HELP! Blackberry Messenger!
 

Hi all,
I have a Curve 8310 and love it. I have AT&T with the unlimited data plan etc. My girlfriend has the Blackberry World Edition and has Verizon with the data plan.
I was under the impression that using the Blackberry Messenger installed on our phones setup thru our PIN this was a free service to anyone who had a Blackberry. Well, my g/f sent me a msg this am all upset saying she got hit with $400 in charges from Verizon since they look at Blackberry Msnger messages like text msgs!!

Can someone shed some light on this confusion for me.

Thanks!
Mike

PIN messages are data. BlackBerry messenger uses PIN messagins... so it's also data.
Verizon absolutely does NOT treat PIN messages as text messages... so your G/F if misunderstanding or misreading her bill.

Maybe the $400 in overage charges are from text messages sent to someone else... not you. They certainly arent the result of BlackBerry Messenger or PIN messaging.

I hope for stangman39 case that it's not this.

Thanks all!! This is totally what I thought...about the messages being sent thru PIN and PIN msgs shouldn't act like text msgs.
Let me just make sure I am clear...I didn't need to download anything special to use the Blackberry Messenger...it was already installed on my homescreen of my Curve and I just added contacts by adding their PIN to their contact info in the address book.

Regarding the g/f sending messages to someone else....that would sure be interesting but I am not thinking down that patch just yet.

Also...since PINs are data...as long as the g/f has an unlimited data plan...she shouldn't be charged extra. Could she possible not have an unlimited data plan?? Could that explain the added charges?

Mike

Did your GF add you to her messenger list using your PIN number? Steps are
add address book entry for you, enter your PIN in the address book entry and then add your address book entry from the BB Messenger. If she had an Email address listed at the time instead of a PIN number it might be considered email or text I don't know. That's all I can think of... sorry to hear
about the bill. Ouch!

E-

As far as her plan. I don't think she could send a true PIN message without a BB data plan. But I would have her call the carrier to confirm.

she might be dropped on VZW if she exceeds 5gb of data usage per month, but to do this using PIN messaing would be near impossible. $400 in text message is still WAY over, i would think it has to be something with using more voice minutes than she is alloted

I am almost 100% positive she added me using my PIN b/c I walked her thru the process. She didn't even know what BB Msnger was b4 she met me!

Mike

Hey Penguin,

I see it looks like you have customized your PIN. How did you do that?

Thanks,
Mike

Stangman,

Click on User CP on this page and edit Options, it's the last field on the screen. What ever you put there shows up on your posts.

Are you all 100% sure that BB Msnger works thru PIN and the msgs shouldnt be counted as text msgs? I have another friend who is on Verizon and she is claiming if you are not BB Msnging from Verizon to Verizon they act as text msgs.
Maybe we need someone who has Verizon to chim in! Seems most of us in this thread have AT&T. Maybe I just need to call Verizon! (My friend said she called Verizon and they told her if you are BB Msging someone outside of the Verizon network they count them as text msgs...)

Thanks,
Mike

your friend is completely mistaken. BB messages only use the carrier network to get to the RIM network, that is all. They are just data packets, not SMS. SMS uses the voice network, PIN uses data.

130% sure.
I don't need to personally use Verizon Wireless to know this.
Many of us support much more than our own devices in corporate environments.

Trust us they are data they go through rims servers not vzw they have nothing to do with PIN messaging. PIN 100% data cant send a PIN with out a BB data plan. PIN messaging doesnt even work with out a BB data plan.

Are you 100% certain she is using the native BB Messenger and not the OZ Messenger which I think comes on Verizon phones?!?!? OZ uses text....

Thanks all! Now I just need to get to the bottom why my g/f got hit with the extra charges!! I'm gonna ask her to send me a copy of her bill!! Really tho...I have not known this girl for very long but she has always been upfront and honest with me. I'll keep ya posted! :)

(Dawg...I'm not orig. from GA but have become a big UGA fan...Moreno is a blast to watch play)

Mike

Hmm...good question! How can I tell or explain to her which is which??

Thanks,
Mike

just have her sign up for online access to her bill and give you the UN and PW. that way you can check easily and dont have to worry about mail/fax.

OZ uses Instant Messaging, BBM uses your PIN number. Also, do you receive her messages via IM or BBM?

On my Curve...I go to the message blubble icon and under it it says "Blackberry Messenger." That is how I msg her and how I get messages from her. When a new msg comes in from her I get the smiley notification.

then she is sending BB messages to you via PIN. not SMS/text