My expensive mistake.

[w1z4rd]

Well I was messing around with a Windows XP sp 1 virtual box.. and I left it running. I had my spare HSDPA card in my machine.. woke up the next morning and Windows had updated itself to SP3... and I am looking at a R2000 data bill. *sigh*

Well thats my expensive mistake for the month.

 

[bekdik]

Ouch!!!

Been there done that

 

[Veroland]

ouch, I normally have auto updates turned OFF

 

[spiderz]

Leson to learn here, make your data cards PrePaid.
IF there's no money on it, it stops working...

 

[eugenevdm]

Do you have any idea how many stories there are like this?

Vodacom / MTN has a license to print money.

Unlike traditional ISPs they don't cap their services and even worse they charge ridiculous 'out of bundle' charges.

I dare you to try and phone Vodacom and tell them it was a innocent mistake.

A "bot" once ran up a R 77 000 SMS bill on our network by way of a badly designed web site.

I tried contacting Vodacom to speak to a manager and explain to them the situation. The person who answered the phone and who became my contact for this issue wouldn't ever let me speak to a manager. She just kept on insisting that it was my fault, or regardless, I would have to pay. And that they wouldn't give me any terms.

In the end I had to get a lawyer to speak to Vodacom because it seems they have no respect for ordinary people like me. Even though I have huge admiration for the lawyer who then negotiated on my behalf Vodacom was only willing to give bring down the bill to R 66 000.

To this day I hate Vodacom. They cost me half a deposit on a house, a car, and two years of my life having to work back money for something (messages on their network) that probably costs then nothing.

Let me tell you in no uncertain terms they have a license to print money and they are capatalist monsters and they have no idea or intent to listen or provide sympathy to their clients.

 

[w1z4rd]

Do you have any idea how many stories there are like this?

Vodacom / MTN has a license to print money.

Unlike traditional ISPs they don't cap their services and even worse they charge ridiculous 'out of bundle' charges.

I dare you to try and phone Vodacom and tell them it was a innocent mistake.

A "bot" once ran up a R 77 000 SMS bill on our network by way of a badly designed web site.

I tried contacting Vodacom to speak to a manager and explain to them the situation. The person who answered the phone and who became my contact for this issue wouldn't ever let me speak to a manager. She just kept on insisting that it was my fault, or regardless, I would have to pay. And that they wouldn't give me any terms.

In the end I had to get a lawyer to speak to Vodacom because it seems they have no respect for ordinary people like me. Even though I have huge admiration for the lawyer who then negotiated on my behalf Vodacom was only willing to give bring down the bill to R 66 000.

To this day I hate Vodacom. They cost me half a deposit on a house, a car, and two years of my life having to work back money for something (messages on their network) that probably costs then nothing.

Let me tell you in no uncertain terms they have a license to print money and they are capatalist monsters and they have no idea or intent to listen or provide sympathy to their clients.

They say laws protect the successful crimes of the past. I think this crime needs a law. Pity ICASA is so useless

 

[Sensorei]

Do you have any idea how many stories there are like this?

Vodacom / MTN has a license to print money.

Unlike traditional ISPs they don't cap their services and even worse they charge ridiculous 'out of bundle' charges.

I dare you to try and phone Vodacom and tell them it was a innocent mistake.

A "bot" once ran up a R 77 000 SMS bill on our network by way of a badly designed web site.

I tried contacting Vodacom to speak to a manager and explain to them the situation. The person who answered the phone and who became my contact for this issue wouldn't ever let me speak to a manager. She just kept on insisting that it was my fault, or regardless, I would have to pay. And that they wouldn't give me any terms.

In the end I had to get a lawyer to speak to Vodacom because it seems they have no respect for ordinary people like me. Even though I have huge admiration for the lawyer who then negotiated on my behalf Vodacom was only willing to give bring down the bill to R 66 000.

To this day I hate Vodacom. They cost me half a deposit on a house, a car, and two years of my life having to work back money for something (messages on their network) that probably costs then nothing.

Let me tell you in no uncertain terms they have a license to print money and they are capatalist monsters and they have no idea or intent to listen or provide sympathy to their clients.

If I was you I'd start a vodascum.co.za site where people can share stories about the evils of vodacom on a forum. We all know there are enough of these to go around. Plus you would not lose if they sued you. Telkom lost hopelessly when they tried to sue Hellkom.co.za and telkomsucks.co.za which was up a few years ago. Then you could sell the site to Vodacom. They would pay big bucks.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

A "bot" once ran up a R 77 000 SMS bill on our network by way of a badly designed web site.

I'm in the industry and I know the network policies. That is why I've put MT limits on SMS gateway I set up for my wife as it is possible > R70K in a month if the modem (E220) sends MTs out continuously.

 

[eugenevdm]

If I was you I'd start a vodascum.co.za site where people can share stories about the evils of vodacom on a forum. We all know there are enough of these to go around. Plus you would not lose if they sued you. Telkom lost hopelessly when they tried to sue Hellkom.co.za and telkomsucks.co.za which was up a few years ago. Then you could sell the site to Vodacom. They would pay big bucks.

I don't think I'll have time for this. So instead I am voting with my wallet. I have ported all our company accounts to MTN and I refuse to do any more business with Vodacom.