Emoticons in texts can rack up huge bills

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31148424

Emoticons in texts can rack up huge bills

People using the little icons which denote happy, sad or other emotions in their text messages could be racking up big bills, the BBC has learned.

Consumer website MoneySavingExpert has received a large number of complaints about the issue.

It seems to affect older models of phones, including some Samsung and Apple handsets.

In Scotland, a woman ran up bills totalling over £1,000 after adding emoticons to text messages.

The issue revolves around how the handset interprets the icons, known as emoticons or emojis.

In some cases, especially on older handsets, the emoticons are converted into MMS (multi-media service) messages which can cost up to 40p each depending on the network.

MoneySavingExpert also found that, in some cases, users creating their own icons from full-stops, commas and brackets found they were converted into emoticons, running up the same charges.

"We have seen many complaints from our users who have racked up huge bills for sending what they thought were text messages," Guy Anker, managing editor, told the BBC.

Paula Cochrane told the Daily Record that she had no idea that the emoticons were being charged as picture messages.

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[Brian Peacock]

That one was free.

[Tero]

I get the phone bill every month for 4 people. Not sure if my kids use emoticons much. But the thousands of texts they send every month have ben part ofvthe package.

The phones are unable to send ö and ä from one operator to another. They endvup as gibberish.

[klr]

I get the phone bill every month for 4 people. Not sure if my kids use emoticons much. But the thousands of texts they send every month have ben part ofvthe package.

The phones are unable to send ö and ä from one operator to another. They endvup as gibberish.

Not using Unicode, are they? Back in the dark ages!

[Brian Peacock]

u\003a\007b\0029

[JimC]

Having no mobile phone, I could not give a rat's arse!

[laklak]

This sounds like a particularly first-worldish problem to me.

[rainbow]

This sounds like a particularly first-worldish problem to me.

Yes, we in Africa live in mud huts and eat roots.

How could we afford emoticons?

[JimC]

This sounds like a particularly first-worldish problem to me.

Yes, we in Africa live in mud huts and eat roots.

How could we afford emoticons?

Yes. Many men are like wombats.

Eats roots and leaves...

[Brian Peacock]

Having no mobile phone, I could not give a rat's arse!

Isn't it time you got with it grandad? What if you wandered off again, like you did last June, you know, when you thought you were in the war again and they found you without your trousers defending an emplacement behind the High School? If you had a phone we could track you with GoogleMaps if you had another or your little, er, 'episodes'. Pul'ease grandad....

[Hermit]

So not true. He hid behind the primary school.

[rainbow]

This sounds like a particularly first-worldish problem to me.

Yes, we in Africa live in mud huts and eat roots.

How could we afford emoticons?

Yes. Many men are like wombats.

Eats roots and leaves...

I thought that was Panda Bears.

Whatever.

Not real animals like we have in Africa.

[Tero]

Iddy biddy molars, surprized.

[klr]

Having no mobile phone, I could not give a rat's arse!

You sir, are amongst the last of a dying breed.