Anyone had EE double charging for text messages ?

Leodogger

I am with T-Mobile which has gone over to EE and since I have had a new Windows 8 Phone, I have had call to ring EE when I was in Spain on my return for being charged twice for many of my PAYG text messages. They denied I was charged twice even though the messages charged for and itemised separately on my account were to the same number and 2 seconds apart. I had about 4 or 5 texts that this applied to but they refused to reimburse me for all of them, only a couple which they conceded could have been charged twice.

Since then I have used my texting very rarely preferring to use the landline. Today I had cause to use the texting again and twice again today I rang two separate numbers and was charged twice, both duplicated calls 2 seconds apart.

I am going into one of their shops to complain but wondered if anyone else has had the same problem. I feel like stopping using my mobile altogether and refuse to keep ringing their customer service to PAY for the privilege of seeking help when they are getting money out of me for these products which I am being overcharged for !

grumbler

Any chance the messages were longer than 160 characters and were split into two by the phone?
If so, thank Microsoft for saving you from being charged for a MMS.

Leodogger

grumbler wrote: »

Any chance the messages were longer than 160 characters and were split into two by the phone?
If so, thank Microsoft for saving you from being charged for a MMS.

No, one was 83 characters and the other was 81 characters including the spaces and fullstops ! I did use a smiley in each message, do they charge you for these on Windows Phones ?

grumbler

I think this can depend on the app as well, not just the OS.
If the smileys were inserted as images, you would have been charged for MMS.
AFAIK, the default app sends stock smileys a text strings, each taking several characters, e.g. "(rotfl)".

Leodogger

grumbler wrote: »

I think this can depend on the app as well, not just the OS.
If the smileys were inserted as images, you would have been charged for MMS.
AFAIK, the default app sends stock smileys a text strings, each taking several characters, e.g. "(rotfl)".

I haven't downloaded any apps (as far as I know), the smileys I use are the ones already loaded in the texting software of Windows 8.

grumbler

If the recipient still has the texts you can ask them how many texts arrived.
Then go to Orange shop with your phone and the itemised bill and demand explanations or a refund.

Leodogger

grumbler wrote: »

If the recipient still has the texts you can ask them how many texts arrived.
Then go to Orange shop with your phone and the itemised bill and demand explanations or a refund.

I think I will go into the shop then I can ask them to explain whether I am charged extra for using the smileys !

Thanks for your help

20aday

According to this link from MSE on 12/12/14 your Lumia phone shouldn't be converting emojis into a chargeable MMS:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2014/12/got-a-samsung-phone-you-could-get-charged-extra-for-sending-emojis

Try disabling Group Texts too and see if this avoids being charged? Granted it's to the same number but I wonder if WP8 got confused when the messages were sent two seconds apart?

Group text (in Messaging Settings) helps keep replies in one thread while you're texting with a group of people. When it's turned on, replies are sent as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages instead of SMS (Short Message Service) text messages. To find this setting, in Messaging, tap More > Settings. This setting can vary by mobile operator and might not appear. Your mobile operator might charge extra for MMS messaging, and this service must be available with your current phone plan.

Leodogger

20aday wrote: »

According to this link from MSE on 12/12/14 your Lumia phone shouldn't be converting emojis into a chargeable MMS:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2014/12/got-a-samsung-phone-you-could-get-charged-extra-for-sending-emojis

Try disabling Group Texts too and see if this avoids being charged? Granted it's to the same number but I wonder if WP8 got confused when the messages were sent two seconds apart?

Group text (in Messaging Settings) helps keep replies in one thread while you're texting with a group of people. When it's turned on, replies are sent as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages instead of SMS (Short Message Service) text messages. To find this setting, in Messaging, tap More > Settings. This setting can vary by mobile operator and might not appear. Your mobile operator might charge extra for MMS messaging, and this service must be available with your current phone plan.

If that were the case, wouldn't it convert ALL my messages to MMS when it is not ?

The message I sent a few minutes later without the smiley did not get charged twice, this is why I thought perhaps they do charge for the use of these emoji's. By the way the only setting I have is to "Automatically Download MMS" which I have now turned off but don't know if this will stop me receiving pictures. the "Group text" option I have also turned to "Off".

By the way Martin's article refers to "older phones". Mine is only 12 months old.

Leodogger

I have just had a very interesting conversation with the EE shop which I am planning to visit for a Top-up card, they told me that yes you do get charged for emoticons, anything up to 40 pence each so not to use them if you don't want to be charged double. He said this is not down to the network which I am with but the way the Windows phone is set up which forced texts which have emoticons in them to be sent by MMS (picture texts) so it is not the fault of EE although they are of course benefitting from the money they raise so will not advertise to their consumers this fact !

Also he says that T-Mobile who I was with has now been integrated into EE and the Top-up cards are universal ones to be used for both T-Mobile and EE products. Also you can no longer buy phones or any products under the T-Mobile banner as it is all one company.

So I finally got my answer, I AM being charged twice for texts due to using emoticons which I will in future NOT be using !! :T

grumbler

JWhite wrote: »

I have just had a very interesting conversation with the EE shop which I am planning to visit for a Top-up card, they told me that yes you do get charged for emoticons, anything up to 40 pence each so not to use them if you don't want to be charged double.

Shops' staff are notorious for talking bu11shit simply to fob complaining customers off. You should have asked them to show the tariff of charges saying that emotions sent as text strings are charged.
Such tariff doesn't exist simply because such emotions are pieces of text, not images.
http://ee.co.uk/help/accounts-billing-and-topping-up/billing-and-payment/your-bill-explained/converting-text-messages-to-picture-messages

That said, as a smiley takes more than one symbol you can go over 160 symbols limit without knowing this that will result in your phone splitting the message into two.

He said this is not down to the network which I am with but the way the Windows phone is set up which forced texts which have emoticons in them to be sent by MMS (picture texts) so it is not the fault of EE although they are of course benefitting from the money they raise so will not advertise to their consumers this fact !

Another pile of bu11shit as you said your were charged for extra text messages, not MMSs.

On EE PAYG SMS costs 12p, MMS costs 40p.

So I finally got my answer,

Have you?