Cell C Free WhatsApp not working :(

Totempole

Totempole

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After hearing about the free WhatsApp offering on CellC, I changed my calling plan to the Megabonus Tarriff. In order to test, I did this when I had less than R2.00 Airtime. After using WhatsApp, my balance dropped to zero and WhatsApp ceased to function.

So what gives? Is WhatsApp actually free, or is this a plan to get subscribers to waste their airtime learniing that it isn't. :confused:
 
COMPUTEK said:
Are u sure whatsapp used that ±R2 ???
Click to expand...

Yes, but it was actually because the new tarriff plan was delayed in it's activation. I only got the activation SMS after it wiped out the R2 balance. Anyway, I've now found out that a positive balance of at least 1c is required to use the free Whatsapp service.

This is very misleading to the consumer because 1c will be used up simply by establishing a connection. With overheads etc. my phone uses about 100KB every 5 minutes while a mobile connection is active. This is without doing anything at all, just keeping the mobile network on.

So if I have R2 on my phone and use free WhatsApp, R2.00 will be gone in less than 2 hours anyway. It makes more sense for me to stay on the 66c plan and just load 50MBs of data every month. I don't even use 50MBs per month on WhatsApp, because when I'm at home I can just use WiFi.
 
Totempole said:
Yes, but it was actually because the new tarriff plan was delayed in it's activation. I only got the activation SMS after it wiped out the R2 balance. Anyway, I've now found out that a positive balance of at least 1c is required to use the free Whatsapp service.

This is very misleading to the consumer because 1c will be used up simply by establishing a connection. With overheads etc. my phone uses about 100KB every 5 minutes while a mobile connection is active. This is without doing anything at all, just keeping the mobile network on.

So if I have R2 on my phone and use free WhatsApp, R2.00 will be gone in less than 2 hours anyway. It makes more sense for me to stay on the 66c plan and just load 50MBs of data every month. I don't even use 50MBs per month on WhatsApp, because when I'm at home I can just use WiFi.
Click to expand...

You are making sense. You can load a 50 MB bundle, with a positive balance you wont be charged for WhatsApp. *DM*
 
Cell_C said:
You are making sense. You can load a 50 MB bundle, with a positive balance you wont be charged for WhatsApp. *DM*
Click to expand...

Yes, but what's the point of being on the MegaBonus plan if I use less than 50MB per month on WhatsApp anyway? I might as well stay on the cheaper 66c plan and just buy a 50MB data bundle each month. That way I can benefit from cheaper voice calls as well.

This is ultimately what I decided to do.

I guess the free WhatsApp service would be beneficial to me if I didn't have WiFi at home, but since I do, it doesn't benefit me.
 
WhatsApp Deducting from data bundles (Megabonus)

So I switched to the megabonus tarrif had R2.30 airtime ran out but WhatsApp worked fine but I needed net so I bought a 50mb bundle. I buy small bundles because o find myself going overboard with the browsing when I buy 100+ , anyway after buying I tried to send a 12mb video I had taken of some birds while it was like past half way I checked balance I had 42mb left wtf.

And no its not background apps my device is firewalled to only allow WhatsApp BBM and OperaMini and BBM/OperaMini were closed with taskmanger.

This is messed up if WhatsApp is only free when the data bundles are finished
 
Did you have a positive balance of at least 1c? (Not a positive balance of data)
 
Madhawk said:
Did you have a positive balance of at least 1c? (Not a positive balance of data)
Click to expand...

yes I do as I stated even when I had a balance of R2.30 my airtime was still used by WhatsApp, weirdly enough at R0.00 WhatsApp still works sending videos and images all good

The issue comes in when there is credit available so it could be their billing system that's tripping.
 
defcomk said:
So I switched to the megabonus tarrif had R2.30 airtime ran out but WhatsApp worked fine but I needed net so I bought a 50mb bundle. I buy small bundles because o find myself going overboard with the browsing when I buy 100+ , anyway after buying I tried to send a 12mb video I had taken of some birds while it was like past half way I checked balance I had 42mb left wtf.

And no its not background apps my device is firewalled to only allow WhatsApp BBM and OperaMini and BBM/OperaMini were closed with taskmanger.

This is messed up if WhatsApp is only free when the data bundles are finished
Click to expand...

My mom's phone have exactly the same problem, but they charge her the data bundles. When its finished they go over to ghe megabonus free airtime and then to her normal airtime. I tried telling them that but they just don't care. They tell me that everything is fine.

Did you get yours fixed?
 
Charged for FREE Whatsapp

So Whatsapp data was supposed to be free for more than a month now, but my mom have been charged since the promotion started. No one of the customer care team listen. No one do something else than feeding us lies. Firstly they told us that she is not charged. Today after the second post on hello peter, the customer care rep told my mom that it is only for text. Now if that is what THEY think, how do you think they will be able to fix it?

This is what they show on their site. UHM..?
whatsapp-banner.jpg


Now if they don't want to believe what we tell them, why don't they just send someone to come and have a look? Or just get some competent people working at customer care? I have sent them screenshots of the data usage before downloading something on whatsapp, with the data balances and the data usage shown on the android phone. And then again afterwards. They can even match the time and date with their billing system to check and see that the total amount of data used on the phone for the month was increased with the same amount as the data used by whatsapp, and the same amount was deducted from the data bundle that was on the phone.

The priceplan is MegaBonus and there was more than 99c on the phone.

If anyone else have this same frustration, PLEASE reply to this post!
 
It IS ONLY for text. It doesn't include photos, videos or other media. Those will come off your data allowance.
At least that's how it is with the new BIS allocations.
 
Garyvdh said:
It IS ONLY for text. It doesn't include photos, videos or other media. Those will come off your data allowance.
At least that's how it is with the new BIS allocations.
Click to expand...

Please read the advertisement that I attached. It clearly states that text,pictures,videos and voice messages are free. Then also read the t&c's.

You must be aware that a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) will apply to the Promotion with a maximum of 10GB per subscriber per month. Should a customer exceed this usage, any further usage will be charged at 15c per MB.

There is no way that a person will be able to send 10GB of text over whatsapp in a month. Will even be extremely difficult with videos. The BBM deals states that is it for text only.

Also read the following mybb articles
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/cellular/110214-cell-c-to-offer-free-whatsapp-services.html
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/cellular/111038-cell-c-free-whatsapp-what-about-voice-data.html

"In the announcement, Cell C said that WhatsApp users on its network will be able to send pictures, voice messages, videos, and text messages via the app without incurring any data charges."
 
Data on Whatsapp is definately not free I tested it this week after my son compliant to me that his airtime keeps disappearing while he is on whatsapp. I had 40mb of data on sunday and left my whatsapp on. Today when I checked my data balance I discovered not only dont I have any data left but I lost over a R120 worth of airtime in this period.

Shame on you Cell C I supported you because I believed you were a peoples Champion, but now i catch you stealing from me. can somebody from cell C please explain this to me?
 
Leatherman said:
Data on Whatsapp is definately not free I tested it this week after my son compliant to me that his airtime keeps disappearing while he is on whatsapp. I had 40mb of data on sunday and left my whatsapp on. Today when I checked my data balance I discovered not only dont I have any data left but I lost over a R120 worth of airtime in this period.
Click to expand...
Contract? Prepaid? Which tariff plan?
 
Its so ****ing retarded anyway. If you switch to the tarriff plan that includes free whatsapp you forfeit your bonus data when you recharge. So ask yourself, I recharge 200 every month and end up with 2.6gb out of that... does whatsapp use more than 600mb a month? Then clearly the only reason cellc thought of this promotion was to save on the bonus data we are currently recieving with recharges.
 
Leatherman said:
Data on Whatsapp is definately not free I tested it this week after my son compliant to me that his airtime keeps disappearing while he is on whatsapp. I had 40mb of data on sunday and left my whatsapp on. Today when I checked my data balance I discovered not only dont I have any data left but I lost over a R120 worth of airtime in this period.

Shame on you Cell C I supported you because I believed you were a peoples Champion, but now i catch you stealing from me. can somebody from cell C please explain this to me?
Click to expand...



Hi Leatherman

Please DM your son's number so that we can investigate and provide feedback.

Regards
Cell C | TM
 
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