Several questions about text messaging

I’ve had a cell phone for about a year and a half–a secondhand Samsung that I got from a family member–and just recently I’ve started receiving text messages on it (spammy emails, mostly, and not directed at me in particular). I delete them, but is there any way to block them?
Also, my brochures from Verizon explain all about making calls, but they don’t cover text messages at all. If I can receive them, can’t I also send them? How would I do it?

i am not aware of any method to block specific incoming sms messages.

to send out text messages, you may need to subscribe to the SMS facility, and you would need the SMS Service Center Number (Verizon will give you this. Call them.). Enter the SMS Service Center Number into the SMS settings on your phone. Then you can begin to send out SMS messages.

My guess is you can’t send them. Two easy ways to find out:

  1. Do you have a menu option that says messages, or something like that? If not…
  2. What options do you have when you select the text message that you have got. If there isn’t reply option avaible it probably means you can’t send messages.

The idea of making a phone that can be used to read messages but not to send them is beyond me, but Ericsson has done that too…

From here here you can find the pdf version of your phone’s manual. Reading it may reveal something new. With a quick glance it seemed to me that purchasing some software and a cable you could be able to send messages with a computer, but personally I don’t feel that fits very well with the mobile phone idea.

Disclaimer: I could be completely wrong because a)haven’t used a Samsung b) not sure what you guys in the USA are doing with your phones.

You need to subscribe to Mobile Web/Mobile Messenger in order to send text messages on Verizon. There’s no service center number or other information you need to enter (at least I didn’t have to).

How you actually send the message depends on your phone. On mine (Motorola v.120), I can type a phone number, hit the menu key, and scroll down to “send message”. I can also open the messages menu, open a folder, and scroll down to “create message”. I can hit the menu key and scroll down to “send message” from the phone book, or add email addresses to the phone book.

You can send text messages to an email address by entering it instead of a phone number. You can also receive emails on your phone - your Verizon address is your 10-digit phone number @vtext.com.

California has banned cell phone spam so you may have some legal recourse as well. (Although it doesn’t go into effect until January.)

Thank you, all. I appreciate the info.
It’s an older model and doesn’t show up on the Samsung site, but that’s neither here nor there.
Can’t wait till January—I hope the new law will at least decrease the number of spams regarding mortgage rates, if not the come-on from unknowns in Saudia Arabia wanting to meet someone.
:rolleyes: