I retract everything good I have said about MTN...ever

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Flidiot

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Cape Town
I have been an MTN subscriber for about 8 years now, my first cellphone contract was with MTN - since then I have never used any other service provider for contracts. Both voice and data.

Recently though, I have been (seriously) considering porting to another provider when my contracts expire.

We have MTN Uncapped Lite at home and it has been great - even when being throttled. I was at least still able to work. The past few weeks though the number of disconnections are increasing, the speed is unusable most of the time and the service from support staff is completely unacceptable. At the moment, it is OK-ish. I am at least able to open a web page and send a few Emails. Since getting online this morning, at about 9am, till 1pm we were unable to do anything. A simple Email of +-300kb took almost 10minutes to send, opening Google was even a challenge. In between those slow-downs the number of timeouts.....damn. And this while our router is reporting full HSPA+ signal...

So logic kicked in, I figured I am being throttled - so I picked up my phone (iPhone, also on MTN, with a data bundle), which indicates that it is connecting with 3G, but even there I could not access my Emails. Web pages were also taking ages to load.

MTN has mentioned on a few occasions that their service may be congested during peak-times, which I understand, but would it really be THIS bad? And would it really be ALL over? Even voice etc. is pathetic at this stage, no matter where I am the last while, the norm seems to be that voice calls take ages to connect (if they connect at 1st try) and incoming calls are being dropped. And this isn't in rural areas or anything like that.

SMS seems fine - but when it comes to data, ugh... Voice calls - not bad, but seeing some issues sticking their heads out more and more.

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? I am wondering if they haven't bitten off more than they can chew with their uncapped services. Maybe it really is just tanking the data network a bit.

I am not very happy right now, at all.
 
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MTN does not give a hoot about South Africa anymore.

Try and phone their callcentre, it's just people laughing in the background and sounds like everyone is having a huge party, but so incompetent it's scary.

When I got my Desire HD from the MTN shop in Canal Walk, Century City a while ago, I had to show the main sales lady how to navigate MTN's web site and where the deals are located.

Ironic that the poor South African citizens funded all their expansions in Africa and abroad.

They suck donkey balls, leave them as fast as you can. I suggest 8ta or Cell C.
 
kingrob said:
Try and phone their callcentre, it's just people laughing in the background and sounds like everyone is having a huge party, but so incompetent it's scary.
Click to expand...

This is so true - the number of times that I have called in and actually had to say "sorry but could you please speak up? I cannot hear you over your colleagues..." is unreal. It is so unprofessional and makes it incredibly difficult to get decent support from them. The data support centre is still OK - they are quick, professional and at least relatively clued up. The general customer care centre could learn a thing or two.

kingrob said:
When I got my Desire HD from the MTN shop in Canal Walk, Century City a while ago, I had to show the main sales lady how to navigate MTN's web site and where the deals are located.
Click to expand...

I had the exact same issue at MTN Canal Walk. When I got my upgrade they actually told me that the iPhone which I had ordered (and that they had confirmed was there an hour before), was no longer available and I would have to take a different model - they had sold mine off to someone else. The iStore in Canal Walk was more than happy to help me though... It is pathetic. I remember the days when they went out of their way to cater for their customers. The sad thing is, it was not that long ago. There are still a few good stores, Tygervalley and (on occasion) the branch in Willowbridge (not owned by MTN) are very helpful - Tygervalley especially. I often make the extra effort to go there when I need assistance with something. Canal Walk, Cape Gate etc....bloody hopeless.

For the data side - we are actually going for Telkom/8ta now. We are going in tomorrow to sign up for an ADSL as well as am 8ta data deal, for when we are mobile. Cellphones are a different issue - contracts only expire in 2013 :(
 
Flidiot said:
I have been an MTN subscriber for about 8 years now, my first cellphone contract was with MTN - since then I have never used any other service provider for contracts. Both voice and data.

Recently though, I have been (seriously) considering porting to another provider when my contracts expire.

We have MTN Uncapped Lite at home and it has been great - even when being throttled. I was at least still able to work. The past few weeks though the number of disconnections are increasing, the speed is unusable most of the time and the service from support staff is completely unacceptable. At the moment, it is OK-ish. I am at least able to open a web page and send a few Emails. Since getting online this morning, at about 9am, till 1pm we were unable to do anything. A simple Email of +-300kb took almost 10minutes to send, opening Google was even a challenge. In between those slow-downs the number of timeouts.....damn. And this while our router is reporting full HSPA+ signal...

So logic kicked in, I figured I am being throttled - so I picked up my phone (iPhone, also on MTN, with a data bundle), which indicates that it is connecting with 3G, but even there I could not access my Emails. Web pages were also taking ages to load.

MTN has mentioned on a few occasions that their service may be congested during peak-times, which I understand, but would it really be THIS bad? And would it really be ALL over? Even voice etc. is pathetic at this stage, no matter where I am the last while, the norm seems to be that voice calls take ages to connect (if they connect at 1st try) and incoming calls are being dropped. And this isn't in rural areas or anything like that.

SMS seems fine - but when it comes to data, ugh... Voice calls - not bad, but seeing some issues sticking their heads out more and more.

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? I am wondering if they haven't bitten off more than they can chew with their uncapped services. Maybe it really is just tanking the data network a bit.

I am not very happy right now, at all.
Click to expand...


Hi

Can you PM me the number thats being used in your modem/router, also the area that you are in. I can have a look and check if there are any issues....

Regards
DD
 
I opened this hoping for a rant on MTN's dealings in Iran
 
Flidiot said:
This is so true - the number of times that I have called in and actually had to say "sorry but could you please speak up? I cannot hear you over your colleagues..." is unreal. It is so unprofessional and makes it incredibly difficult to get decent support from them. The data support centre is still OK - they are quick, professional and at least relatively clued up. The general customer care centre could learn a thing or two.



I had the exact same issue at MTN Canal Walk. When I got my upgrade they actually told me that the iPhone which I had ordered (and that they had confirmed was there an hour before), was no longer available and I would have to take a different model - they had sold mine off to someone else. The iStore in Canal Walk was more than happy to help me though... It is pathetic. I remember the days when they went out of their way to cater for their customers. The sad thing is, it was not that long ago. There are still a few good stores, Tygervalley and (on occasion) the branch in Willowbridge (not owned by MTN) are very helpful - Tygervalley especially. I often make the extra effort to go there when I need assistance with something. Canal Walk, Cape Gate etc....bloody hopeless.

For the data side - we are actually going for Telkom/8ta now. We are going in tomorrow to sign up for an ADSL as well as am 8ta data deal, for when we are mobile. Cellphones are a different issue - contracts only expire in 2013 :(
Click to expand...

Can't you cancel your contract? I know you can with Cell C and just pay a cancellation fee and payoff whats you still own on your phone. Isn't contract canceling option compulsory with the CPA?
 
Dr_Data said:
Hi

Can you PM me the number thats being used in your modem/router, also the area that you are in. I can have a look and check if there are any issues....

Regards
DD
Click to expand...

I will just have to dig it up again, if/when I find the number again I will PM you the details. Thanks!
 
ChocolateBadger said:
Can't you cancel your contract? I know you can with Cell C and just pay a cancellation fee and payoff whats you still own on your phone. Isn't contract canceling option compulsory with the CPA?
Click to expand...

I think that can be done, the problem is cashflow - we have 3 contracts, 2x big-ish contracts for voice and then the Uncapped Lite as well. I might phone the call centre later on, just for interest sake...
 
ngadao08 said:
ADSL is better than that MTN Uncapped Lite internet connection. Get ADSL for your home internet needs.
Click to expand...

Funny story: where I stayed previously, the ADSL was so crap that I cancelled it and got the Uncapped Lite. 3 months later I had to move in quite a hurry, naturally, taking the Uncapped Lite with me. It worked OK-ish, we were at least able to work. Fast-forward to 03 June 2012, when the application for a new line with ADSL etc. is being completed @ Telkom Direct.

Problem now is that the Uncapped is going to be "wasted money" till I can find someone to take it over, preferably in an area where it works better than here...
 
Flidiot said:
Funny story: where I stayed previously, the ADSL was so crap that I cancelled it and got the Uncapped Lite. 3 months later I had to move in quite a hurry, naturally, taking the Uncapped Lite with me. It worked OK-ish, we were at least able to work. Fast-forward to 03 June 2012, when the application for a new line with ADSL etc. is being completed @ Telkom Direct.

Problem now is that the Uncapped is going to be "wasted money" till I can find someone to take it over, preferably in an area where it works better than here...
Click to expand...


How much do you pay per month now?
 
terencej said:
Did you get good speeds where you first stayed? What area was it?
Click to expand...

I was initially in La Rochelle - Bellville, speed was good. Speed actually is also not an issue where I stay now in Vredekloof, there are just patches where it gets very slow and unstable, presumably when the network has a high load.
 
Just adding some info RE the disconnections etc.

I hooked up a second monitor to my laptop a day or two ago and while I wasn't "using" the second monitor I left the web interface of the router open to keep an eye on it. It seems as though the router resets the connection itself after a little while, so I got curious as to why. Going through the settings I remembered a setting that MTN suggested I change on the router - the network settings (2G&3G, 3G only etc.). They had instructed me to set it to 3G only. I tried switching back to the default setting of 2G&3G and since then we haven't had a disconnect. While watching the info on web interface now I can see that the signal stays at full bars, but the connection type switches between HSPA+ and EDGE. I guess when the data signal loses some ground, it would disconnect as it was configured not to use 2G.

Still strange though that the connection has the jumps between HSPA+ and EDGE though, especially considering the fact that I have full signal (apparently) all the time.
 
Wonder if that setting is available with the E365 Usb stick. I'll have to check when I get home tonight.

Maybe anyone else knows?
 
terencej said:
Wonder if that setting is available with the E365 Usb stick. I'll have to check when I get home tonight.

Maybe anyone else knows?
Click to expand...

I haven't used a USB modem in ages, but I am almost certain that there was a setting for it in the network settings section of the connection manager.
 
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