online text messaging help!

[leenga]

Help

Is there a way to send a text message using one of the free online services when, for example, I'm told to text the word "Phil" to 8917 on your verizon wireless phone?

I dont have verizon wireless and was hoping to use a free online text messaging service, but the free services require sending to a 10 digit phone number.

Any suggestions?


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Suggestion 1:

you can text to verizon customers through www.vtext.com

Didn't work, got

* Send To address is invalid. Please check the length of the number.

it seems they also require 10 digit numbers

i know the address is valid because it did work through my cell phone, but i'm trying to find a free way to do it


Suggestion 2:

google mobile text service

Didn't work:

i don't see how that will let me send a text message as in my example. that link is pretty much just a way of doing a search from your cell phone, right? am i missing something?

[jdc2000]

Text messages such as the one you listed are designed to be used only by subscribers to the particular service. That is why they have less than 10 digits for the number, and why you can't use them without subscribing. If anyone could use them, Verizon and the other service providers wouldn't be making any money from them, they would be losing money.

[leenga]

i just thought that there maybe some way around it like sending an email to 8917@vtext.com

or that there were "known" numbers that go in front to make it a 10-digit number


also, i can do it from my tracfone and it works

[jdc2000]

Tracfone doesn't maintain their own network of cell sites and towers, they have agreements with other carriers to use theirs. The other carriers bill Tracfone, and Tracfone gets their money from Tracfone users.

[oracle128]

Simply put: you can't.