BB Mesanger is getting charged as text messages

Just switched over to a BB. Told by the sales rep that BB messanger went through your data plan and there would not be an additional charge for messages sent through BB messanger. Now I am getting my bill and all of my BB messages are being charged as text messages.

When I called customer service they said this was normal that all BB messanger messages were additionally charged as text messages--But reading here and other sites this seems to be untrue--my data plan should cover BB messanger.

Is there anything I can do? Am I wrong?

Accepted answers

StreetDocRN

You are correct, you are using data, which is unlimited for $29.99, and obviously you have that. I'll bet anything the messages that you were charged for were texts that were sent to you from your contacts and in OS 5.0, they show up just like a BB Messenger message. Oh, well, at least you know the difference now. Good luck and I hope you have fun with your new Blackberry.

Doc

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StreetDocRN

Tim,

Blackberry Messenger uses data to send messages between two Blackberry devices, however, if you have the 5.0 version of the app, it can send a message as a text message. Make sure when you add a friend to Blackberry Messenger, you add them by going to Invite Contact>Enter a person's email address, PIN, or name. This will allow for PIN to PIN data messaging. If you enter the contact by the 3rd choice, Enter an SMS contact's name or phone number, then Blackberry Messenger will use text messaging to send a message to that contact.

My suggestion would be to check each one of your contacts and look for any that have a small cell phone icon next to their name and also SMS Contact under their contact name. This would be a contact that would be send a text message when you messaged them. Delete each of those and ask that person for their PIN number so you can add them for PIN to PIN messaging. Whoever you spoke to at customer service was wrong in that Blackberry Messenger charges as text; it uses data which is part of what you pay $29.99 per month. However, you may be charged for texting if you have contacts added as SMS contacts. Hope this helps.

Doc

QueticoTIm

Thanks Doc,

I do have the 5.0 version. I did add all my contacts using PIN to PIN but something is wrong. I just separated BB messanger contacts from my phone contacts, they used to be linked. So maybe that is it? I thought I was sending messages through BB messanging but was really texting through the BB messanger link--if that makes sense. I liked having the link as it gives me pics of all my BB contacts, but after your post I am almost sure this link was causing me to text instead of using BB meassanger. Since they all still show up in the BB messanger box I did not know. Now that I severed the link the little BB icon shows up when I send a message through BB messanger--wasn't getting that before.

StreetDocRN

I see what you mean that you disassociated your BB Messenger contacts from your regular address book contacts. I don't think that was the problem. I have several of my BB contacts linked with a contact in my address book and no problems. Let me ask, when you send a Blackberry Messenger message, how do you do it? For example, you can go into your address book contacts, highlight over a name, click the Menu button, and select Instant Message and it will start an instant message chat with that contact. If you do the same and select SMS, it will bring up a similar chat box with that contact. They look almost the same, except the SMS chat has (Mobile) written by the contact's name and a character countdown from 160 characters for the message. This is one of the things that some folks dislike about the OS 5.0 and the threaded messaging. I personally like it, but I can see where it could get confusing. I would recommend keeping your links between BB Messenger and your address book contacts, just be sure to start instant messages with only PIN-PIN contacts from within Blackberry Messenger. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

Doc

QueticoTIm

Doc "Let me ask, when you send a Blackberry Messenger message, how do you do it? "

I just click on the BB Messanger icon, then click on the contact I want to chat with, box would open up to write in. To be honest I did not know you could SMS through BB messanger so never paid attention to whether it was a text or was a BB message. Now I see the BB messanger messages have the BB logo on them---I severed the link between BB contacts and phone contacts because my BB messanger seemed to default to SMS instead of the free BB messanger---OR--Maybe my friends are texting me and it shows up in the BB messanger then when I replied it was by text--I just didn't notice or know to look for that and assumed it was in BB messanger. They have almost unlimited texting so they don't care either way. I'll probably link the contacts again when I get the hang of it better. I played around a little i see what you mean when you text (mobile) shows up by their name. I just never paid attention before--now I know what to look for.

So if I am doing BB messanger right and sending the messages through the data line--there would be no way for Verizon to charge me? So really it is my error? I was texting but thought I was using BB messanger? I just did a bunch that I know are right so I will just watch my next bill to confirm.

Thanks Doc,