MTN's over charging!! 'Late Download' !!

Hi

Just a warning to all MTN users.

Watch out for MTN charging you for calls you thought were free e.g. on weekends your 85 minutes.

This is what happened to me:

I noticed my bill was a bit higher than normal and i was charged for calls on Saturday 2/12/2006 but not on Sunday 3/12/2006. If I had free minutes (which i was sure I had) I shouldnt have been charged at all, if i didnt then i should have been charged both days.

so i called i talk - my service provider. after a few phone calls to and from them - it turns out there was a LATE DOWNLOAD on the system.

i.e. the system didnt recognize that there were free minutes on Saturday but recognized on Sunday! So according to them it's justified since 'you were credited with your free minutes on Sunday'

What bull! It's like offering a free coke to everyone on the weekend and then one week later sending them a bill for the coke they took on Saturday and saying it was a late download but we credited you on Sunday - i.e. you could have come and taken it on Sunday!

abuusamah said:

Hi

Just a warning to all MTN users.

Watch out for MTN charging you for calls you thought were free e.g. on weekends your 85 minutes.

This is what happened to me:

I noticed my bill was a bit higher than normal and i was charged for calls on Saturday 2/12/2006 but not on Sunday 3/12/2006. If I had free minutes (which i was sure I had) I shouldnt have been charged at all, if i didnt then i should have been charged both days.

so i called i talk - my service provider. after a few phone calls to and from them - it turns out there was a LATE DOWNLOAD on the system.

i.e. the system didnt recognize that there were free minutes on Saturday but recognized on Sunday! So according to them it's justified since 'you were credited with your free minutes on Sunday'

What bull! It's like offering a free coke to everyone on the weekend and then one week later sending them a bill for the coke they took on Saturday and saying it was a late download but we credited you on Sunday - i.e. you could have come and taken it on Sunday!

Click to expand...

@abuusamah

I wish I could help but this sounds like a system error on there side as I've never heard of anything like this from MTNSP

If you like I can forward your query Martin his the account manager for ITALK please PM me with your details and I'll have him take a look for ya

Thanks MTNDD

I seem to have had similar problems.

up to now , my query http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=63628

has not been answered.

MTN - some constructive criticism : I really think you should get your 808, 16202, MTN-active , and billing acts together.

MTN_DD - this is not leveled at you.... I know you are trying your best.

hanno

Can confirm that this isn't an isolated case - I noticed the same thing on my iTalk bill last month. (Since it was only a single 20 sec call, didn't bother with it though.)

iTalk's billing system is weird though - they sometimes list data under SMS etc. Also, the sub-totals are never quite correct (but somehow manage to add up correctly in the end).

hanno p990i said:

I seem to have had similar problems.

up to now , my query http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=63628

has not been answered.

MTN - some constructive criticism : I really think you should get your 808, 16202, MTN-active , and billing acts together.

MTN_DD - this is not leveled at you.... I know you are trying your best.

hanno

Click to expand...

No prob

Mybe I should have made the distinction between MTN and MTNSP.

however , essintially I guess you are part of the same company , Which is why I went to MTNSP and some other service provider - you expect less BS from the SP that's closer to the Mother company than some small SP somwhere at the bottom of the food chain.

I must be honest - I never had any such 'technical ' glitches in my 7 years with the meerkat.

Hanno

hanno p990i said:

Mybe I should have made the distinction between MTN and MTNSP.

however , essintially I guess you are part of the same company , Which is why I went to MTNSP and some other service provider - you expect less BS from the SP that's closer to the Mother company than some small SP somwhere at the bottom of the food chain.

I must be honest - I never had any such 'technical ' glitches in my 7 years with the meerkat.

Hanno

Click to expand...

@Hanno

Just to clarify

Your problem is related to MTN Active and 16202 not being real time correct? The update should take place within 24 hours

If you have a billing problem whereby they are charging you more then Herman will have to look into that once the bill closes and advise you accordingly.

So what you saying is the meerkat had a real time update flawlessly between all there systems?

MTNDD

MTN _DD

to clarify :

Hanno

There was a guy called Veeran from iTalk who did all this investigation for me to arrive at the conclusion about the late download.

He also says my billing was correct as i had used my minutes up on Sunday.

I accepted his word - so I'm not querying the billing now.


However I am now in doubt as to MTN's billing (I'm not sure if Italk do their own billing) and this raises the ffg questions:

• How do I know when I can use my free minutes and when I cant.
  
• What then is the use of free minutes (that we pay for anyway) and then
  
• What's the point of staying with MTN ?

abuusamah said:

There was a guy called Veeran from iTalk who did all this investigation for me to arrive at the conclusion about the late download.

He also says my billing was correct as i had used my minutes up on Sunday.

I accepted his word - so I'm not querying the billing now.


However I am now in doubt as to MTN's billing (I'm not sure if Italk do their own billing) and this raises the ffg questions:

• How do I know when I can use my free minutes and when I cant.
  
• What then is the use of free minutes (that we pay for anyway) and then
  
• What's the point of staying with MTN ?

Click to expand...

@abuusamah

All the SP's have a front end system e.g. MTNSP have EPPIX and all the SP's Front end systems connect to a system called ISIS well the way it works with MTNSP is you've got a invoice date so normally it re allocates minutes on your invoice date

What's the point of staying with MTN ? = What do you mean what's the problem please explain?

[*]What then is the use of free minutes (that we pay for anyway) and then = Sorry I don't understand your question

MTN_Data_Dude said:

@abuusamah

All the SP's have a front end system e.g. MTNSP have EPPIX and all the SP's Front end systems connect to a system called ISIS well the way it works with MTNSP is you've got a invoice date so normally it re allocates minutes on your invoice date

What's the point of staying with MTN ? = What do you mean what's the problem please explain?

[*]What then is the use of free minutes (that we pay for anyway) and then = Sorry I don't understand your question

Click to expand...

The question is simple: If I take it out a contract that gives me 100 minutes free every month - how do i know if I can make a free call using these minutes and not be charged since the 'MTN' billing system can have a late download and charge me for calls that were supposed to be free in the first place.

What can't you understand? Have you read my story - in the first post above?

abuusamah said:

The question is simple: If I take it out a contract that gives me 100 minutes free every month - how do i know if I can make a free call using these minutes and not be charged since the 'MTN' billing system can have a late download and charge me for calls that were supposed to be free in the first place.

What can't you understand? Have you read my story - in the first post above?

Click to expand...

Well seems like you unsure of their capabilities of loading your new months free miniutes at the right time, which should be the day after your statement end date. If this is the case and you expect them to make a foul up then just give it an extra day. I personally havnt had any problem with italk, in fact i feel they under-charging me as i made quiet alot of downloading on my card ( well over what my bundle is ) and somehow didnt pay extra.

But really, does it matter when you get those free minutes. Its not like they giving you 90 minutes... still getting what you paid for. Whats a rand or 2 here and there, whether you receive you minutes now, run out of it and pay after that... or pay while waiting for your minutes, then receiving them and not paying for a call for the rest of the month in essence you will still be paying for anything above your 100 minutes. but some people i guess just want total perfection.

@MTNDD i think your company is great service . Vodacom always kept disconnecting my calls. and if you want to dig deeper into vodacom, how bout their lack of sympathy... had two phones bought from them ( both insured and one cash the other contract ) one got stolen through a hi jacking i was involved in and the other while on site at a job. Both occasions they refused to replace it as i did not go through the right process... cops->have phone blacklisted ( who keeps their imei number in their wallet? ) and then only claim. long story short, stopped paying for my contract then they demanded the due fees (which was running up for about 1yr) in cash so i told them give me all my minutes then which was 120 any-time then and what happens, they dropped the case. and well for the cash hpone, just called it a loss as i was tired of fighting with them.

Moral of the thread, no cellular sp is truely perfect but mtn comes a hell of alot closer than the meerkat. Just my opinion

P.s. Even a meerkat falls prey to the predator.

abuusamah said:

The question is simple: If I take it out a contract that gives me 100 minutes free every month - how do i know if I can make a free call using these minutes and not be charged since the 'MTN' billing system can have a late download and charge me for calls that were supposed to be free in the first place.

What can't you understand? Have you read my story - in the first post above?

Click to expand...

Good day,

Sorry for misunderstanding

The only way of checking free minutes if you're with MTNSP is via 16202 or MTN Active and if you're with another SP you can dial 258 which is charged for but all these systems like on Vodacom only update after 24 Hours so there are no real time systems at the moment

If you have a contract it allocates you a bill run e.g. My mom's bill run is on the 11th which is your invoice date so you'll receive your free minutes on the 12th to the 11th of the next month if in fact ITALK are charging you for something that was suppose to be for free and didn't then they'll have to investigate but as I mentioned if you want you can PM me your details and I can have Martin the National Accounts Executive for ITALK take a look into why you were changed if you still had free minutes and then once I receive the feedback I can advise accordingly

MTNDD

abuusamah said:

Hi

Just a warning to all MTN users.

Watch out for MTN charging you for calls you thought were free e.g. on weekends your 85 minutes.

This is what happened to me:

I noticed my bill was a bit higher than normal and i was charged for calls on Saturday 2/12/2006 but not on Sunday 3/12/2006. If I had free minutes (which i was sure I had) I shouldnt have been charged at all, if i didnt then i should have been charged both days.

so i called i talk - my service provider. after a few phone calls to and from them - it turns out there was a LATE DOWNLOAD on the system.

i.e. the system didnt recognize that there were free minutes on Saturday but recognized on Sunday! So according to them it's justified since 'you were credited with your free minutes on Sunday'

What bull! It's like offering a free coke to everyone on the weekend and then one week later sending them a bill for the coke they took on Saturday and saying it was a late download but we credited you on Sunday - i.e. you could have come and taken it on Sunday!

Click to expand...

This was escalated to Krish from ITALK today from the account manager for ITALK I'm really sorry for the delay

MTNDD