About AIM and FREE SMS CONFIRMATION PLEASE

[ddk997]

Okay everyone, I have one question may someone please confirm this.

Everyone has said that when you use the AIM program, it is free of charge and doesn't count towards your SMS plan. However I have notice that if the AIM user is sending a message to your cell phone number (ex.+1999945499) instead of your screen name(ex. JohnDoe123) it will charge you 1 SMS message.

I have noticed another thing also, which is why I am very confused. I have noticed that when you are receiving messages through your Screen name(ex.Johndoe123), it doesn't charge you as an SMS message(atleast doesn't show up on the online account as an SMS charge, however the other method(ex.+1999945499) does show up as 1 SMS count, can someone please confirm that this method is free...Its not showing up when I check the sms data plan, but I want to be 100% sure before I start chatting regularly on AIM app.

Also I asked an ATT representive about and this is what I got...
Thank you for taking the time to e-mail the new AT&T regarding the AIM
application on your phone and if it will count toward your message plan.

When you use AIM it will count toward your message plan. If
you are going to be using the AIM it is best to get an unlimited message
plan, which is $20.00 a month. Any messages over the 200 plan that you
have is $0.10 per message.


THANKS in advance, help is much appreciated, SERIOUS 100% CONFIRMED answers please.

 

[ddk997]

no one can help me out on this question? I am sure we all have used the AIM app, but no one knows if its counting towards their SMS plan or not?

 

[ddk997]

Well you are asking people to know 100% so you're limiting your audience, however, i rember reading somewhere back that if you recieve any type of SMS (that is, on the iphone's dedicated send/recieve,) then you are charged, if you use the actual app, then it shouldn't cost you anything within it.
I am only 80% sure.
Which AIM program are you using?

Aim program from the APP Store. I did another test last night...

send a message from AIM to my mobile number, and it charged 1 sms

then tried the other method,

send a message to the AIM SN instead of my mobile number, didn't get charged...

HMM

 

[ddk997]

My service provider is AT&T, and the way you are explaining it, seems like its going the same way I tested it.

from AIM SN to mobile number = charge 1 SMS

from AIM SN to mobile AIM SN = free of charge

 

[Jeremy]

If you use AIM to go thru your SMS you will get charged. No way around it.

 

[Leanna Lofte]

I don't understand the confusion.

If you're having messages sent to your phone number, then you are clearly using SMS. Of course you're going to get charged.

If you're having message sent to your SN, then using the AIM app from the App Store retrieves those messages... but this is NOT SMS. So of course you won't get charged for SMS.

 

[sting7k]

yeah, that's what it seems, sorry can't explain why...it doesn't really make sense to me...

I don't see the confusion either. If you link your mobile number to AIM so people see you as online and can message you through text messaging on your phone, that is a text message. It's been this way with every phone I've had. If you respond to that SN with a text you get charged as well.

Nothing has changed with the iPhone.

AIM SN to AIM SN (no matter what your on) = Free
AIM SN to Phone SMS client = Text Message
Phone SMS client to AIM SN = Text Message

It's pretty simple, if your SMS client gets used, you get charged.

What I do is have people message me once by text, then I open up AIM and login to finish the convo and not use up my text messages.

 

[Stevie No-Wonder]

... If you're having messages sent to your phone number, then you are clearly using SMS. Of course you're going to get charged...

I wrote to Beejive about this. They call it SMS Out, and the way they explained it to me was that as long as I IM'd someone from within their app (using SMS Out), it would be considered an IM and that any replies back to me would also be considered IMs and not be charged.

I only tried it once but the person said they never even received my IM on their Razr anyway. So I've just avoided using it since. i don't have SMS on my plan and don't need any surprises.

 

[CoachFreak]

^^^ I agree with the above. The only benefit to sending them through AIM is if you send them to someone else then it shouldn't charge you as a SMS. But if you are sending them to yourself and you are receiving them to your TEXT app then they would not be free. The one issue is you were only charged to receive and not send/receive which you would have been if you had used the TEXT app to send the message to yourself.