T-Mobile lies to you about their prepaid data plan
September 13, 2007 — moo Money*UPDATE: Thanks to panthar, it’s now a Digg link. Digg it!*
Having been a previous Sidekick customer, I can tell you that I loved the functionality of their data plan. I dropped my phone and ended up switching to a different kind, but I still never forgot about how awesome it was. I’ve been eyeing the Sidekick 3 for a while now, but I didn’t want to be locked into a contract when I barely make phone calls. That’s why when the SK3 became available in the Prepaid section, I was thrilled. I could pay about the same every month for data only, but have the freedom to make phone calls if I needed to.
On their website, it states:
Sidekick® rates
Get unlimited e-mail, Web browsing, domestic instant messaging, and domestic text messaging for $1 per day, and spend only $0.15 per minute for nationwide calls.
Wow! That’s so cool! So I dropped *450* USD to buy the phone outright and stuck it on the prepaid plan. SLCC was coming up the following week, so I was eager to set everything up and stay connected. I don’t have a laptop, so it was my only means of communication.
I first encountered a problem when I tried to sign up for Twitter alerts (40404). I got a text back saying that the text was denied because it’s not in my service plan. I called in and was told that they block it because of spam, like joke a day websites. I didn’t buy this excuse, but I had a trip to go on, so I left it at that for a while. Now I’ve discovered these awesome t-shirts called Reactees that allow people to get messages when they text 41411 and your keyword. Again, I got the service denied text. Not about to stop there, I also tried Google SMS. Yep. I was denied.
This had me fuming. I have unlimited data. Why can’t I text to short code? I called up T-Mobile and explained my problem. They sent me over to the Sidekick department. I talked to this guy for a good 20 minutes where he told me that it was indeed a covered service on the Prepaid plan. He also told me that on his backend website, it was showing that my sim card wasn’t connected for texting. He seemed really sincere about wanting to help me, but when nothing worked, he elevated me higher in the ticketing system.
As soon as I got on the phone with this girl, I was told that no, this was not a covered service. She said that she only recently found out about this and that the other guy was misinformed. She didn’t seem that sympathetic that I just wasted 450 USD on a phone that does not do what I want it to do. She said that Prepaid plans do not cover it because there are third party charges associated with those short code numbers. I pointed out that there is nowhere on the website that it says they don’t allow those services. She claimed that it was not their fault and I could take no recourse. She also said that the sim card connection thing was a glitch on their side and I should disregard what he said. Wonderful!
Not wanting to be on a contract, I asked if the Flexpay option allowed text messaging with short code. She was able to give me no definite answer. So basically, I can’t even guarantee that I’ll be allowed that service unless I go under contract with them for 1-2 years of my life. It took them 35 minutes to tell me all of this. Thank you, T-Mobile. You suck.
In other news, does anyone want to buy my expensive paperweight?
September 13, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I’ll buy the hunk of gold that you use to keep your paper from flying away. That really sucks that they stabbed you with invisible fine print on the unlimited texting
September 23, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Well….that explains why I can’t get on with Twitter either. Or any other short code information. Just for your info, I’m on the FlexPay or whatever they are calling it WITH a 2yr contract. I didn’t realize I couldn’t use this either - it was provided on my Sprint lines and I assumed… *rolls eyes*
October 4, 2007 at 1:53 am
I am having the same “Access Denied” to SMS Twitter posts and all other short code SMS numbers when I use my unlocked iPhone with my prepaid T-mobile SIM. I circumvented the titter issue by using the international SMS number +44 7624801423. However, via T-mobile prepaid it costs twice as much to send a txt international. I haven’t discovered the long code sms for google, or major league baseball. BTW I picked up a referbushed iPhone for 350USD.
October 10, 2007 at 7:37 pm
I am also having the “Access Denied” problem but with T-Mobile’s prepaid service. Every single rep I’ve called says that I should be able to send/receive text messages with “short codes”, yet I can’t send a message to any short code at all without getting the Access Denied response back. I also cannot receive any messages from short codes. Some of the reps suggest that it may be the other end not sending it properly or something, while the other end says they are sending it properly and says my carrier or my phone may be to blame.
December 5, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I have been complaining about this every month since I got it — none of the agents know about it. Good luck - hopefully they will activate it if enough of us complain.
December 5, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Definitive answer from several escalations — third party SMS short codes aren’t available on any t-mobile prepaid plans. (which is stupid since I have to maintain a balance on my ‘flex account’
The rep said the only option was to complain to customer relations.
https://support.my.t-mobile.com/caseSubmitForm.html?account_type=pst
December 15, 2007 at 1:32 am
This is starting to happen sporadically for users under
contract too. I have had trouble sending to Twitter and Google today.
December 15, 2007 at 2:13 am
Several T-Mobile users have received letters stating that T-Mobile does not support third-party SMS codes, and that their only recourse is to pay the cancellation fee and cancel their contract. Technically, they’re correct; carriers are NOT obligated to support SMS codes. Business-wise, it’s a stupid decision. The good news is that when Verizon declined to support NARAL’s SMS code, public pressure caused Verizon to reverse its decision within 24 hours.
January 10, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I just tried to use my t-mobile pay as you go phone to send message to short code and was denied. I had been using it successfully last year (2007). They must have recently changed their policy. It sucks.
January 23, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Thank you for posting this. I recently signed up for a T-Mobile flex account (sadly, my credit is not that good, or else I would have gone for a regular contract plan), and have been frustrated at being unable to send Twitter updates. Now I know why.
January 28, 2008 at 11:40 am
Guys(and girls) , I am sorry to break it to you but T-mobile SUCKS as…! I have been a loyal customer for the past 5 years and I can’t begin to tell u the horrible experiences i have had. They have used every excuse in the book to justify the lack of services or features they say they offer and then they turn around and charge you extra for. when they make a mistake and u r owed a refund u will get nowhere for at least 12-16 months, yet, when you owe them a couple of pennies they r quick to say they will report ur account to the credit bureaus after only one month. change carriers and good luck to those who don’t.
January 31, 2008 at 10:47 am
Hey guys to all of you I went and researched this twitter website problem and messaging in short code problem and i found the website i forget the name but I have attached the link for you to click on to find out more information. i hope this is useful to all
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/14/t-mobile-turns-off-twitter/
February 13, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I have not had any problems with mine
yet
February 19, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Yep, I just tried to sign up for Google Calendar alerts, and the text message wasn’t going through. I got in contact with T-Mobile technical support (which at least went quickly) and they verified that my text messaging was working correctly, sent me a test message, and credited my account.
Then I noticed in the Google docs that “Note: Google Calendar’s SMS feature isn’t supported by prepaid mobile services in the United States at this time”. And ran across your post, which explains what’s going on.
I guess hardly anybody in the tech support trenches at T-Mobile/etc. knows about this. The sales people are lying to us. That’s dissapointing - having text message alerts would have been useful for my job.
April 12, 2008 at 3:57 pm
[...] people (especially T-Mobile customers) are currently unaware of the extent of this issue. After a lot of research, and a shitload of digging, I have learned that T-Mobile does not block access to Twitter… [...]
May 2, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Just as a note, the comment taken from my maveno.us blog was taken way out of context.
[...] people (especially T-Mobile customers) are currently unaware of the extent of this issue. After a lot of research, and a shitload of digging, I have learned that T-Mobile does not block access to Twitter… “they block access to all “3rd party” SMS shortcodes.”
Except for the ones that they apparently have contracts with… from what i gathered through further emails with their email tech support. I have another post coming soon detailing my continued contact with T-Mobile concerning this matter… It gets better.
May 7, 2008 at 5:58 am
[...] and all other short code SMS numbers when I use my unlocked iPhone with my prepaid T-mobile SIM. …http://moomoney.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/t-mobile-lies-to-you-about-their-prepaid-data-plan/Prepaid Calling Plans: T-Mobile To Go Pay As You GoPrepaid gives you pay as you go cellular service [...]
May 24, 2008 at 8:14 am
I found this interesting. As I live in Europe and have 3.5G connection with 3 plus MBS on my Nokia E65. I signed up for T-Mobile which said you get unlimited internet. Nope, you get unlimited web browsing. My phone lost almost all of its internet services. Cost me over $80 USD for a months service that did not work.
I then tried AT&T/Cingular. The same thing. It is amazing that someone believes that unlimited internet translate into unlimited web browsing. The same with the SMS codes. If you say you provide the same service as contracts at a higher rate, then you should provide that service.
But I find American Mobile provider will lie and tell you anything to get your money.
I am now back with T-Mobile when I visit my family in the US. But I purchase near expiration sim cards off ebay to use for a few dollars. Gives me more voice minutes. I just live without my data services I use here in Europe.
June 16, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Just recently Ive gone to the T-mobile store for upgrade.
Problem: my charger would not charge my phone or any other of the phones from close friends and family, my battery was fried, sometimes it charges with my grandma charger(currently using)
Suggestion: i decided to either get an upgrade, new phone, new battery and charger, really wanted and upgrade…
Heres the big problem:
the guy is telling me m contract s expired I say it ben over or just about 2 years, they sa that I could only get a partial discount(wtf) I dont believe in partial discount when I go to a store and get a discount it better be a full 50% or 30% etc. turns out if I try to purchase another pink flip RaZR it would cost me like $100+same price when it first came out? I do not understand? then if I wanted any of the popular phones (blackberry,sidekicks,dash,etc.) it would cost me like $250-350+ I was just like are you serious? the charger is like $30 who knows te cost of the battery, then on top of those two componets i WOULD still need another phone a burnt out razr Im pissed Im looking to see about cricket…after reading everyones reply about being either prepaid or plan for 5 years with tmonile I feel like I will never get on a plan with them, im 18 but I had this phone with the fam since 17 and my oldr sis had my phone before but gave it to me when she left to another plan in her name…currently my plan is in my grandmas name and it is some hot mess…
June 16, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Sorry for the errors
Just recently I’ve gone to the T-mobile store for upgrade.
Problem: my charger would not charge my phone or any other of the phones from close friends and family, my battery was fried, sometimes it charges with my grandma charger(currently using)
Suggestion: I decided to either get an upgrade, new phone, new battery and charger, really wanted and upgrade…
Here’s the big problem:
the guy is telling me m contract s expired I say it been over or just about 2 years, they say that I could only get a partial discount(wtf) I don’t believe in partial discount when I go to a store and get a discount it better be a full 50% or 30% etc. turns out if I try to purchase another pink flip Razor it would cost me like $100+same price when it first came out? I do not understand? then if I wanted any of the popular phones (blackberry,sidekicks,dash,etc.) it would cost me like $250-350+ I was just like are you serious? the charger is like $30 who knows the cost of the battery, then on top of those two components I WOULD still need another phone a burnt out razor I’m pissed I’m looking to see about cricket…after reading everyone’s reply about being either prepaid or plan for 5 years with mobile I feel like I will never get on a plan with them, im 18 but I had this phone with the fam since 17 and my older sis had my phone before but gave it to me when she left to another plan in her name…currently my plan is in my grandmas name and it is some hot mess…