AT&T Community Forums

Getting Charged for using IM Feature?

Hey everyone, I just joined at&t and have a Samsung Propel phone. I am under a family plan that has the "Messaging Unlimited for Families" feature added.

Two days ago I used the IM AIM program that is built into my phone. The next day I looked online and saw I was charged data for using it, even thought I thought it was free under my feature ($3 worth!). I stopped in a store yesterday and they said as long as you use the AIM built in the phone it should be free. Thinking something else strange might have happened I used AIM again last night. I did not send or received IMs just was available. I would only recieve some notifications if someone came online. I looked this morning and again I was charged, and the times fit when I was logged on. On the Account Overview it shows this:

11/08 11:07 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 6KB 11/08 10:51 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8KB 11/08 10:44 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB 11/08 10:33 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8KB 11/08 10:27 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB 11/08 10:21 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB

What is going on here?
Thanks for any help!!

Responses

Accepted Solution

Zandora

Master

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4.3K Messages

15 years ago

amunet wrote:
Hey everyone, I just joined at&t and have a Samsung Propel phone. I am under a family plan that has the "Messaging Unlimited for Families" feature added.

Two days ago I used the IM AIM program that is built into my phone. The next day I looked online and saw I was charged data for using it, even thought I thought it was free under my feature ($3 worth!). I stopped in a store yesterday and they said as long as you use the AIM built in the phone it should be free. Thinking something else strange might have happened I used AIM again last night. I did not send or received IMs just was available. I would only recieve some notifications if someone came online. I looked this morning and again I was charged, and the times fit when I was logged on. On the Account Overview it shows this:

11/08 11:07 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 6KB 11/08 10:51 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8KB 11/08 10:44 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB 11/08 10:33 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 8KB 11/08 10:27 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB 11/08 10:21 PM wap.cingular Internet/MEdia Net Sent 4KB

What is going on here?
Thanks for any help!!

IM'ing uses data to logon and refresh buddy lists. But this data usage is included in your messaging plan.

Don't worry about what it shows on OLAM. Wait until you actually get the bill. When the bill gets generated they'll reconcile the data with your IM'ing and you won't be charged. This happens with MMS also. Data will show on the OLAM, but when the bill is processed the data gets reconciled with the MMS and you only get charged for the MMS, not MMS PLUS data (unless your MMS went over the kb limit per message).

As long as your data usage is aligned with your IM'ing times, you should be fine. If when you get your bill, you see data charges, then dispute. Until the bill is processed there is nothing to dispute (nor worry about).

Message Edited by Zandora on 11-09-2008 12:56:28 PM

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John_H_jh

Guru

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468 Messages

15 years ago

Do you have any contacts in your AIM address book? It uses data to update this portion. Also uses data to update your status. I am surprised that cust care did not know this.

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amunet

Tutor

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7 Messages

15 years ago

Thank you both very much! I guess I'll go a little easy this first month till I get my first bill.

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Zandora

Master

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4.3K Messages

15 years ago

You're welcome.

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amunet

Tutor

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7 Messages

15 years ago

Just wanted to update that I DID get charged on my bill data for using IM. I never went online or used the mobile email feature so know what I was charged was purely from IM. I went to a store yesterday and the guy said you are charged for connecting and refreshing but not for the IM messages themselves. He credited us the $20 of data I was charged and when we asked that even though we should get unlimited IM for free, it actually isn't because we have to pay, the salesperson shrugged.

I know someone who was on a plan with someone that used the IM feature and was never charged, is this issue specific to the Propel?

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amunet

Tutor

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7 Messages

15 years ago

Also wanted to add that the salesperson had to call someone to see if he could get the $20 off the bill and he said he had a hard time convincing the person, but did end up getting it.

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jii

Professor

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1.5K Messages

15 years ago

sadly enough, this is the norm. our cs people (in-store, online chat and call in) tend to be way too under-educated when it comes to ... well .... anything really. heck, i couldnt even begin to count how many times ive had to try to correct a rep at one of my local corp stores about an issue or feature.

Message Edited by jii on 12-21-2008 02:29:33 PM

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Missy_Mei_Mei

Tutor

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4 Messages

15 years ago

is there a time limit as to how long you can stay logged on either with IM or Windows Live?

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MissAllison

Professor

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568 Messages

15 years ago

It shouldn't have charged you the data for IM. I just gave up my Propel for an iPhone, and I used AIM to keep in touch with my fiance while he was at work. It never charged me for data. I didn't have a data package at the time either.

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Liquifier

Contributor

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1 Message

15 years ago

I have the same problem with the Propel on my Family Talk plan. I tried to dispute the data charges but the CSR told me that the Propel was not under the list of phones with embedded IM messaging client (something about not being embedded, I'm guessing the list she had tells her which phones don't incur Data charges for signing onto AIM) so that it is subject to data charges every time you sign onto AIM. I think she was implying that the Propel uses MediaNet for the IMs and I'm being charged for the MediaNet usage. Maybe I'll try calling again tomorrow.

Message Edited by Liquifier on 12-25-2008 03:59:08 PM

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