AT&T picture messaging

mdaudioguy

I have 5 phones on my account. Only my phone has a data plan. About a year ago, my then-12-year-old son had a phone with an internet button on the front and he kept pressing it "by mistake." (Yeah, whatever.) I'd end up with $4 or $5 a month for numerous data accesses every month - a few kilobytes here and there. I was annoyed with this, so I called AT&T and asked them to turn data off. They did, and then he lost picture messaging, because apparently picture messaging requires access to the data network.

So, now I'd like to turn that back on for him (and smack his little fingers if he has any more accidental data accesses). I have AT&T's Messaging Unlimited for Families, which promises,

Value the whole family can enjoy

Unlimited text, picture, video, and Instant Messaging (IM) messages for everyone in your FamilyTalk group. Never worry about costly overages again.

However, the representative I spoke to said there will still be data charges for pictures sent by picture messaging. Is this right? I'm tired of being nickeled and dimed...)

packetjones

I am not sure about AT&T but i know that with sprint, along as you have a messaging plan then the picture messaging will not cost anything extra. I would be surprised if there was still charges for data as well as the picture plan. You know these companies though. Anything they can do make more money.

polkatese

Picture messaging = MMS isn't it?

If you have iPhone, here is the deal:

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-sales/promotion/iPhone-MMS.jsp

NOTE: MMS messaging is only available for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Original iPhone customers will continue to use www.viewmymessage.com to receive picture messages.

mdaudioguy

Never mind... I just read up on my plan and called back to protest... this rep said that the other rep was flat out wrong. This woman was WAY more helpful and polite than the guy I spoke to first... It's a crapshoot when you call customer service at these mega-companies.

mdaudioguy

polkatese wrote: »

Picture messaging = MMS isn't it?

If you have iPhone, here is the deal:

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-sales/promotion/iPhone-MMS.jsp

NOTE: MMS messaging is only available for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Original iPhone customers will continue to use www.viewmymessage.com to receive picture messages.

Yep, pictures and video are sent via MMS, which uses the data network for the multimedia portion of the message. If you have the plan, unlimited = no additional charges... unless roaming out of country, of course.

[Deleted User]

With the unlimited plan that you have, text, mms, and video will be free. The instant messenging part is misleading as I get charged for it. Contact the rep and they will clarify that instant messenging is not free, even though the plan you are on explicitly states that it is included. B.S. I know. They will state that instant messenging is free to use as in a feature, but you will be charged data. I said WTF?

mdaudioguy

It says "unlimited... Instant Messaging (IM) messages". Are you using an IM app (not iPhone presumably, because you'd have a data plan for that), or the mobile web? That might be the difference.