Cancelling Text Messaging/GPRS

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DONTEMAILMEPLEASE - 27 Nov 2003 02:23 GMT

I just ported a line over to TMobile and have a question regarding Text
Messaging. As a customer, what are my options if I choose not to subscribe
or participate in the text messaging function? Am I permitted to remove
this functionality from the account all together? What kind of safeguards
are there in place to protect users from unsolicited text messages,
considering TMobile charges a nickel for each one received by the handset?

Also, regarding GPRS, is there a feature with the Samsung E105 which would
require an additional prompt or passcode to be submitted before the WAP
browser loads + charges against my account?

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cheerioboy26 (Matt) - 27 Nov 2003 04:47 GMT

You can cancel text messaging. Call customer care. In almost 4 years I
have not heard of an instance of an unsolicited text message to a TM user.

> I just ported a line over to TMobile and have a question regarding Text
> Messaging. As a customer, what are my options if I choose not to subscribe
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> require an additional prompt or passcode to be submitted before the WAP
> browser loads + charges against my account?

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Jaymes Littlehayles - 27 Nov 2003 05:25 GMT

> You can cancel text messaging. Call customer care. In almost 4 years I
> have not heard of an instance of an unsolicited text message to a TM user.

You CANNOT cancel text messaging... You can remove the ability to send.. but
TMobile does not allow the ability to receive text messaging from any
account...

> > I just ported a line over to TMobile and have a question regarding Text
> > Messaging. As a customer, what are my options if I choose not to subscribe
> > or participate in the text messaging function? Am I permitted to remove
> > this functionality from the account all together? What kind of safeguards
> > are there in place to protect users from unsolicited text messages,
> > considering TMobile charges a nickel for each one received by the handset?

See above

> > Also, regarding GPRS, is there a feature with the Samsung E105 which would
> > require an additional prompt or passcode to be submitted before the WAP
> > browser loads + charges against my account?

With the new WAP Free-For-All.. acccidental activation of GPRS does not
incur any charges... Otherwise, there are no passwords, or prompts native to
that or most any of the handsets...

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DONTEMAILMEPLEASE - 27 Nov 2003 13:44 GMT

>> You can cancel text messaging. Call customer care. In almost 4 years I
>> have not heard of an instance of an unsolicited text message to a TM user.
>
> You CANNOT cancel text messaging... You can remove the ability to send.. but
> TMobile does not allow the ability to receive text messaging from any
> account...

AT&T/Cingular both provide customers with the option of disabling SMS
functionality, why not TMobile? If voicemail notification is tied into text
messaging, why not eliminate this practice and start utilizing the voicemail
notification feature within the handset? Why should customers be charged
for incoming SMS messages, especially if they're unsolicited? Is TMobile
not sensitive to this reality? As a customer I have the option of choosing
whether to answer a call or not, but with Text Messaging it seems like an
open invitation for a credit disaster. Does the customer get charged only
if they VIEW the message, or simply on the basis of the handset being
notified of their being a message? I experienced a similar issue with
SprintPCS and was told no charges associated w/ 'Wireless Text Messaging'
would occur UNLESS I were to log into the Vision Network. As for free GPRS,
I was not informed of this when purchasing my handset/service yesterday, is
there some public document available on Tmobile.Com?

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Carl. - 27 Nov 2003 18:49 GMT

> AT&T/Cingular both provide customers with the option of disabling SMS
> functionality, why not TMobile?

On the plus side T-Mobile offers a usable spam filter for SMS. Just log on
to your account on the web page and find the Communication>SMS section.

You could create a filter that blocks messages that do not contain some long
randomly chosen word or even just a random string of numbers. No more SMS.
i.e., "if FROM field does not contain [flubflub], do not send to handset."
With an 8-character string, only 1 in 200 billion randomly-generated spam
fields would get through.

The only drawback to the secret word theory is that the only filter-able
fields are FROM, TO, SUBJECT, there isn't one for the message body itself.
TO seems useless (um, hello . . . ?). I don't know how to change the FROM
field when I send from my phone (the web page SMS feature lets you do it),
nor do I know how to add a subject line. But it would still block unwanted
SMS.

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J. Tennyson Einstein - 28 Nov 2003 02:55 GMT

Um I'm pretty sure that filter ONLY works for email initiated SMS messages
and does not do anything for SMS that is sent from another phone.

That is also probably the reason you can filter on "To" because I have like
3 email aliases pointing to my cell phone.

I called T-Mobile once because I was getting unsolicited SMS from an
ex-girlfriend. Their recommendation? Change my phone number! They are
complete morons. As soon as another GSM provider gets a cheap unlimited GPRS
I am leaving T-Mobile.

J.T.

> > AT&T/Cingular both provide customers with the option of disabling SMS
> > functionality, why not TMobile?
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.543 / Virus Database: 337 - Release Date: 11/22/2003

Reply to this Message

Carl. - 28 Nov 2003 05:09 GMT

Yeah, it looks like you are right. I tried my own advice, but can still
send myself SMS from my own phone. It calls them text message filters, but
the description text refers to e-mail.

The SMS I sent from the web page didn't come through though.

Of course, if you know who is sending them and they refuse to stop you can
always call the police about it.

> Um I'm pretty sure that filter ONLY works for email initiated SMS messages
> and does not do anything for SMS that is sent from another phone.
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> > Version: 6.0.543 / Virus Database: 337 - Release Date: 11/22/2003

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J. Tennyson Einstein - 29 Nov 2003 00:20 GMT

Yeah and that will take months to sort out and T-Mobile won't give a damn
about charging you for the minutes. SMS needs more control before it will be
taken seriously I think. Also needs to be free with service.

J.T.

> Yeah, it looks like you are right. I tried my own advice, but can still
> send myself SMS from my own phone. It calls them text message filters, but
[quoted text clipped - 57 lines]
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.543 / Virus Database: 337 - Release Date: 11/22/2003

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^'^BatAttaK^'^ - 29 Nov 2003 04:39 GMT

>Yeah and that will take months to sort out and T-Mobile won't give a damn
>about charging you for the minutes. SMS needs more control before it will be
>taken seriously I think. Also needs to be free with service.
>
>J.T.

When there are people that regularly send\receive upwards of 10-20,000
text messages a month why in the world should it be free?

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