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PrePaid Paging FAQs
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SkyTel PrePaid Paging FAQ

Below are answers to some questions that registered users often ask. Don’t forget to check out the other FAQ's that are specific to other topics!

 
 
How does someone send me a personal message?
 
Will I receive personal messages even if I’ve turned off my eBay a-go-go auction alerts?
 
What is a message unit and how do they work?
 
How many message units will the eBay a-go-go auction alerts use?
 
What does "6 months / 2,000 message units, whichever comes first" mean?
 
How do I know if I’m running out of message units or time?
 
What is a Personal Access Number?
 
What kind of coverage do I get?
 
If someone sends a message from outside my coverage zone, is that considered a Nationwide Now message?
 
What do I do if I move from one state to another? Will I be able to continue my service and keep the same Personal Access Number?
 
How much does additional service cost?
 
What if I don’t renew service right away, can I renew in the future?
 
Can I purchase additional service when I place my initial order?
 
I still have a message-unit balance, but I want to purchase additional service. Do I lose the balance?
 
What happens if I don’t use all my message units and my time expires?
 
Can I activate and deactivate the optional services at any time?
 
What is Caller ID?
 
How does Voice Mail work?
 
How does Operator Dispatch service work?
 
Is my pager covered under warranty if I lose or damage it?
 
 
Q.    How does someone send me a personal message?
A. Number messages can be sent from any telephone. Callers simply dial your toll-free pager access number and follow the prompts. They can send up to 20 digits. Callers can send you complete word messages in the following ways:
  • If you have selected Operator Dispatch service, callers enter 3# after dialing your number to dictate a message to a SkyTel operator. The operator will then transmit the message directly to your pager.
  • Your pager has its own Internet Email address. If your contacts can send an Email, they can address it directly to your pager. The address is your PIN@skytel.com. (Your PIN is the last seven digits of your Personal Toll-free Access Number. If your Access Number is 800-123-4567, your Internet Email address is 1234567@skytel.com).
  • Your contacts can reach you through the SkyTel web site. Visit www.skytel.com and click on Send A Message. They should enter your PIN in the first field.
  • You and your callers can download free SkyTel Messaging Software from our web site. The software allows anyone with a modem-equipped computer (Windows or Mac) to send messages directly to any SkyTel pager. Go to www.skytel.com, then click on Customer Service to locate and download the software.
  • If your contact has SkyTel SkyWriter service and a unit capable of originating messages, they can send you a message directly from their pager. All they need is your PIN.
  • If you have selected Voice Mail service, voicemail messages can be sent from any telephone. Callers simply enter 2# after dialing your number to leave a voice mail. Callers can designate a voice message as urgent if necessary. Your pager will notify you with a "Voice Message" or "Voice Message Urgent" alert.
 
Q. Will I receive personal messages even if I’ve turned off my eBay a-go-go auction alerts?
A. Yes. Your personal messaging service is completely independent from your eBay notifications.
 
Q. What is a message unit and how do they work?
A.

A message unit consists of 10 characters (numbers, letters, spaces or punctuation) sent to your pager.

Message units work like the tickets you buy at a theme park—At the park, you start with a supply of tickets and then trade them in to play games and go on rides. Different rides require different amounts of tickets.

Message units work in the same way. For example, a message sent to your pager of up to 10 characters uses one message unit, and one message unit will be deducted from your balance.

You’ll always know how many message units you have left. Each time you receive a message or auction alert on your pager, your new unit balance is shown at the end of the message.

eBay News messages do not decrease your message-unit balance.

 
Q. How many message units will eBay a-go-go auction alerts use?
A. eBay a-go-go auction alerts vary in length. The first 25 characters of the description will always be sent, along with the entire price. On average, we estimate that eBay a-go-go alerts will use four message units per alert.
 
Q. What does "6 months / 2,000 message units, whichever comes first" mean?
A.

Your PrePaid message units are good for the term of your service (e.g. 2,000 units or 6 months of service, whichever runs out first) from the day you receive your eBay pager.

Each time an eBay a-go-go auction alert or a personal message is sent to your pager, we deduct a certain number of message units from your balance for every ten characters you receive (a character is any letter, number, punctuation mark or space). The number of message units we deduct depends on the type of message and where you are when you receive it.

  
Q. How do I know if I’m running out of message units or time?
A. If you purchased an eBay or SkyTel PrePaid pager on this site, your message-unit balance is shown at the end of each message you receive, so you’ll never have to guess. If you’re unsure, check the SkyTel PrePaid Paging Service Instructions for a telephone procedure, or send us an Email at ebayagogosupport@mtel.com

When your message unit balance reaches 30 message units, we’ll send you a reminder page letting you know your service is about to expire. You will receive a second reminder page when your message unit balance reaches zero. We will also notify you five (5) days prior to your service expiration date.

 
Q. What is a Personal Access Number?
A. With a Personal Toll-free Access Number, callers dial your eBay pager directly and have immediate access to your SkyTel paging functions. This number allows anyone in the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada to reach you, free of charge.
 
Q. What kind of coverage do I get?
A.

When you purchase your service, you’ll choose one (1) SkyTel metro zone as your home zone. A metro zone usually covers several major cities in your state, plus their surrounding suburbs.

If you travel outside of your zone, you can activate Nationwide Now® by following the instructions in the SkyTel PrePaid Paging Service Instructions.  For more information on coverage, visit the SkyTel web site (www.skytel.com) and click on "Coverage Options and Maps".

 
Q. If someone sends a message from outside my coverage zone, is that considered a Nationwide Now message?
A. No. Coverage is for the pager, not your callers. Your caller can be located anywhere in the U.S. As long as you’re in your Metro zone, you don’t need to activate Nationwide Now.
 
Q. What do I do if I move from one state to another? Will I be able to continue my service and keep the same Personal Access Number?
A. If you move to another state, you can change your home Metro zone at no charge and keep your current Personal Access Number. To make these changes, call the eBay a-go-go Customer Service Center at 1-888-SKY-EBAY (1-888-759-3229).
 
Q. How much does additional service cost?
A. You currently have four options for purchasing additional service:
$20 for 2 months of service or 500 message units;
$30 for 3 months of service or 1,000 message units;
$55 for 6 months of service or 2,000 message units; and
$100 for 12 months of service or 4,000 message units.
 
Q. What if I don’t renew service right away, can I renew in the future?
A. Yes. If you renew within 3-months after your expiration date, you can keep your original personal access number. If you renew outside of that 3-month period, you will receive a new number. If you elect to not renew your service, make sure you change your eBay Email address back to your "public" address.
 
Q. Can I purchase additional service when I place my initial order?
A. Yes. You have the opportunity of adding more service when you make a pager purchase.
 
Q. I still have a message-unit balance, but I want to purchase additional service. Do I lose the balance?
A. Absolutely not. If you add more service before your initial time expires, any unused message units will automatically roll over to your new service term. However, if you don’t want or need service, you can let it expire and recharge anytime with no activation fee.

To purchase additional service, click on Purchase More Service from any page.

 
Q. What happens if I don’t use all my message units and my time expires?
A. You will loose any remaining message units.

If you let your service expire, be sure to change your Email address in your eBay user profile. Go to http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ChangeEmail  to make the change.

 
Q. Can I activate and deactivate the optional services at any time?
A. Yes. Caller ID, Voice Mail and Operator Dispatch are all optional services and can be turned on or off at your discretion. Just send your request via Email at ebayagogosupport@mtel.com or call 1-888-SKY-EBAY (1-888-759-3229.) There’s no charge to activate these optional services.
 
Q. What is Caller ID?
A. Caller ID on your pager works just like Caller ID on your telephone. When you receive a number message or a voice mail notification, the name listed for the caller’s telephone follows the message. Caller ID decreases your message-unit balance by 1 unit per message in your Metro zone, and 5 units per message when Nationwide Now is activated, plus the normal charge for words and numbers sent.
 
Q. How does Voice Mail work?
A. Your callers can leave a detailed, confidential voice message up to 60 seconds in length, and you’ll receive a "Voice Message" notification on your pager. You then call your Toll-Free Personal Access Number and enter your Security Code to listen to the message. A Voice Mail message decreases your message-unit balance by 5 units in your Metro zone, and 10 units when Nationwide Now is activated.
 
Q. How does Operator Dispatch service work?
A. With Operator Dispatch service, your caller dictates a message to a SkyTel operator, who then transmits the message to your pager. Twenty (20) message units are deducted for each Operator-dispatched message, plus the normal charge for words and numbers sent.
 
Q. Is my pager covered under warranty if I loose or damage it?
A. No. The manufacturer warrants the pager against defects in material and workmanship under normal use.
 
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