Lame PicMessage Setup - Motorola Q Forum

Verran · 11-28-2006, 01:52 PM

So I'm on Verizon and I just started my account. I have the regular 450 minute $39 plan and no data plan. Basically, as far as connectivity goes, I use it like a regular cellphone, but I can also carry videos and mp3s and all that.

Well it turns out that picture messaging counts towards bandwidth on my phone, even though on a plain-jane cellphone, it wouldn't. So where a regular phone recieving a pic message would pay the 10 cents or whatever it is for a text message, I pay $2 (120k at 1.5 cents per kb). So I called Verizon and said I wanted to turn my data off completely and just treat pic messaging like a regular phone. They said I can't do that. The only option is to not get pics altogether. They were more than happy to offer me their $22+ data packages though....

Rev · 11-28-2006, 04:36 PM

Yes, sending a picture message requires data access from your phone, whereas, sending a text message doesn't.

If you want to send/receive PIX messages, you need to have some sort of data plan.

Verran · 11-29-2006, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev

Yes, sending a picture message requires data access from your phone, whereas, sending a text message doesn't.

If you want to send/receive PIX messages, you need to have some sort of data plan.

Yeah I get that, but my beef is that with a non-smart phone, you don't have to pay for a data plan to send pic messages.

If I had this exact same plan and a Razr, I could send picture messages for no extra charge. But since I have a smart phone, I pay $2 a message. It just seems lame to punish people who buy the better phone.

mad3963 · 11-29-2006, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verran

Yeah I get that, but my beef is that with a non-smart phone, you don't have to pay for a data plan to send pic messages.

If I had this exact same plan and a Razr, I could send picture messages for no extra charge. But since I have a smart phone, I pay $2 a message. It just seems lame to punish people who buy the better phone.

Actually I believe if you had this exact same plan and a Razr, without a text/picture messaging plan in addition to, you would be paying 25 cents for each picture message sent/received. With Verizon, you don't get text/pic messaging for free, whether it be "pay for what you use" as I mentioned above, text/pic package or data plan. You will pay, there is no "I could send picture messages for no extra charge" plan.

Verran · 11-29-2006, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad3963

Actually I believe if you had this exact same plan and a Razr, without a text/picture messaging plan in addition to, you would be paying 25 cents for each picture message sent/received. With Verizon, you don't get text/pic messaging for free, whether it be "pay for what you use" as I mentioned above, text/pic package or data plan. You will pay, there is no "I could send picture messages for no extra charge" plan.

Yeah, you're totally right. But 25 cents vs. $2 is huge. I'm paying EIGHT times more for a pic message simply because I have a "smart" phone. I'm being penalized because I bought a better phone.

Also, it is my understanding that even if I had a messaging plan, my phone would still need to use a data plan to download the pics. So with a messaging plan, a Razr would pic message for free, while my phone would still charge me $2 for that picture.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a beef with my Q. I love my Q. It's a beef with the way Verizon does things. You'd think that I should have the ability to go without a data plan and still text/pic message like any other normal phone. But since it's a "smart" phone, it's data plan or nothing for pictures.

SF0711 · 12-17-2007, 11:36 AM

This may be a late reply to this thread, but I'm having the same issue. I had a regular Motorola cell phone with a text/picture messaging plan and never needed a data plan to send picture messages. Then I get a Motorola Q and carry over the text/picture plan and now need a data plan to send pictures with MMS. I don't think it's fair to charge me data for a feature that is supposed to be included in a plan I already pay for. So, why do they charge for the text/pic plan? Why not just say we need a data plan instead of charging us twice? It's a true rip-off.

Jeffrey · 12-17-2007, 12:25 PM

Yeaah that is a rip-off. The only thig I can recomend is ditch the pic plan and get a data plan. I've got the $10/mth unlimed data plan w/ sprint. and sent my msgs through the internet (e.i. phone#@carrier.com)

j011955 · 12-17-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

Yeaah that is a rip-off. The only thig I can recomend is ditch the pic plan and get a data plan. I've got the $10/mth unlimed data plan w/ sprint. and sent my msgs through the internet (e.i. phone#@carrier.com)

Better yet, why not ditch Verizon. They keep ripping us off and we allow it. WHY?

mike250rs · 12-17-2007, 09:28 PM

they all rip you off, some just hide it better. simple supply and demand

troutseth · 12-17-2007, 09:31 PM

Ok so I agree that it is unfair and seems a bit screwy. That being said, I do not think it was done on purpose. I think they honestly didn't believe anyone would get a smart phone without data service (similar to BlackBerry service). Obviously they were wrong and are now confused on how to handle it.

Now you may want to search the forum or stop into a store, but I thought I had read on here that if you signed up for one of the text and pics plans they would stop charging you for data. I cannot speak from experience as I have unlimited data but it is worth seeing if you can get a 10 dollar monthly charge instead of per message.

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