Question about blocking $4.00+ text messages on Bell mobility

[wolfwolf]

I have never text anyone and don't intend to.

Reason: I believe in personal communication to the hilt . I also want to avoid the problem plaguing most of us, esp. younger folks whose eyes are totally on their hand-held devices at home and on the streets and just about everywhere else.

Anyway, today I got my Bell bill with a whopping $50.00 charge for 12 text messages I did not ask for, did not read, and hell, wish weren't sent to me unsolicitedly.

Question to you, TERBITES, what can I do to prevent this from occurring next month?

Below is the line from my bill from Bell under the Section "EVENTS".

TXT MSG Short Code prorams Received 12 events $50.00

Any enlightenment from you, all, would be most welcome.

 

[swalbr]

call bell and negotiate. it is well worth the effort.

 

[afterhours]

I have never text anyone and don't intend to.

that statement is so incompatible with one's ability to get civilian pussy that I would never dare to utter it

 

[fuji]

It will be easier for you to convince the carrier to throw text messages into your plan for free ,than to find a way to block them. Trying to block them is a lost cause. On the other hand if they were free then you really wouldn't care--whether or not you read them is your business, so long as you aren't billed for them.

Call Bell and demand free text messaging, or at least free incoming text messages, or 1000 free a month or whatever. I am sure they will throw you a bone. It costs them NOTHING to transmit text messages. They are tiny, 160 bytes of data, compared to the kilobytes per second required for a voice call. It's really nothing. The fact that they EVER charge for text messages is just obnoxious and they know it.

In my opinion the only people who pay for text messaging are people who didn't know that you can get them for free just by asking, just like people who still pay the "system access fee" that also will usually be waived just for asking.

 

[fuji]

I just reread your message..

"Short codes" are something different than personal text messages. Those are the commercial services over text like #taxi and other things, news of the day, stock quotes, whatever. Rip off. Call bell and get help deregistering from whatever you signed up for.

 

[Antonio Ferreira]

I had a problem like that also from bell mine was with Internet usage, I kept getting billed for Internet and I wasn't surfing at all, sometimes i would hit the wrong button by accident and thats an instant charge. I told them to block me from the Internet and after that never got billed for it again. I'm sure they can block all texts incoming and outgoing if you want, they don't like to do it though and will make it sound like they cant.

 

[wolfwolf]

Thanks to you, Fuji, for your help.

Spoke to Bell today. They have a way to PERMANENTLY BLOCK messages from the outside coming in to my cell. Conversely, I would not be able to do same which is just divine. Thanks again for your ideas.

It will be easier for you to convince the carrier to throw text messages into your plan for free ,than to find a way to block them. Trying to block them is a lost cause. On the other hand if they were free then you really wouldn't care--whether or not you read them is your business, so long as you aren't billed for them.

Call Bell and demand free text messaging, or at least free incoming text messages, or 1000 free a month or whatever. I am sure they will throw you a bone. It costs them NOTHING to transmit text messages. They are tiny, 160 bytes of data, compared to the kilobytes per second required for a voice call. It's really nothing. The fact that they EVER charge for text messages is just obnoxious and they know it.

In my opinion the only people who pay for text messaging are people who didn't know that you can get them for free just by asking, just like people who still pay the "system access fee" that also will usually be waived just for asking.