How long do MTN pre-paid data bundles last?

[sque]

What is going on with data bundle expiry dates ??

I loaded a fresh MTN 500mb data bundle 3 November 2010.
The voice prompt said it would last for 60 days and said my expiry date is 3 January 2011.
On Thursday 11th November I received the following 2 sms messages:

one from 555 at 9.09am which says 'your remaining unused data bundle
will expire in 48 hours' = 13/11

one from 083 123 0062 at 9.12am which says 'some of your data content
will expire on 13/11. please dial *141*1# for balance details.'

I dial*141*1# and it says my total data will expire on 13/12

I am currently sitting with 3 different expiry dates for one data bundle loading.
13/11 and 13/12 and the correct one which the voice prompt gave on
initial loading which is 03/01/2011.

I receive the above 2 sms’s on the 11th day of EVERY month, no matter which date I load my data bundle. This has been going on for a year now.
Is this a system error?
An MTN reply on a hello peter complaint reads:

Bundle data has a lifespan of 60 days and will expire thereafter.
You can convert airtime to data by using the 141 or the 555 menu.
Regards,
Paul
MTN Service Provider

Nobody at MTN will address this complaint. They ignore it. AND each month these sms's arrive.


When I try to submit this as a MTN complaint on hello peter my internet shuts down.

[sque]

I queried with MTN why my new data bundle was demolished before the 60 days were up. I am pay as you go. This is the reply they sent me.
"An MTN data bundle will last for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days. MTN sends a message that advises the customer of the expiry when a customer loads a bundle. Additional bundles loaded in the same month will share the same expiry date as the first bundle loaded for that month with the minimum 30 day rule being applied."
Surely then their 60 day advert is misleading or is it false advertising?
It doesn't make any sense. Many subscribers are losing a load of data bundles. check out hellopeter complaints.

[Terencek]

No that doesn't really make sense. My MTN prepaid data bundles have always lasted the full 60 days from loading. Vodacom of course uses a different system: validity is until the end of the next calendar month. And my local Cell C rep insists that their new promotional prepaid data packages do in fact roll over for up to three months, while the Cell C terms and conditions say no rollover! Ah, data life is so complicated in South Africa....

[brocken eagle]

I too have recently lost 870Mb of data due to this. I always buy 2gigs per month and prtobably use them up faster than 1 month. However, I used much less during November but was not concerned because I thought that it would last 60 days. However on the 2 Dec I discovered that my remaining 870 Mb had disappeared overnight, 30 days since purchasing. Of course this raised my bloodpressure somewhat but not half as much as the slow connection that I now have. I often used to download at speeds in excess of 300kb/s, now I'm struggling to get above 15kb/s. The MTN dashboard reads HSDPA and the signal strength 100%. I stopped using Vodacom because I could only get edge which rarely went above 15kb/s. Now I'm back to where I started it seems. Cel C, hurry-up to Sedgefield, we need you!

Here is my speed test. Anybody know how to sort this out? Is this permanent or do you think it's just faulty shaping or something else on their side? Perhaps there are now too many people using MTN data and we must till a lot of people get very upset and find alternate internet access before the situation will improve???

http://www.pingtest.net/result/30991520.png

[Larry101]

I bought a 2GB data bundle on 30 November last year. It's supposed to last for 60 days (until approx. end of January). On 4th of January MTN sends me an sms telling me my data bundle will expire in 48 hours. I thought they must be referring to the previous one, but surprise surprise, they nuked my latest one (all 500 MB left of it) on the 6th of January. Anybody else experienced this??

edit: ok somebody kindly moved my post here, so i see it is a common problem. i'll try harassing MTN about ti.

[NN123]

So is MTN bundles only valid for 30 days

[ambroseg1]

This is total crap, why can't prepaid bundles last indefinately? to force you to use up your data and buy more.....

surprised nobody has so much as given this comment a "+1" because it is the honest truth.

[NN123]

So is MTN bundles only valid for 30 days

????????

[NN123]

surprised nobody has so much as given this comment a "+1" because it is the honest truth.

+1. They wanna make more money

[system32]

Why do MTN pre-paid data bundles expire after 30-60days?
The expiry is in disregard with provisions in the Consumer Protection Act wrt pre-paid purchases.

http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/wendy-kno...pire-1.1140261

The National Consumer Commission’s Phumeza Mlungu said the Commission had served the mobile operators with compliance notices for non-compliance with the CPA, including “the matter of pre-paid data expiry”.

“The cellphone operators have raised objections to these compliance notices, so the NCC will seek for the National Consumer Tribunal to impose administrative fines against them.”

The maximum fine allowed for by the Act is R1 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is the greater.

What can we do to pressure MTN to comply with the CPA?

[ginggs]

Why do MTN pre-paid data bundles expire after 30-60days?
The expiry is in disregard with provisions in the Consumer Protection Act wrt pre-paid purchases.

http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/wendy-kno...pire-1.1140261

What can we do to pressure MTN to comply with the CPA?

That bit in the CPA is to do with expiry of vouchers. Once the voucher has been activated you are subject to the service providers' rules.