Help with MTN Data startup.

[johandutoit2000]

I need some guidance. I live in Somerset West and use 3G via my phone at the moment.

I want to purchase E220 modem. Where? How much?

I already have 99c MTN starter pack, but now I want to buy a R399 data bundle to get 2G. Where?

Is it possible?

 

[SecretCode]

I got the E220 at Autopage for R2500. Hopefully that's also possible in Somerset West. Nashua Mobile wouldn't sell it, only interested in contracts.

I assume you have a SIM in the starter pack? You can get airtime via any of the usual routes - ATMs, supermarkets, etc, then call up 141 and follow the prompts to purchase a data bundle with the airtime you've loaded.

Hope I've understood your situation right

 

[johandutoit2000]

Will this data bundle then only be valid for 1 month?

 

[MavChat]

Correct. Bundles are only valid for one month from date of purchase and any unused MB are forefitted.

The 2GB special is only valid for 3 months then you only get 1GB unless you take out the contract offer then you get 2GB for the full 24 months and the E220 for R479pm x24 months.

 

[YelloFever]

Will this data bundle then only be valid for 1 month?

Yes

A bundle is only valid for 30 day's there is no carry over or multiple bundle at this stage

MTNDD

 

[johandutoit2000]

So you must activate the bundle on the 1st or does the 30 days start counting from whatever day you activate.

 

[MavChat]

30 days start counting from the day you activate.

 

[YelloFever]

30 days start counting from the day you activate.

Yip

MTNDD

 

[johandutoit2000]

Question1

You can get airtime via any of the usual routes - ATMs, supermarkets, etc, then call up 141 and follow the prompts to purchase a data bundle with the airtime you've loaded.

You have the prepaid sim. You insert it into the E220 modem. How do you get the prepaid data active on that sim? Dont you have to put it into a phone first?... or will the IVR prompt you to enter a specific mobile number to ad the airtime and ultimately the data bundle to?

Question2

Can you activate 100MB bundle today and use it up and then activate another tomorrow, or must you wait 30 days?

 

[Syndyre]

Question1



You have the prepaid sim. You insert it into the E220 modem. How do you get the prepaid data active on that sim? Dont you have to put it into a phone first?... or will the IVR prompt you to enter a specific mobile number to ad the airtime and ultimately the data bundle to?

Question2

Can you activate 100MB bundle today and use it up and then activate another tomorrow, or must you wait 30 days?

You'll have to load the bundles from a phone. And you have to wait 30 days to activate the next bundle so use multiple sims.

 

[johandutoit2000]

That is crap. So if you dont have a mobile phone, then you cannot use prepaid data bundles. Someone was drunk when they designed this system!

MTN should have a area on the website where you can purchase data bundles on spesific mobile number as and when you please. How hard can that be?

 

[rph72]

That is crap. So if you dont have a mobile phone, then you cannot use prepaid data bundles. Someone was drunk when they designed this system!

MTN should have a area on the website where you can purchase data bundles on spesific mobile number as and when you please. How hard can that be?

30 days is crap too. Why can I not use it until depleted & then buy another one? Why download crap if you don't need too?

 

[Syndyre]

That is crap. So if you dont have a mobile phone, then you cannot use prepaid data bundles. Someone was drunk when they designed this system!

MTN should have a area on the website where you can purchase data bundles on spesific mobile number as and when you please. How hard can that be?

You can load the airtime without a phone, just not the bundles. What you can do though is set the bundle to be loaded automatically every month, then as long as you don't change the bundle you can load airtime from e.g. an ATM and then the bundle will automatically be renewed.

 

[johandutoit2000]

Why do we have to scheme to use a product. Why cant MTN just make life easy. This defies the whole purpose of prepaid. It is as is MTN realized they could get data usage out of prepaid customers as an afterthought, because their billing system was accidentally good enough to handle it.

 

[Syndyre]

Its not ideal but its relatively painless.

 

[SecretCode]

All true. I'd rather not be a marginal/accidental customer demographic ... but I'm just glad it works at all.

 

[johandutoit2000]

What is painless for you is totally impossible for normal non-technical people.

 

[Syndyre]

All it involves is swapping a sim card and accessing an IVR. That's once off, after that you just have to load airtime from an ATM once a month.

 

[johandutoit2000]

Still.

You cannot purchase a modem and go the prepaid route if you dont have a MTN cellphone (one that is not Vodacom blocked). Taking a sim out of any phone is also problematic for the phone setup.

So. I cannot inform a client to go and buy a modem (E220), sim (99c at PnP) and prepaid if they dont have a phone that can call MTN. I cannot be the only one that thinks this is wrong, broken, not well planned. Think like a noob.

 

[johandutoit2000]

I informed 3 people about this prepaid option yesterday. As soon as they heard that they need to swap sim cards into phones to activate data bundles, they decided to go with another WISP that I suggested. That was the only reason they decided against MTN. Is that not good enough reason to fix this process immediately?