Prepaid data

[realbigdreamer]

I want to buy a vodacom prepaid sim card and buy bundles every month. I am still not sure about a few things: How do i buy the bundles? If i buy a bundle and just before it expires buy another, do I keep the existing data? Would u suggest i use mtn or vodacom?

 

[Keeper]

dial *111#

you can only load a bundle when your data is below 30 MB - bundles expire after 30 days, from the day you created the bundle

I would suggest vodacom, but depending on your area, you might wanna try both..

 

[Antonf]

...you can only load a bundle when your data is below 30 MB...

When did it became 30Mb, was 10Mb last week!

 

[Keeper]

When did it became 30Mb, was 10Mb last week!

oh wait - you might be right - I had 30 MB's and couldn't load a bundle.

frantic youtubing FTW!

 

[Tweak]

maybe you didn't hear but Telkom has 3g data at 30cents out of bundle.. if you have coverage I suggest you should try them first.

Telkom said they will have prepaid simcards available by march this year.


Good luck

 

[Conradl]

I want to buy a vodacom prepaid sim card and buy bundles every month. I am still not sure about a few things: How do i buy the bundles? If i buy a bundle and just before it expires buy another, do I keep the existing data? Would u suggest i use mtn or vodacom?

I buy it though online banking, then go to vodacom4me and convert it to data. Vodacom is pretty good, better than Virgin (not difficult) and MTN I think....

 

[realbigdreamer]

maybe you didn't hear but Telkom has 3g data at 30cents out of bundle.. if you have coverage I suggest you should try them first.

Well, stupidly enough, it seems the fastest internet i can get in my area is edge. Afaik i don't have 3g coverage. telkom promised adsl last year for my area but nothing yet. . . . .

 

[Tweak]

I buy it though online banking, then go to vodacom4me and convert it to data. Vodacom is pretty good, better than Virgin (not difficult) and MTN I think....

Vodacon is only better at ripping us off. Nothing else.

Virgin offers you data at 60cents out of bundle, and it NEVER expires. This beats the hell out of vodacon's 30day data expiry date, and 2rand per meg out of bundle pricing.

 

[Conradl]

Vodacon is only better at ripping us off. Nothing else.

Virgin offers you data at 60cents out of bundle, and it NEVER expires. This beats the hell out of vodacon's 30day data expiry date, and 2rand per meg out of bundle pricing.

Good point. That should have read "Vodacom is faster and more reliable than VM (total crap) and MTN". I could not believe it when the guy at the shop told me that the data bundle expires after 30 days, and out of rate is R2. When I asked him WHY it expires he told me "because you did not use it". I wanted to ask him when his brain expired....

 

[spiderz]

Get 2 sims, if you run out of data before the 30days, just load the data on hte other sim, and off you go.

 

[morkhans]

Vodacon is only better at ripping us off. Nothing else.

Virgin offers you data at 60cents out of bundle, and it NEVER expires. This beats the hell out of vodacon's 30day data expiry date, and 2rand per meg out of bundle pricing.

If you had done the maths you would notice that Pre-Paid Vodacom (and MTN) works out cheaper than ADSL for the for people who use up to 3GB a month. Here is a comparison I did for VGS against ADSL but in the last column you can see how 3G stacks up as well.

Only if you are generating less than 250MB of traffic a month does Virgin OOB rates make any sense (if you can live with EDGE speeds).

I've been purchasing 2GB bundles (effective in bundle rate of 19c) and manage my usage so it lasts me 30 days. Yes roll-over would be great, but when was the last time Telkom let you roll over your unused ADSL cap? Besides that is the great thing about pre-paid, if you know you are going to using less data this month then buy a smaller bundle.

 

[morkhans]

I want to buy a vodacom prepaid sim card and buy bundles every month. I am still not sure about a few things: How do i buy the bundles? If i buy a bundle and just before it expires buy another, do I keep the existing data? Would u suggest i use mtn or vodacom?

As the others have said use internet banking to load up air-time and use USSD or vodacome4me.co.za to convert the airtime to bundle. Also consider that places like PnP offer discount on airtime you purchase through them, so it may be worthwhile buying your airtime there for some extra savings.

With regards to your EDGE coverage. Depending on how far out of the 3G footprint you fall a high gain external antenna might help out.

 

[basicgerm]

can you use prepaid sim card in a contract modem? is it possible? and also.

I have noticed that there is something that is munching my data when i connect my laptop to the internet without my knowledge. when i looked at that bar thingy i noticed that windows was "auto updating" and the progress was 17%. this has just cost me about 50MB of data and rapidly counting at a rate of about 1 or2 MB per minute. i was only checking my emails and they all had absolutely no attachments. is there a way of finding out if something else is chowing on my data? and how do i disable windows updates so i can enable it at the nearest coffee shop?

 

[morkhans]

can you use prepaid sim card in a contract modem? is it possible? and also.

Yes

I have noticed that there is something that is munching my data when i connect my laptop to the internet without my knowledge. when i looked at that bar thingy i noticed that windows was "auto updating" and the progress was 17%. this has just cost me about 50MB of data and rapidly counting at a rate of about 1 or2 MB per minute. i was only checking my emails and they all had absolutely no attachments. is there a way of finding out if something else is chowing on my data? and how do i disable windows updates so i can enable it at the nearest coffee shop?

Get the free version of NetLimiter to monitor your data usage by application.

 

[Colin62]

maybe you didn't hear but Telkom has 3g data at 30cents out of bundle.. if you have coverage I suggest you should try them first.

As far as I know, both of the people who have Telkom 3G coverage are already using them...

 

[Tweak]

If you had done the maths you would notice that Pre-Paid Vodacom (and MTN) works out cheaper than ADSL for the for people who use up to 3GB a month. Here is a comparison I did for VGS against ADSL but in the last column you can see how 3G stacks up as well.

Only if you are generating less than 250MB of traffic a month does Virgin OOB rates make any sense (if you can live with EDGE speeds).

I've been purchasing 2GB bundles (effective in bundle rate of 19c) and manage my usage so it lasts me 30 days. Yes roll-over would be great, but when was the last time Telkom let you roll over your unused ADSL cap? Besides that is the great thing about pre-paid, if you know you are going to using less data this month then buy a smaller bundle.

Most people dont use data bundles..


They don't even know how to operate a pc but you expect they would know how to load and manage a data bundle? This R2 per meg out of bundle is an extortion and nothing else.

Vodacon is making their money by ripping off un suspecting clients like my parents who stil spend over 300 rand a month on sms messages. SMS bundles are alot cheaper too that doesn't mean they know about these or plan to use them..


Its more convenient for vodascum to rip off the older generation than our younger ones. So that is why prices haven't changed, when these old cash cows run out of milk they will have to start upgrading their marketting agenda to exploit the IT Literate generation of consumers.

 

[morkhans]

Most people dont use data bundles..


They don't even know how to operate a pc but you expect they would know how to load and manage a data bundle? This R2 per meg out of bundle is an extortion and nothing else.

Vodacon is making their money by ripping off un suspecting clients like my parents who stil spend over 300 rand a month on sms messages. SMS bundles are alot cheaper too that doesn't mean they know about these or plan to use them..


Its more convenient for vodascum to rip off the older generation than our younger ones. So that is why prices haven't changed, when these old cash cows run out of milk they will have to start upgrading their marketting agenda to exploit the IT Literate generation of consumers.

So applying your argument to life would mean then if you don't know how to drive a car then it's the manufacturers fault?

If you know so much, why don't you help or educate your parents on how to buy SMS bundles, or better yet add a reoccurring bundle each month. You can even call customer care and they will add things for you over the phone.

Do you have anything constructive to add to this thread other than your misguided rantings?

 

[Steinie]

Slightly off topic, but I hope this will alert other PPDB users.

On 30 January, I purchased a 3 gig bundle. No problem.

I was curious as to whether the 3.6 HSDPA speed had improved in my area, as I didn't get more than about 2200 kbps during the initial free trial period.

I paid the R49 and activated 3.6, but after a day or two, I was still getting my usual 1800 kbps d/l speeds.

I then cancelled/deactivated the 3.6, assuming that it would only be cancelled at the end of the 30 day period.

A week later, I realised that I was still not exceeding 1800, so I called 155 to confirm that I was actually on the 3.6 WHICH I HAD PAID FOR!

They told me that I had deactivated the service. I explained my reasoning behind the move, but they insisted that there was no way that they could reactivate it unless I paid another R49!! Surprise, surprise, they won't credit me, either!

I am not a happy chappie! It's not the money, but the principle of the matter that irks me. I could not find anything on vodacom4me to explain how this works.

 

[morkhans]

When this was launched the explanation was that if you activated and then cancelled it, it would remain active for the remained of the 30 days and then simply not be renewed. Sounds like either the helpdesk has it wrong or it was not implemented as described.

v3g might want to comment.

 

[Colin62]

Vodacon is making their money by ripping off un suspecting clients like my parents who stil spend over 300 rand a month on sms messages. SMS bundles are alot cheaper too that doesn't mean they know about these or plan to use them..

If my parents were being ripped off by anyone, I'd help them out...

Incidently, I don't consider anyone who doesn't bother to aquaint themselves with the terms and conditions of any contract they enter to being ripped off when the supplier charges in accordance with those terms and conditions. The fact that there is a cheaper option is irrelevant, if you agree to pay a certain amount, then shut up and pay it, or close the account and carry on with your life.