Discussion » Hello, And Warning About Sms.ac

This is a read-only copy. The forum ran on iamcal.com from 2000 until its database was lost in 2016, and this topic was rebuilt from copies saved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Some replies may be missing.
Posted by gunpowda, 15:38, 24th October 2003:
 
Hi there.

Cal's site is great, and I enjoy reading the weblog and checking out his php stuff. I'm a new forum user, and I'd just like to share a warning.

After seeing Cal's cool sms contact thing, I thought that having on my site might be cool as well.

So I signed up for sms.ac and started tweaking the php to see how best to incorporate the sms contact script into my current design. I sent six messages as tests (they allow you nine free per day.) Suddenly I received a text saying that I had been charged for £1.50 because my credits were apparently running low.

They don't mention this on sign up; it's surreptitiously hidden somewhere in account management that you can opt-out of this "feature". The link to opt out didn't even seem to work in internet explorer or mozilla.

I've sent a complaint e-mail, because I'm really not looking forward to more surprise charges - let's see how it goes. So there you have it. I wouldn't recommend signing up for sms.ac.

Edit: Apparently Cal knew about this too, but they hardly make their terms clear. It's a bit below the belt, but there you go. A site that advertises itself as being free, free, free has some catch somewhere.
Posted by cal, 17:20, 24th October 2003:
 
yeah - it's not really free at all. you get a few free credits per day (about enough for 3 sms's) but after that you have to pay.
Posted by chandler, 17:38, 24th October 2003:
 
i think you get 8 credits each day and you need 3 for each text message. so you can send two and then dont have enough left :/
Posted by gunpowda, 18:37, 24th October 2003:
 
I guess my main point was that I thought that you'd run out of credits and get an error message..not be automatically charged.
Posted by jami 22, 16:01, 25th November 2003:
 
hello
Posted by Rosie, 16:09, 25th November 2003:
 
hello

:)
Posted by reitsma, 23:25, 25th November 2003:
 
HALLA!
Posted by theone, 12:08, 4th December 2003:
 
What are yiz on about
Posted by Grim..., 12:19, 4th December 2003:
 
The 'Send Cal SMS' thing on the left of this post.
Posted by Jimmyfree, 23:44, 16th December 2003:
 
I tried SMS.ac and it's a pretty cool product. They offer some stuff free -- more than any other site I've seen. I really don't like their colors (too colorful for me)... but their prices is VERY clear. Right in registration you see the price.

Another cool site is nerve.com -- for dating and stuff. SMS.ac is for mobile messaging to phones (SMS text messages).

Over and out.
Posted by cal, 08:35, 17th December 2003:
 
/me creates a nerve profile
Posted by Agotz, 20:36, 4th April 2004:
 
the shortest distance from the portal always intersects withe longest rats foioed a`gain
Posted by Uncle Moc, 09:35, 5th April 2004:
 
... to coin a phrase.
Posted by khudrat, 12:21, 19th April 2004:
 
please give me the facility to sms on a mobile.
Thanks.
Posted by Abe Frohman, 12:25, 19th April 2004:
 
*granted*
Posted by khudrat, 12:52, 19th April 2004:
 
fuck ur ass hole blody basterd
Posted by khudrat, 12:54, 19th April 2004:
 
sorry galti se likh diya dont mind
Posted by Doctor Lucid, 13:04, 19th April 2004:
 
tansh oke mai sontaa metho manque bas
Posted by carbonite, 13:06, 19th April 2004:
 
Ouch! I got owned by the college's proxy and the rather harshly worded "403 Forbidden: Your attempts to access a site have been denied. All attempts to access unauthorised sites are logged" while trying to get to nerve.com

oooo scary...they make it sound like such a big deal!
Posted by Jason, 19:09, 19th April 2004:
 
For what it's worth, I've done a simple php form mail script that mails my mobile, my plan with at&t allows free incoming messages without limit so it works out quite well.

/me prays this lot doesn't flog my mobile
Posted by netsleuth, 22:53, 19th April 2004:
 
I would AVOID sms.ac if I were you. The site appears to be a scam. Once subscribed it is virtually impossible to unsubscribe, either by mobile, or via the website. We have taken the matter up with the UK's regulatory bodies.
Posted by Sul, 22:57, 19th April 2004:
 
Who are the regulatory bodies in the UK? I know its Warren G and Nate Dogg in the US...
Posted by Abe Frohman, 00:00, 20th April 2004:
 
hehe, Young Guns was on the other night.
Posted by doornob-xox, 18:11, 23rd April 2004:
 
fanx 4 tellin me about it!! xoxoxox
Posted by lilstace, 14:40, 24th April 2004:
 
Ello every1 i duno wat ur all goin on bowt but ill still say hiya!!!!!!!! ;o)
Posted by nsau89, 10:16, 28th April 2004:
 
Wots the e-mail address to unsubscribe or complain. Please help cos it's already charged me £10 and i've sent 3 texts!!!
Posted by pec771, 10:26, 30th April 2004:
 
Hi nsau89. I too have been charged for nothing basically and am desperate to unsubscribe but don't know if I have or not! Can't find a contact number either. Don't want any more hidden charges and want out basically. Have you had any joy yet?
Posted by cal, 18:45, 30th April 2004:
 
it's charged you £10 because you pay in advance for a block of texts. the payment process is *REALLY CLEAR* about this. you gave them your credit card details and authorized a payment. if you didn't mean to, then WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?

they have a contact form here: www.sms.ac/help/contactus.asp

end of discussion.