Disappearing data - Vodacom explains

I honestly don't understand how people can claim that data disappears when they can install a monitor on their phone to track usage...
 
“The latest versions of Android and iOS will also help you monitor and manage your data usage, or you can install one of a large number of available data monitoring apps on your phone,” Vodacom said.
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Did they really say that? Bloody lairs, it's a way old feature...
 
marine1 said:
Maybe thats how they know their data is disappearing?
You seriously have to be on crack to trust this company
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Not a SINGLE person has ever come out and showed proof that their device and Vodacom disagree on data used.
 
marine1 said:
Maybe thats how they know their data is disappearing?
You seriously have to be on crack to trust this company
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My VC data has never "disappeared" (from mid 2000s when i started using Vodacom data to March 2016 when I last bought VC data), I have no love for VC, you can ask jannie.

Every single bloody person who has asked me to look at their "disappeared" data ("you mos in IT and know about these things") I have been able to track it down to some app usage (back in the day it was that Google+ crap mostly, now its photos uploading to dropbox after being taken and for some reason the wifi limitation on that has been turned off by someone, or icloud or somesuch uploading things or the one ladies kid using 800mbs on her parents phones whatsapp, sending around funny and music videos and music mp3s and whatever, and in one 3G dongles case, ****ing POS Windows 10 Home and its pushy updates).

MTN stories I might believe, they have system issues with tracking data usage and can't track data accurately it seems.

I can also accept people buying VC data and it never being allocated to your account, but otherwise I remain very skeptical about any such claims and I'm sure it's more an issue with the device and the users lack of knowledge (or the smart phone being smarter than it's owner).
 
The only time my data disappears is two months after it was allocated. Unless you burn through the new month allocation, you never get to use that data carried over from the previous month. Bastards.
 
stevenv said:
The only time my data disappears is two months after it was allocated. Unless you burn through the new month allocation, you never get to use that data carried over from the previous month. Bastards.
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Same here, after 30 days my unused (but paid for) pre-paid data bundle disappears.

Q. Why can't VodaCom data work like pre-paid electricity which never expire?
 
People either are too dumb to realise that any interaction with an app is going to chew their data or don't realise how much data certain interactions take. People probably have their cameras set to max and then send a stream of pics to whatsapp etc then wonder why their data disappears and 10mb a pic, and even more so for their stupid videos. People are idiots and now they want compensation for it. That's the ANC's job.
 
Yes there are a lot of people who use all their data, but I think why Vodacom features more than the other operators is because they are the only ones who use data on a LIFO (Last In First Out) basis.

Here's an example:
I get 500MB per month. On the 23rd of the month, I'm running out so I buy a 250MB top up. On the last day of the month, I have 180MB left. I then get my 500MB on the 1st giving me a total of 680MB, but Vodacom uses the new monthly data first, not the carried over data so on the 22nd, I have 200MB left (20MB from monthly and 180MB from carry over). On the 23rd, the 180MB carry over expires so I drop to 20MB.
Even worse is when you actually start going into the carry over and then it expires and you immediately drop to 0 - that's where a lot of complaints about out of bundle rates comes from. On the 22nd, you have 150MB left which all expires on the 23rd so you go to 0.

I've always had an issue with this approach. I am seriously considering switching to MTN when my contract expires.

If they used FIFO (First In First Out) like MTN and the other operators, the example would change slightly:
500MB at start of month, 250MB top up on the 23rd, on the 1st, additional 500MB added for a total of 680MB.
But MTN will use data from the 250MB top up before the monthly data so on the 23rd, there is no top up amount left to expire so data remains at 200MB. This has a rolling effect of making top ups last longer and you don't get out of bundle shocks because the data doesn't just disappear.
 
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me_ said:
I've always had an issue with this approach. I am seriously considering switching to MTN when my contract expires.
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Rather switch to Telkom Mobile for the same effort. They roam on MTN if needed, and the FreeMe packages are a winner.
 
No, they are stealing data

You can monitor all you want, but when you suddenly lose 1470 data packets of exactly the same size but different durations over a single day (and that is according to Vodacom's own data usage report) there is something wrong. This is not from a mobile phone, this is a router, which is secured (not with the manufacturer default username and passwrod), with a hidden SSID and fake Mac Address.

Vodacom cannot claim that this is not an error on their side. This has happened to me before and they acknowledged that time that it was their error. This time they refuse to take accountability for it!
 
system32 said:
Same here, after 30 days my unused (but paid for) pre-paid data bundle disappears.

Q. Why can't VodaCom data work like pre-paid electricity which never expire?
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Data should NEVER expire :wtf: If you pay for it, it's yours whether you use it or not !!! I really don't know why they get away with it. Anything you pay for is your property...!!!
 
I don't care who says what, data is disappearing! And the unused topup gets reset. These are two things that should never be allowed to happen. Data is already expensive and it's not like they do us a favor, so why do they expire it :confused:

Where's Consumer Protection ???
 
Vice said:
Data should NEVER expire :wtf: If you pay for it, it's yours whether you use it or not !!! I really don't know why they get away with it. Anything you pay for is your property...!!!
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Agree. Used to buy a MTN simcard with prepaid money when I go hunting (MTN was the only signal in that area). But not using the simcard for 3 months it "expires"... money and all.

And then - I've said this before. Same phone for a year and half, same apps, same whatsapp chats, BUT start of this year mid month my data is depleted and this never happened before.
 
Mybroadband does speed tests, but no data usage tests.

Mybroadband and the press have not tried to validate the missing data claims.

Take new SIMs from different operators, load the same amount of data and then use the SIMs in identical dongles in identical computers (with the exact same software loaded on each one). Browse the same websites and then check the amount of data remaining. Then leave the SIMs in a locked cupboard for 2 to 3 weeks and then check the amount of data available.
 
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