Another hidden MTN data ripoff: beware!

[Terencek]

Hands up all those who knew that if you use an MTN prepaid SIM for data, no matter how much data you download, you still have to take it out of your modem to make a 1-minute-plus paid voice call every three months or they kill it -- even if you still have money on it?

Call me naive or criticise me for not reading the fine print, but I just lost my data SIM and the cash I had loaded on it because of not making a voice call, and MTN refuse point-blank to either revive it, swap it or refund my balance.

It really makes no sense. Data doesn't count as 'usage'? How ludicrous can you get? Given the current billing chaos and data-counter woes emanating from this troubled company, they can certainly count me as one more lost and very angry customer. I hope they choke on my unused and unusable airtime!

 

[ginggs]

Hands up all those who knew that if you use an MTN prepaid SIM for data, no matter how much data you download, you still have to take it out of your modem to make a 1-minute-plus paid voice call every three months or they kill it -- even if you still have money on it?

That might explain what happened to my SIM.

I think sending an SMS might work as well. It's as if they've forgotten to update their system since the advent of data over the cellular network.

 

[Agutator]

I'm on a 2 year data contract. Cannot wait to let it run its course. Vodacom not much better. Wonder if they have the same trick? (they all the same anyway)

 

[10i]

I got an SMS a week ago informing me that I need to make a call or my sim will be suspended, but I was phoning with the sim and the sms was wrongly sent to me.

Phone 141, select option 9 then option 2 to find out how many days you have left to make a call in.

 

[ajax]

Hands up all those who knew that if you use an MTN prepaid SIM for data, no matter how much data you download, you still have to take it out of your modem to make a 1-minute-plus paid voice call every three months or they kill it -- even if you still have money on it?

You sure it is 1 minute plus and not just a few seconds??

 

[Terencek]

'1-minute-plus' was the official word from on high when my local MTN Service Centre phoned headquarters with my problem. Even the local MTN service agent was surprised to learn about this condition, so how the heck are we mere customers supposed to know you have to do something as illogical as making a regular voice call on your data SIM??

HQ also denied that an SMS is sufficient to keep the number active -- has to be a paid call.

But if you look on the rear of the current starter packs, they insist you get a 'Number4Life' if "you make or receive a call, send and receive an SMS or MMS every 90 days." Left hand not knowing what the right is doing, or just another fine MTN muddle-up?

Whatever the truth, at the end of the day I lost my SIM and its paid balance despite having used it regularly for data over the past year including a number of data bundles. Where's the logic?

 

[jeppe777]

Think thats why they have access of life extender

 

[ginggs]

HQ also denied that an SMS is sufficient to keep the number active -- has to be a paid call.

We have a couple of MTN pre-paid SIMs connected to temperature alarms that have been running for at least 3 years and they only send the occasional SMS.