Airtime keeps disappearing - No usage in report

[Cloudfoams]

Hi All,

So I have an MTN prepaid sim, which I use on my trips to SA. (2-3 / year)

Within every 90 days of my last SA trip, I turn the phone on, send an sms (on roaming) and switch it off again to keep the sim active.

For the last couple of months, something has been eating up my airtime without showing up in the MTN app usage report.

End December, I turned on my phone to load a data bundle before my departure to SA.
I noticed that the airtime had depleted by R20+ or so.
In the MTN app usage report, I saw no activities.
I chatted to MTN and after chatting to multiple agents over 2 weeks they finally admitted that "system doesnt show any usage".
So they recharged me R20. Case closed , or so I thought. This was Jan 22.

Thus:

1. Jan 22: MTN recharged me my missing R20. Total balance was then R31. I switched off my phone.
   
   
2. April 08: Today: I turned on my phone to send the keep active sms: Credit is now showing as R0.8.
   MTN usage report is only showing the Jan 22 recharge (from MTN) as the last activity.

Anybody got any ideas what could this be ? Im not sure if this is a monthly charge or something ?..

I dont want to dispose off this number, as its very easy for me to remember even when I use it like 2-3 times a year.
Not knowing what this is, Im afraid to load airtime and then having however much of it go poof.

Thanks a lot !

 

[Smiggles]

Hi All,

So I have an MTN prepaid sim, which I use on my trips to SA. (2-3 / year)

Within every 90 days of my last SA trip, I turn the phone on, send an sms (on roaming) and switch it off again to keep the sim active.

For the last couple of months, something has been eating up my airtime without showing up in the MTN app usage report.

End December, I turned on my phone to load a data bundle before my departure to SA.
I noticed that the airtime had depleted by R20+ or so.
In the MTN app usage report, I saw no activities.
I chatted to MTN and after chatting to multiple agents over 2 weeks they finally admitted that "system doesnt show any usage".
So they recharged me R20. Case closed , or so I thought. This was Jan 22.

Thus:

1. Jan 22: MTN recharged me my missing R20. Total balance was then R31. I switched off my phone.
   
   
2. April 08: Today: I turned on my phone to send the keep active sms: Credit is now showing as R0.8.
   MTN usage report is only showing the Jan 22 recharge (from MTN) as the last activity.

Anybody got any ideas what could this be ? Im not sure if this is a monthly charge or something ?..

I dont want to dispose off this number, as its very easy for me to remember even when I use it like 2-3 times a year.
Not knowing what this is, Im afraid to load airtime and then having however much of it go poof.

Thanks a lot !

Use it or lose it – SIM card and data rules in South Africa

If you don’t use a SIM or load it with airtime every few months, it could be recycled.

mybroadband.co.za

The service will continuously deduct R20 from your airtime balance for every 90 days that elapses while the service is active.

If you do not have enough airtime to enable the MTN Access4Life extender, the service will automatically be cancelled.

 

[Cloudfoams]

Thanks @Smiggles .

Given:

Jan 22: R30
April 08: R0.8

It hasnt been 90 days , and it took like R25+ or so ..

Plus, the description of the service is a bit unclear. Does the service still charge you R20 every 90 days, even when you have performed a charging activity before the 90 days are up?

 

[ajax]

Access4Life is an opt-in service. Did the OP opt-in to it?

Else, it could be their airtime rules? So it looks like you have to recharge with R25 or more so that nothing is lost.

5.3 Airtime bought for R15 or less will expire after 20 days, airtime between R15 and R25 will expire after 30 days, and airtime of R25 or more will not expire provided there is activity on the SIM within 120 consecutive days.

 

[maumau]

Access4Life is an opt-in service. Did the OP opt-in to it?

Else, it could be their airtime rules? So it looks like you have to recharge with R25 or more so that nothing is lost.

Full of flippen nonsense Maybe you can port your number?

I got a Capitec data SIM about a year ago, data doesn't expire as long as you use the SIM every 180 days.

Haven't tried airtime but this is what they say "No, airtime and data bundles purchased through Capitec Connect do not expire, provided the SIM card is used at least once every 180 days. "

 

[Cloudfoams]

Access4Life is an opt-in service. Did the OP opt-in to it?

Else, it could be their airtime rules? So it looks like you have to recharge with R25 or more so that nothing is lost.

Thanks @ajax . I cant double check if Access4Life is turned on as im not in SA and I believe you need to run a USSD..

Meanwhile funny story then: MTN credited me R20 in Jan, knowing fully well it would expire in 30 days and it would be no good to me since Im only back in SA by June!

I had R30 to begin with, they took it away, gave it back, took it away again .. the house always wins!

 

[Cloudfoams]

Full of flippen nonsense Maybe you can port your number?

I got a Capitec data SIM about a year ago, data doesn't expire as long as you use the SIM every 180 days.

Haven't tried airtime but this is what they say "No, airtime and data bundles purchased through Capitec Connect do not expire, provided the SIM card is used at least once every 180 days. "

Thanks @maumau I could port but MTN (and cell C) are the only network that allow airtime recharge with overseas credit cards so thats why trying to sort it out with MTN ..

Cant procure any of the other bank related MVNOs since they all require having a bank account with them.

Tried to get onto Air mobile, but they want the full blown RICA document upload..