MTN contract ending - help with NOT losing remaining airtime??

D

divv

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Hello all. My Anytime 200 contract with MTN is coming to an end early October (its a Blackberry contract incidentally).
I wanted the line to convert to prepaid at the end but the people at "retentions" tell me I will lose any remaining airtime should I convert which as far as I'm concerned is a MAJOR RIP-OFF - when my Virgin contract ended before I moved to MTN, I was able to continue using the airtime until it ran out - if Virgin can do it why not MTN?
Today I checked my balance using the IVS and I found I have over R900!! of airtime left. I DO NOT want to lose it all but neither do I want to spend hours on unneccessary calls.
Question 1: What can I do to get this airtime to carry over/not get lost (without renewing contract)?
Question 2: if I have so much available airtime, why does the same IVS system tell me my outstanding/unbilled balance is over R330 (when previously it has been R269 (= R219 promo price + R50 SMS bundle)?) Its definitely NOT because I have exceeded my allowable airtime!!
Question 3: come month-end am I going to be given ANOTHER FULL MONTH'S WORTH of airtime which I would have to use in the few days before contract end? Or is it pro-rata for the last month (since it should have been prorata on the 1st month)?

Thanks folks for any input!
 
Answer to Q1
- Perhaps you can convert the airtime into MTN Loyalty/Talking Points, and then use your talking points to buy a new phone, or whatever is on offer.
- You could try to transfer the airtime to a prepaid MTN SIM card (I think it's called Me2u service on Vodacom, not sure what MTN calls it, or if they have it.). Find out if this is possible.
- Failing all of this, you will probably be forced to use up your airtime. Buy a data bundle with your remiaing airtime (this might not be possible with MTN, but find out), and surf the internet.

Answer to Q2
- Maybe your contract is already expired, or the IVS is giving you the billing info for the period after your contract will expire, when you are moved on to month to month. The month to month pricing is not the same as the promo price, but then again R280 (R330 - R50) is too much for an MTN Anytime 200.
- The R330 could include the pro-rata amount for the final partial month??
- Or probably just another one of MTN's billing screw ups!

Phone 808 and ask them what's going on. Perhaps they can give you more reliable info, then my guesses above. Good Luck!
 
Your only choice is to use up the minutes.

You could try some CPA related bluff. But I suspect they won't fall that.
 
2 - did you buy any bundles in the previous month? Ad-hoc ones that is. Though they always deducted the correct amount, I was never able to reconcile how their statements worked.

3 - your contract continues on a month to month basis until you renew, cancel or convert.
 
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Hi. Thanks for the various responses.
@Toxicwazte - contract is definitely not yet up - I diarised the date so I know! I will look into the transfer and the data bundle.
@Milomak - definitely no bundles bought so far. I did reload my software and after I forgot to check my APN and used data on the phone that didn't go through BIS but this SHOULD have gone against the value amount of the account - FFS there's plenty of it available (likewise any bundles if I HAD bought any!).
@The_Librarian - since it comes to 5 month's worth of value that's a BIG bullet to bite..

Does no one know the answer to # 3, about the final issue of minutes being prorata or what?

And is there a MTN rep on this forum who's been useful in the past that I can consult?
 
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You can "extend" 33% of the airtime by up to 60 days by calling an 8ta prepaid number. For every 3 minutes of calls received on 8ta, you get 1 outgoing minute. Those free minutes will become available in the calendar month following that in which the calls were received.
 
That's a lateral way of thinking, ajax! ;-) So call myself for hours... A bit time-consuming though...
 
so what happened to your airtime?

I just moved my number to prepaid from a mycall100 lol
had the contract since 2002ish and never upgraded because it a special subscription of R29
They finally cancelled the discount last month, so instead of renewing I moved to prepaid.

they said it would take 30 days
but it was moved to prepaid immmediately
and had an airtime balance of +r200 available
im not sure how much minutes i had left as I was only expecting to be moved to prepaid in a months time, prob not much anyways.

Its cool, cos now I can just port sooner
 
Rodga - R200 - you're lucky!!
I got R41 (and I'm positive there was a LOT more than that left over before the switch). STILL - they said I would get nothing so the R41 was better than nothing!
I was told that from when I called it would take 24 hours but the switch was through in about 2 hours.
For now I haven't found a good enough deal anywhere so I purchased a 30 day prepaid Blackberry bundle and some airtime and I'll see if anything appeals early Nov otherwise will repeat that.
PS I took ajax's advice and called my 8ta nr so next month I will have 70 mins of 8ta time too.. Thanks again for that suggestion ajax! :-)
 
divv said:
Rodga - R200 - you're lucky!!
I got R41 (and I'm positive there was a LOT more than that left over before the switch). STILL - they said I would get nothing so the R41 was better than nothing!
I was told that from when I called it would take 24 hours but the switch was through in about 2 hours.
For now I haven't found a good enough deal anywhere so I purchased a 30 day prepaid Blackberry bundle and some airtime and I'll see if anything appeals early Nov otherwise will repeat that.
Click to expand...
cool
im gonna port to red bull mobile
gonna get the optimus black
even just the contract package without the phone its worth it
200mins
100sms
500mb
for R250
 
dont think i can go back to a non touch phone
had the xperia x1 a while back - never really used the KB
 
Before my current phone (BB 8520) I was on a Nokia E70 also with full keyboard. I hate touchscreens for typing..
I'd really like the BB 9900 (touchscreen and keyboard) but until they come down in price not an option. No ways I'm paying R450 a month..
 
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