MTN dissapointment

[antonjl]

I have been with MTN all my "cellular life''. In partucular Autopage and have had no problems.
When trying to get the E220 data card package it was on promotion at MTN service dept Cape rd in PE.So I stood in the long line for an hour and got the modem on My Choice 75 and did not take a data bundle at that stage.
I started browsing at home on my Autopage sim card as the new sim was only activated about 6 hours later.
The next thing I did was to upgrade to 1Gb data bundle promo with 1Gb free for 1st 3 months by phoning 808.
The bundle that was loaded was 330mb X 2 which was pro rata as I found out later.
As soon as the data bundle was loaded and I started using it my service was suspended.
808 again and they upped my credit limit....and I waited the 3 to 24hrs for reconnection again.
On 14th of this month the 1gb x 2 was loaded....on the 15th my service was suspended again....808 for an hour and I was told that the credit limit of R980 was now exceeded and I must go and pay half to get reconnected....I have not even recieved my first bill yet and have been suspended twice! They gave me a rundown of some of the costs involved which I understand..sort of...I checked online and it says outstanding balance R950 which is lower than credit limit so I dont get it!
I am currently using my Autopage sim again. Went to MTN in Cape road this morning...waited about an hour and explained my predicament to them (Tamy Frans) She said that they never heard of getting 1Gb package where you got 1Gb for free for 3 months! Is she ever watching TV?
Anyways I have posted 2 queries on MTN Active and have recieved no reply!
Bottom line is I have now paid R500 even before my first invoice and have been suspended twice already and that all in only 15 days!
I am still suspended at 6 30 pm! I hope I will be reconnected this weekend!
This is totally unaccceptable service! I am totally frustrated and disgusted!
Personally I now think MTN sucks....and this after being a fan for many years!

 

[hanno p990i]

Maybe read this - might help you to understand how the (stupid) billing system works

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=66733

Hanno

 

[antonjl]

Thanks Hanno
It seems like if I dont get my credit limit raised sky high as well that I will be disconnected every month!?
My data package of R399 plus monthly R100 plus will be R1000 already and credit limit is R980!
Why dont MTN inform customers of this?
How do I get limit raised to a 'safe'' level?
By the way I am still suspended after 24hrs although they assure me that my outgoing calls are not barred.
FRUSTRATION!!!

 

[Voldemort]

Thanks Hanno
It seems like if I dont get my credit limit raised sky high as well that I will be disconnected every month!?
My data package of R399 plus monthly R100 plus will be R1000 already and credit limit is R980!
Why dont MTN inform customers of this?
How do I get limit raised to a 'safe'' level?
By the way I am still suspended after 24hrs although they assure me that my outgoing calls are not barred.
FRUSTRATION!!!

please pm me your number if ure with MTEL, i think i saw autopage in your last posting somewhere, in that respecti cant assist.

 

[Haasbroek]

I am with Autopage too. Earlier this month I called them, asking to put a 1GB (plus 1 GB free) on my contract. The lady didn't even know about that MTN offer! It seems their offer sheets never got updated. MTNDD told me he would sort them out, or rather MTN's Autopage Account Manager will. I didn't follow up after that anymore, because I bought myself a few MTN sims for 95 cents each, and bought myself at a Pick a pay 2x R180 and 3x R15 (cant buy straight R399), loaded it up and it works like a charm. Frankly any SP scares me to do any kind of variable offer. I bought a contract to get a free phone, use up my 100 free minutes a month, but use pre paid for data, because it is under my control.
I don't need out of bundle charges, suspensions, etc etc.. really who needs that hassle??

 

[antonjl]

I dont have any problems with Autopage. It is M Tel.
At last a bit of good news....they have just reconnected me after being suspended for 5 days.....
Need to sort out credit limit now.

 

[diabolus]

Bottom line is I have now paid R500 even before my first invoice and have been suspended twice already and that all in only 15 days!

Heh, welcome to the club. I'm 99% certain MTN have not thought this process through. Voice contract + Credit Limit + Data bundle = Major F*up.

There's a few other surprises in waiting too, it doesn't stop once they unbarred you, see below

Anyways I have posted 2 queries on MTN Active and have recieved no reply!

I've timed them, their response time is approx 20 days. And this ties in with the credit limit thing, here's the answer i got:

You won't be able to load services on MTNActive .
Your account was barred due to credit limit , so the system recall it as a default on your account.
You can add/ delete service after 3months if your account history does n't have any defaults .

Fun, so i can't even use online services because of this. It was "lifted" after the query in my case , fortunately. My contract is 5 months old, but i sadly hit the credit limit twice since january Something tells me i probably got a little red flag on my account too . "No upgrade specials for you, bad customer!" They even call my account a "nursery" account now

 

[YelloFever]

Heh, welcome to the club. I'm 99% certain MTN have not thought this process through. Voice contract + Credit Limit + Data bundle = Major F*up.

There's a few other surprises in waiting too, it doesn't stop once they unbarred you, see below



I've timed them, their response time is approx 20 days. And this ties in with the credit limit thing, here's the answer i got:



Fun, so i can't even use online services because of this. It was "lifted" after the query in my case , fortunately. My contract is 5 months old, but i sadly hit the credit limit twice since january Something tells me i probably got a little red flag on my account too . "No upgrade specials for you, bad customer!" They even call my account a "nursery" account now

Just want to make sure is everyone here sorted if not let me know

MTNDD

 

[antonjl]

I am only sorted in as far as I eventually got reconnected and that only happened more than 24hrs later after paying R500 in cash.
My credit limit is still set at R980.
I have to up the credit limit or this will happen again next month.

 

[antonjl]

What really bugs me about this whole bussiness with MTN is that you have a debit order going off each month that in my case will not 'hop' but strangely with MTN it is the only company that you can get a ''bad credit record'' where they create it for you!
Effectively it means that you subscribe to a service and give debit order authorisation for deductions but because of their billing system you go over your credit limit and get a little red flag next to your name.
Frankly this is BS! I am very angry about this issue.
Every customer that signs up to this sort of package goes through the same agony.
MTN please catch a wake up!

You should inform your customers about credit limits...

You should inform your customers that you will be disconnected at least once a month for 24hours plus....

You should tell your customers that this will give you a bad record with MTN activ....or wherever

You should tell your customers to put aside 2 hours a week or month to spend in the customer services lines...and that your issue will still not be resolved...

Please also tell your poor unfortunate customer that you dont respond to MTN active queries and that they should NOT bother with that...

Also tell them that if they call your 808 number that they should be prepared to wait at least 60 minutes for an answer....and that after this they should be prepared to get pissed off by the MTN whistle looping....over and over

But who am I to complain!

 

[Voldemort]

I dont have any problems with Autopage. It is M Tel.
At last a bit of good news....they have just reconnected me after being suspended for 5 days.....
Need to sort out credit limit now.

I tried calling you, i left you a message aswell. no reply as yet.

 

[diabolus]

Just want to make sure is everyone here sorted if not let me know

MTNDD

I am sorted , snakepit got my limit raised to R2000 awhile back [thanks].Antonjl will probably need the same thing.

HOWEVER i believe this is not the sort of issue that should be 'fixed' per user. MTN needs to make adjustment on their side either by:

a) Raising the default credit limit if a person uses Data Services (automatically)

b) Changing the calculation of what actually "counts" towards your credit limit [i.e invoices that have not aged 30 days and "prepaid" services].

c) Changing how MTN bill you, i.e. debit your account before the 2nd invoice [like what Vodacom does].

d) If c is not do-able then at least allow the user to set the debit date to before the 2nd invoice [i.e. 12th of each month] OR allow the invoice date to be AFTER the debit date [i.e. 16th].

and finally just a request if MTN can't do any of that:

e) Use i better mechanism before shutting someone down cold. At least inform users about this and give them opportunity to PRE-EMPT this.

Normally the system will WARN you when you are at 80%+ of the your credit limit via SMS, but with data services this is one big chunk that goes
off your account. There is thus no time to get "warned" , and thus your account is shutdown without any warning.
So MTN will have to add an additional warning before the 2nd invoice hits.

 

[YelloFever]

I am sorted , snakepit got my limit raised to R2000 awhile back [thanks].Antonjl will probably need the same thing.

HOWEVER i believe this is not the sort of issue that should be 'fixed' per user. MTN needs to make adjustment on their side either by:

a) Raising the default credit limit if a person uses Data Services (automatically)

b) Changing the calculation of what actually "counts" towards your credit limit [i.e invoices that have not aged 30 days and "prepaid" services].

c) Changing how MTN bill you, i.e. debit your account before the 2nd invoice [like what Vodacom does].

d) If c is not do-able then at least allow the user to set the debit date to before the 2nd invoice [i.e. 12th of each month] OR allow the invoice date to be AFTER the debit date [i.e. 16th].

and finally just a request if MTN can't do any of that:

e) Use i better mechanism before shutting someone down cold. At least inform users about this and give them opportunity to PRE-EMPT this.

Normally the system will WARN you when you are at 80%+ of the your credit limit via SMS, but with data services this is one big chunk that goes
off your account. There is thus no time to get "warned" , and thus your account is shutdown without any warning.
So MTN will have to add an additional warning before the 2nd invoice hits.

Cool stuff

MTNDD

 

[Voldemort]

i just got the chance to talk to Antonj, matter sorted with the raising of the limit

 

[antonjl]

Thanks Snakepit for raising my credit limit!
I am really impressed that you sorted it out so effortlessly for me.
Good job!

 

[Voldemort]

Thanks Snakepit for raising my credit limit!
I am really impressed that you sorted it out so effortlessly for me.
Good job!

its my pleasure

 

[YelloFever]

its my pleasure