Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Paying for SMS Spam - Nextel users work for spam refunds

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 23:41:17 -0500

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News » Paying for SMS Spam - Nextel users work for spam refunds

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Paying for SMS Spam
Nextel users work for spam refunds
Users in our Cellphone Providers and Plans forum attempt to get refunds from Nextel for SMS spam being sent to their mobile phones. Nextel customers report that they're being charged fifteen cents for every SMS spam sent to their mobile device, even when the spam comes from Nextel themselves. Users are reporting varying degrees of success in trying to obtain refunds. There's a fairly nice profit margin there if the majority of Nextel's users aren't paying attention to their monthly bills.
Posted about 7 hours ago See: spam wireless

Comments display style : switch to flat

News articles » Paying for SMS Spam » All Comments

Beaker Ownz J00r Soul
aSic

Glad to know I'm not alone...
I'm glad Sprint doesnt charge me per message. I'd be paying out my ass for many more years to pay it all off with all the spam I get.
--
Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say. | irc.fj33r.com #dslr

» | 2003-10-30 15:39:18 | | REPLY TO THIS

Snoochie Boochies?
SuperJudge

Re: Glad to know I'm not alone...
Oh hell yeah, I get a few a day. Some days, I get a few every hour.
--
MediaXPeer

» | 2003-10-30 17:58:58 | | REPLY TO THIS

joebear29

Who is sending the spam?
Is it Nextel, or a third party?

» | 2003-10-30 15:39:33 | | REPLY TO THIS

gdm
MVM

Joined 06-15-2001
Location: Bartlett, IL
Ameritech - SBC

Re: Who is sending the spam?
It's both. Nextel just changed there Online web plans to not include 300 text messages any more.

1) people were getting charged .15 cents (me included) and couldn't understand why. I called 3 times and they credited me finally the 4th time some one told me why I was getting charged.

2) You get mainly spam from 3rd party but some from Nextel and you get charged for both. Some people are having issues get there accounts credited.

If you pay $5 for 300 text messages or $10 for 2 way text messaging well you don't get charged. Well unless you go over those 300.
[text was edited by author 2003-10-30 15:51:48]

» | 2003-10-30 15:49:35 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

joebear29

Joined 07-20-2003
Location: Alabaster, AL
BellSouth

Ok, thanks for the info.

Nextel should not charge for the messages they send. Period.

Regarding third parties, it's a difficult question. Nextel has no way of knowing what's spam and what's not. It'd be easy to receive 50 messages, then call Nextel and claim 25 were spam and want a refund.

of course, the real slimes are the ones who send the unsolicited messages.

» | 2003-10-30 15:54:40 | | REPLY TO THIS

starreem

Joined 12-22-2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
EarthLink

I got spammed.....
We recently got spammed on all our Nextel phones about 2 weeks after first seeing a post in the spam forum. It was from "Nexbell". We called to complain, and Nextel said they could sign us up for some "no charge" spam filter, and told us to call when the bill comes to have the SMS charges reversed. If we can only remember to call when the bill comes in......
--
From the Depths of Lurk

» | 2003-10-30 15:45:56 | | REPLY TO THIS

starreem

Joined 12-22-2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
EarthLink

Re: I got spammed.....
For those interested... here is the original post in the spam forum that give the info on who is doing the spamming lately

»Nextel phone text spammed
--
From the Depths of Lurk

» | 2003-10-30 15:59:34 | | REPLY TO THIS

vic102482

15 cents for a text message?
But you get 64K of nights and weekend voice streams or incoming calls for free right?

» | 2003-10-30 15:45:56 | | REPLY TO THIS

comcasttech0

Joined 03-06-2002
Location: Edmonton

Rogers Spams their customers too!
The same thing happens to customers with Rogers/A&TT (Canada) but luckily anything you get from Rogers isn't being charged to you as the consumer... Rogers gives you the first 2500 messages received free, after that you pay X amount per message.

Although the pointless SPAM we get from rogers is for pointless prizes you can atleast reply and tell them where to stick it, and hopefully they won't respond back!

cheers,

cctech0

» | 2003-10-30 15:54:16 | | REPLY TO THIS

My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Nightfall
MVM

Joined 08-03-2001
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Comcast

Huge problem with great potential for abuse
I have been following this problem closely for a while now. I have been a nextel subscriber for over 3 years now, and while I love their service, this is a huge issue. It started out with Nextel sending out a SMS message a while ago and charging everyone .15 cents for the privilege if they didn't already have text messaging on their account. There are about 12 million subscribers, so you have to figure even if 35% of them dispute the charges, then you are looking at about 1.5 million in revenue from one message. That is just unreal.

What's worse, they can't shut off text messaging on your account off if you want voice mail notification to work. The only solution would be to make incoming messages free or something along those lines. However, I don't think that will happen.
--
My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal

» | 2003-10-30 15:54:21 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

trisomy

Re: Huge problem with great potential for abuse
Nightfall, do you know whether or not unrequested text messaging to your mobile telephone falls under the DNC "laws" which forbid telesolicitation to mobile numbers?

» | 2003-10-30 16:07:13 | | REPLY TO THIS

Computer Wizard
Jerw134

Joined 01-06-2000
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Wide Open West

Re: Huge problem with great potential for abuse

said by trisomy :do you know whether or not unrequested text messaging to your mobile telephone falls under the DNC "laws" which forbid telesolicitation to mobile numbers?
SMS is completely separate. There are no laws forbidding unsolicited SMS.

» | 2003-10-30 16:42:24 | | REPLY TO THIS

Let's Make Like Microsoft And Split.
hambone6666

Joined 02-13-2001
Location: Stamford, CT

Verizon?
I have had my verizon service for 4 years now, same number.

I have never received a spam message on my phone. i get the text messages from my friends.

Does anyone who uses verizon ever experience the spam?
--
"That vulnerability is completely theoretical." - Microsoft Technical Support

» | 2003-10-30 15:58:39 | | REPLY TO THIS

sea93

Re: Verizon?
I've got Verizon and had Spam on my phone.
It's mostly in Spanish and I can't read it anyway.
If it gets bad, I'll drop the whole service.

» | 2003-10-30 16:04:44 | | REPLY TO THIS

Are You Ready For Some Football?
TheMadSwede

Like sea93, I have had the spanish SPAMs as well. I tried to complain, but forgot about it. Have not received them in awhile.
--
Cable Cable Cable...keep that cable rolling.

» | 2003-10-30 16:17:47 | | REPLY TO THIS

Phatty

Joined 05-10-2000
Location: Wildwood, Mo
Charter Pipeline

said by hambone6666 :I have had my verizon service for 4 years now, same number.

I have never received a spam message on my phone. i get the text messages from my friends.

Does anyone who uses verizon ever experience the spam?

I think I have received 2 spam messages before, and 1 was from verizon. I have had a verizon phone for many years now and have never changed the phone number for it.

» | 2003-10-30 18:27:39 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

Dsl Or Bust
insomniac84

This is messed up.
Incoming messages shouldn't be charged to you, especially if there is no way to prevent them from coming to you. If you have a grudge against someone you could just message them up the ass and give them a nice 20-30 in extra bills.

» | 2003-10-30 16:05:54 | | REPLY TO THIS

lazarus_99

Joined 08-31-2002
Location: Niagara,ON.
Cogeco

Re: This is messed up.

said by insomniac84 :Incoming messages shouldn't be charged to you, especially if there is no way to prevent them from coming to you. If you have a grudge against someone you could just message them up the ass and give them a nice 20-30 in extra bills.
That happened to one of my friends.. His ex gf kept phoning his cell and hanging up when the "beep" for the voice mail would go.. They sent him a bill for over $300 (they rounded up to 1min for 1sec..) This is pretty low IMO they spam the customers then charge them $$$. Makes me sick. I'm glad I got rid of my cell phone.
--
There are no stupid questions, there are just a lot of inquisitive idiots.

» | 2003-10-30 16:15:12 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

Dsl Or Bust
insomniac84

That actually sounds illegal. What ever happened to companies getting in trouble for advertising on cell phones and causing the customer to pay for their unwanted advertisement? Or was it never like this?

» | 2003-10-30 19:50:25 | | REPLY TO THIS

Hey, I Saw That
Misu
(Premium)

Joined 11-28-2000
Location: Orlando, FL
EarthLink

Cingular does it too, only they charge $0.20/msg
when I first got my new phone from Cingular, I started getting spammed almost a week after. It was getting tons of spam, but I figured I wouldn't get charged for it because I wasn't replying.

Wrong.

Bill came in, and they were charging me $5.00/month to have this feature turned on, and $0.20 per message. The bill was enourmous. I called, they said their hands were tied. So I took my phone and my bill to the Cingular store, requested a manager, showed them my bill, showed them the spam saved in the inbox of my phone, and they deleted all the charges. They also turned that text messaging feature off my phone because I don't use it at all. This was over a year ago.

Hubby has the same phone service, and he didn't have a problem until last week with spam. He only got a couple of messages, though, and I told him to save them because he's going to get charged 20 cents per message, and he'll need the spam on his phone to prove he's getting spammed.
--
The things I do for love...

» | 2003-10-30 16:15:07 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

Whiteice510

Joined 02-02-2001
Location: Union City, CA

Nextel...
I called Nextel about this several weeks ago with the spamming I was receiving from the text messages. I asked the lady why am I having to pay for text messages that are spam and I have no way of blocking it? So then the lady kindly gave me 100 text messages per month for free. Hopefully this doesnt have to continue much longer.

Whiteice

» | 2003-10-30 16:17:22 | | REPLY TO THIS

rideboarder

Thank god..
Well I'm glad that i don't pay for incoming messages with T-Mobile, I just pay 5 cents a message to send them. So it's all good...

I don't get spam either way, but if I did, it would still be a pain in the ass, even without paying for it.

» | 2003-10-30 16:44:39 | | REPLY TO THIS

cyberthugin

Joined 03-12-2002
Location: Kew Gardens, NY

Duhhh
Ya like the extra itemized charge they forced down us with this keep your cell phone number law.

I guess this will be the next new spam to come.
But carriers like sprint and co. will def make money off this spam, since it increases their profit margins.
I wouldn't be surprise that they dont have hired spammers sending this stuff on their network.

--
www.alltechneeds.com
"Your Everyday Hosting Needs"

» | 2003-10-30 17:22:27 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

FastLearner

AT&T service
I get spam with my ATT service but they don’t charge for incoming text messages, I don’t see how they could because I don’t have any control if I receive a text message or not.

» | 2003-10-30 17:46:55 | | REPLY TO THIS

Jmartz

Joined 07-20-2000
Location: Tenafly, NJ
Optimum Online

Re: AT&T service

said by FastLearner :I get spam with my ATT service but they don’t charge for incoming text messages, I don’t see how they could because I don’t have any control if I receive a text message or not.
With AT&T you can turn off text messaging using their online system... I don't know if turning off text messaging disables the ability to receive messages or just to send them.
--
[BetaNews | phpBB |MSN TerraServer |Space Imaging]

» | 2003-10-30 18:56:33 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

bufferoverru

uscc
Ive got U.S. Cellular and can receive unlimited incoming messages, and 10 Cents to send them, or you can get on a plan like 50 outgoing for 2.95.

» | 2003-10-30 17:51:44 | | REPLY TO THIS

dkabk

Nextel
DROP NEXTEL!! DUH

» | 2003-10-30 18:02:25 | | REPLY TO THIS

My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Nightfall
MVM

Joined 08-03-2001
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Comcast

Re: Nextel

said by dkabk :DROP NEXTEL!! DUH
Nextel is the best wireless service for me. Every wireless provider has its negative points. Dropping them for this issue alone amounts to a pimple on a gnats ass. Although, it is one of those issues that does need to be resolved. Every wireless provider has issues.
--
My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal

» | 2003-10-30 18:28:10 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

eugene4020

Joined today!

Location: Bad Axe, MI

What about the telemarketers???
About the same time I started getting NEXTEL'S spam messages, I have had stupid teleparketers calling me. A few of my buddies have had the same thing happen a couple of times. It just comes on the caller ID as "line 1" and half of the time nobody even answers. Are any of you other NEXTEL users getting the same crap?

» | 2003-10-30 21:44:58 | | REPLY TO THIS

djkevy

Messages
When I talked with Nextel the other day, the rep told me as long as I don't read the text messages and just delete them I won't be billed for them.

Kevy

» | 2003-10-30 22:19:22 | | REPLY TO THIS

dave
MVM

Joined 05-04-2000
Location: not here
Verizon Online DSL

Re: What about the telemarketers???
The telemarketing rep isn't here, so I'll try and fill in.

Telemarketing SMS messages are valuable to the consumer, making you aware of products and services you might not have known about.

It's only a small minority of whiners who complain about such messages. They are losers who should seek treatment for their obsession.

If you don't allow telemarketing SMS messages, the entire US economy will collapse and people will be out of work.

Telemarketing SMS messages are covered by constitutional free-speech guarantees.

I hope you're convinced. No? guess I'd better not quit my day job.

» | 2003-10-30 22:51:38 | | Print | REPLY TO THIS

mwf

Joined 11-26-2000
Location: Salisbury, NC
RoadRunner

Re: What about the telemarketers???
**cough** B.S. **cough**

Your right to free speech ends at my front door, or phone, or whatever. I almost believed you until you invoke constitutional guarantees to annoy me.

Anyway, what I did was cancel my voice mail, paging and whateve else my phone had on it that would allow it to talk to someone when I didn't want to. Figure if I don't answer the phone I'm busy and you can call me back.

» | 2003-10-30 23:02:48 | | REPLY TO THIS

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