Cingular follows Sprint, ups pay-per-use texting fees to $0.15
by Darren Murph 
posted Dec 15th 2006 at 9:24AM
Ah boy, here we go again. First there was drama galore when Sprint-Nextel jacked its pay-per-use texting fees from $.10 to $.15, convincing enraged users to demand their contract be terminated sans fees, and now we're headed right back into that same jungle with Cingular. In an apparent attempt to "sway" customers to add on a Messaging Package or Media Bundle, Cingular has announced that effective January 21, 2007, all SMS messages "sent or received on a pay-per-use basis" will cost you fifteen pennies. Unsurprisingly, some users aren't exactly thrilled with a portion of their bill getting hiked up by 50-percent (hey, it is what it is), and are looking for a way out. Thankfully, some users at PCSIntel, HowardForums, and other various locales have confirmed that if you get the right CSR on the line (and sound convincing enough), you can have your contract zapped without paying the $150 fee. Of course, this waiver depends on you not already having a texting package in place, but if you were ever looking for a way to sever your Cingular ties, now's the time.Read - PCSIntel
Read - HowardForums
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
elgee02 @ Dec 15th 2006 11:33AM
Just means more customers for VZW and T-Mobile, and more churn for Cingular. Boy I hope VZW doesn't follow suit here.
Vidikron @ Dec 15th 2006 12:03PM
Cell phones are already one the biggest rip offs known to man, and now it gets worse.
Antti @ Dec 16th 2006 9:47PM
I paid less for a txtmsg when I got my 1st phone in 2001. My plan today is:
monthly fee: 0.66euros (66 eurocents)
talking: 6,9eurocents per minute
txting: 6,9eurocents per msg
and free incoming calls and messages
Life ain't fare.
NightWinggl@gmail.com @ Dec 15th 2006 1:34PM
I really hate when Cingular jacks up there prices, for some dumb reason. And now here is yet another reason why they are just stupid. Cingular matches Sprint prices in almost everyway. Take a look at a minute brochure from both companies, the cost per minute is the same!!!! (except Sprint has a cheaper plan on the low end, and nights starting at 7) The prices are too close!!!
TC @ Dec 15th 2006 1:50PM
Don't fret, Verizon will most likely follow.
Sprint is the low-cost provider so you get what you pay for.
CLShortFuse @ Dec 15th 2006 2:37PM
TC's right. Verizon is more $$$ hungry than Cingular and seeing that #1 and #3 service providers have an 50% increase in pay-per-use text messaging (a huge bulk of their revenue) there's no reason for the #2 guy to do the same. i'm a cingular user with 1000txt msg plan but i pay 5 cent overage, not 10, like with verizon
and nightwinggl, verizon, cingular and sprint all have the same pricing plans minute-wise. same applied for text messaging (10cents at the time) while verizon had unlimitted inter-network txt messaging
elgee02 @ Dec 15th 2006 2:43PM
Verizon "more" $$$ hungry? More profitable yes, but who is to say one corporation is more $$$ hungry than the other, they ALL want as much $$$ as possible. Verizon is just better at getting $$$ from their customers, but I believe Sprint still has the highest ARPU anyways.
Jerry @ Dec 17th 2006 1:53PM
if i can recall... this is for pick your plan customers.
Lady of Cingular @ Dec 19th 2006 11:57PM
Sorry folks cingular's contracts are set up like sprints. Cingular reserves the right to change pricing of product. If you don't like the price don't use the product Cingular will not let anyone out of it's contact because it raised a pay per use product. Try again.
Lady of Cingular @ Dec 20th 2006 12:00AM
Sorry, I mean Cingular contracts AREN'T like Sprints