Confused about network charging policies

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

Just got some new V551s for me and family and am confused about the AOL,
Media Net, and Messenging features.

Just playing around with the menu on the phone, I apparently got connected
to somewhere because I got a menu with news, weather, sports, etc. on it and
when I exited, got message saying some 6 or 7K bytes were transferred.

What are those bytes being transferred? Just browser requests or downloads,
or what? Do I get charged for those bytes? Cause all I did was click around
in the menu system and bingo I'm transferring bytes around! Is that possible
to be charged for just snooping thru the menu system. Don't I have to
actually download some information?

Is there any way to turn this stuff off? One of the phones is for my 14 year
old daughter and giving her AOL options is like pouring money down a hole.

Also I want to get rid of the AOL icon. (Primarily because of the insult
factor. I hate the company and am insulted that they'ed put it on the phone
automatically.)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

Unfortunately there is no easy and cheap or free way to get rid of the
America Online bullcrud on those phones. As for the data transferred,
yes.. you will be charged for it unfortunately. You may be able to
call them Monday and have them do something about perhaps provisioning
your phone for no GPRS, but that is highly unlikely.

Most likely Cingular will not be able to do anything about that. In
other words your left to the user of the phone and what they do with
it.

Bytes will be transferred only when you send emails or pictures. Text
messaging is not considered as data. Text messages are .10cents each
if on no plan. Data is charged at some odd cents per Kilobyte if on no
data plan.

Running AIM or Y! Messenger or any 'internet' type program off of your
phones will use data, and cingular will charge you for it. Be careful.

Best regards.,

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:01:40 GMT, "N Hamilton"
<no_spamham@no_spamnc.rr.com> wrote:

>Just got some new V551s for me and family and am confused about the AOL,
>Media Net, and Messenging features.
>
>Just playing around with the menu on the phone, I apparently got connected
>to somewhere because I got a menu with news, weather, sports, etc. on it and
>when I exited, got message saying some 6 or 7K bytes were transferred.
>
>What are those bytes being transferred? Just browser requests or downloads,
>or what? Do I get charged for those bytes? Cause all I did was click around
>in the menu system and bingo I'm transferring bytes around! Is that possible
>to be charged for just snooping thru the menu system. Don't I have to
>actually download some information?
>
>Is there any way to turn this stuff off? One of the phones is for my 14 year
>old daughter and giving her AOL options is like pouring money down a hole.
>
>Also I want to get rid of the AOL icon. (Primarily because of the insult
>factor. I hate the company and am insulted that they'ed put it on the phone
>automatically.)
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

I forgot to mention that internet browsing through the phone is ALSO
charged as data, and it will be the thing that can use up the most
data the quickest. In other words, mEdia net is the internet access or
it may be called "Wireless Internet Express"

If you do nothing but use voice you've got no extra charges to worry
about.

Also, on the voice side, if you're night/weekend minutes begin @ 9pm
local time and you initiate a call @ 8:50pm expecting it to roll into
using unlimited night/weekend minutes @ 9pm it is wrong and it will
not roll into the unlimited bucket.

Also - the text messages, all that are recieved are charged to you. So
say somebody texts you or your daughter per say, it will be charged @
10cents per text message. The picture messaging I am not positive
about on the other hand.

If you ever do decide to get a nice full featured multi-media package
for any of your lines, they do offer a "mEdia Works" package which
provides you with unlimited internet access, 1500 txt msg's, and 250
picture messages.

I also have read on this same very usenet group that CNGLR has charged
some folks some pretty ridiculous fees for sending AOL(AIM) text
messages from their phones. Apparantly they do not seem to treat AIM
txt msg's as standard txt msg's - in reality that is all they are when
you use AIM from a cellphone.

best regards,;


On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:01:40 GMT, "N Hamilton"
<no_spamham@no_spamnc.rr.com> wrote:

>Just got some new V551s for me and family and am confused about the AOL,
>Media Net, and Messenging features.
>
>Just playing around with the menu on the phone, I apparently got connected
>to somewhere because I got a menu with news, weather, sports, etc. on it and
>when I exited, got message saying some 6 or 7K bytes were transferred.
>
>What are those bytes being transferred? Just browser requests or downloads,
>or what? Do I get charged for those bytes? Cause all I did was click around
>in the menu system and bingo I'm transferring bytes around! Is that possible
>to be charged for just snooping thru the menu system. Don't I have to
>actually download some information?
>
>Is there any way to turn this stuff off? One of the phones is for my 14 year
>old daughter and giving her AOL options is like pouring money down a hole.
>
>Also I want to get rid of the AOL icon. (Primarily because of the insult
>factor. I hate the company and am insulted that they'ed put it on the phone
>automatically.)
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <8d3vd.2668$fQ1.239054@twister.southeast.rr.com> on Sun, 12 Dec 2004
22:01:40 GMT, "N Hamilton" <no_spamham@no_spamnc.rr.com> wrote:

>Just got some new V551s for me and family and am confused about the AOL,
>Media Net, and Messenging features.
>
>Just playing around with the menu on the phone, I apparently got connected
>to somewhere because I got a menu with news, weather, sports, etc. on it and
>when I exited, got message saying some 6 or 7K bytes were transferred.
>
>What are those bytes being transferred? Just browser requests or downloads,
>or what? Do I get charged for those bytes? Cause all I did was click around
>in the menu system and bingo I'm transferring bytes around! Is that possible
>to be charged for just snooping thru the menu system. Don't I have to
>actually download some information?
>
>Is there any way to turn this stuff off? One of the phones is for my 14 year
>old daughter and giving her AOL options is like pouring money down a hole.

Call Customer Care and have GPRS removed/disabled.

>Also I want to get rid of the AOL icon. (Primarily because of the insult
>factor. I hate the company and am insulted that they'ed put it on the phone
>automatically.)

This may be possible by "flexing" the phone, but that risk damaging the phone
and voiding the warranty.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>