Data contract billing.

marco

marco

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I can't get this small.
My fastlink data contract is for 350MB pm ie R209.00.

I have just received my new bundle and got cut off for exceeding my cr. limit of R1000.00 even though I have 330MB loaded.
My account this month is R240.00 as I went slightly over 350MB.

I understand that the bill is 1 month in arrears. But R1000.00. Good grief. How can this happen?

The MTN email website does not work, so I can't check my bill.
 
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MTN's data billing/data monitoring system is in a state of chaos, which might explain your predicament. I have just canceled all of my MTN data bundles as a consequence of this. Around about March 2009 I noticed the bundles and billing systems were not updating and my usage did not match what they said. The call center was not able to help either (if they ever do). Lo and behold in April and May I received billing for data used in March. Since I had canceled my 1 Gb bundle by then (I might add I only canceled this on the anniversary of my account) I was charged out of bundle rates for what should have been taken against my 1 Gb bundle. I calculated I had used just over 1 Gb when I canceled my bundle. MTN insisted that I still had 400Mb left and therefore only used 600Mb. They are only now seeing that 400ish MB that I knew I had used. Of course I am having a whale of a time trying to get them to bill me properly and delete that amount that should have gone off against my bundle months ago and not be charged out of bundle. The call center cannot understand these issues when presented with them and refer you to the billing department who will get back to you. Of course this will not happen and the struggle will continue.

Thats my story and thats how you can end up with a huge bill even though you were careful. Sort it out now before it gets worse. My advice is to stay away from using anything until MTN sorts out there rather severe problems. Good luck.
 
I have used 58MB of my 350MB bundle so far but the balance stays the same at 337MB over the past 2 days. This is great as I am not been charged.
I use Mobile Data Monitor I think it is programmed by Ginggs and is correct.
 
marco said:
I have used 58MB of my 350MB bundle so far but the balance stays the same at 337MB over the past 2 days. This is great as I am not been charged.
I use Mobile Data Monitor I think it is programmed by Ginggs and is correct.
Click to expand...

MTN will charge you, it might just be months later...Their system cannot update in near real time and your data use is only known much later. This is when they charge you for it out of bundle or take it off your bundled data if you are lucky I guess. Watch your account carefully. I am not even using MTN prepaid as I had my bundle stolen. I simply do not trust MTN. Judging by the number of complaints at Hello Peter (which does not help) the problem is getting worse by the day. MTN is in chaos, I wonder if it will experience a meltdown soon. Network outages, network failure, network congestion, faulty billing systems, bad customer service, apathy towards their clients - the list goes on. If only MTN would admit there is a serious problem and inform their customers so that we can understand. Maybe they're afraid everyone will jump ship to another provider. I'm going to cancel my contract after being with them since they began - I'm too afraid to use my phone for anything lest I end up with another huge surprise bill. Five weeks and still no reply from the MTN billing department about my outrageous billing disaster...
 
I have contract . And i used my points to buy data . But mtn has been charging me out of bundle for what should be free since i bought a data bundle which has even gone down is still 11mb . I haven't even use the internet on my laptop . So i think mtn is cra* . I don't even think i used 20 mb i didn't even download . So why in god's names do i have to cough up close to 300 bucks . When just last month i paid 800 rands .
 
Yes, I also want them to point me to where in the contract they say you cannot use your SIM in another medium like a cellphone without being charged out of bundle. MTN is looking for extra money as they are in a recession.
 
On further investigation it seems that when I use my data sim with my cellphone as a modem on my laptop at work and not my normal fastlink it is seen and booked as PSD CALLS and charged at out of bundle rates.

I often get an sms from MTN saying that they have noticed that the mobile device has changed for that sim and if I require new settings which I ignore.
 
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marco said:
On further investigation it seems that when I use my data sim with my cellphone as a modem on my laptop at work and not my normal fastlink it is seen and booked as PSD CALLS and charged at out of bundle rates.
Click to expand...
Do you perhaps mean CSD and not PSD?
 
PSD. Whatever this means.
 
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I just checked my 'unbilled' and saw this!
I haven't been out of bundle ever, in fact some of these calls from March is the day after returned from holiday, i.e. the first usage of that months' bundle.
So help me god if MTN bills me for this, I will not go the back&forth route.
Seek & Destroy will work better for me.


Please note that your latest calls may not be included
Itemised Calls Total Date Time Units/Bytes Dialled No. /Don't Show Aliases
Category Network Amount
Total PSD Calls: 32
Total PSD Calls Charges: R 278.83
2009-03-11 15:29:38 769,024 B mymtn MTN 1.28
2009-03-14 19:42:45 2,306,048 B mymtn MTN 3.85
2009-03-15 11:48:02 16,142,336 B mymtn MTN 26.94
2009-03-29 08:48:47 769,024 B mymtn MTN 1.28
2009-04-08 12:59:15 4,705,280 B mymtn MTN 7.85
2009-04-08 22:20:23 206,848 B mymtn MTN 0.35
2009-04-09 07:34:55 28,222,464 B mymtn MTN 47.10
2009-04-10 08:29:31 56,654,848 B mymtn MTN 94.55
2009-04-11 12:47:06 74,752 B mymtn MTN 0.12
2009-04-13 07:06:14 25,548,800 B mymtn MTN 42.64
2009-04-14 09:27:41 412,672 B mymtn MTN 0.69
2009-04-14 18:51:00 15,890,432 B mymtn MTN 26.52
2009-04-17 15:39:47 15,276,032 B mymtn MTN 25.49
2009-04-22 22:17:56 103,424 B mymtn MTN 0.17

PSD Calls 439,534,592 B 32 R278.83
 
I used my phone as a modem and have never been charged out of bundle . Your best bet is to buy pre paid airtime . I have had it with mtn . I haven t even used my laptop . And i tried to use the bundle i had . Its not my fault if my account balance was at zero for the whole of april . And the whole time i was using my bundle to surf which was going now at 1mb at a time . And as of yesterday i still had 11mb So why should i pay for mtn mistake. R300 i don't think so i don't even think i used 20 mb .
 
The thread has been removed . But im sure you are right i remember about 3 years ago i had 100mb bundle and in no less then 3min it was all gone and i didn't get to even watch the video . If it happens to me again i will switch networks take my story to the media . But buying pre paid is a 100 times better you don't get a suprise bill at the end of the month and mtn does update yr balance as you use it . But i noticed some thing yesterday . My pre paid sim has been using more data than usual . Compared to the sim card im using now (pre paid) . i guess thats how they going to justify my amount on my contract .
ginggs@ do you work at mtn lol
 
Pitbull is very quiet now. Wonder why?
 
On my sister's contract (Anytime100) she was charged for "Packet Switched Data" even though she still like R60 airtime still available:confused:. Isn't data supposed to come off the included airtime?:confused:

When she phone the call centre and explained that her balance has never once gone to zero, the representative couldn't give an explanation and just gave her a reference number and submitted the query to the billing department.

She told my sister to phone back after at least a week, because there is a queuing system for the billing queries.

@ Pitbull, are you still in the MTN billing department?
 
ginggs said:
+1

It's not even safe to use pre-paid, they manage to steal MB from there too.
Click to expand...

+ another one...have had endless **** with their billing system...not to mention their inadequate staff that manage the accounts!
 
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