*UPDATE
The problem mostly occurred with Sprint users... there were messages containing only @ symbols, messages with @ symbols between each letter, and blank messages. This also happened with friends of mine on AT&T and T-Mobile, but less frequently.
I tried AT&T first, but I knew that I was not going to get anywhere when the representative asked me to turn my phone around and remove the battery, then take out the SIM card. She was very nice, but had no idea what to do with an iPhone. She ended up sending me a "test text," and I received it, so she concluded that my text messaging was working just fine. Indeed it was, the problem was the content of the texts.
I then called Apple, and the representative concluded that it was a network issue because it began happening with my 3G a couple weeks prior to upgrading to the 3G[S]... the Apple representative connected me with an AT&T representative who assigned me a case number. Unfortunately, when I received the call back from the representative, I missed the call. I also missed the call from the second representative. In their messages, each representative told me to call an 800 number and any representative could pull up the case and assist me...
Call #1 - The representative asked me 3 questions, and the answer to each question was NO. One had something to do with switching some sort of international setting while typing; which by the way I have no idea how to do. The other question had to do with "special characters," and I cannot remember the third question. She also sent me a "test text," and concluded that my text was working fine, and she said that there was nothing else she could do. I found this strange because in the messages left by the 2 representatives, I was told that after answering the 3 questions, my case would be elevated, and investigated further.
Call #2 - Pretty much similar to the first call, except the representative had the audacity to tell me that as a "smart phone" user, I will need to turn the phone off and then turn it back on from time to time, and suggested that I do that after each scrambled text. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard regarding cellular phones... I am not paying over $100 per month to have to turn my phone on and off every time I want to text certain people... Dropped calls were bad enough, and now I was supposed to put up with text errors? Absolutely ridiculous... Furthermore, I had already tried that, and it did not work.
There may have been a Call #3, and possibly a Call#4... I cannot quite remember... if so, the calls were all pretty much the same... a "test text," was sent which confirmed that text messaging was working on my phone. Apparently the representatives that continued to do that have comprehension issues. Text messaging was working, the content was the issue.
I called Apple back... the representative that answered the call immediately took control of the situation, added an AT&T representative to the call, and remained on the line while he trouble shooted. All trouble shooting strategies were unsuccessful. My call was immediately transfered to another AT&T representative (Apple representative still on the line), and I was sent a new SIM card, which was thought to be the problem. After receiving and activating the new SIM card, the problem persisted. The Apple representative set up an appointment at the Genius Bar, and I received a replacement iPhone 3G[S]. All text messages are now received and readable by the recipients regardless of the network.
