IM Problems with Cingular BlackJack

[Guest MadSci]

A little heads up, and a plea for assistance.

A week ago I decided to turn on my IM client on my Cingular BlackJack. I signed into MSN Messenger using my .NET Passport and my contact list showed and all appeared fine. Several minutes later, I received a nonsense text message from an internet phone (ie prefix '1111'). Then another, and another, and another, all identical. ;)

After several days of this, I managed to figure out that the problem was something to do with the OZ Communications IM client software, or the Cingular system itself. Searching all over Cingular's website led to multiple dead ends and erronious instructions to download non WM IM clients to the phone (which I avoided).

I send multiple emails to OZ Communications, but have received no response. :)

I have spent almost 6 hours on the phone with various Cingular Reps, who generally know little or nothing, just enough to be dangerous in fact. I stupidly followed one of their Tech,s advice and delted the IM client. :D It was ok I was told, because he was going to walk me through installing the upgraded version that fixed this problem. Guess, what, there is no such software available, not from CIngular, Not from Samsung and not from OZ Communications.

The only thing that has worked so far was that after 6 hours I found SOMEONE who appearantly could get the Cingular server to stop sending me the text messages. It took 24 hours, but they seem to have stopped so far. :( I'm giong to have to call them when I get my bill and have all the rcharges removed (I was getting up to 15 Text Messages per hour).

So, I wonder if anyone else has had this problem?

I advise you all to be VERY cautious about using the OZ Communications IM client at this time. Before doing so I would advise you to do a complete backup so that if needed you can restore your system back to the way it was before running th esoftware (although this might not be very important unless you run into someone at Cingular later who convinces you to delete the IM Software, when the problem is in Cingular's system itself)

Does anyone know of a good piece of software that can communicate over the Internet (not via text messages) to all the major messenger services simultaniously? Extra points if it hooks to the "Instant Message" Alarm to notify you that soemone is interested in chatting.

Thanks, and beware!

MadSci

[Guest ellaina]

Not sure if this is the exact same thing I was experiencing but it sounds pretty similar. I also had an issue with receiving multiple nonsensical text messages while using the Oz IM client....For me, the problem turned out to be a result of installing the client to my storage card rather than to the device memory. Uninstalling the client and then reinstalling to the device memory solved the problem. Not sure why that fixed the problem but it did.

[Guest MadSci]

Elliana - where did you get the client from? Mine was pre-installed on the phone, in ROM.

Is it on the Disc that came with the phone?

Cingular is suggesting that I have to exchange for a new phone since I followed their directions and deleted it from the phone. They don't seem to have the ability to send me the Application to re-install it.

Regardless, no-one can figure out why it went wrong in the first place. So re-installing it into ROM will only put me back to where I was in the first place. I suppose it's possible that the installation was corrupted somehow and a re-install will fix it.

I just hate the idea of going through with a complete re-buld of my phone again.

Thanks!

MadSci

Not sure if this is the exact same thing I was experiencing but it sounds pretty similar. I also had an issue with receiving multiple nonsensical text messages while using the Oz IM client....For me, the problem turned out to be a result of installing the client to my storage card rather than to the device memory. Uninstalling the client and then reinstalling to the device memory solved the problem. Not sure why that fixed the problem but it did.