news:rcyvg.12$uk2.11@mencken.net.nih.gov...
>I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline herself
>when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of hand, I told
>her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is free. But last
>month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.
>
> Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
> too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
> there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?

Possibly, but you'll have to call them to find out what's available in your
area.

> Obviously I can tell her to pay for the Extreme plan herself, but it seems
> rather pricey (to me) at $20/mo. I hate to recommend such a crappy deal
> to her, even if she deserves it.

Twenty bucks a month isn't exactly a king's ransom. One or two mowed lawns
a month should take care of that. Or three hours at practically any job.
Or a car wash.

It may not be so 'crappy' anyway. If she's shooting for 200 SMS's a month,
and ends up with 770, chances are with this plan she'll find herself over
the 3000 limit, and you'll be back here again.

Just curious, but why are you 'recommending' anything to her? You are
paying the bills, so you are allowed to set the rules, not just
recommendations. If she doesn't choose to follow the rules, then she must
pay the consequences. Just like real life.

> Should I go to another provider with more reasonable message plans?

heh The whole idea of sending hundreds of text messages along with cute
little pictures and animations is aimed squarely at teenage girls. I doubt
you'll have much luck.

> Do pre-paid plans allow SMS? Is there any way to divert her messages to
> email (she has a RAZR) rather than sending them over Cingular's network?

Probably not.

You have several options, however.

Keep paying for her irresponsible behavior.
Make her pay for her luxuries, thus teaching her how to adjust to the world.
Get her a Firefly phone, which only calls certain numbers.
Get her one of these, making her use it on the months following the excess
SMS messages:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Motorola-Cell-P.../> cmdZViewItem

The last one is my favorate, combining good parenting with extreme
amusement, at least for you.

CS

WindsorFox[SS]

2006-07-23, 3:33 pm

Jonathan Boswell wrote:
> I have a teenage daughter on my family plan who cannot discipline
> herself when it comes to SMS messaging. The last time this got out of
> hand, I told her to use email from her laptop instead, since that is
> free. But last month she sent and received 770 messages anyhow.
>
> Clearly the Cingular limited messaging plan add-on (200 messages/mo) is
> too little. But the extreme plan (3000 messages/mo) is overkill. Are
> there other Cingular options that I don't see on http://Cingular.com?

Yes. Grow a pair and take the brat's phone away from her. Anything
short will produce an overgrown brat in 10 years. Start with a month and
return to the tune of "if you do it again you will receive a kiddie
phone with 5 preprogrammed numbers until you buy your own phone plan."
Any lesser reply will be not teaching a child the values they should
have for adult life and would be poor parenting.

--

I used to have abs. Now, I've just got ab.
One big ol' Ab. - BigSkiff www.titanspot.com

Could it be due to his "muffin the mule" too often and
losing control of the strings? - Chris U

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