BUCKS WATCH
Avoid Some Text-Messaging Fees By Texting Via E-Mail - Text-messaging has become the hot way for cell-phone savvy consumers, especially teens and young adults, to communicate quickly with each other. Entire texting “languages” made up of shortened forms of common words and phrases have sprung up to make texting quicker and easier on the thumbs. What many users don’t realize, however, is that they are likely being charged a fee by their wireless carrier for each message sent and received. Try figuring out how many back and forth messages you would need to decide with your friends what pizza to order and then multiply that by the 5¢ per message average fee and you’ll see how quickly these fees can add up. One way to help alleviate some of the costs of texting is by sending your outgoing messages by e-mail from your computer instead of from the phone itself. While you won’t be charged for outgoing messages, you will be charged to view any replies you receive on your phone. You’ll also need to know what provider your contact uses to do this correctly. Here are the texting e-mail addresses for the major wireless carriers:
- Cingular: 10-digit-number@mobile.mycingular.com
- Sprint: 10-digit-number@messaging.sprintpcs.com
- Former Nextel phones: 10-digit-number@messaging.nextel.com
- Former AT&T Wireless phones: 10-digit-number@mmode.com (former AT&T phones)
- T-Mobile: 10-digit-number@tmomail.net
- Verizon Wireless: 10-digit-number@vtext.com
Some phones also include the ability to send conventional e-mails from the phone itself, costing the user for airtime, data, or both. Check with your service provider for details. This method may be even cheaper than text messaging.
AT&T Raising International Mobile Termination Rates Again - AT&T is again raising the fee it charges its long distance subscribers to make calls to wireless phones overseas. This fee, known as the international mobile termination (IMT) fee, is applied on a per-minute basis on top of the standard per-minute rate the country being dialed. Effective October 1, IMT fees to six countries will increase and a new fee will be introduced for calls to Zambia. Fortunately, AT&T will also be dropping the IMT fee to 36 countries.
Notable IMT changes include:
- Australia – decreases by 1¢ to 18¢ per minute
- Brazil – increases by 2¢ to 14¢ per minute
- Colombia – decreases by 4¢ to 8¢ per minute
- France – decreases by 3¢ to 20¢ per minute
- Hong Kong – decreases by 3¢ to 3¢ per minute
- Nicaragua – increases by 1¢ to 9¢ per minute
- Poland – increases by 1¢ to 19¢ per minute
- South Korea – decreases by 3¢ to 6¢ per minute
- Taiwan – decreases by 3¢ to 9¢ per minute
The increase in the IMT fee for calls to Brazil is especially notable as that country, along with Russia, India, and China, is among the fastest growing markets in the world for wireless phones. For additional information and a full listing of these changes, click here.
WIRELESS WATCH
Updated NYC Wireless Guide Useful for Consumers Nationwide - Wireless phone options are becoming increasingly complex and difficult for consumers to effectively compare to find the best deals to meet their needs. Fortunately, New York City Public Advocate Betsy Botbaum has recently released an updated wireless phone guide that provides a wealth of information that very useful for wireless phone consumers nationwide. Entitled Cell Phone Savvy: A Guide to Getting the Most Out of Your Current and Future Cell Phones and Avoiding Being Overcharged in NYC Neighborhoods, this free guide provides information on all manner of wireless phone-related topics. The guide is laid out into easy-to-use sections on issues such as reception and service areas, optimizing contracts, picking a contract and term, activating a phone, and picking a carrier. Of particular note are the pro’s and con’s of one and two-year contracts and prepaid phones. The guide also emphasizes that the best time to bargain for a better deal is when you are renewing your existing contract or looking in joining a new plan. While some of the information -- particularly the third-party early-termination fee survey -- is geared towards New York City consumers, most of the information in the guide is applicable to consumers nationwide and well worth the read. The guide is available online through the New York City Office of Public Advocate’s website at http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov or by clicking here.
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions: http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
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