Sprint Denies PPC customers from sending picmail - Page 20

tavella · #**191** (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 01:58 PM

I believe the reason behind Sprint not offering MMS on Smartphones MS/Blackberry/etc is because their MMS service is a rigged "be glad it does something" system. I switched to VZW for one week because I had enough of customer service "we promise to call you back" run around. I had the Samsung i760 and oddly enough, I could send and receive MMS right to the phone. I was not sent a link to view the MMS. If this is the case and Sprint has a poorly written system that all of their current phones are provisioned to use, implementing a fully functioning MMS system would cause them to have to push updates to each and every phone they have running on their network. The cost would probably outweigh the consumer happiness. It all boils down to WiMax, QCHAT, and trying to get out of the red with spending a little money as possible. Don't expect squat from Sprint for at least five years, that is if they are are still around.

**wldthng842** · #**192** (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 02:09 PM

Sprint has true MMS for phones that support it. All PV phones that are not smart

can send/recieve true MMS. Links are only sent to phones that do not support MMS like our smart ones. This is all outsourced to third parties to do the routing so it is rather easy to modify. Sprint did this when moving from 1x to evdo in order to provide true MMS

jdevitt1000 · #**193** (**permalink**) 02-26-2008, 10:37 PM

Comes down to $$$. Carriers should make things simple and make these services inclusive.

Reading a piece from Open Mobile Alliance there is, in the protocol a way to charge, (of course)...

http://www.openmobilealliance.org/te...20050301-a.pdf

Page 27, section 6.5

6.5. Forwarding of Multimedia Message
The forward transaction consists of the M-Forward.req message sent from the MMS Client to the MMS Proxy-Relay in order
to request an MM to be forwarded that is located at the MMS Proxy-Relay and the corresponding confirmation message (MForward.
conf) sent from the MMS Proxy-Relay to the MMS Client.
The request for Reply-Charging SHALL NOT be forwarded. The MMS Proxy-Relay MAY reject a request to forward a MM
that includes Reply-Charging fields or the MMS Proxy-Relay MAY accept the forward request but it MUST remove the
Reply-Charging fields from the forwarded MM.
The MMS Client MUST include a unique transaction identifier in the M-Forward.req message.

**wldthng842** · #**194** (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 01:52 PM

Everything in America comes down to money, even free stuff isn't really free. They made money somewhere.

neodorian · #**195** (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wldthng842

Everything comes down to money, even free stuff isn't really free. They made money somewhere.

Fixed that for ya

**wldthng842** · #**196** (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 12:24 AM

How? Even freeware is supported somewhere. Ads on site etc.

There is a different co that approaches sprint each year to provide free unlimited wireless minutes to their subscribers. They want to ad support it by making their ringer that the people call an advertisement as well as one at the begining of the call. This may appear to users as a free call but the company made more than they normally would on that call if you paid a monthly plan. they get paid per call more than it costs them to make the call. the problem is that they cannot figure out how to make back the subsidy of the phone.

Nothing is truly free in this world.

Viros · #**197** (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 12:59 PM

I just got off the phone with a VIP - Executive Analyst with Sprint, and got to vent a lot of the frustrations most of us have, like the MMS issues with smartphones and the repeated delaying of the Mogul ROM update. I also made clear our frustrations with the continued level of secrecy Sprint falls behind regarding almost EVERY issue. She seemed to actually listen, and may be someone who can actually help get stuff done. She's actually met Dan Hesse and assured me that he actually does want to change things and is working hard to do so. Now he's got a few more things to work with.

**wldthng842** · #**198** (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 02:38 PM

I have met Dan too. It is not that uncommon. However he cannot make all these decisions alone. This decision was probably made without him even knowing there was a work around. It is not common knowledge within the campus that there was a work around or it got shut off. I emailed some people and have heard nothing. It is probably one small group in the network division that is handling this.

Viros · #**199** (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 05:03 PM

Yeah, but the point I'm trying to make is that we need to start getting people a little higher-up than customer service reps to hear about this problem. CSRs won't be able to really do anything to help. On top of that, when they DO make recommendations, nobody in the company is really gonna listen. Someone a little higher up might have their recommendations and inquiries taken a little more seriously.

kbcherry · #**200** (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wldthng842

I never said that you were the one providing the abuse. It is customers like you that get screwed because some punk decided it would be cool to send 800 pictures of extremely pointless crap. I am like you, I think it is dumb, but no one can argue that it is their fault or what they did was wrong. Palm phones have MMS built into their os, no hack needed. Look at BlackBerry phones. Just as pricey, more market share. Can they send MMS on sprint? No. It is a problem with smart phones. You were told this when you bought the phone. I'm sorry that you can no longer send pics to your daughter the easy way, if she is the only one you send them to how hard is it to add her as an email address direct to her picmail email. You know the carrier she is on. I don't mean to sound heartless but it is hard to sit and listen to people complain about something that is purely their fault. It is kindov like the lady that sued McDonalds because she spilt hot coffee in her lap and got burned. Did you think it was luke warm? I don't get it. Don't think I don't agree but it is no ones fault than our own for buying a phone that doesn't have the capability of sending them one click instead of three.

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, because I really don't care. I left Sprint for AT&T last month. Gladly paid the ETF for two lines. It wasn't because of this issue, but it certainly didn't help. It was mainly because Sprint has been telling me for years that they would have EVDO in my area and they are still the only carrier without 3G coverage here. But anyway, I agree some what with what you have said. Don't buy a phone that doesn't do what you want. By the same token, maybe Sprint shouldn't be allowed to sell me stuff that they can't provide. I bought a 700WX a year ago (my first WM phone) and the rep told me it would do NFL Mobile, Sprint TV and Picturemail. If I look hard enough I can still probably find hardcopy ads showing this. I mean they were out there advertising that the phone was capable of stuff it wasn't. But since they hold all of the chips they can get away with it. Its pretty sad really.