Website to send free text messages?

[Saracen]

I've found many sites which let you send free text messages to a mobile, but some look distinctly dodgy. How can I find a reputable one which won't sell the recipients' numbers on so they get spammed?

I have a very basic mobile phone and it isn't easy to type in a text! I'd rather do it online.

I've been using CardboardFish which looks reputable. Sometimes it is too busy, so I'd like to have another one to use as well.

Thanks for any advice!

I've used www.boltblue.com/ in the past and not had any problems - was years ago though!

Thanks for that, it looks like it's probably OK!

Cheers.

Have to admit the only free texts I have sent have been from Orange as I have a few PAYG mobile accounts with them, and each number is allowed 30 free texts a month.

Other than Orange, I have used 1899.com which charges 3p per text, though if I expected to send a lot of text messages in a short period, buying an extra (100p for 50 texts on Orange, valid a day) would probably be the option I'd choose.

Assume that boltblue and others make money by adding some advert to msg, cutting down what user can send. (Orange free texts have waffle on the end, including my PAYG number, so cut what I can type to ~130 characters).

Yes, CardboardFish and BoltBlue both put an ad onto the end of the text, which I don't mind. I am usually just exchanging short texts with my dd about when and where she needs to be picked up or whether she is going to be late home, so I don't need much space!

They seem to make most of their money by selling other services on the website you visit in order to send the text. On CardboardFish you can buy a premium service where you can send more texts, texts without the advertising, have a convenient online "phone book" with your favourite contacts, keep a log of texts sent and received, etc. On BoltBlue you can buy ringtones, games and wallpaper for your mobile.

This reassures me, actually, because I can see that the company has a motivation for offering the free service. The websites I visited which had no obvious way of making any money by offering free texts are the ones I classed as "dodgy."