Pay-as-you-Go Data Bundle Discrepancies

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Skeptik

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I just loaded a 500Mb data bundle on a spare active SIM. I tried to connect but got a PPP error. I tried again after a little while, without luck. I requested the settings again through the *123# menu. Nothing came back straight away. I continued trying to connect after rebooting my phone (used as a GPRS modem). I then checked my balance and at least 4Mb is missing from the new bundle.

A message then came through referring to the request for settings "OTA configuration error: Please try again later. (error s2)".

I called 173 and pressed 5 for data support. I got through to Nsovo. I explained the problem. She offered to send me settings and then explained that the "expert helpdesk should deal with it". She then transferred me but I just got a message saying 9-5 hours only.

Now what.

1. Is MTN data working at all and why didn't Nsovo know?

2. Why is MTN deducting a wopping megabyte every time I fail to connect (NO DATA AT ALL COMING THROUGH!):mad:

3. Why don't the OTA settings come? (This is often an indication of problems with data)

4. Why did Nsovo put me through to a closed helpdesk?

5. MTN has been very flakey this past month or so, is there a problem??
--
 
Skeptik, that makes 2 of us, just that you are a little "better" off, still: I am using my cell as modem to connect Mac with OSX, always been happy with MTN 3g services on prepaid bundles, BUT since few months I noticed MAJOR discrepancies between my log data counter (comes w s/ware), my cell's data counter (se z800) and MTn's data counter. That comes after my counters having been very close for 1,5 years or so to MTN's counters, sometimes MTN was even BEHIND by a meg or two. Now MTN is AHEAD by factor 1.64-1.66 - AND ALWAYS! (Last month, suddenly a missed about 400MB from my 1Gig Bundle, but didn't follow through, no exact proof etc. Relevancy: 400MB on 1Gig is +/- 66%, too)
I obviously spoke with the help desk, "helper" honestly suggested I request access to my data via PAIA i.o. to find out what is wrong with them... Spare my words on that one.
However: Problem persists. And yes: I accept that for purposes of billing their own counters should have preference in case of a discrepancy. But a permanant 66% overcharge should not be called a discrepancy, I presume? Maybe, somebody out here knows how their billing actually works, technically, I mean? (data collection, transformation etc.)
And the other question: Are there others with similar problems on either contract or prepaid bundles?
Willing to take this on appropriately.
Thx, A.
 
Data accounting problems at MTN??

Hi all, pls view my reply to skeptiks' post "MTN stealing...". Here are some log details and I am looking for somebody who might be able to explain these strange discrepancies? (Tried the MTN helpdesk, thank you very much...)
As I do run two data counters by default and as the data throughput sometimes differs by a few bytes between them I would think it unlikely if the two (one in the phone, one in the computerlog) would mirror each other. I would also find it unlikely that they would both measure data throughput incorrectly at the same rate (+/- 65% to MTN's advantage when measured against MTN's data accounting or billing system). Here are the usage samples (consecutive connections):
1) 10.1 - 13.01.2008
Data troughput total: +/-75MB (estimated)
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 1024.0MB
New reading (Remaining data) 902.29MB
Usageacc to MTN 121.71
Discrepancy +62.3%

2) 13.01.2008
Cell phone counter / computerlog identical:
Data sent: 1068521
Data received:7424969
Data troughput total: +/-8.48MB
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 902.29MB
New reading (Remaining data) 888.31MB
Usage this session acc to MTN 13.98MB
Discrepancy +64.8%

3) 13.01.2008
Cell phone counter:
Data sent: 589009
Data received: 3044711
Data troughput total: +/-3.63MB
Computerlog
Data sent: 589297
Data received:3044711
Data troughput total: +/- 3.63MB
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 888.31
New reading (Remaining data) 882.28
Usage this session acc to MTN 6.03MB
Discrepancy +66.1%

4) 13.01.2008
Cell phone counter / computerlog identical:
Data sent: 2620141
Data received: 8032861
Data troughput total: 10.65MB
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 882.28
New reading (Remaining data) 864.78
Usage this session acc to MTN 17.5MB
Discrepancy +64.3%

5) 14.01.2008
Cell phone counter / computerlog identical:
Data sent: 519002
Data received: 2401647
Data troughput total: 2.92MB
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 864.78
New reading (Remaining data) 859.97
Usage this session acc to MTN 4.81MB
Discrepancy +64.7%

6) 14.01.2008
Cell phone counter:
Data sent: 822150
Data received: 2996260
Data troughput total: 3.82MB
Computerlog
Data sent: 821730
Data received: 2996056
Data troughput total: 3.82MB
MTN counter *141#
Previous reading (Remaining data): 859.97
New reading (Remaining data) 853.66
Usage this session acc to MTN 6.31MB
Discrepancy +65.2%

To the layman this looks pretty much as if the MTN billing system and/or data accounting system would be tweaked to their advantage - or why are these huge differences always to MTN's advantage? - Anyone who can help me understand what is going on or having similar discrepancies? Thx.
 
In general I've found it to be fairly accurate. However I once used 250MB in a session, but *141# reported almost 400MB used - I assumed the E620 tool/data card might have a bug under high volumes...

I monitor it much more often now, but it seems quite accurate (typically 10-30MB at a time).
 
jano, my problem does not appear to depend on volumes, tested another session after above posting: phone and log report 0.92Mb usage each, MTN reports 1.52MB. Which is, you guessed it, about 65% too much. I truly wonder if I am the only one and since when this is happening. BTW: 250 x 1.6 is 400... Can you still get to you exact usage figures? And when was your event - a month or two ago?
 
It was early Dec. Unfortunately I don't have the exact figures - up until that point I wasn't paying much attention - but 400MB in one shot (when the E620 tool said 250) certainly got my attention. Since then I do a rough check every second or third session, so far so good.

But I will keep an eye out for this and let you know what I see. In particularly I'll check on the exact figures, rather than a thumb-suck "yip, it's looks about right"...

P.S. I can't complain too much though. I've started a 100MB download with only 10MB remaining (and less than R10), and it completed...
 
The problem i have with MTN billing is they can not provide me with an itemised statement indicating BYTES/MB used in a session. (Vodacom on the other hand does).

I had an issue before where a specific session did not go off my bundle, end of the month i was suddenly charged out of bundle. So i wanted to go back and sum all the sessions ...unfortunately it's all in rands and seconds which was almost impossible to correlate with MB/Bytes counter.

Fortunately i got it sorted out, but it left me highly skeptical with the info i have and the info REQUIRED to properly calculate your usage to see exactly the stuff above. It's like MTN is "conveniently" hiding the real measure....
 
Same here, i've loaded 1gig on Sunday the 6th Jan at about 7h00 AM and by monday at about 10h00 am i had 500Mb left. This was only with browsing and no apps downloaded. Best of all i,ve been on VM most of the time on Sunday because of MTN's poor signal. I've contacted 173 and they told me this is in fact my correct data usage. What i did'nt look at was that maybe they've charged me OOB rate and not 29c per meg, but they won't tell me that.
So here i am, left at this moment with a zero balance for the month, no money for another bundle, and i've wasted my R289.00.
I cannot use VC or VM all the way because their signal is not very reliable in my area.
 
diabolus said:
The problem i have with MTN billing is they can not provide me with an itemised statement indicating BYTES/MB used in a session. (Vodacom on the other hand does).
Click to expand...
The number I use in my mobile phone has itemized billing, so on the invoice I see the date, access portal (APN), bytes used and charge (in Rands) for each packet switched data session.
However, the number I used in my data card does not have itemized billing, all I get is a Rand total for packet switched data calls.
diabolus said:
It's like MTN is "conveniently" hiding the real measure....
Click to expand...
It's more like they don't actually know the real measure, see this thread.
 
Eish. My ears are glowing after a long day talking to MTN. Do the 1555 people (173 - data support - corporate helpdesk was the route) actually KNOW what they are talking about? - It may be mimikry. Their BS "Explanation" thus far to account for above discrepancy: The system makes "provisions" at the beginning of data sessions in that it "estimates" the datathroughput of the session to come and deducts from the remainder of a bundle. If system some time later checks and finds that provision was too high, it puts the unused data back into the bundle. Seldomly I've laughed as much...
Bottom line: They will possibly offer me some free data tomorrow when I must tell them how much I think I've lost, just to make me shut up... (This came after I'd asked to be put through to the regional manager) How they can actually enter into a serious argument about data usage without having IP addresses or durations - never mind the actual troughput (true or false, ANY throuput would do)- is beyond me. More fun to come, I am sure.
 
Cellbell, pls check my postings on "Data accounting problems at MTN". Unless you talk to a department other than 1555 or 173 or "data support" (unfortunately I don't know which one, not yet anyway) the people you talk to are, in actual fact, 100% clueless about your true usage. What they see on their computer screens is
1) session ending
2) data remaining as per system.
That's it.
How the system arrives at a certain count of data, they won't know. *141# is identical with this set of data so it appears logic that they will simply confirm the usage you have been given by the system. whether or not this is correct has got nothing to do with how often they tell you that it is.
Your charge: If you are on prepaid bundles, they cannot "charge" you anything before you have reached the limit of your bundle as you have been charged already. After 500MB of 1024MB you should have 524MB in your account. Don't see a "zero-Balance" coming in - or do I misunderstand?
Recommendation: Take your session logs and ask them again: how much was left after the first, 2nd, third session etc. Your advantage: The opening balance of 1024MB. Then check each sessions usage. Maybe, they are just a little "ahead" with their accounting. Good luck.
 
My conversions bytes - MB above were not correct. Used a proper converter, the percentages are worse, actually: Since I loaded the current bundle, MTN deducted between 70.2% and 73.3% above the actual usage from the bundle, that's for the above sessions. Example: 1MB actual usage would result in a deduction of 1.73MB from the bundle. Yesterday, their counter “slowed down” by approx. 20%, peaking at “only” approx. 49% "surcharge". Since this evening we are back to "normal" with 72,5% being “overbilled” above actual usage. Somebody playing with this big red knob over there? We’ll see.
 
Useless helpdesk

Getting slightly miffed: The helpdesk did not call back after setting the appointment. No, they were not late; there was no call at all... Not even a "Sorry, we are still looking into the matter and will get back to you". Am I surprised? - Anyway, I'm done with the call centre clowns. Advise, please, anyone?
 
Suddenly I feel I need to monitor my usage, seeing that some months I can not understand that I went over my bundle, but just left it.

After reading this post I think I'm gona be checking all my usage. :o

Amstel, what monitoring software are you using on your PC?
 
Well, I called 16202 this morning, I have 3.8gb's remaining on my 2gb bundle. Its been like this for a while now, I think since the 27th.

Sent an email to them on the 14th and was told they'll investigate, one thing is for sure, I won't pay a cent if I used over 2gb, and I also won't pay for what was 4.xgb earlier.
I'll actually put a stop on payment and duel it out in court. Tired of the little guy being screwed by these corporates.
 
Hmm, xrapidx, presuming that you are using data and the remaining data of your bundle is not decreasing - it sounds a bit like the story of the bottom-less bottle:

xrapidx said:
Well, I called 16202 this morning, I have 3.8gb's remaining on my 2gb bundle. Its been like this for a while now, I think since the 27th.
Click to expand...

I had this feeling all along - the helpers didn't really know what they were talking about and some of their logging times didn't match mine (Remember, 1st level yokels only have log-out times and data usage as per system to look at. But when you start a 3-hr long session at, lets say 9pm you cannot log out at 11pm and 11.30pm on the same number.) Maybe, they don't really know what is going on (logs bungled?) and just charge us SOMETHING, as long as it returns a profit?
Which - if true - might leave some guys lucky - like you. And others just paying a little more or getting a little less. Like me. Sorry to upset the "system", but I am getting the short end of the stick. Should theywant to charge you, just tell them they have their money alraedy. From me.
 
darkshadow said:
Amstel, what monitoring software are you using on your PC?
Click to expand...

darkshadow, I am using a SE Z800 as modem to link my Powerbook G4 (runs on OSX 10.4.x) to the net. The phone has a built-in monitor which measures incoming and outgoing bytes. The system software has an embedded log that notes durations, IP adresses, modem activity and data throughput etc. The MTN count I get from *141# (prepaid bundles). MTN show remaining data in MB, so the bytes need to be converted into MB's: 1 megabyte (M / MB) = 2^20 bytes = 1,048,576 bytes. There are plenty of converters on the net which can do the conversion for you; I am using http://www.beesky.com/newsite/bit_byte.htm.
To arrive at the correct amount of data put through, one has to add incoming and outgoing data (bytes) and then convert them into data storage bytes.
Example of this morning: 1.689.557 bytes used (in + out) = 1.61MB. According to MTN, the same amount of bytes equals 2.79MB. The ratio between the two figures is 1.73 amounting to an overcharge (underdelivery, to be correct) of 73%. Have fun!
 
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