Edgar replies: Jen, if you normally get charged for incoming text messages, you are most likely charged for their thank you message. The easiest way to tell is to check your balance before sending the text message, and then again after you get the thank you.”

Premium Text Messaging rates don’t seem to apply to Tracfone (I have one as well). Every text message is 0.3 units regardless of the type of text message – Twitter’s ’40404′ is classified as a Premium Text Messaging service and I get deducted the same number of units as a regular text. I suspect AT&T (Tracfone’s primary carrier) eats the entire cost of premium texts on Tracfone. I suppose if people start abusing this functionality, Tracfone/AT&T would make premium texting vanish real fast. It does have the advantage of sending $10 to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan for about 35 cents (roughly the cost of a single text message on Tracfone).

Edgar replies: Jen, if you normally get charged for incoming text messages, you are most likely charged for their thank you message. The easiest way to tell is to check your balance before sending the text message, and then again after you get the thank you.

Also, in Nico’s view, offering to play the game for free only via the Internet is a viable alternate means.

Want a 1-800 number to call? Pfft. 1-800 numbers COST money, so that went the way of the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” contest. Also note that these contests are a way to force viewers to watch the show in real time, not time-shifting TiVo. This guarantees the advertisers more viewers.