Thorxes's Posts

Mike, Thanks for all the feedback. I took your advice and went back into the store today. I got to speak with the sales rep that initially helped me to verify the data/IM usage. He said that yes, the IM apps that come with the phone use data and not texts. Then he spoke with another sales rep and he confirmed it. I told him I'd just wait to hear back from customer service, since I had already called about the issue and they had put a ticket in to look into it further. Once I got back to my house, the sales rep called my phone and said that he did some digging and that he had found the official verizon policy regarding the issue. He stated that those 3 IM apps that come with the phone use Texts, and that 3rd party IM apps will use data....so essentially the opposite of what he told me. Apparently the entire store was under the wrong impression as well, not just him. He said he'd be updating his team with the new info and that he would speak to the store manager to get me a refund on any overages that this issue may have caused. Definitely a HUGE plus on Verizon in-store customer service!!!   So at least I can still IM without using texts...I just need to find an app that will do that for me. Got any advice in that area?

Then why have 2 store sales reps and 1 tech support rep all said that the IM apps that come standard on the phone use the data plan? The main reason I got the smartphone was because I was going over on my texts every month and would need to pay an extra $10 to get unlimited texting. The sales person I worked with told me that if I upgraded to a smartphone, I could use the IM app instead of texting. The sales rep saw that I had an old promotion where I get 500 texts + unlimited texts to Verizon phones and he said it was a fairly good plan and I wouldn’t be able to get it back once I switched from it. He stated that going to a smartphone would allow me to keep the text plan I had and keep me from going over each month. I guess I’m within the 14 day window to send back my phone, but I don’t feel that I should have to pay a re-stocking fee or still be tied into the contract if the premise by which I re-signed was completely false.

That could definitely be the case. But the second time I spoke to someone in the store…I made a phone call to them. And I directly asked if using the IM apps on their phones used data or text. They said Data, and never asked what kind of phone I was using….maybe they assumed I was using a smart phone since I mentioned the use of apps?

I had the same original question and I've spoken with 2 store reps and 1 tech support rep. ALL of them have said that the IM apps that come with the phone use DATA, not texts. These are the 3 that are under the "IM" app that comes standard with my Samsung Stratosphere. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - Data usage Yahoo! Messenger - Data usage Windows Live Messenger - Data usage This turned out to be how the salesperson got me to get a smartphone. I needed to increase my texting allowance...which was going to cost me $10 to upgrade. He said if the people that I text the most also have smart phones, instead of texting, we could start using the IM apps mentioned above, and use only data instead of the texts.

I had the same original question and I've spoken with 2 store reps and 1 tech support rep. All of them have said that the IM apps that come with the phone use DATA, not texts. These are the 3 that are under the "IM" app that comes standard with my Samsung Stratosphere. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - Data usage Yahoo! Messenger - Data usage Windows Live Messenger - Data usage This turned out to be how the salesperson got me to get a smartphone. I needed to increase my texting allowance...which was going to cost me $10 to upgrade. He said if the people that I text the most also have smart phones, instead of texting, we could start using the IM apps mentioned above, and use only data instead of the texts. I can see why this has become such a debate in the past if Verizon reps are stating one thing and the company is actually doing something different. But I'm just passing along the information I've been given. If they do use texts, then I'm going to be upset, becuase that was the premise that I chose a smartphone under.

I've spoken to 2 verizon store reps, 1 verizon tech support rep, and confirmed at various places online that: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - Data usage Yahoo! Messenger - Data usage Windows Live Messenger - Data usage The above apps are the ones that come standard with the phone under the "IM" app. This was essentially the reason that I got a smartphone.The verizon sales rep told me  I could spend an extra $10 to get unlimited texting, or just pay an extra $20 on top of that to get a smart phone and then use those 3 IM apps so that I wouldn't go over my texting anymore.  As long as I stayed under my old text plans limit, I'd essentially be getting a data plan for $20 intead of $30. The other apps mentioned are unknown to me. The store reps and the tech rep all said that when it comes to third party IM apps....some use texts, some data, some even allow you to choose. But that to be safe, I should try and stick with the 3 IM apps on the phone to use only data. Hope this helps!

Using the IM apps that come with the verizon phones (AIM/MSN/Yahoo) do not use texts....they use data. This has been confirmed by 2 employees in the verizon store, a tech support rep and various places online. Third party apps can sometimes be configured to use data or texts. Some only do one or the other. Others can be set to use whatever you like. It's pretty much on the application programmers. I would stick with the standard IM apps. AIM works solid for me.

The messenger apps that come with the phone (AIM/MSN/Yahoo) all use data, not texts. I've confirmed this with 2 people in the store, a tech support rep, and various places online. I can't speak to eBuddy, but I've heard that the Facebook app can use texts instead of data.

This seems odd. 2 people at the store, a tech support rep and multiple places online have said/confirmed that using the MSN messenger/AIM/Yahoo Messenger apps that come with verizon phones use Data, not texts. Maybe this is the issue? You're trying to text her, when her phone is only able to use those apps through data usage.