AT&T boosting pay-per-use text and MMS rates -- again
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 26th 2008 2:19PM
posted Jan 26th 2008 2:19PM
Whoa there, didn't these just go up not long ago? Indeed they did, but in the fast-paced, money-grubbing world we call home, two price bumps spaced a year apart are sadly par for the course. AT&T has started informing customers that unless they're subscribed to a messaging plan, they'll be paying 5 cents more for both text messages and picture / video messages -- now up to 20 and 30 cents per, respectively. The change takes effect March 30, so we'd recommend you either tell all your peeps to cut it out with the messaging or sign up with a package by then. Follow the break for AT&T's full manifesto.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AT&T will increase the price on the Messaging (Text/IM & Picture/Video) Pay Per Use (PPU) features for new and existing customers on March 30, 2008. While the price increase impacts the Pay Per Use customers who tend to be light messaging users, our customers who have purchased messaging packages or MEdia Bundles will not be impacted. All of our customers will continue to be provided our best-in-class products, services, and support. Customers will be notified in advance of the price increase.
Critical Information:
The following pricing change will be effective in the billing systems on March 30, 2008:
Text/Instant Messaging PPU Price:
Picture/Video Messaging PPU Price:
Current price: $0.15/message
New price: $0.20/message
Current price: $0.25/message
New price: $0.30/message
Messaging PPU prices will increase on March 30, 2008. Any message sent or received on or after March 30, 2008 will be charged $.20 for text/instant messages and $.30 for picture/video messages.
Customer Notification:
Existing customers will be notified via a bill message beginning with bill cycles closing on January 16.
Note: Customers will receive invoices beginning the week of January 21.
Below is the message that will appear on the bills:
Messaging Pay Per Use Rate Change Notification
Effective 3/30/08, AT&T will charge 20¢ for text/instant messages & 30¢ for picture/video messages sent or received on a pay-per-use basis. If you already subscribe to a Messaging Package or Media Bundle, there is no change to your rate. By purchasing a Messaging Package, you can send and receive messages for as little as a 1¢ per message. Sign up and save at att.com/getmedia.
Is this rate change a way to get out of an ETF? I'm dying to drop AT&T.
Technically yes it is a way to get out of the contract, but you have to be sending more than 1-2 messages pay as you go a month without a plan.
HOWEVER:
If you reach the supervisor level they have to honor your request. Reps will fight you tooth and nail not to let that happen. so good luck with that, we don't like scrubs who think a 5cent increase in something they dont use lets them off the hook of signing an agreement that states we have the right to make the change at anytime to anything on the terms.
Read this: http://www.ucan.org/telecommunications/wireless/how_to_cancel_get_out_of_your_cell_phone_contract
and this: http://www.ucan.org/telecommunications/wireless/material_adverse_clauses_in_cell_phone_contracts
"Carriers will not modify the material terms of their subscribers' contracts in a manner that is materially adverse to subscribers without providing a reasonable advance notice of a proposed modification and allowing subscribers a time period of not less than 14 days to cancel their contracts with no early termination fee."
What exactly is "materially adverse" is subjective and without knowing what your cash flow is, the carriers can not make that decision. They may try to say "well it'll only be a dollar more a month in your case" but as long as you persist in saying that extra dollar is materially adverse to you, you will win. The key is being persistent, don't let them end the call until what you wanted is accomplished and if they won't help you, ask to speak to a higher up. Basically, follow these steps: http://www.ucan.org/telecommunications/wireless/sample_script_to_cancel_your_cell_phone_contract
Thanks for the info ...
mule
This is ridiculous.
How so? Just get on a plan. $5 = 200 sms/mms. Big whoop.
@ Marlon
So you really don't care if the rates just keep going up?? Most of us who pay our ATT bill do.
but the plans continue to get cheaper, if you send more than a couple text a month it's already cheaper to get on some sort of plan. ya know as it is, it only took 33 text to reach $5...less than that if you sent pic/video messages
Please don't speak for "most of us". I have 1500 msgs on my plan so I really don't care. Like Marlon said, $5 more a month gets you 200. Not a problem.
[IMG]http://i25.tinypic.com/2m31cg7.gif[/IMG]
The problem is that AT&T charges for incoming messages. Not everyone texts people day and night. But there's always the occasional rogue message that just happens to end up in my phone's inbox. I had to have AT&T disable text messaging for my account altogether a while back.
Text messaging isnt a part of your contract, therefore cannot be deemed materially adverse change in the state of your contract. Each usage of text messaging is an individual acceptance of the pay per use charges. Text messaging can be removed from your account at any time with no affects. Therefore the terms of your contract aren't changed and you don't get to pull this garbage to get out of contract.
Just suck it up you whiners! its 5 cents. if that is so materially adverse you shouldn't have a cell phone anyway. If 5 dollars (the cost of the lowest text plan) is really going to break the bank, how about you just stop text messaging? Novel idea i know. You signed the damn contract, how about you honor your word and finish it out and stop bitching about it. Next time don't sign the contract, buy the phone at the actual price, not the subsidized one you see advertised, and be free of the contract. Nobody forced you into it in the first place. Go to ATT's website and you can get a sim card contract free you just have to provide the equipment.
correct, this wont help you get out of an ETF because this is not a "material" part of your contract. Rather, it is an additional "feature". Sadly, ATT knows how to cover their ass.
and yes, compared to how verizon rapes you on data and nickel and dimes you for additional features, lets not bitch all too much at AT&T...at least they dont cripple their phones
For me, the point is not "materially adverse". The point is I have an opportunity to get better service and pricing and will take any opportunity to do so without EFT. In my location here in Texas, AT&T's network SUCKS ASS. The wonderful fine print says I pay EFT even if the network SUCKS ASS. What a racket!
Those who AREN'T COMPLAINING are pure dumb asses - You have to realize this is PURE profit for AT&T (SMS/MMS). It will cost them less than a penny (yes, that's right) - LESS THAN A PENNY to transport your SMS (within their own network) and to other networks. Imagine making $0.10 NET REVENUE per message sent - multiply this by at least 10 messages per subscriber within a month (the lowest estimate) then multiply this against 50% of their subscriber base. This is an outrage!
SMS SHOULD BE FREE within AT&T network. It should cost you something when sent OUT of AT&T network - but definitely should not be charged TWENTY CENTS per SMS, and even more ludicrous, THIRTY CENTS per MMS!!
I feel bad for you AT&T subscribers - now you know why the USA networks suck compared to europe/asia networks - everyone here is just pushed away from using the most basic GSM messaging services because of price.
AT&T just dropped the prices of their wireless data plans. Now it makes sense where they will make up for the lost revenue.... from the subscribers who do not currently have a text msging plan, and from those who will be adding one, just in case.
Cheapest plan @ $5 a month x 200,000 subscribers = $1mm a month (yeah, before expenses, taxes, whatever, etc.)
Or 200,000 subscribers sending and recieving 17 txt msg a month @ the new $0.30 rate = $1.02mm a month.
Way to go AT&T.
Here in Europe we don´t understand why you Americans pay to receive an (unwanted) text message (SMS). How would you feel if you had to pay the postage every time someone sent you a physical letter? You don´t control the "snail mail" that comes to you (think: junk mail) and you don´t control incoming text messages either (whereas you CAN reject an incoming call if you want). Unless you protest mightily this situation will never change....
Hey, AT&T's had some rough years with the Cingular/AT&T merger and all. Then having to put up Cingular signs everywhere.....then having to put up at&t signs everywhere. Now have they have put up at&t signs on all the CellularOne/Dobson stores. And with that revenue sharing agreement with Apple I'm sure they are almost in the poor house.
Even in Japan with the more confusion per minute charging, incoming SMS is always free. Incoming-calls too, actually. at&t is so Byzantine.
AT&T is just following suit with the other major U.S. providers. Sprint and Verizon already pledged to raise their PPU charges.
this is really sad, and i thought telcel was gauging ppl in mexico... sending texts with ATT will now be twice as costly as sending a text in mexico even though telcel controls ~70% of the market...
How come it says that even though you get a sms package that youll still be paying 1 cent per message? check the last line of that article.