MMS charges for text messages on upgrading from Samsung S4 to S6

[Anonymous]

upgraded my phone in May and have been stung with a large bill of extras at the end of the month for what i've discovered is MMS messaging, where text messages have been converted to MMS without my knowledge. There seems to be some historic online discussion with regards to older samsung models but i NEVER had a problem or a charge with my old S4. Additionally, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason as to when i'm charged and not charged: some very long messages are charged as SMS and some relatively terse ones seem to be SMS. It is also not emoji-based either: that, again, is random. I'm at my wits' end now and scared to send a text. I was totally baffled by this, as are the guys in the O2 shop who i've been dealing with, which doesn't fill me with very much confidence. Am really beginning to wonder if i've been sold a pup - a contract where i can't send decent length texts is useless to me. 

I know several people who are samsung fans and have been since galaxy first launched - none of them have ever heard of or had this problem.

All help/advice would be gratefully received! Thank you!! 

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

It seems very strange as texts are usually 160 characters/spaces. Emojies can count as 100 characters each but if you go into message settings there is a box to tick to warn you when a message converts. Also check which mode it uses in the settings.

Some help here :

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-Services/Accidental-MMS-Sending-and-How-to-Avoid-it/td-p...

[Anonymous]

If you send more than 480 characters in a text then it changes to a group text which is classed as mms

[MI5]

Turn on the warning in message settings, so you know if it's converting.

[Cleoriff]

Funnily enough I had a picture sent via text which as we know needs mobile data on to download. I am in Spain. Quite a palaver to reply to the sender via messenger and ask for the picture to be sent via that route. I could then upload it to gallery......and send it on to others via messenger route....

[MI5]

I don't even have an mms an on phone so I'd never know.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for your comments, but it doesn't answer my question as to the randomness of it.

For example, i sent my sister (also an S6 user) a whole string of emojis yesterday, and, now that i have the character counter installed (something i didn't even know existed!) i watched it count down........it allowed me to send her a text with approx 20 emojis as an SMS. It DID NOT convert to MMS.

Additionally, my texting habits have not changed since i upgraded this phone: I often send long texts. Why have i never been charged a penny before upgrading my phone?

I receive very long texts from other people and those are never MMS messages? Does this character limit only apply to Samsung phones and why are we not advised of this if that is indeed the case?

O2 promised me feedback within 72 working hours. That was last Wednesday. I'm going back to the shop tomorrow. *Smilely face*!

[jonsie]

First emoji = 90 to 100 characters. Every emoji after counts as 1 or 2 characters. You can check this out with character count. There is no reason to send mms with character count and the warning box ticked. Normally you can send 480 characters (3 texts) as a single sms before it converts.

[Cleoriff]

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@jonsie wrote:

First emoji = 90 to 100 characters. Every emoji after counts as 1 or 2 characters. You can check this out with character count. There is no reason to send mms with character count and the warning box ticked. Normally you can send 480 characters (3 texts) as a single sms before it converts.

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But remember if you have 3 emojis that will use approx 104 of your 480 character count allowance. Some phones have smilies built in to the phone and they only use one or two characters when they convert ie 😞 etc

[MI5]

It will only convert if over 480 characters so you must have been going over in the ones that you got charged for.
It's not a Samsung thing either - it's how the old tech works.