Data rollover and the CPA

chrisc4290 said:
This is by far the best compromise
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& unfortunately it is not allowed as far as the NCC is currently concerned as the CPA stipulates that consumers cannot be put in a position where they sign away rights accorded to them under the CPA...this seems very much like an unintended consequence. No doubt that consumers need to be protected but why should this involve taking away their opportunity to make an informed choice?

@ Nicholas Hall: if a "prepayment device" can be succesfully argued as not falling under section 63 due it being for future access to services, does it then fall under section 64?
 
How about a data bundle being valid for 3 years, but every month there will be a minimum deduction of e.g. 10% Mb from the bundle which will pay for keeping the infrastructure in place. Use more than 10% then that is what will come off the bundle, otherwise 10% comes off it no matter how much one used.
 
i dont get why 3 years? seems an odd number... would be nice just to have it last for 12months, or even 6months would be nice.... if you have data lying around more than 6months, then you're buying too much at a time?

Can understand that pricing is reduced as is now, based on the fact that not all the data bought will be used up, so the unused data can 'subsidise' the rest... same i guess is how ISP can offer 1 connection and theoretically put multiple people on it, assuming that not everybody will use it at the same time.
So pricing is bound to go up if the roll over is reduced.

Like somebody else said.... when the month end rolls by, use up the oldest data first, not the new data, then we might get the newest data carry on a bit longer.... that would also be good.
 
So if Vodacum can afford to sell data at R499 per 20GB:

20GB ~ R499
1GB ~ R499/20 = R24.95
1MB ~ R24.95/1024 = R0.024365234375
1KB ~ R0.024365234375 / 1024 = R0.0000237941741943359375

How about letting me use data on a per KB price that would be equivalent to R499 per 20GB.
I would end up paying for what I used.
Vodacum would end up being paid for the service they provided to me.

I wouldn't have to worry about unused data I've paid for.
Vodacum wouldn't have to worry about me paying for the data now and attempting to use it in 2013,
or have to worry about me rushing to finish several gigs in a few hours, which would definitely add more strain to the network.

Related article about congestion: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/data-caps-a-crude-and-unfair-tool-for-easing-online-congestion.ars
 
MonoChoice says it is not feasible to allow you to create your own bouquet of channels.
TataSky proves that it is feasible.

Vodacom says it is not feasible to have data with an "unlimited lifespan"
iBurst, nogal a South African company, proves that it is feasible.

:wtf:
 
Surely if you state in the Ts&Cs that a data offer is only valid for 30 days then there shouldn't be any issues? I could understand if no one was advertising their data validity periods, but everyone is. If the operators are forced to implement something like this, it will most likely come at a premium (as suggested) or perhaps alongside LTE (which will be at a premium anyways) if the CPA can be stalled until then. Consumers need to be educated on the validity periods of data as well as on how to properly consume their data - most South Africans are unaware of the power of broadband and very few make proper use of their connectivity. Also, 3 years??? why not something more realistic like 90 days?

At the end of the day, as a consumer, I'm more interested in prices coming down rather than silly issues like a 3 year roll over :P
 
if the CPA wins this case then data contracts will become obsolete because consumers will just buy for instance a 100gb prepaid data card and use as they please which at the end of the day will cause companies to be forced to increase prices. iburst only rolls data over to a limit. you are only allowed to accumalate double your monthly data allowance. so effectively you can only roll over data for 1 month then you have to use it up. allowing data to roll over will affect all consumers negatively with regards to price/gb
 
@dom - your suggestion with the el-cheapo and el-expensive accounts do make sense - this will give the consumer some flexibility of a sort.

I would hate it to see that people will try to enforce longer airtime windows on the SP's - and thereby causing the prices to go up.
 
It will not be in the interest of cellular data providers to not extract the maximum possible profit from its userbase, if you can keep a good, growing, and willing customer base by lying about facts, then it really isn't a problem to do so. If you can keep a good, growing, and willing customer base by cheating, raping, stealing, murdering, it isn't really a problem now is it? Guys, these are companies, not human beings like you and me, their sole mandate is to spin as much profit as is realistically possible from all of us, with or without our consent.

Now based on this, ask yourself, what exactly would you were a corporate and people wanted you to have less? Would you agree and ammend your status quo in order to meet their demands, and you get less? Or will you formulate a way to express just how unfeasable it would be if such an action took place, disallowing you to provide your fine service to them?

Don't be retarded, nobody gives a ****. Trust me.
 
Data only expires because the ISP's want regular income. They know that if you buy data this month it will expire so that you buy data next month. If data didn't expire then people would buy 2gb and use it over six months meaning less money for ISP's thus pushing up the price of the non-expiring 2gb. Most data users are light users who do facebook, twitter, email and general browsing
 
Don't believe the 'prices will go up' hype. Its an old Telkom tactic adopted by all ICT companies.

Each time they perceive a threat they use the scare tactic, but as a rule the prices never go up.
 
Sorry but I don't agree with this lawyer. I am a senior advocate myself. The act was promulgated with the intention to protect the consumer. Therefore, any section in the Act should be narrowly construed in favour of the consumer. Once data is bought, the consumer becomes the owner of the data and it is only fair that that right lapses in 3 years. This is on par with the normal prescription period of 3 years. I am siding with the Consumer Protection Commission on this one and will gladly argue their case in court. For too long, the service providers have "stolen" our data back. This must be huge in terms of monetary value. This is a typical scenario where the legislature has to intervene to put a stop to an unethical business practise in order to protect the consumer.
 
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dominic said:
hmmm
how do you feel about the following:
ISP A offers two largely identical ADSL bundles. Product X is priced at R70/GB and your purchase is valid for 3 years. Product Y is priced at R20/GB and data expires after 30 days. It is explicitly stated upfront that Product Y is less expensive because of the 30 day expiry and you as a consumer are explicitly required to acknowledge this. Product Y is available for purchase in increments from R5 to R1 000 (i.e. there is no need to purchase more than you figure you might need + there is no cost to purchasing more so you may as well buy in small increments and top up as you go).

As a consumer would you prefer to have this choice or only Product X @ R70/GB?
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I want the choice and it would be Product Y.

The ISPs could offer a Product X range with different data volumes at R70/GB (1GB/2GB/10GB/100GB, etc.) and these will be valid for 3 years from date of purchase.
 
If a person buys a 36gb bundle that expires after 3years/36months then the ISP's will divide that bundle by 36 which will be 1gig and charge R200 per gig multipy by 36 equal R7200
 
cozinsky said:
Sorry but I don't agree with this lawyer. I am a senior advocate myself. The act was promulgated with the intention to protect the consumer. Therefore, any section in the Act should be narrowly construed in favour of the consumer. Once data is bought, the consumer becomes the owner of the data and it is only fair that that right lapses in 3 years. This is on par with the normal prescription period of 3 years. I am siding with the Consumer Protection Commission on this one and will gladly argue their case in court. For too long, the service providers have "stolen" our data back. This must be huge in terms of monetary value. This is a typical scenario where the legislature has to intervene to put a stop to an unethical business practise in order to protect the consumer.
Click to expand...

Could you please explain where the author (and most other people, including the Commision on various occasions) misread the act and specifically section 63?
 
@ jannievanzyl
Why do you want to take back unused data we paid for? Why can we not use what we bought? Why do you draw up conditions that prevent a user from using his own data whenever he/she wants?
 
OGroteKoning said:
@ jannievanzyl
Why do you want to take back unused data we paid for? Why can we not use what we bought? Why do you draw up conditions that prevent a user from using his own data whenever he/she wants?
Click to expand...

Have you read my numerous explanations on the difference between bits/s and bytes?
 
VJB 449 said:
Don't believe the 'prices will go up' hype. Its an old Telkom tactic adopted by all ICT companies.

Each time they perceive a threat they use the scare tactic, but as a rule the prices never go up.
Click to expand...
i am no stranger to the tactic and it may well have some play here but it is certainly not the whole story...
 
jannievanzyl said:
Have you read my numerous explanations on the difference between bits/s and bytes?
Click to expand...

Nope, unfortunatley not. Can you please point me to one of those explanations? The only thing I understand from bits and bytes is that there are 8 bits in a byte ... ;)
Would love to read the explanation. (will search in the meanwhile)

PS: Are you allowed to supply the profit per hour for contract data?
 
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