beware of text messaging on your bill

[TotalTech2020]

On your vzw plan make sure to look at your bill I was being charged for 4 inbound txts. Our zooms have mobile numbers associated to them. Someone was either wrong number texting or I was being spam texted.

Its only 40 cents but if your number is released to a text spammer you can chalk up quite the bill. I had to call vzw and put a txt block on my xoom account.

By default your xoom number isn't blocked in their system. I'm glad I looked

 

[dhendriksen]

I had that too. I think those are the customary "welcome to Verizon messages you get on a new line.

I made then remove mine and block the number as well.

It seems like they didn't think this through very well.

 

[anon(167668)]

I had that too. I think those are the customary "welcome to Verizon messages you get on a new line.

I made then remove mine and block the number as well.

It seems like they didn't think this through very well.

Any texts from Verizon are free though, so I don't think that's what it is. If you're curious you can see where they came from on your VZW account.

 

[ZDriver]

So you have a xoom with a Verizon data plan, and you don't get free texts??? That sucks, when I had my sprint galaxy tab it got free text messages. Is this something Verizon doesn't offer or do you just have to pay more??

 

[wedge40]

Ya MAJOR FLAW in the xoom. We cant get text messages.
Xoom was my first Verizon device and I got an email to set up my account. Cool, so I go online and start the process and half way through they want to TEXT me my password. Wait the xoom doesn't have text messaging. No other option, like send it via email, just texting it to a your number. Needless to say I had to call Verizon and spend about 30 minutes on the phone with someone to finish setting up the account. Get this. They spoofed my phone number to another device so THEY could get the text with the password, then read the password over the phone to me. And yet they wont send this via email.

Sorry.. Rant over.

 

[ZDriver]

Can't you use hancent or chompsms either, like OP said there is a number associated with the xoom. I hope the sprint version isn't like this, and this is just a vzw problem??

 

[dubge]

it is probably a verizon thing, you dont get em because they havent figured out how to bill you properly haha

 

[Nchaka]

I have the same problem, I got 14 on first bill and 18 so far on this bill. I called twice and got it blocked and refunded. I checked my account online and the texts are all from the same number. I believe its from Verizon but its a computer # not a regular number so I can't do a reverse look up. If they charge for their texts, do the people with phones get that many texts from Verizon?

 

[dhendriksen]

I have verizon phone service and they only time I get a text from them is when my bil is ready to be paid, and when I pay my bill.

 

[dubge]

I have verizon phone service and they only time I get a text from them is when my bil is ready to be paid, and when I pay my bill.

same here, I never get texts from them

 

[thunderstruck]

Have them disable texting and use Google Voice for text instead. And be sure to post the number on 4chan so the boys over there can show the text spammer some love.

 

[ElConquistador1963]

Messages from ANY official Verizon Wireless source are ALWAYS free. Messages recieved/charged on the XOOM should be credited. WHile they count as a message on your bill, the do not count against any allowance on any other type of device plan. Numbers assigned to any mobile device are usually recycled numbers. They may have been inactive for 30 days or more but they are recycled unless it is a brand new exchange for that area code. What some may be experienceing is the bleed over from the previous users. They may have friends who have no idea they don't have that number any longer or may have signed up for a premium messaging service that continues to send them the messages even though they no longer have that number.

Best practice is to go online with your account and block all messaging possibilities to prevent charges and also watch your bill for any premium messaging charges that may be a hod over from the previous MTN user.

I don't think it is a thing that is not "thought through", just something they did not offer from either the manyfaturer or the carrier or both. With the amount of complaining of price of the plan and other things, would the ability to pay for ANOTHER text package be what you want or just another reason to complain about all the charges Verizon has on all thier plans?

steppping off the soap box now....

 

[Drew2u]

Best practice is to go online with your account and block all messaging possibilities to prevent charges and also watch your bill for any premium messaging charges that may be a hod over from the previous MTN user.

That might work with a regular cell phone, but doesn't work for the Xoom. My account has two numbers, one with voice/text, the other is the Xoom. Under the Xoom, I can select "Block Calls and Messages" in my "Plan" column, but after selecting it, it reports the following under my Xoom "phone number": Not available for this cell phone number.

It looks like calling Verizon is the only way to go until Verizon recognizes they need to start updating their web site and services for these rather mysterious and enigmatic new tablet devices ...

 

[Raptor007]

Good call, I will have them block txt msg on my xoom as well.