[7100simpleisbetter]

Does anyone know of a way on the Pearl to disable/reject SMS/MMS? I don't even need to send them as I can send messages via email for free (well, covered under the BES unlimited plan). If you know of a way to reject/disable SMS messaging I would appreciate it because I notice I get charged when others send me text/mms messages even though I have no control over who sends me anything. You help is appreciated.

[Cory Scheuer]

you need to talk to your service provider. there should be a block that they can put on the account to stop you from sending them, but receiving they tho cannot block as most SP use SMS to get in contact with there clients just in case.

[CO_BBTechie]

There is a way to prevent automatic retrieval of MMS messages on the Pearl. Options-> MMS - Automatic Retrieval: (change to) Never. I am unfamiliar with a procedure to disable SMS messages however.

[Spectral]

If you go to Options -> Security Options -> Firewall, there appears to be a way to block incoming SMS, MMS, PIN, or BIS messages. Does anyone know if this will prevent charges for blocked incoming SMS/MMS?

[Xaneth]

Do you have a BES? If so, you can edit the IT Policy to disable SMS both directions. Go to Global/Edit Properties. Click on IT Policy, and hit the ... to pull up your IT Policy. Click on Properties, and under Device-Only Items, there is an option to Allow SMS which you can set to False. IF you have a BES.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by 7100simpleisbetter

Does anyone know of a way on the Pearl to disable/reject SMS/MMS? I don't even need to send them as I can send messages via email for free (well, covered under the BES unlimited plan). If you know of a way to reject/disable SMS messaging I would appreciate it because I notice I get charged when others send me text/mms messages even though I have no control over who sends me anything. You help is appreciated.

I'm following this thread because I too don't like it when people send me SMS. Even though it's only 5 cents, it's the principle of the thing.

I started going out with this one girl who likes texting. I can't appear the jerk skinflint who does not like getting text messages, so I am stuck for now. I even told her they don't go through [when they have] and she still sends em.

[blakeatl]

My wife was always complaining to me that I was getting billed for sms messages even though I have them blocked. I had to tell my friends to stop sending me sms messages.

[Spectral]

Originally Posted by SanFrancisco

I'm following this thread because I too don't like it when people send me SMS. Even though it's only 5 cents, it's the principle of the thing.

I thought it was 15 cents with T-Mobile and the other major carriers. Price fixing bastards.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by Spectral

I thought it was 15 cents with T-Mobile and the other major carriers. Price fixing bastards.

OMFG you are right. I thought it was 5 cents, guess that was the old days.

I just looked at last month's bill. That [soon to be history] babe cost me 15 cents a message.

That's it, anyone SMS's me they are toast.

[Spectral]

It used to be 10 cents a message until June, when they raised it to 15 to match the other 3 carriers. It was a good time to get out of your contract without the $200 fee - they gave you a 2-week window, but that's over now.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by Spectral

It used to be 10 cents a message until June, when they raised it to 15 to match the other 3 carriers. It was a good time to get out of your contract without the $200 fee - they gave you a 2-week window, but that's over now.

What a racket, SMS is getting as high as cell minutes used to be. I never gave it a thought until that girl started texting me. In fact when she started doing that I did not know what it was that came through on my phone.

I was pissed off at a nickel, I'm rabid at 15 cents.

But I'm happy with T-Mo so not interested in getting out of my K.

Jesus, it's 15 cents with all the carriers? Man, guess that's the untapped gold mine for carriers. But I suspect they don't want to make money on the per message charge. They want to motivate people to sign up for unlimited plans at $10 a pop. $10 X 2 million customers, that's good money. With the cell charge income being topped out, I heard they were looking for other ways to tap into wallets.

[Xaneth]

I've got a fleet of 42 BB's, and almost EVERYONE uses SMS like crazy. I had one guy who racked up $350 worth of SMS in one month. As I see these, I have to add unlimited text to each of their plans for $15.99 / month (T-Mobile) to avoid overages. Why can't these guys simply use email? I've explained to all of them that every phone, even plain phones, have an email address, such as (for T-Mobile, and other domains for other carriers). Crazy bastards.

[Spectral]

Actually, the email address you get with most carriers is just an SMS gateway. If it's in the yournumber@carrierdomain format like you mentioned, you can bet that sending an email there is just like sending an SMS to the number and will be charged accordingly. Some carriers let you create aliases that don't use your phone number, but they still count as SMS and not email.

[Terrain]

Just want to point out that while we DID raise sms to .15, we also LOWERED the mms to .15 as well from .25

[Spectral]

Yeah, but much fewer people use MMS, I have used it maybe twice in my whole history of having a cell phone.

The reason they lowered MMS is to give the appearance that they are "balancing" things and to appear less greedy, while their real intent, as SanFrancisco pointed out, is to entice people to purchase the SMS package, which includes MMS so the reduction in price becomes moot. The carriers want to advertise a lower priced base package, yet pretty much guarantee that the customer will add an SMS plan to it.

I remember a similar scam back when I had cable with AT&T. They had a $32 Internet plan with a $10 modem lease fee ($42/month total). After people started buying their own modems, hoping to save money after a year or so, AT&T quickly raised the service price to $39 and lowered the lease fee to $3. People who were leasing didn't notice a difference, but the ones with their own modems got screwed.

[Xaneth]

Originally Posted by Spectral

Actually, the email address you get with most carriers is just an SMS gateway. If it's in the yournumber@carrierdomain format like you mentioned, you can bet that sending an email there is just like sending an SMS to the number and will be charged accordingly. Some carriers let you create aliases that don't use your phone number, but they still count as SMS and not email.

True, however, your Blackberry is not charged for SMS when sending, the receiving end, however, is. When you manage a large number of phones, you're getting charged .15 for the sent SMS, and another .15 for receiving the SMS. Eliminating that number by half makes better sense to me, however, all of our employees want to be able to use SMS, so they have unlimited plans for $15.00 a month.

[TheGreggers]

Unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure that you will never receive or send a text message, or you have no idea what texting/SMS IS.....
I will NEVER let a customer walk out of the store without at least adding the $4.99 bundle to a customers account.

If they refuse, I know I'll see them in 45 days after they receive their first bill, asking "WTF".

$4.99 is an easy price to eat when you consider that, using SanFrancisco as an example, he met some babe who is part of the TXT age, and she just refuses to quit sending you messages.

Personally, I'm on the phone all day at work with my job anyways, so I have come to the point where I prefer to text... not to mention I have a plethora of women who prefer to do the same, and some I have never even spoken to on the phone. Only SMS'd or in person.... so the $14.99 Unlimited bundle saves my butt. $700 SMS bill when I was on Cingular :P

[Xaneth]

Originally Posted by Xaneth

Do you have a BES? If so, you can edit the IT Policy to disable SMS both directions. Go to Global/Edit Properties. Click on IT Policy, and hit the ... to pull up your IT Policy. Click on Properties, and under Device-Only Items, there is an option to Allow SMS which you can set to False. IF you have a BES.

Sorry, forgot one other part to this, IF YOU HAVE A BES. The above blocks outgoing SMS sent FROM the BB. Add SMS to the firewall, and it disables incoming SMS TO the BB:

Security Policy Group > Firewall Block Incoming Messages