I'm on a monthly plan for Vodafone and just noticed they charged me $0.43 for a PXT message is that normal across all other providers?

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › I'm on a monthly plan for Vodafone and just noticed they charged me $0.43 for a PXT message is that normal across all other providers?

lchiu7

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#289439 6-Sep-2021 11:57

I very rarely use PXT messages because I will normally use a message app or possibly just send a URL to my Google photos. But the other day I had a major plumbing issue with a leaking inlet pipe to my hot water cylinder which needed to be fixed urgently. The plumber said send them a picture so he could assess the situation and given how urgent it was I just sent a photo via SMS. He replied and asked for another so I sent that.

Anyway I just noticed in my account bill Voda charged me $0.43 per message. Is that still a thing? It would seem these days with all these data plans why would Vodafone charge for a picture message? Of course if the other party was using RCS then I guess that would mean no charge. Just wondering what other providers do?

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#2772849 6-Sep-2021 12:00

Yes 50 cents including GST and I don't think Kogan mobile bills for MMS / PXT

Use Whatsapp or RCS for Messenger

lchiu7

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#2772854 6-Sep-2021 12:10

Linux:
Yes 50 cents including GST and I don't think Kogan mobile bills for MMS / PXT

Use Whatsapp or RCS for Messenger

I normally use a messaging app or RCS if the other party is not on an iPhone and has turned on RCS. But this was a plumber with whom I had no messaging app relationship so it was urgent to send them a photo. In this world of multitude messaging apps SMS is still the one constant.

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KiwiSurfer

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#2772917 6-Sep-2021 13:42

Yes 2degrees does the same even on my pricey $60 a month plan. But disappointing but I guess it's a subtle hint from the carriers not to use MMS!

Only problem is Android automatically falls back to MMS for certain types of messages, which can be surprising. I was surprised recently when a long text was automatically converted into a MMS! So I've learnt to keep an eye on the message type to ensure it's SMS/RCS -- adjusting my message length to ensure it's sent as a SMS/RCS and not MMS. I wish Android had an option to disable sending MMS entirely but sadly there doesn't seem to be any way to prevent the sending of MMS messages.

All my family/friends/colleagues are now on WhatsApp/Signal/Messenger or some combination. The issue is really with ad hoc contacts -- the plumber above being a good example.

lchiu7

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#2772927 6-Sep-2021 14:12

KiwiSurfer:
All my family/friends/colleagues are now on WhatsApp/Signal/Messenger or some combination. The issue is really with ad hoc contacts -- the plumber above being a good example.

Plus all my work and business colleagues with whom I communicate by SMS are not people that I'd want to add to any messaging app. But then again for those people I would very rarely send a picture and if I needed to I would always send a URL to something like a photo sharing app like Google photos

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

dacraka

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#2772929 6-Sep-2021 14:13

I've found (on android, anyway) that if you do a group message and select a contact's email by accident instead of phone number, it automatically converts it to a MMS instead of a group txt message.

boosacnoodle

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#2772936 6-Sep-2021 14:24

To answer your question. Some older Vodafone plans used to include 500 or 1000 PXT's from memory (iPhone Smart plans). Subsequent to those plans I don't believe any since then have included SMS.

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#2772955 6-Sep-2021 15:15

boosacnoodle:

To answer your question. Some older Vodafone plans used to include 500 or 1000 PXT's from memory (iPhone Smart plans). Subsequent to those plans I don't believe any since then have included SMS.

spot on. I dont think ive ever had free pxts in the past while on the various on account plans ive been on...

Mahon

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#2773285 6-Sep-2021 21:41

Seems like its a remnant from the past and should be gone by now.

jonathan18

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#2773333 7-Sep-2021 06:14

KiwiSurfer:

Yes 2degrees does the same even on my pricey $60 a month plan. But disappointing but I guess it's a subtle hint from the carriers not to use MMS!

Only problem is Android automatically falls back to MMS for certain types of messages, which can be surprising. I was surprised recently when a long text was automatically converted into a MMS! So I've learnt to keep an eye on the message type to ensure it's SMS/RCS -- adjusting my message length to ensure it's sent as a SMS/RCS and not MMS. I wish Android had an option to disable sending MMS entirely but sadly there doesn't seem to be any way to prevent the sending of MMS messages.

All my family/friends/colleagues are now on WhatsApp/Signal/Messenger or some combination. The issue is really with ad hoc contacts -- the plumber above being a good example.

The reality is there is no one (internet based) messaging app to rule them all, and I also don’t want to have to have lots of different accounts and apps (esp anything attached to/owned by Facebook!) so SMS is still a damn useful service.

So I understand your frustration, as after being with Kogan for a couple of years I got used to writing really long texts (easy to do when typing on a computer!) and not worrying about them being sent as MMS as there was no additional charge. Switching back to Skinny earlier this year that frustration returned. But as I deliberately don’t retain any credit, long messages simply didn’t get sent, so that was more of a hassle to cut and paste messages to be short enough for the SMS limit. I’ve recently switched back to Kogan when they had their BOGOF offer, and that’s a real relief to have no text limit once again.

dfnt

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#2773398 7-Sep-2021 09:27

You could always upload the image to an image sharing site, then message the URL instead

Aucklandjafa

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#2774173 8-Sep-2021 07:53

It’s crazy that in 2021 telcos still charge for MMS. It literally doesn’t cost them anything, especially if customers already have plans that include data. Sigh….. 😔

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#2774175 8-Sep-2021 07:55

Aucklandjafa: It’s crazy that in 2021 telcos still charge for MMS. It literally doesn’t cost them anything, especially if customers already have plans that include data. Sigh….. 😔

@Aucklandjafa Are you kidding? It literally doesn’t cost them anything

Please tell me the number of MMSCs you have worked on?

Aucklandjafa

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#2774237 8-Sep-2021 09:17

Linux:
Aucklandjafa: It’s crazy that in 2021 telcos still charge for MMS. It literally doesn’t cost them anything, especially if customers already have plans that include data. Sigh….. 😔

@Aucklandjafa Are you kidding? It literally doesn’t cost them anything

Please tell me the number of MMSCs you have worked on?

It’s data and extreme amounts of bandwidth that’s freely available. If this was constrained then you sure as hell wouldn’t have telcos selling unlimited data plans - fixed and mobile. You have to understand that when MMS first came out, there was a cost associated with it as mobile networks weren’t able to move as much data as they can today, for obvious reasons, and the 50cent charge was more of a deterrent than anything. Today is totally different. I can understand the charge for a mobile user that doesn’t have a data plan as you’re accessing/sending data of the network - but to charge someone who is already sending tonnes of data? If there was a true cost to sending MMS, surely then Kogan would be bankrupt by now.

Linux

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#2774238 8-Sep-2021 09:23

I have worked with MMSC vendors and on the hardware and the carriers have ongoing licence costs, Power, Upgrades, Monthly vendor support costs, Staff ETC..............

Big $$$ per year to have a MMSC running

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#2774239 8-Sep-2021 09:27

$0.43 is a bargain! Spark charge $0.50. I just got charged the other day for sending one when imessage failed for some reason.

Amanon

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