ALLTEL Complaint - Detailed billing of text messages - Text messaging and detailed billing

Posted by KenPopcorn on 2007-09-25:

Have you asked yourself why a child needs texting at all? Do you realize that she (or he) is doing it at school? I have no doubt that Alltel's count is probably correct.
In my humble opinion, if you have a burning need to supply a child with a phone, it should be one of those limited to calling home, in case of emergencies. I can't see any other valid reason for a child to have a phone at all, much less one that is sending 100+ text messages a month.

Posted by Leela on 2007-09-25:

I agree with Ken and AlleyS, limitedly. My 17 yo daughter travels several times a year, alone, from California to Virginia, and back.

Last year, her connecting flight from Chicago to Virginia was cancelled. I'm extremely glad she had a cell phone. She called us, then we called the airline and made arrangements to fly her into Richmond, where she could stay with relatives, until we could drive and pick her up the next day.

The text messaging can be crazy, though. What I'd like to know from the OP is, how do you know exactly how many text messages your child sent? Are you taking their word for it?

Posted by CrystalSword on 2007-09-25:

I agree, cell phones so a child can contact home is one thing, just recently a teen driver was killed because she was texting while driving and wasn't watching the road. I can remember my kids using my pager when they were away from the house so I could buzz them for supper...pagers now aren't very practical. My mom used my sister's cell phone when she went on vacation but she won't get one for herself. We have a TracFone and love it, no contracts, no dropped calls and I pick up a card once a month...odd months for me and even months for hubby. Our minutes are building because we don't use the cell phone like an every day phone...mostly we just call each other, or if we get lost looking for someplace.

Posted by MRM on 2007-09-25:

Get pre-paid cellphones so that you can limit the amount used on the phone and no contract involved.
O|||||||O

Posted by dianec on 2007-09-25:

I guess because of my age, I don't get the big deal about text messaging. I receive them once-in-a-while when a call can't be made by someone, but to do it all day long just doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather hear someone's voice. And, there's still voice mail if they or you are not available to talk. You can send e-mails and messages for free, so why pay more for something? I think people need to talk more anyway, but that's just me. And, like CrystalSword said, in some cases texting is becoming downright dangerous/fatal. The cell phone itself has been a godsend for people like us who are never home. Everyone knows they can always reach us when we're away. I like that.

Posted by jktshff1 on 2007-09-25:

crystal and diane said it all.

Posted by omo on 2007-09-25:

This is not about a teenager having a cell phone!!! I have no doubt my teen went over on texting. I want to check to make sure there was no billing error before I ground my teen for life. I have been lied to by this company. First they tell me it is illegal for them to give me the info then they don't have access to info and finally it is not there policy to give detailed billing on texting. They can bill whatever they want and give no proof and the burden is on me to prove they made an error if an error was made. I can't wait to see what they bill me next month.

Posted by dianec on 2007-09-25:

Yes, sorry, sometimes we do ramble. Hope you can get your bill resolved to your satisfaction.

Posted by justcuz3993 on 2007-09-25:

I think some comments are too harsh on the poster. This isn't about judging whether or not kids should have cell phones. My older kids have cell phones, and I like that they have them - I feel more secure knowing that they have the means to call for help or for a parent if they need to.

As for Alltel telling you that they cannot provide the details of text messaging, that is not true I went to their website and under FAQ's, there are 3 ways listed that you can check text message usage: signing up online and viewing your bill and bill details online, dial #MOU from the handset and press the send key, or call 800-alltel1, choose option 1 and then option 2. No wireless company tracks the actual message details (content), but they all track and can provide the # of text messages sent and received.

Posted by smooched on 2007-12-27:

Alltel has done the same thing to me a few months. And this month is now no different. They just pick a number out of the air and charge me for it and then tell me they don't keep detailed billing for text messages and I'm then forced to pay whatever number they chose for me that month. I started with only 20 or so messages a month and they said I had close to 200 @ .15/use. Real nice way for them to milk some extra money out of me. Now I have increased my plan to allow 300 texts/month to "protect" myself from my cell phone company but they are now at it again. I have over $20 in additional text messages on December's bill. Freakin crazy that they are allowed to get away with this. Is there really no attorney out there that doesn't see a CALL ACTION LAWSUIT brewing. I beg you, please take the case and take the 30% commission when you win, I don't care as long as they stop the insanity and bending me over every month. Sign me up for the lawsuit please !!!!!

Posted by smooched on 2007-12-27:

Alltel has done the same thing to me a few months. And this month is now no different. They just pick a number out of the air and charge me for it and then tell me they don't keep detailed billing for text messages and I'm then forced to pay whatever number they chose for me that month. I started with only 20 or so messages a month and they said I had close to 200 @ .15/use. Real nice way for them to milk some extra money out of me. Now I have increased my plan to allow 300 texts/month to "protect" myself from my cell phone company but they are now at it again. I have over $20 in additional text messages on December's bill. Freakin crazy that they are allowed to get away with this. Is there really no attorney out there that doesn't see a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT brewing. I beg you, please take the case and take the 30% commission when you win, I don't care as long as they stop the insanity and bending me over every month. Sign me up for the lawsuit please !!!!!

Posted by hipychick6 on 2007-12-29:

Recently I have read a couple of reviews regarding the amount of detail that is avaliable for text messaging. My Alltel bill is detailed. It shows how many minutes I've used during the day, at night, and with the my cirlce/ mobile to mobile calls. It also shows my many text messages. It even breaks down how many I've sent, how many I've recieved, the pictures I've sent and the pictures I've recieved. I think it is outrageous that some consumers think they actually are just pulling these numbers out of thin air to penalize people. Companies don't work that way, if they did they would be under ridicule all the time. Really, you think Alltel picked you out of it's hundreds of customers and decided "Hey I'm gonna screw with these people just because..." come on. Teenagers text, being twenty three I text all the time. It's trendy and yes believe it or not they add up. I really think it's comical that you think Alltel specifically targeted you and your text messages... Sure keep believing that.

Posted by omo on 2007-12-30:

hipychick6 you are either naive or you work for Alltel.