Free minutes do not include video calls

[Edinetz]

Since when have video calls been excluded from free minutes? I was looking at my calls for last month and see that I have been charged for video calls. In the past I could use my free minuted but this appeares to have been changed. I have received no notification of a tariff change either

 

[Napalm]

normal calls go over the network as a call.

Everything that involves streaming counts as data. If its a video call or streaming a radio station off the internet (via GPRS/3g) its data.

Hence Datacall :>>

Also note that if someone calls you via a Video call. You and him both pay for that Video call, but if u pick up, and your phone feeds data to him via Video call. You also pay for the feed going in and out of your phone.

example . He/She calls you, and talks for 3min. he/she wil then be billed for a 3min video call, but you will also have to pay exactly the same rates for that same 3min call. So mtn/vodacom/cell-c will infact get payd twice for a 3min call.

Somehow they don't always tell u this kinda stuff

 

[Gunny]

They market it saying that video calls cost the same a normal voice calls so if I'm paying for a call I did not initiate theres going to be hell.

 

[Skeptik]

So mtn/vodacom/cell-c will infact get payd twice for a 3min call.

Somehow they don't always tell u this kinda stuff

Ayoo! When will companies stop trying to rip us off? Please will someone sue them or take them to the ASASA. The more publicity about this, the better.

 

[nGAGEd55]

normal calls go over the network as a call.

Everything that involves streaming counts as data. If its a video call or streaming a radio station off the internet (via GPRS/3g) its data.

Hence Datacall :>>

Also note that if someone calls you via a Video call. You and him both pay for that Video call, but if u pick up, and your phone feeds data to him via Video call. You also pay for the feed going in and out of your phone.

example . He/She calls you, and talks for 3min. he/she wil then be billed for a 3min video call, but you will also have to pay exactly the same rates for that same 3min call. So mtn/vodacom/cell-c will infact get payd twice for a 3min call.

Somehow they don't always tell u this kinda stuff

since when??? it's never been this way, you are also charged per minute, not mb.

 

[vodacom3g]

normal calls go over the network as a call.

Everything that involves streaming counts as data. If its a video call or streaming a radio station off the internet (via GPRS/3g) its data.

Hence Datacall :>>

Also note that if someone calls you via a Video call. You and him both pay for that Video call, but if u pick up, and your phone feeds data to him via Video call. You also pay for the feed going in and out of your phone.

example . He/She calls you, and talks for 3min. he/she wil then be billed for a 3min video call, but you will also have to pay exactly the same rates for that same 3min call. So mtn/vodacom/cell-c will infact get payd twice for a 3min call.

Somehow they don't always tell u this kinda stuff

Probably because it's not true.

A video call is a CS switched call, just like a voice call and is handled in the same way. You pay per call (once) and not per byte. A video call costs the same as a voice call.

Edinetz, PM me the number in question and your contact details and I'll ask what's up.

 

[Gunny]

normal calls go over the network as a call.

Everything that involves streaming counts as data. If its a video call or streaming a radio station off the internet (via GPRS/3g) its data.

Hence Datacall :>>

Also note that if someone calls you via a Video call. You and him both pay for that Video call, but if u pick up, and your phone feeds data to him via Video call. You also pay for the feed going in and out of your phone.

example . He/She calls you, and talks for 3min. he/she wil then be billed for a 3min video call, but you will also have to pay exactly the same rates for that same 3min call. So mtn/vodacom/cell-c will infact get payd twice for a 3min call.

Somehow they don't always tell u this kinda stuff

I checked my bill and unless I'm missing something I have only paid normal call rates for video calls I initiated. Not billed for calls I recieved and its not listed as a data call but a video call. Were did you get your info ??

 

[Gambit]

I also noticed that i paid for video calls on my latest invoice. They have always counted towards my free calls in the past months. I would like to know why i wasn't informed of their billing changes.

Napalm: video calls are still circuit switched like voice calls and sms's and are therefore not packet switched like gprs/3g data/internet access. Therefore the total time that the circuit is established is counted not the amount of data transfered.

 

[vodacom3g]

I also noticed that i paid for video calls on my latest invoice. They have always counted towards my free calls in the past months. I would like to know why i wasn't informed of their billing changes.

Won't you PM me your number and contact details as well?

What package are you on?

And you, Edinetz?

 

[albert123]

these calls you made and not "free" as per free minutes, were they to Vodacom or MTN numbers? i know the calls from voda to mtn (video) cost much more than voda to voda as mtn charges a whole lot more for the video calling. calls from voda to voda are treated the same whether video call or not. if they charged you differently, take it up with them, they will refund you.

 

[Edinetz]

Previously when video calls where charged at the same rate as voice calls, video calls where deducted from my free minuted. Subsequent to being charged for video calls I looked at the Weekender Per Second tariff information on the Vodacom website and noticed that Video calls are not charged the same as voice calls anymore.

The exception is Vodacom to MTN calls off peak video call rate is also R3.20 per minute i.e. the peak and off-peak video call rate is the same from Vodacom to MTN. Looks like Vodacom is losing the market leader position and following the MTN lead.

The calls I made where Vodacom to MTN and the last time I made video calls (Vodacom to MTN) they were included in free minutes. I have received not tariff update from Vodacom with my account neither have there been any annoucements in the press drawing my attention to the fact that the tariff has change.

My question is does Vodacom think that because Vodacom to MTN video calls are charged at the same rate for peak and off-peak i.e. R3.20 that there is no off-peak rate for Vodacom to MTN video calls and hence not included in free minutes. I would need to make a Vodacom to Vodacom video call to test this but I don't see the reason I should carry the cost of the test if all video call are now excluded from free minutes.

Vodacom3G please could you answer either of the following.
If video calls are now excluded from free minutes when was the tariff updated and communicated to contract subscribers.
If Vodacom to MTN video calls are excluded from off-peak free minutes due to off-peak rate = peak rate when was the peak off-peak definition modified to exclude Vodacom to MTN video call because the fact that the peak off-peak rate is the same doesn't make an off-peak video a peak video and hence excluded from off-peak minutes.

Vodacom3G I will PM you the number.

 

[LandyMan]

I was also under the impression that video calls comes off from your free minutes. Well that it what we were told way back when when it became possible to make video calls.

Luckily I haven't made one video call ... ever

 

[vodacom3g]

I had a look at the business rules and they state that all 'off-net' (to other networks) calls are charged while on-net calls can come out of your free minutes.

These were the first tariffs as lodged in April this year. The guys were more surprised to hear you did 'free' video calls to MTN in the past.

Was this before or after 1st of April and can you possibly PM me a statement showing the free calls?

 

[Edinetz]

I had a look at the business rules and they state that all 'off-net' (to other networks) calls are charged while on-net calls can come out of your free minutes.
QUOTE]

The "free" calls" to MTN were made in February 06. The only information every received from Vodacom was that video calls are charged the same as voice calls - the tariff may have been lodged in April but when was the retail tariff changed - seems as though Vodacom does not take out 1 page adverts when it increases prices.

I will PM you the itemised billing if I can get the extract from vodacom4me. It looks like Vodacom4me is not availble from Vodacom 3G network.

 

[vodacom3g]

My understanding is that before 1 April, the off-net video calls were in testing / beta and the service was only launched on 1st of April.

Tariff changes are not easy to do, reductions yes, but not increases.

The way to look at this is to see what your voice call tariffs said then and now. If off-net voice was free, video should be as well, i.e. video follows voice.

 

[vodacom3g]

The only information every received from Vodacom was that video calls are charged the same as voice calls.

Exactly, so if you paid or are paying for off-net voice calls, you will pay the same for video calls.

I just read through the documentation and it states the service will (past tense obviously) be launched on 1st of April and at that point in time relevant billing will happen.

If you attempted off-net video calls before then (and it worked) you were hitting he testing phase and Vodacom would not have billed you for it.

 

[Edinetz]

Exactly, so if you paid or are paying for off-net voice calls, you will pay the same for video calls.

Not so, The off peak rate for video calls is R3.20 per minute i.e. the same as peak rate therefore you are not paying the same as for voice calls which has an off-peak rate and with video calls approximately the first 14s of call duration is used setting up the video call.

Thanks V3g for clearing up the billing around video calls - my solution now is just not to use the service.

 

[vodacom3g]

Not so, The off peak rate for video calls is R3.20 per minute i.e. the same as peak rate therefore you are not paying the same as for voice calls which has an off-peak rate and with video calls approximately the first 14s of call duration is used setting up the video call.

You're saying the charges are not the same? This is not what I was told, let me check again..