Beware CellC's airtime window

[lotus123]

I have a cellphone that I use exclusively for cycling. It's a cheapie that I don't mind wrecking in a fall.

It's got plenty of airtime loaded in case there's an emergency, and that's all that it will be used for.

So yesterday I see it's displaying "limited service". I figure that's just another CellC network service issue, and head out. Luckily no emergencies.

Today it has the same message, so I log in to check the account. Guess what? The account is closed.

I called the Help Desk and they tell me that the account has been closed and the number is being re-cycled, due to "inactivity". That's after I reloaded the phone around 3 months ago, and it has about R80 on it.

This annoys me on so many levels:
Why does CellC have this stupid little airtime window, when the other companies have one that lasts practically forever?
Why is it impossible to even find out what the remaining airtime window is? (and having to call the Help Desk to find out counts as impossible!)

One thing is for sure - I'm changing the SP for this phone. And now that Telkom has come to the fore on pricing I'll be having a good look at them for all my other phones. (Edit: Just looked. They've got these silly little "gotchas" in their pricing, like "valid for 7 days after recharging", so they're out).

I was in the Northern Cape last weekend, and beyond Kimberley there was practically no coverage at all. I'm also tired of all the dropped calls here in Jhb on my daily phone (and despite logging a call they've not even come back to me on resolving it).

 

[sajunky]

It is even more complicated. There is couple of issues:

1. It seems Cell C undertands "inactivity" in different way. If you don't make or receive calls you are "inactive", even your phone is regularly switched on and registering to the network. Inactivity period is only 3 months (not sure).

2. Airtime window on recharge is very short. It forces me to constantly recharge to be able to make calls. Airtime value and ability to receive calls is not affected, but you find it hard way when you need to make emergency call.

It seems there is other USSD code to display airtime window, but I found it is not worth, my emergency number is MTN. On MTN I recharged one year ago R35 or so, and have no problem with aitime window. They have a new R1.20 all day, all networks, per second billing tariff. Vodacom has followed.

Please report your experience with 8ta/TM. Last time I checked, they haven't got affordable tariff for prepaid.

 

[lotus123]

It seems there is other USSD code to display airtime window, but I found it is not worth, my emergency number is MTN. On MTN I recharged one year ago R35 or so, and have no problem with aitime window. They have a new R1.20 all day, all networks, per second billing tariff. Vodacom has followed.

Looks like one of those is the way to go for this particular purpose.

Please report your experience with 8ta/TM. Last time I checked, they haven't got affordable tariff for prepaid.

That seems to be the case, having checked. They do have a 95 cents/minute rate, but it only works with a recharge bonus that's valid for 7 days. After that you're back to a ridiculous rate.

It seems that most of the operators make their money off people who didn't read the fine print. I wonder how the Consumer Council would see these misleading rate claims?

 

[sajunky]

Yip, they call it 95cp/m, to match Cell C offer, but it is a lie. Their tariff is the worst of all networks. Cell C and MTN have their own recharge bonuses, also useless for this purpose.

 

[Chevron]

I have a cellphone that I use exclusively for cycling. It's a cheapie that I don't mind wrecking in a fall.

It's got plenty of airtime loaded in case there's an emergency, and that's all that it will be used for.

So yesterday I see it's displaying "limited service". I figure that's just another CellC network service issue, and head out. Luckily no emergencies.

Today it has the same message, so I log in to check the account. Guess what? The account is closed.

I called the Help Desk and they tell me that the account has been closed and the number is being re-cycled, due to "inactivity". That's after I reloaded the phone around 3 months ago, and it has about R80 on it.

This annoys me on so many levels:
Why does CellC have this stupid little airtime window, when the other companies have one that lasts practically forever?
Why is it impossible to even find out what the remaining airtime window is? (and having to call the Help Desk to find out counts as impossible!)

One thing is for sure - I'm changing the SP for this phone. And now that Telkom has come to the fore on pricing I'll be having a good look at them for all my other phones. (Edit: Just looked. They've got these silly little "gotchas" in their pricing, like "valid for 7 days after recharging", so they're out).

I was in the Northern Cape last weekend, and beyond Kimberley there was practically no coverage at all. I'm also tired of all the dropped calls here in Jhb on my daily phone (and despite logging a call they've not even come back to me on resolving it).

All the networks recycle your number after 3months. Not just CellC.

 

[ginggs]

All the networks recycle your number after 3months. Not just CellC.

They all have different rules about what constitutes inactivity though.
I've had MTN and Cell-C SIMs expire unexpectedly, but never Vodacom.

 

[Cell_C]

I have a cellphone that I use exclusively for cycling. It's a cheapie that I don't mind wrecking in a fall.

It's got plenty of airtime loaded in case there's an emergency, and that's all that it will be used for.

So yesterday I see it's displaying "limited service". I figure that's just another CellC network service issue, and head out. Luckily no emergencies.

Today it has the same message, so I log in to check the account. Guess what? The account is closed.

I called the Help Desk and they tell me that the account has been closed and the number is being re-cycled, due to "inactivity". That's after I reloaded the phone around 3 months ago, and it has about R80 on it.

This annoys me on so many levels:
Why does CellC have this stupid little airtime window, when the other companies have one that lasts practically forever?
Why is it impossible to even find out what the remaining airtime window is? (and having to call the Help Desk to find out counts as impossible!)

One thing is for sure - I'm changing the SP for this phone. And now that Telkom has come to the fore on pricing I'll be having a good look at them for all my other phones. (Edit: Just looked. They've got these silly little "gotchas" in their pricing, like "valid for 7 days after recharging", so they're out).

I was in the Northern Cape last weekend, and beyond Kimberley there was practically no coverage at all. I'm also tired of all the dropped calls here in Jhb on my daily phone (and despite logging a call they've not even come back to me on resolving it).

Hi lotus123, please PM me your number. *DM*

 

[lotus123]

All the networks recycle your number after 3months. Not just CellC.

I don't think so. My sister is here from the UK with a Vodacom pre-paid number that was last used nearly two years ago. Fired up first time.

 

[lotus123]

Hi lotus123, please PM me your number. *DM*

PM sent, thanks.

 

[Base122]

My step father, who is in his seventies, on Cell C prepaid, recently got stuck with his car and couldn't make a call for help from his mobile phone and had to rely on a passer by to call me.

When I checked the balance on his phone, there was more than R75 airtime, but the airtime window had expired.

Because he only makes the odd call and never sends sms or uses data services, he uses very little airtime.
He doesn't understand this concept of expiring airtime window, especially when the phone is on all the time and connected to the network.

He actually ported from Vodacom to Cell C to "save on costs" a while back and I am now probably going to port him back to Vodacom, as the risk of not being able to use the phone in an emergency situation, is just too high.

So, unless Cell C revises this short airtime window policy, there is no way they can be recommended for low usage prepaid users.
As far as I am aware, the user gets no warning advice that the airtime window is about to expire, it simply does, leaving the user unaware until they need to make a call.

The airtime window expiry is not shown in the *101# USSD balance response, but has to be found under the *147# balance options.

So, even though the user may often check their airtime balance making sure they have enough, they are generally unaware of the airtime window issue.

Obviously from the Cell C perspective, this is a good strategy to encourage cash flow, as they would rather have you recharging often, than your phone being on the network "passively" and not really generating revenue as such.

I know of a lot of older folk who are being attracted by Cell C's promotional offers and lower costs, but change their minds when I explain the expiring airtime window concept, which appears to be much shorter than Vodacom for example

 

[sajunky]

He doesn't understand this concept of expiring airtime window, especially when the phone is on all the time and connected to the network.

Not only aitime window will expire. The SIM will be recycled after 3 months of not making or receiving calls, even it is "on all the time and connected to the network". My SIM had been recycled this way.

 

[ajax]

For really occasional use Vodacom is best. If you show activity once every 7 months there's no expiry. See here

 

[cavedog]

yeah I think vodacom last the longest..... even if the phone is off a received call that goes to voicemail is also seen as being active.....