My wife got the 8100 red on ATT. They have informed her that she can only send MMS as emails and essentially she needs a BB plan with them. She can't just do a regular messaging package. These BB plans are expensive for just the purpose she wants, no internet, just SMS and MMS.

I have tried talking to multiple reps, etc. We're about to return the phone.

As I see it, the only option I haven't explored is running my own server for her to attach to. Am I going down the wrong path? Can I do this? Can I run a BES from my home and have her attach to that to send her SMS/MMS? I think my logic is flawed and I'm uninformed hence why I came here, but if anyone can help I'd greatly appreciate it as she really loves the phone and doesn't want to go back to a RAZR (sick of having the same style phone for 2 years).

TIA

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Even with your own BES she would need a BB plan! They are correct in that she can only call and text with a BB without a BB plan

I do not have a BB plan, and I can send/recieve MMS and you the web and berry411 etc...

I have the media unlimited with 200 messages.

Customer Service strikes again......ALL you have to do is call AT&T back and tell them you would like to add MMS Picture messaging. You will pay but she should be able to MMS, Text and Phone. She can use the internet and if she doesn't want to pay MMS charges she can probably install yahoo or Gmail client and send photos as attachments.

E-

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Keep in mind there is a team that sweeps accts and if they find the wrong feature on an acct it will be changed to the appropriate plan automatically

What do you mean by this? I had Internet, MMS and Text on a Razor. Are you saying that if they identify her device as a pearl they will force her to have a BB Plan?

One of the myriad of reps I spoke to said the same thing. He claimed "the system" ("they", "them" lol) sweeps numbers and if it's a BB that it will drop the messaging bundle meant for regular phones, force it to pay per use and we'll get stuck with the bill.
Looks like we'll be returning her phone tomorrow...

i have the same pearl with att, and i only was required to have the bb plan for the first month, now, i absolutely love it, so i am gonna keep going with it, but, after the first month, as i was told, you can cancel bb service and drop down to mms and sms plans.

According to what I was told the system would then catch it in one of their continuous sweeps and I'd get stuck with a pay per use bill, no thanks. Hope it works out for you though.

I had the "package" deal where a BIS unlimited data plan was included for free if I stay with AT&T for another 2 years (been using them for 15 years) and I decided not to pay the SMS and the MMS plans. I figured I can use IM+ to send SMS (via Yahoo) and I can email photo attachments (even though the size is limited).