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Data usage
- Thread starter Bikerza
- Start date
Get a Vodacom pre-paid SIM, when you finish your 2GB package just buy a pre-paid data bundle.
The reason I recommend Vodacom pre-paid over MTN pre-paid is that if you deplete your bundle you can buy another, MTN restrict you to one bundle a month.
The reason I recommend Vodacom pre-paid over MTN pre-paid is that if you deplete your bundle you can buy another, MTN restrict you to one bundle a month.
I'm not on pre-paid, this is a contract. They told me they cannot put 2 data bundles on one contract. I don't freak'n get it. In this day & age - we sent someone to the moon 38 years ago, remotely control a vehicle on Mars, but this seemingly insignificant request is BEYOND MTN. If it was my company I'd fired the whole lot, honestly.
diabolus
Executive Member
Yea, it's bloody stupid indeed. I was forced to stack up on prepaid sims (and i have a freaking contract). The out of bundle tariffs is just insane.
Vodacom got "ad-hoc" bundles on contract if you run out early, MTN the idiots, they got nothing. You're on a 500MB contract, go out of bundle in the middle of the month? "Sorry you are f*cked" . Even Telkom allows you to buy more bandwidth if you use up your allocated amount! And no, going out-of-bundle for the rest of the month is not acceptable, in fact it's the worst possible thing that can happen , and MTN does not even bother to warn you!
Whilst MTNs connection is better for me than Vodacom, MTNs billing/account system sure as hell sucks donkey balls. And i see no sign of it improving. Vodacom at least is working on it with constant improvements to their website etc.
Either way, next round, never getting an MTN data contract again. Their prepaid sims are much better, no surprise bills , no wondering if i'm out or in bundle still, no funny extra charges , no absurd account suspensions because they don't know how to invoice , no delayed info and i have to swop sims ANYWAY if i use up my bundle , so no advantage.
Vodacom got "ad-hoc" bundles on contract if you run out early, MTN the idiots, they got nothing. You're on a 500MB contract, go out of bundle in the middle of the month? "Sorry you are f*cked" . Even Telkom allows you to buy more bandwidth if you use up your allocated amount! And no, going out-of-bundle for the rest of the month is not acceptable, in fact it's the worst possible thing that can happen , and MTN does not even bother to warn you!
Whilst MTNs connection is better for me than Vodacom, MTNs billing/account system sure as hell sucks donkey balls. And i see no sign of it improving. Vodacom at least is working on it with constant improvements to their website etc.
Either way, next round, never getting an MTN data contract again. Their prepaid sims are much better, no surprise bills , no wondering if i'm out or in bundle still, no funny extra charges , no absurd account suspensions because they don't know how to invoice , no delayed info and i have to swop sims ANYWAY if i use up my bundle , so no advantage.
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I gathered that. Once your 2GB on your contract SIM is used up, remove your contract SIM, buy a data bundle for your pre-paid SIM, insert your pre-paid SIM, and use that for the remainder of the month. Then remove pre-paid SIM, insert contract SIM, wash, rinse, repeat.
diabolus
Executive Member
ginggs said:
I believe the idea is that having a contract should at least make it -more- convenient not less than on prepaid [where loyalty means nothing]. While that is a solution, it's a rather absurd that it's the only solution for contract users.....
Think about it, once you're all set up with the whole sim swopping, manually loading bundles..you'll soon realise wtf do i need a contract?
You're also not getting the modem for free on the contract (meaning you pay more than the bundle per month) . So next time i'll just buy it cash (on budget) too.
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Depends on the contract, I got my E620 on a MyChoice 75 contract, I pay R75 a month and get R75 airtime. You don't have to use the contract SIM in the data card, you could put it in an old phone and use it for calling landlines.
Ginggs - thx for that advice.
Now for the out of bundle portion. I'm unable to tell at the moment whether I'm outa bundle or not. MTN website stopped working for me on 4th March and unlike prepaid there is no number I can dial to get balance left display other then looking on the web.
*note to self*
I'm not paying for service, I'm paying to be suckered.
Now for the out of bundle portion. I'm unable to tell at the moment whether I'm outa bundle or not. MTN website stopped working for me on 4th March and unlike prepaid there is no number I can dial to get balance left display other then looking on the web.
*note to self*
I'm not paying for service, I'm paying to be suckered.
Have you tried the 162 service? I think you dial 16202 to create a pin (use the same one you use for MTN Active, as they are linked), thereafter you can use the *162*<pin>*1# USSD command to check your bundle balances (data, SMS and voice free minutes).
Ok, so the MTN website has become so unstable I wasn't able to access it for the last 2 days. Nice!
If I'm going to by a vodacom prepaid with data bundle, I'll not be able to use my MTN usb modem. I guess I then can only use the card on my phone and use the phone as the modem? More sim swapping.
Thank goodness the phone is HSDPA 3.6 capable and I can use my old spare phone for my MTN number during these times.
NOt very elegant, but small price to pay for dealing with incomptence.
If I'm going to by a vodacom prepaid with data bundle, I'll not be able to use my MTN usb modem. I guess I then can only use the card on my phone and use the phone as the modem? More sim swapping.
Thank goodness the phone is HSDPA 3.6 capable and I can use my old spare phone for my MTN number during these times.
NOt very elegant, but small price to pay for dealing with incomptence.
Why not?diabolus
Executive Member
Bikerza said:
If you got the E220 USB modem, you can. I do it all the time when MTN fails me.
ginggs said:
Well that's besides the point. That's not a data contract. If you use it for data, you're technically on the same system as prepaid. The actual data contracts (the ones where you have a bundle and can't do anything about it for 2 years) are the ones that is a serious rip-off on the service and user accounts side .