Afrihost Mobile Feedback Thread

[AfriGenie]

How strange.

Ok...suppose then one should look @ the R99.00 per month being for the 1GIG data and think of the R39.00 airtime as a bonus?

As I mentioned previously, you should find the best possible package for you, if you are having to top-up regularly, then I would recommend looking at a larger package.

 

[cpbotha]

AfriPeople I hope that you can help me with "Package status: Failed" in the ClientZone for my ported number. I have reported everything under ticket number FLJ-519-15864 -- last night a friendly Afrihost support person took a look at this, but postponed real work to today. Today so far the ticket has received no attention.

Summary: I can call and be called, but service is reported as "failed" in the client zone, and I received an email from Afrihost that porting had failed due to "RICA suspended state". See below (and ticket) for more details.

Yesterday, I ported my prepaid Vodacom number over to Afrihost. After the final SMS that porting had been successful, and getting "no service" on the old SIM, I inserted the new SIM.

At this point I received a class 0 message on the phone that I should phone 173. I did, and was told by an automated voice that the service was "RICA barred" (at least it sounded like that). After a while though, SMSes started coming in, and I could dial the code to give afrihost permission to get to my service.

After a while I received an email from afrihost that porting had failed, with this message: "E0387 - Invalid request while subscriber in RICA suspended state". WHOOPS!

Also, in the clientzone my number now shows with status "failed", and the balance can't be retrieved. Could you take a look at this?

 

[Ockie]

If you have an airtime value over R39,50 - for example R45 - we won't remove the R45 to allocate R39,50 to your account.

Oh man...now I am confused again.

 

[Ockie]

Oh no wait ...ok ... so you will keep R45.00, but just wont get R39.50 added to the R45.00 and will still be billed R99.00. Right ... think I got it. Jirre .... this screwed with my head lol

 

[AfriGenie]

Oh no wait ...ok ... so you will keep R45.00, but just wont get R39.50 added to the R45.00 and will still be billed R99.00. Right ... think I got it. Jirre .... this screwed with my head lol

That is exactly how it works.

 

[Viva]

Oh no wait ...ok ... so you will keep R45.00, but just wont get R39.50 added to the R45.00 and will still be billed R99.00. Right ... think I got it. Jirre .... this screwed with my head lol

That's it. This is a weird system to my mind. I just don't understand why one would choose to pay without receiving the benefits while there are better options available.

Prepaid wins.

 

[Ockie]

That's it. This is a weird system to my mind. I just don't understand why one would choose to pay without receiving the benefits while there are better options available.

Prepaid wins.

I think I would go for it. I dont phone a lot, but will make sure end of the month that I used all the airtime so I dont lose it.

 

[AfriGenie]

AfriPeople I hope that you can help me with "Package status: Failed" in the ClientZone for my ported number. I have reported everything under ticket number FLJ-519-15864 -- last night a friendly Afrihost support person took a look at this, but postponed real work to today. Today so far the ticket has received no attention.

Summary: I can call and be called, but service is reported as "failed" in the client zone, and I received an email from Afrihost that porting had failed due to "RICA suspended state". See below (and ticket) for more details.

Yesterday, I ported my prepaid Vodacom number over to Afrihost. After the final SMS that porting had been successful, and getting "no service" on the old SIM, I inserted the new SIM.

At this point I received a class 0 message on the phone that I should phone 173. I did, and was told by an automated voice that the service was "RICA barred" (at least it sounded like that). After a while though, SMSes started coming in, and I could dial the code to give afrihost permission to get to my service.

After a while I received an email from afrihost that porting had failed, with this message: "E0387 - Invalid request while subscriber in RICA suspended state". WHOOPS!

Also, in the clientzone my number now shows with status "failed", and the balance can't be retrieved. Could you take a look at this?

It looks like there was an issue with the RICA status on the sim card.

The sim card that you are trying to port over, was it recently purchased?

 

[saor]

When There's Airtime Left Over
If you don't use up all your Airtime, or you do, then top up your account and don't deplete the topup by the time the new monthly cycle starts, you will be allocated the difference to bring your balance in line with your monthly total.

+1 to convoluted sentences. Grammatically that's such a difficult sentence to follow.

That is absolutely correct.

I'm not getting this.

I thought part of the R99 p/m was toward my R39.50.
So if I fork out for more airtime mid-month and I get say a R100 topup...then I also forfeit my R39.50 the following month . So the more I spend with you the less value for money I get?

 

[saor]

Sorry - but you can't advertise part of the package as including R39.50 airtime per month, then tell me I forfeit that if I have airtime on my phone which exceeds that value. Unless I'm missing something here - you're being quite dishonest with your pricing / leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[AfriGenie]

+1 to convoluted sentences. Grammatically that's such a difficult sentence to follow.

I'm not getting this.

I thought part of the R99 p/m was toward my R39.50.
So if I fork out for more airtime mid-month and I get say a R100 topup...then I also forfeit my R39.50 the following month . So the more I spend with you the less value for money I get?

View attachment 336459

Sorry - but you can't advertise part of the package as including R39.50 airtime per month, then tell me I forfeit that if I have airtime on my phone which exceeds that value. Unless I'm missing something here - you're being quite dishonest with your pricing / leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

On the Product Page, the airtime and data allocations are broken down and explained, I'm really sorry if you feel this isn't the product for you, our Team has tried hard to get a decent balance value and cost.

 

[saor]

On the Product Page, the airtime and data allocations are broken down and explained, I'm really sorry if you feel this isn't the product for you, our Team has tried hard to get a decent balance value and cost.

Surely you can see how ridiculous this is? The more I spend with you (airtime topup) the less I get ie. I forefeit the R39.50 I'm paying for.
It's not that I feel this isn't the product for me, it's that I feel I'm being screwed by not receiving what I paid for each month (the airtime). I can't micromanage my airtime like this to make sure I don't accidentally have too much available when the month rolls over.

This isn't about feels...it's about the policy on this being completely unreasonable, and your unwillingness to admit as much. You haven't once explained it in a way that justifies what Afrihost are doing here.

 

[AfriGenie]

Surely you can see how ridiculous this is? The more I spend with you (airtime topup) the less I get ie. I forefeit the R39.50 I'm paying for.
It's not that I feel this isn't the product for me, it's that I feel I'm being screwed by not receiving what I paid for each month (the airtime). I can't micromanage my airtime like this to make sure I don't accidentally have too much available when the month rolls over.

This isn't about feels...it's about the policy on this being completely unreasonable, and your unwillingness to admit as much. You haven't once explained it in a way that justifies what Afrihost are doing here.

The idea isn't about micromanaging your account, but in getting the right package for your needs. If you are on the Mobile S package and only using R29 or you are having to top-up multiple times in a month, then you need to consider a smaller package or a larger one.

Remember these packages are entirely month to month, so there is nothing stopping you from upgrading or downgrading your package as you need to during the course of the month.

 

[saor]

While that's all true, it doesn't negate the fact that the data per month as shown in the advert is misleading. It isn't immediately obvious that there are caveats. You're essentially advertising one thing, then stipulating something else entirely in your T&c's.



^^^ See how there's no indication in the actual advert that in certain conditions you don't actually get your allotted airtime per month? That you stand to forefeit it under very reasonable conditions?

 

[surfs-up]

AfriPeople I hope that you can help me with "Package status: Failed" in the ClientZone for my ported number. I have reported everything under ticket number FLJ-519-15864 -- last night a friendly Afrihost support person took a look at this, but postponed real work to today. Today so far the ticket has received no attention.

Summary: I can call and be called, but service is reported as "failed" in the client zone, and I received an email from Afrihost that porting had failed due to "RICA suspended state". See below (and ticket) for more details.

Yesterday, I ported my prepaid Vodacom number over to Afrihost. After the final SMS that porting had been successful, and getting "no service" on the old SIM, I inserted the new SIM.

At this point I received a class 0 message on the phone that I should phone 173. I did, and was told by an automated voice that the service was "RICA barred" (at least it sounded like that). After a while though, SMSes started coming in, and I could dial the code to give afrihost permission to get to my service.

After a while I received an email from afrihost that porting had failed, with this message: "E0387 - Invalid request while subscriber in RICA suspended state". WHOOPS!

Also, in the clientzone my number now shows with status "failed", and the balance can't be retrieved. Could you take a look at this?

I have had EXACTLY the same problems when trying to port from Cell C - I jumped through the hoops exactly as told by Afrihost and MTN. But I ended up with the same faults as you - error message E0387. I decided to walk into the MTN office and deal with them direct. They said they had to reset something...then it appeared to work, I got receive calls and could make calls. But my Afrihost package has not been loaded...and I cannot see balances....and it also reports as "failed" in client zone.

The guy from Afrihost on the phone has no idea how to rectify this....they have tried doing a manual connect to MTN many times, but it still doesn't work ? Oh boy

My other two Afrihost mobile packages that I bought, worked fast and true. Up and running really fast....no problems. Beware if you are trying to port to Afrihost.....lets hope they can figure out the problems

 

[AfriGenie]

I have had EXACTLY the same problems when trying to port from Cell C - I jumped through the hoops exactly as told by Afrihost and MTN. But I ended up with the same faults as you - error message E0387. I decided to walk into the MTN office and deal with them direct. They said they had to reset something...then it appeared to work, I got receive calls and could make calls. But my Afrihost package has not been loaded...and I cannot see balances....and it also reports as "failed" in client zone.

The guy from Afrihost on the phone has no idea how to rectify this....they have tried doing a manual connect to MTN many times, but it still doesn't work ? Oh boy

My other two Afrihost mobile packages that I bought, worked fast and true. Up and running really fast....no problems. Beware if you are trying to port to Afrihost.....lets hope they can figure out the problems

We've had a few instances of RICA documentation not being correctly processed by the seller and this is only really picked up when our system needs to verify the RICA status of the sim card, and does not receive a valid response.

Porting can only occur if a sim card's RICA status can be 100% confirmed. I know that this can be frustrating to deal with, but it is unfortunately a regulation that we must abide by.

 

[Chingha]

The idea isn't about micromanaging your account, but in getting the right package for your needs. If you are on the Mobile S package and only using R29 or you are having to top-up multiple times in a month, then you need to consider a smaller package or a larger one.

Remember these packages are entirely month to month, so there is nothing stopping you from upgrading or downgrading your package as you need to during the course of the month.

This conversation needs to be seen in the context of the current state of your offering.

Personally, if your Auto Topup system was working I wouldn't be as annoyed as I am. The sales pitch was , set it to R25 rand amounts and when your airtime is 90% depleted it will automatically top up. I'm happy with that, the problem is that it isn't working!

 

[surfs-up]

If you have an airtime value over R39,50 - for example R45 - we won't remove the R45 to allocate R39,50 to your account.

AfriGenie I feel for you it's not your fault that management have worded their offerings so badly

It would have been much more acceptable if they had ponied up and said >>> Okay, we will remove your remaining minutes/airtime, and replace it with R 39,50 at the beginning of each month, for which you will be billed.

To say that if you have a large balance at the end of the month, and they will leave R 39,50 of it there, and not give you your new months R39,50 which you paid for, just sounds far worse. Afrihost need to just talk straight and say that you will forfeit your balance and be given R 39,50 at the beginning of each month, for which you will pay for i.e.. it does NOT carry over.

I think this wording was aimed to confuse the general peeps into thinking their data doesn't expire. But it will backfire

I still love Afrihost. I just have to judge what my expected use is, and get the right package accordingly....as suggested by AfriGenie

 

[AfriGenie]

AfriGenie I feel for you it's not your fault that management have worded their offerings so badly

It would have been much more acceptable if they had ponied up and said >>> Okay, we will remove your remaining minutes/airtime, and replace it with R 39,50 at the beginning of each month, for which you will be billed.

To say that if you have a large balance at the end of the month, and they will leave R 39,50 of it there, and not give you your new months R39,50 which you paid for, just sounds far worse. Afrihost need to just talk straight and say that you will forfeit your balance and be given R 39,50 at the beginning of each month, for which you will pay for i.e.. it does NOT carry over.

I think this wording was aimed to confuse the general peeps into thinking their data doesn't expire. But it will backfire

I still love Afrihost. I just have to judge what my expected use is, and get the right package accordingly....as suggested by AfriGenie

The problem then is what about the person that loads R100 in airtime on the second last day, then loses all that remaining airtime at the start of the new month.

There are pros and cons to each version of the product, and finding that balance is the tough part.

I just want to be very clear that it is definitely NOT or intention to confuse or mislead anyone, and the reception that our Voice products have received is definitely something we are looking at.

 

[Ockie]

There are pros and cons to each version of the product, and finding that balance is the tough part.

.

Does that statement not raise a red flag with any of you? Especially product development? I at first thought it was a great thing you guys did....but as all this weird wording and rules and greenfield and you have this balance so now you not getting the monthly top up but you still pay your full R99.00 idea came to light I have to admit, I am feeling rather skittish about going with you guys. It is starting to feel like Afrihost is actually trying to make it seem straight forward, but in the background it is actually complex and hoping clients get fooled into thinking they are going to get one thing, but end up being out of pocket from what they thought they would be getting. That is my opinion.