View Full Version : Telephone texting~What can you do about it?
I have a couple of cell phones.
I told the company I do business with (AllTel) that I did not want the text services as our cell phones are for basic use and emergencies only.
Sure enough they gave me the text services anyway and I had them turn it off about a month later.
Now I am getting texts from the company itself and they refuse to turn that portion of the service off and they say they have a right to contact me that way.
The most recent came at 0500 this AM from them waking me up. I cannot seem to turn the notification off on my phone without also disabling the voice mail service notification which would do away with my emergency notices that I want.
Who would you file a complaint with about this? The company has us locked in a contract they will not let me out of unless I pay $200 per phone to disconnect.
Yet they say they have the right to text me for contact and I say they don't.
I think this is a violation of my contract with them as I did not want the service anyway. If I cannot get out the contract I certainly will not be doing business with this outfit when it's up later this year!
What do you think?
Switch to a handset that does not support text messaging. Not sure if any are still made.
What kind of text messages is the company sending to you? I've never received any text messages from Verizon.
Messages are concerning the use of their text services. Telling me I need to set it up.
And you can't just change handsets in the middle of a contract without paying the full price (ridiculous) for a new phone.
Beyond that, I am not sure I want to do business with a company that does not listen to it's customers.
I called the FCC. Apparently they can't do this according to whoever answered the phone.
They had me go online and fill out a form 2000 to file a complaint against them.
Maybe that will stop them.
KB1PLB
04-21-2008, 06:01 PM
WTH, I've never had any from AT&T either. I would seriouely look for a new carrier if that is an option. When I got my phone I made sure they turned the web functions off and texting was disabled. A short term fix may be to silence the text ring until you get this figured out.
73
I cannot get another company and terminate this one as I am under contract.
Oh yes, if I want to pay $200 for each of 2 phones for early termination I can.
I say the contract is breached and I should be able to turn the phones off at this point with no early termination fees. I guess we are going to find out.
Late this year it will make no difference as my contact is up.
And you cannot silence the text notice without also doing all messages like voice mail as near as I can tell. I want the voice mail notification.
In the meantime, I don't want no stinkin' texts at 0500 in the morning! :mad:
k7unz
04-21-2008, 06:19 PM
Hey Ken....
When your contract is up, you might wanna consider AllTel.
I use 'em up here in Tucson, and they have a no contract, pay-as-you-go service, with just the basic 'phone capability.
Works great....just used it a few days ago for a tow truck via AAA road service (fuel pump went out....).
I believe a couple of other companies are now also offering similar service.
73, Jim/k7unz
Hey Jim~
The problem is with Alltel~~~~
And I just got another text message from them and called them to try and get it stopped. That's two texts today!
They say they can text me.
All I can tell you is that it's a good thing I don't live in AR where these inbreeds have their corportate headquarters.
I am really tough to do business with person to person.
I hope the FCC complaint is able to educate them.
Messages are concerning the use of their text services. Telling me I need to set it up.
And you can't just change handsets in the middle of a contract without paying the full price (ridiculous) for a new phone.
Beyond that, I am not sure I want to do business with a company that does not listen to it's customers.
I agree that what they are doing is annoying, and I would consider it harassment. Hopefully the FCC can help you. Not sure if your state public utilities commission has any jurisdiction, but you could check with them. Make it known to the company executives that you will not renew when your contract is up unless they change their ways.
Used handsets are readily available, there are tons of them on eBay. Many will let you set a separate ringtone, or none at all, for text, voicemail, etc. A lot of people I know have a bunch of old ones just sitting around. If you go this route, remember that you need to find a handset compatible with your service provider. You should be able to switch handsets easily. With Verizon, you can even do it on their web site.
Honestly as much as a pain in the rear that Alltel has been, I doubt I will ever have a cell phone again. This is not the first issue I have had with this company and the FCC has had to resolve a number of issues with them.
We got them for emergencies and they have been used little for other calls.
Kind of a waste of money as far as I am concerned.
Couple that with the treatment you get out of them and I am reluctant to sign a contract again.
I am fully aware the phones can be used for emergencies without a contract for regular service and I think that's where I am headed.
At least without regular service they can't text me anymore! :rolleyes:
Ken, you need to investigate the pre-paid phones. Buy the phone in a bubble pack at Wal-Mart or similar. It comes with so many minutes of airtime, and you "refill" your account as needed. The minutes do expire, so don't buy too many if your usage is light. I'm pretty sure you can transfer your phone number to the new phone.
KD0DKI
04-21-2008, 08:17 PM
I called the FCC. Apparently they can't do this according to whoever answered the phone.
They had me go online and fill out a form 2000 to file a complaint against them.
Maybe that will stop them.
I was about to tell you to do that.
Text is a bit different then a phone call it's data so they have to follow the rules. If there is an upside you have all the proof you need to hang them. The message proves they sent the message :D
Yes, we pay for that right to transfer the number on the bills.
But like I said, I just don't use them that much anyway.
In this case the harassment is going to stop even if I have to stop the service and pay the $400 under protest to terminate the contract early.
It's simple, then I sue them for the $400 back in small claims court and force them into my forum.
I think the judge will see a breach of contract in this matter.
You have to love a good arguement, and I win most of them.
W1GUH
04-21-2008, 10:16 PM
(sarcasm on) Don't you know that texting is "with it" and "now" and "what's happening?" That it's perfectly OK to be texting like mad when you're talking to someone face to face? (sarcasm off)
That the person told you that "they have the right to text you" is a crummy sign of the times. And I especially think that that carrier is very, very cheeky to continue to text you after you've informed them that you don't want texting on your phone. Sadly, there is a whole generation of people who think that texting is socially acceptable anywhere, anytime. I've even had someone tell me, to my face, that he has the right to be rude and text while I'm talking.
Does anyone know how this came to be? Not everyone does it, of course, but texting, like gabbing on a cell phone in an endless, meaningless inane conversation while other around them have to suffer seems just crass and disgusting to me. But people insist that it's the right thing to do.
Guess I needed that rant. I can understand your frustration.
You know, after retirement I had a number of jobs working retail in sales.
I used to hate it when someone came up to me, asked me a technical question about a product and then took a phone call on their Blue Tooth and you could no longer tell who they were talking to or if they were paying attention to you or not. I hate repeating myself.
I got to the point where I told them when they finished their call they could get in line for an answer to their question to me again.
I had little sympathy for rude people.
No longer working, and much happier about it.
kb2vxa
04-22-2008, 12:00 AM
"I think the judge will see a breach of contract in this matter."
My very first thought would be to let a lawyer do the thinking.
WD8OQX
04-22-2008, 12:56 AM
DITTO, on seeking a lawyer... :mad:
k4kyv
04-22-2008, 01:29 AM
No doubt the lawyer's fee @ $200-$400 per hour will cost at least as much as the $400 disconnect fee, so it becomes a matter of principle, not one of pocketbook.
Liberty, and justice for all - but justice is a commodity that is bought and sold for a price.
W1GUH
04-22-2008, 04:59 AM
I used to hate it when someone came up to me, asked me a technical question about a product and then took a phone call on their Blue Tooth ....
The opposite case is fun, too. I once walked into a store and a guy was standing there gabbing on his cell phone. I ignored him and walked back to find another salesperson. He came up to me, after a while, and asked if he could help me with an edge in his voice. I ignored him again. What a dope he was.
No doubt the lawyer's fee @ $200-$400 per hour will cost at least as much as the $400 disconnect fee, so it becomes a matter of principle, not one of pocketbook.
Gotte come to the defense of a couple of lawyres I know. They're happy to give preliminary advice completely for free, or maybe for a round or two.
And on three occasions when I needed a lawyer and didn't know one I looked up in the phone book for "Lawyer's Referral Service." How that worked (might be out of date...the last time was '83) was, for a small fee ($10), they'd do a LOT. They'd give me detailed instructions about the best course of action, explain how the law works and even write letters if need be.
OTOH, the clowns I got with that "service" where you pay a nominal fee per month and get "free" advice...well, it was like getting legal help at wally-mart, with service to match.
ka0gkt
04-22-2008, 05:47 AM
The reason they want you to text is that text messaging uses less bandwidth than a voice call. The sites are less expensive to build...then again, there's the added revenue when you text more than your allotted number of texte (or text receptions) per billing period...
Alltel is notorious for hobbling their phones. Motorola (or Nokia) builds in features which Alltell, via software, disables and then charges to enable.
Same phone, same wholesale cost, Alltel deleted features.
If you go into the ringer menue, I think that you will find that you can change the ring for text messages without disabling the voice-mail alert.
kb3laz
04-22-2008, 06:58 AM
I have a couple of cell phones.
I told the company I do business with (AllTel) that I did not want the text services as our cell phones are for basic use and emergencies only.
Sure enough they gave me the text services anyway and I had them turn it off about a month later.
Now I am getting texts from the company itself and they refuse to turn that portion of the service off and they say they have a right to contact me that way.
The most recent came at 0500 this AM from them waking me up. I cannot seem to turn the notification off on my phone without also disabling the voice mail service notification which would do away with my emergency notices that I want.
Who would you file a complaint with about this? The company has us locked in a contract they will not let me out of unless I pay $200 per phone to disconnect.
Yet they say they have the right to text me for contact and I say they don't.
I think this is a violation of my contract with them as I did not want the service anyway. If I cannot get out the contract I certainly will not be doing business with this outfit when it's up later this year!
What do you think?
Had the same problem once. About the only thing you can do is set it for silent on the text settings and then delete it later. You will still receive them but they will not wake you up. Or you could try to call the corporate office.
I wrote to corporate some 5-6 weeks ago. They don't list or show a number anywhere to call or I would have.
Their answer was not acceptable in that they say basically they will send texts whenever they want to.
Yesterday I had two texts 6 hours apart telling me about services I have. Apparently they forget who pays the bills and what a customer is to their business.
I have written and email again and filed a complaint this time with FCC Wireless.
It may be hopeless as I doubt anyone in this outfit has a functional brain.
You are correct, it's the principal of the thing, and I don't like to lose.
KE5TJA
04-22-2008, 04:25 PM
Yes, we pay for that right to transfer the number on the bills.
But like I said, I just don't use them that much anyway.
In this case the harassment is going to stop even if I have to stop the service and pay the $400 under protest to terminate the contract early.
It's simple, then I sue them for the $400 back in small claims court and force them into my forum.
I think the judge will see a breach of contract in this matter.
You have to love a good arguement, and I win most of them.
Precisely the problem with America today...everyone wants to sue everyone else for every little thing. I realize it is a nuisance but just turn off the text ringer and quit whining about it.
Bryce
KE5TJA
I had a cell phone once. I left port in Sag Harbor, NY and was sailing into the Great Peconic Bay just north of the Hamptons, NY when the phone somehow jumped off my belt and dived into the ocean never to be seen again. That was 5 years ago.
Haven't had a cell phone since. Text message problem solved.
K2WH
k8wpj
04-22-2008, 05:13 PM
... the phone somehow jumped off my belt and dived into the ocean never to be seen again.
K2WH
Ya think the phone panicked when it lost track of the network?
On a serious note, we had been long term (6 years plus) Verizon customers, in Ohio, NC and lately in SC when we moved to SC in '05.
Problem #1, The Verizon chapter that serves SC isn't the same as VZ in NC or OH, so by moving here, the only way we could get served was to give up our previous service, phones, plans, and features, and sign completely new agreements with VZofSC...
This allowed them to force us into phones we didnt want combined with services we didn't need, and coverage that was minimal at best... I complained loudly to them, VZ corporate, and the FCC... after 3 rounds of letters, and 6 months of complaining, we were finally let out of our contracts.
not more than a month later, a collection agent started bugging me for 'disconnect fees and penalties" related to that disconnection... I sent him copies of all of the correspondence, warned him I had no problem suing him for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and he was never heard from again... UNtil...
Here we are more than 14 months later, now I have a new collector calling every few days, on the same old debt... I am not about to acknowledge or admit to anything, as we are getting pretty close to the statute of limitations on this, and I don;t want to get stuck paying some bill collector, for something he has no interest in, especially after the original creditor reversed the charge being collect on now.
I bought a pay as you go phone for cash at a local wireless dealer, and just keep it for traveling, or when Angie and I are both out running around... Once we get both radios installed in both cars, I honestly don't see using the free cell even then.
WA9UAA
04-22-2008, 08:39 PM
Hi All,
Sounds like an automated system. Can you forward the text messages back to office where they come from? :D
73,
Rob WA9UAA
KE5TJA,
What I have learned is that when a corporation ignores you that you have the option of placing them in the small claims court forum when you know they are wrong and you have a loss.
I am 9-0 in that forum in my life and I just love it when my local judge lays it on these corporate clowns. They try to give the judge the same BS answers they give me and it does not work.
One judge told their attorney "that's not an answer, and in this court you have a choice, you can answer me now or I will find against your company and you can explain your level of incompetence to your boss"
Much cheaper than funding an attorney, who I have little use for anyway.
And I don't like being screwed with when I have an enforceable contract. Companies seem to forget they cannot change the rules and still keep you bound by contract.
I have been through this too many times.
I got a call yesterday from Alltel.
It turns out that they can turn off their emails to me.
It appears that the regular customer service people did not know how to do it or were too busy texting their friends while dealing with me.
The service if now off to all.