"Airtime Advance" scam

E

EFFING

New Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Midrand
Am I the only one who's been scammed by this? I buy a staff member a R354 uChoose Flexi. Now he gets R354 airtime and if he goes over it, he needs to top up from his own pocket. Now he's found "Airtime Advance" - Uses it to the tune of R140 every month, and that gets whacked onto MY bill, so Vodacom is "advancing" him airtime that I pay for which is a complete robbery. Nowhere did I as a corporate account holder accept the "Airtime Advance" service.

And do you think I can find a way to cancel said "Airtime Advance" service. How does one even send an email request to Vodacom. Their website doesn't allow you to, nor does it give an email address for service queries. It tries to solve problems with it's (not so) clever FAQ system.

What a scam
 
MightyQuin said:
You are being scammed by your staff member, not Vodacom.

Sort him out. Subtract the R140 per month from his salary.

Vodacom is doing nothing wrong.
Click to expand...
+1
It's a corporate phone, if your employ can't use it responsibly, don't give it to him.
A better option would be to pick a top-up contract for employees, not sure if Vodacom offers that though.
 
Johnatan56 said:
+1
It's a corporate phone, if your employ can't use it responsibly, don't give it to him.
A better option would be to pick a top-up contract for employees, not sure if Vodacom offers that though.
Click to expand...

I do believe uChoose Flexi is a Topup style contract.
 
MightyQuin said:
You are being scammed by your staff member, not Vodacom.

Sort him out. Subtract the R140 per month from his salary.

Vodacom is doing nothing wrong.
Click to expand...

This. Let him sign an AOD and thats that, besides Vodacom has bigger things to deal with at the moment.
 
MightyQuin said:
Vodacom is doing nothing wrong.
Click to expand...

Ja right - Do you work for Vodacom? Vodacom has added a service and not given me the option of opting in or out of it. How does one go about canceling Airtime Advance on a prepaid contract? Try searching Vodacom's useless website for a clue. I did.

Screenshot 2019-02-03 at 13.35.05.png
 
Johnatan56 said:
+1
It's a corporate phone, if your employ can't use it responsibly, don't give it to him.
A better option would be to pick a top-up contract for employees, not sure if Vodacom offers that though.
Click to expand...
The guy is a driver and needs to be contactable. The orignal "contract" is a TopUp that we've had for years.

My issue is that the capability to do the Airtime Advance is an "added service" by Vodacom without me being able to opt in or out of. I just want a plain simple Topup contract.
 
EFFING said:
Ja right - Do you work for Vodacom? Vodacom has added a service and not given me the option of opting in or out of it. How does one go about canceling Airtime Advance on a prepaid contract? Try searching Vodacom's useless website for a clue. I did.

View attachment 614806
Click to expand...
7. As a prepaid customer our are allowed at any time to contact Vodacom to request for the airtime advance service to be deactivated/removed from your profile
https://www.vodacom.co.za/vodacom/terms/airtime-advance-terms-and-conditions
Click to expand...

Your Google Fu sucks. :p


As an aside, all these "emergency top up" stuff require the employee to actively opt-in, it is still the employee at fault here, not Vodacom.
Just give warnings for using that advance airtime, it's the same as theft on the employee's part.
 
Last edited:
Johnatan56 said:
Your Google Fu sucks. :p
Click to expand...

Thank you for the link, however, the first line of the Terms and Conditions:
By subscribing to the Vodacom Airtime Advance (“the Services”), you agree to the following terms and conditions:
Click to expand...

I, as the account holder didn't subscribe to the service. In addition, the Ts&Cs show you how to opt INTO the service but no OUT of the service.
 
EFFING said:
Thank you for the link, however, the first line of the Terms and Conditions:


I, as the account holder didn't subscribe to the service. In addition, the Ts&Cs show you how to opt INTO the service but no OUT of the service.
Click to expand...
I edited my post, and again, it's not Vodacom's responsibility, it's yours. Give warnings for the employee doing so and subtract it from his salary, he's the one who gave permission/agreed to the terms and conditions.
Contact Vodacom and ask if they can disable it on the SIM, but doubt it.

Another option is move them to Telkom and give them R50 in their salary or give them R70/R100 airtime slips, and they must buy Telkom FreeMe bundles.
https://secure.telkom.co.za/today/shop/plan/freeme-bundles-plan/

Includes calling other Telkom numbers plus the social media data can be used for calls as well. You could also get it on top-up contract, but same deal as with Vodacom.
 
Last edited:
EFFING said:
Thank you for the link, however, the first line of the Terms and Conditions:


I, as the account holder didn't subscribe to the service. In addition, the Ts&Cs show you how to opt INTO the service but no OUT of the service.
Click to expand...
As others have said, just deduct it from the thieves salary and give him a warning. That should quickly stop this "issue" that you have.

I dislike Vodascum as much as the next guy, but this is not their fault.
 
EFFING said:
Am I the only one who's been scammed by this? I buy a staff member a R354 uChoose Flexi. Now he gets R354 airtime and if he goes over it, he needs to top up from his own pocket. Now he's found "Airtime Advance" - Uses it to the tune of R140 every month, and that gets whacked onto MY bill, so Vodacom is "advancing" him airtime that I pay for which is a complete robbery. Nowhere did I as a corporate account holder accept the "Airtime Advance" service.

And do you think I can find a way to cancel said "Airtime Advance" service. How does one even send an email request to Vodacom. Their website doesn't allow you to, nor does it give an email address for service queries. It tries to solve problems with it's (not so) clever FAQ system.

What a scam
Click to expand...
There is a well hidden contact on the voda website. I used (cell number) @ vodamail.co.za. Getting a reply is something else!
 
EFFING said:
Ja right - Do you work for Vodacom? Vodacom has added a service and not given me the option of opting in or out of it. How does one go about canceling Airtime Advance on a prepaid contract? Try searching Vodacom's useless website for a clue. I did.

View attachment 614806
Click to expand...

Do you even know how Airtime Advance actually works?

It requires physical intervention from the user of the phone. It isn't added automatically every month.

An USSD code needs to be run by the user every time they want to buy it.

Maybe actually read this. It took me 2 seconds to find it:

https://www.vodacom.co.za/vodacom/terms/airtime-advance-terms-and-conditions

Oh and no, I don't work for Vodacom. I just don't get irrational and blame others for my own problems...
 
12. uChoose/TopUp customers can only take one Airtime or Data Advance at a time and must fully pay an outstanding Airtime or Data Advance before taking another Airtime or Data Advance.

15. Airtime Advance can be taken in denominations of R5, R10 and R20 (VAT Inclusive), to qualifying customers

20. Customers can take Data Advances in the following denominations:
a) 10MB valued at R3.00
b) 25MB valued at R6.00
c) 70MB valued at R11.00
d) 125MB valued at R18.00


How do he get it right to run up a advance or 140 , max seems R20
 
MightyQuin said:
Oh and no, I don't work for Vodacom. I just don't get irrational and blame others for my own problems...
Click to expand...
Rather just try helping instead of getting snarky. If you've got nothing constructive to say, say nothing. Maybe I best get off this forum if I have to deal with this. Goodbye.
 
EFFING said:
Rather just try helping instead of getting snarky. If you've got nothing constructive to say, say nothing. Maybe I best get off this forum if I have to deal with this. Goodbye.
Click to expand...
I did try to help...but YOU got snarky with your amateurish "you must work for Vodacom" chirp.

And that's ALL you quoted out of my second comment, even though during the first and second comment, I did provide a lot of info and it was constructive.

1549214766957.png
 
It's not a Scam. Far from it - your employee willfully and manually requested an Airtime Advance. Your gripe should be with him, not the SP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X