Cell Phone Rant

So recently I started looking into my options for a family wireless plan as my old contract with At&T wireless (taken over by Cingular) had finally run out. Imagine my surprise to learn that 2 years later, plans have less options and are actually more expensive. Around January of this year Verizon and Sprint both upped text messaging charges to 15 cents to send and receive and the "new" AT&T/Cingular has followed suit raising rates to 15 cents to send and receive a text message. What really annoys me here is that it costs 15 cents to RECEIVE a text message.

Text messaging is not like a phone call. You can't reject a text message. If some idiot gets a hold of your number they can spam you mercilessly. As many services now provide free text messaging from Aol Instant Messenger and websites the amount of junk texting you receive from friends and acquaintances will increase. Companies are also looking into spam and targeted text messaging ads. Recently Verizon wireless customers received messages telling them to buy a certain stock. At 15 cents a pop, your bill will add up. Unfortunately there is no text messaging spam filter that can be implemented. Phone carriers provide you with an all or nothing option.

I barely use text messaging. I don't understand why you would choose to text someone when you could just call them. If its not important enough to call me and tell me, please wait till i see you again or I'm online at my computer. Send me an e-mail even. Text messaging is especially handy in an urgent situation and for that reason I am hesitant to turn it off completely. When you ask your wireless carrier to block all text messages for you, the sender doesn't not receive a notice stating that you are unable to receive text messages. This can lead to miscommunication and people wondering why they are being ignored.

It is especially frustrating that as a mobile phone user who is currently using an old At&t Wireless contract, it is free for me to receive text messages. I believe with the increasing rate of spam texting and no ability to screen text messages, it is very irresponsible of wireless providers to charge for something the consumer has no control over. Lastly 15cents for a text message is extremely expensive, that's a 50 % increase. Text messaging in other countries is vastly cheaper. With the mergers of AT&T and Cingular, Sprint and Nextel, and other acquisitions choices are becoming very limited for customers as this cartel screws the consumer over. It is evident that At&T has learned from Verizon and Sprint's uppage of rates. A slew of customers got out of their contracts with Verizon and Sprint noting that this constituted a change of terms in their contract. AT&T/Cingular now notes that this change does not affect voice calling and is considered an add on and makes it especially difficult to leave without paying the early termination fee.

In the end I am now given the option of getting half the minutes and no free text receiving if i wish to start a new contract. I think I'll ride out my current agreement indefinitely, or until i get phone envy.