Fundamental problems with CDBs [Contract Data Bundles] & what you want changed

[Hintry]

Is there anyway to request an automatic disconnect from Vodacom after reaching one's limit?

[vodacom3g]

Currently not. When you reach your cap and exceed it, you go into the out-of-bundle rate.

A few options are being considered when you reach your cap:

1) Carry on at the out-of-bundle rate - The current situation.
2) Get blocked till the end of the month.
3) Buy additional bundles.

[Edinetz]

Surely you can request a soft limit - I not sure what its called but its on by default on all new contracts through VodacomSP for the first 3 months. When your call costs reach a certain amount your SP locks your SIM. All you should need to do is reduce it to say R1.

[bb_matt]

4) significantly lower data rate

?

[Diago]

I think these options should be available but a user choice. I for one may want to go over my cap. I have not as yet reached mine but that is bound to happen at some point. Also any feedback on rollover off available bandwidth ?

[vodacom3g]

Still awaiting response on roll-over.

Edinetz, using soft locking at R1 is a novel approach!

Soft locking is a Service Provider function, for example the VSP locking on new contracts. I've asked VSP to comment on soft locking data contracts. Will post their response.

Not to sure what other SP's can or will do.

[diabolus]

I would actually prefer a type of prepaid/topup system though, as was mentioned. For example you do not go into the current "free float out of bundle", you buy your bundle and use it, when it's used up you buy another one.[So you basically can't connect if you haven't topped up] Just like the R29, R50 and R110 vouchers you can buy at Pick'nPay for prepaid cells :P

All this implies : Instant and Multiple Bundles [thus not the current month to month setup]. Plus it'll mean it'll have to "carry-over" , you won't loose unused MB just like you don't loose prepaid minutes.

So ideally i would like to say pay R200 "up front" and use 250 MB, if i'm in the middle of month and it's gone, i'd like to simply put down another R200. The rates should still apply [i.e. buying a R600 bundle gives 1GB etc etc], so you gain the larger the bundle.

Of course the ability to simply free float should still exist , but then it should be contract based [i.e. you pay a special rate ALL THE TIME , so you do not need any bundling ].

Exactly like the cellphone setup. The more you pay per month the better the rates. You do not suddenly go back to prepaid callrates after say 300 minutes if you're on a contract , do you?.

Either way Vodacom will have to impose some sort of 'preventative' measure , because you can get 'online' for extremely low 'startup' costs , and then you can get burnt really bad on the usage [wait till that 50MB windows update start downloading while you're quickly making coffee] .

Imagine you're on MTN and not aware of the R50 p/mb costs.....[points to another amusing thread]

[Hintry]

The problem is the because the Vodacom4me webpage is 3 hours out (I also suspect its unreliable as last night my data balances remained unchanged over a 6 hour period even though I was downloading like a demon) - you can't guage where you stand. My situation is made worse by the fact that my 3G card is utilised over multiple laptops, and I often leave the downloading unsupervised.

[vodacom3g]

This is the response I received on putting soft lock onto data cards:

"Yes its called a call limit and you can make it anything above 0. Once the call limit is activated you will receive an sms when you reach 50% of the limit 90% and then you will be soft locked at 100%"

Sounds pretty much what you wanted. Ask your SP if they can do this for you. Also ask about te impact of the billing records not being real-time.

[bosun]

The problem is the because the Vodacom4me webpage is 3 hours out (I also suspect its unreliable as last night my data balances remained unchanged over a 6 hour period even though I was downloading like a demon) - you can't guage where you stand. My situation is made worse by the fact that my 3G card is utilised over multiple laptops, and I often leave the downloading unsupervised.

There is a reason nothing changed over the 6 hour period - you did not stop and start new sessions. Their billing system can only generate a ticket when you disconnect, or at midnight when they force a ticket to be generated.

This is one reason why "value capping" on data services has never worked. If you start a session just after midnight and shift data all day like it is going out of fashion you could easily move a couple of Gig beore the billing system would even know about you (and then generate a "call" costing several thousand rand)

If you really want call limit locking to work, you need to disconnect frequently, and not reconnect for a couple of hours at least (as this is how long it can take the call records to get to the service provider)

Sadly, at this stage, I think it is up to you to be disciplined (and enforce discipline).

[bosun]

This is the response I received on putting soft lock onto data cards:

"Yes its called a call limit and you can make it anything above 0. Once the call limit is activated you will receive an sms when you reach 50% of the limit 90% and then you will be soft locked at 100%"

Sounds pretty much what you wanted. Ask your SP if they can do this for you. Also ask about te impact of the billing records not being real-time.

Historically call limits has worked reasonably well for voice, as voice calls are automatically "dropped" after an hour (my experience) so a billing ticket can be created before the bill gets too high. This is not the case with the data services (GPRS or 3G) and so, a single session can be many hours long - up to a day before a billing ticket is forced - and consequently they can be very expensive. (See previous posting)

The "Real time" effect you refer to is the time taken for a call to get from the network to the SP, and then for the SP to do something with it. With the data calls you could be looking at anything up to 26 or 28 hours (worst case) from the time a session is initiated to the time the SP receives the record and then does something.

V3g - what I would like to know is - if the SP tries to soft lock my line, while I am in the middle of a session, will it be enforced? I.e. will my call be terminated by the network? If not, and I happen to be in an area with great reception, and my Windows is being unusually stable, then I imagine I could stay connected forever - regardless of any limits. Perhaps you could enlighten us on this, especially w.r.t. call limit locking.

[Diago]

Just a comment but I know on Softlocking voice if you are in a call it does not cut the call and you can go over the limit, wouldn't the same rule apply on the above if we had real time data billing ? Or am I misundertanding the concept ?

[Edinetz]

Just a comment but I know on Softlocking voice if you are in a call it does not cut the call and you can go over the limit, wouldn't the same rule apply on the above if we had real time data billing ?

There is no doubt you can go over the limit as it takes time for a billing ticket to be generated (approx half and hour for an intermediate - network dependant), collected, processed and the HLR update with the call bar.

[Diago]

Thanks. Hopefully the "soft locking" won't be as bad as the current system in place for voice however. Having been through the whole process a few times it can be quite cumbersome.

[Hintry]

There is a reason nothing changed over the 6 hour period - you did not stop and start new sessions. Their billing system can only generate a ticket when you disconnect, or at midnight when they force a ticket to be generated.

V3G, is this correct?