I've been having this problem for a very long time. I'm a former Alltel customer, and have had this problem for at least 3 years, and through at least 3 different phones and now through two different carriers (alltel/vzw). I'm currently using the HTC Eris. When I type messages longer than 160 characters that go into a second "page", and I send the text, it is not delivered. Ever. Even to other Alltel/Verizon customers. I have to type my longer texts into 160 character texts, send, compose new message, another 160 characters, send, and on and on and on.
Does anyone know of a solution for this?
Use email instead....open a PICTURE message, and you get 1000 characters....
As I 've said before, SMS stands for SHORT Message Service.....was never intended for long winded messages......
Thanks, SuzyQ for the answer. However, I am still curious as to why it even offers the option of extending to multiple "pages" if it will not work when sent? It also returns no error message or anything else to let me know that the text was not delivered. This did cause me a lot of confusion when I first got a phone that would do this (extend messages for more than 160 characters), and I sent a lot of longer messages that I was not aware were not delivered. Does anyone know what exactly is causing this particular issue?
While I do plan on using the picture message option that SuzyQ suggestion for composing messages, if I'm replying to someone, it automatically goes to a standard text message, not as a picture message and the same problem applies.
Your phone may be capable of sending "long" text messages; your recipents' phones may not be able to handle them....
SMS Text, or Short Message Service, messages were intended to be just that - SHORT MESSAGES. Here's some info on long messages (considered an "enhanced text message"):
* **Enhanced Text Messages can be sent at no extra cost per message. Even extended length messages over 160 characters in length are charged as a single text message according to the plan selected.
* **Enhanced Text Messages sent to multiple recipients will bill the sender one message according to the plan selected for each message recipient that successfully receives the message.
* **Messages greater than 160 characters received on Non-EMS capable phones will be segmented into individual messages up to 160 characters in length. The non-EMS subscriber receiving multiple message segments will only be billed for a single message received.
**The above notes refer to Enhanced Text Messages sent to Verizon Wireless subscribers ONLY.
Information about Enhanced Text Messages sent to non-Verizon Wireless subscribers:
When you send Enhanced Text Messages to Non-Verizon Wireless subscribers, all EMS features will be removed. All inserted graphics, sounds, international text characters and text formatting will be deleted. In addition, Enhanced Text Messages greater than 160 characters will be truncated to 160 characters in length. After you send your Enhanced Text Message to the non-Verizon Wireless subscriber, VZW will send you the following free administrative message: "FREE_VZW_MSG: Messages sent to non-VZW customers with graphics/tones/formatting and/or 160+ characters are sent as plain text with only the first 160 characters." Note: The EMS capable handset sending the message will be billed for a single message sent.
My problem is not that the message is reduced to 160 characters or stripped of any enhanced features. The message does not arrive (in any form, even a truncated one) in the recipient's inbox. This is true of ALL msgs over 160 characters, sent to ANY wireless user, be it another verizon/alltel (back when I was having this problem with them), or other wireless carrier. To illustrate the point, I was attempting to test this by sending from my brand new (2 day old) HTC Eris, to another verizon customer's also brand new HTC Eris. Both phones are capable of receiving and sending text messages longer than 160 characters. There should be no reason for it to not go through at all. Yet, we're still in the same situation. I can't send any message of longer than 160 characters. Also, with the Eris, I do not have an option when composing a message to compose a picture message. It only converts from a plain text to a pic message upon the attaching of a picture. Therefore the original workaround of using picture messages to send longer texts will not work on this phone.
The main reason for wanting to resolve this is that I do not have an unlimited texting package. And while I do not text a LOT, I do text some, and would like to be able to utilize the option of using EMS messages to send longer texts rather than breaking longer texts into short bits that are each counted as a single message on my plan.
OK--you explained your issues well - have you called Verizon and possibly demonstrated to them what happens? Sending "long" or enhanced messages between two capable devices should work - so there may be something in the way your messaging package is set up that is causing this.
How about receiving long messages? Do you GET messages sent to you that are longer than 160? Do they come in as more than one? Also, according to the FAQ above, even if it comes (or is sent) in as multiple messages, it will only count as one. I do understand that you are having to compose separate messages at this point, so it IS counting as more than one. Once it is working as it is supposed to, then your long messages will count as one.
My recommendation - call CS, or go into a corporate store, and explain to them what is (or is not) happening, and see what they recommend. Sorry I don't have more to offer!
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