Lycos Cheap SMS Service (lycos.co.uk)

Member Name: rodmc

Product:	lycos.co.uk
Date:	02/07/04 (1469 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, easy to use

Disadvantages: Premium payment doesn't always work, Charges for incoming messages to your mobile

Intro
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Recently I found that about half my mobile bill was due to SMS text messaging. Given how cheap texts are for networks to send I figured it was time to start saving money. In the past I'd used some free services for SMS messages but these were often unreliable and had the habit of vanishing after a short while.

Lycos SMS
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Lycos SMS (www.lycos.co.uk) lets you send and receive SMS messages via the web, you can also set it up so that any responses to messages you do send via the web are re-directed to your phone.

Costs
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There are various rates ranging with prices falling to around 3p per text to any UK mobile phone, normal rates are nearer 5-6p depending on which package you opt for. I paid £10 for 250 UK SMS messages (4p each). You can pay via credit card and premium SMS. Also if you opt for one of their email and web space packages you get 30 free texts per month. They also 'claim' to charge for any messages re-directed to your phone.

Services
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Lycos SMS comes with an address book so just add your friends to that and you'll be up and running in minutes.

Advantages
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- No need to fiddle around with phone buttons for ages trying to text people. Send SMS's from your desktop at work.
- Built-in address book, just click a few boxes and you can send your message.
- Messages can be re-directed to your phone (charged) or SMS inbox at Lycos (free).
- Send messages to groups quickly and easily.
- Cheap!
- The credit doesn't expire after one month as it often does on mobile contracts
- Works with any network.
- International and MMS messaging available.

Disadvantges
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- You are billed in credits not cost, two credits is one normal size SMS.
- I may be wrong but the message size seems slightly shorter than normal.
- Paying via premium SMS
doesn't always work but their customer service credited my account without any complaint once they'd checked it out.


Overall
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User friendly, cheap and reliable. Sure it's not free, but as they say, you get what you pay for! And 250 SMS messages for £10 isn't at all bad compared to the 10p I normally pay.

Summary: