Prevent cellular bill shock

nelwa said:
The only or rather main problem with Vodacom, is that reports aren't available in realtime, but are delayed by at least 3 hours. Do you know how many rands can be burned on a fast connection in 3 hours...quite a lot at R2/meg.

Also, their SMS notifications are useless, I receive mine days or even weeks after the balance has been reached. Other times, I receive a certain percentage usage notification when I haven't even come close to that value...further, it is really awesome when I receive my notification sms at 3 in the morning, just as my REM fase peaks...so if you ask me they might as well just deactivate it.
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I would prefer they don't deactivate it. It has saved my but once (due to Android SDK installation), and have given me a warning twice that I will be getting close.

I can't comment on the delay, but I would believe you on the 3 hours. If that is the case it could probably be bettered but is not worthless.

Sorry that it did not work for you to...
 
jannievanzyl said:
R2/MB OOB on a contract for starters?
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I might be wrong, but as far as I know the R2/MB does still stand to be true if you have a contract without any data-package attached.

IMO this is something Vodacom should reconsider. I have a feeling it can be decreased without really affecting the bottomline, but does damage to the Vodacom brand, even if it is only in casual conversations and forums where it is thrown around without full knowledge of where and how it applies.
 
[)roi(];7129650 said:
I don't think you can play this one from your "high horse"...

For example I have been with vodacom since its inception and have never heard of these services, let alone know how to activate this.

So it's not surprising many others are also not aware.
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If you would have been given a booklet with all these options when you signed the contract, would you have read it? I know I typically do (although I also seem to forget about the things after a while), but very few people I know even read the contracts they are given to sign.

On a constructive point, how would you propose the cellular networks communicate and manage services as the ones mentioned in the article to get the consumers informed? I was in a discussion a while back around a few beers where it was decided that cellular operators should create teaching classes to inform users of all the options, and that you should get a licence before you are allowed to get a phone so that all consumers can understand what tools you have available to you and how they work :)

We should probably have something similar for medical aid... anybody recently tried to make heads or tails from Discovery's benefit system?!
 
Viva said:
Why would you say this? Some people prefer the convenience of a contract phone and can benefit by saving money.
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The same reason you shouldn't get a store card or a credit card. The only thing you should buy on finance is a house. Anything else and you're pissing your money away.
 
I use the ussd widget to check my minutes and data daily. No more bill shocks here.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
 
jannievanzyl said:
So many inaccuracies (and wrong assumptions) in this, I'll try and respond to them one by one later.
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Firstly, that's your customer. I know he insulted your little SP but be nice.
Secondly, you are repetedly double posting - stop.
Lastly, the first time you mention ALTNUM you can't even bother to link to a description. And then you complain that people are not using it?
Good going rep.


For the record, I am with MTN and have regretted it since day 3. I cannot wait till my contract is up and can get onto a real network.
 
boerseun said:
3G watchdog. Works like a charm. Doesn't stop me from getting a huge bill, but at least I know that I'm gonna get a huge bill.....
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Do you know if there is something similar for Windows? I'm using Bitmeter and it isn't accurate
 
jannievanzyl said:
One of the biggest issues we have with peeps running over is that they use data SIMs in devices such as tablets and routers and do not get the notification SMS's.

We built an ALTNUM function years ago (this forum actually asked for it originally) but many seem to have forgotton about it.

So please update your data SIM settings with the ALTNUM details. Last time I look, we had a few 100K of subs not using the feature. Will help you manage your account much better and prevent bill-shock.
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Can I have an ALTNUM please? I have my hand out like a beggar at the robots..
 
ocleroux said:
It has now also been made mandatory for us to input a ALTNUM when activating a 3G contract on Fastrak Jannie. I think this is a good thing.
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One of the biggest issues we have with peeps running over is that they use data SIMs in devices such as tablets and routers and do not get the notification SMS's.

We built an ALTNUM function years ago (this forum actually asked for it originally) but many seem to have forgotton about it.

So please update your data SIM settings with the ALTNUM details. Last time I look, we had a few 100K of subs not using the feature. Will help you manage your account much better and prevent bill-shock.
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Where is MTN in all of this.

Their reply is - get a prepaid (TopUp contract)?

Appauling.

But, so typical of South African services isn't it. No one service provides you with all you need. Its like running from Checkers for five items and then to Pick n Pay for the other five items because they are cheaper there.

MTN, IMO, great network but such a big rip-off. Why do I say this? Because of their reply. No TopUp contracts for R149/mth data packages. I haven't checked my balance in weeks - not because I don't want to. But, because it is like going to the moon to fetch a grain of sand.

At least @jannievanzyl is engaging his customers. If only the balance checks were in real time. Again Vodacom is not the only one in this. 8ta is the same. But at least the feature is there.

Shame on you MTN. Seriously considering my relationship with you's.
 
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deweyzeph said:
The same reason you shouldn't get a store card or a credit card. The only thing you should buy on finance is a house. Anything else and you're pissing your money away.
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Getting financing for a car or a house costs you more in the end. Getting a phone on contract saves you money in the large majority of cases. How is this pissing your money away?
 
One will only know that your house is on fire if you see the smoke or flames...otherwise you would be at peace and dont worry at all...

Same happened to me today. I checked my Vodacom online account and... DATA USAGE BILL for currently month is sitting at R1600!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF.??!! :mad:
I phoned Vodacom and asked them WTF is up. They couldnt really help me much. Told me to enable Itemized billing and check my balance regularlly and then agreed to do a "data audit" on the data usage of my phone which will take 14 days.

I told them I normally receive Data bundle usage warning SMS's on my cellphone at different levels (50% etc) but this month when I needed it most nothing was sent!!!!!!!! The supervisor on the phone just shrugged and said that their sms is sent at 3MB usage and says the other sms's is only applicable for call usage (huh?!!!). WTF.

So to get quote to the original article:
"SMS notifications with data usage information. Contract subscribers get notifications when they’ve used 50%, 70%, and 90% of their cap"
TOTAL BULLSH*T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Angry*
Ok' i'm off to HelloPeter now.
 
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SeRpEnT said:
One will only know that your house is on fire if you see the smoke or flames...otherwise you would be at peace and dont worry at all...

Same happened to me today. I checked my Vodacom online account and... DATA USAGE BILL for currently month is sitting at R1600!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF.??!! :mad:
I phoned Vodacom and asked them WTF is up. They couldnt really help me much. Told me to enable Itemized billing and check my balance regularlly and then agreed to do a "data audit" on the data usage of my phone which will take 14 days.

I told them I normally receive Data bundle usage warning SMS's on my cellphone at different levels (50% etc) but this month when I needed it most nothing was sent!!!!!!!! The supervisor on the phone just shrugged and said that their sms is sent at 3MB usage and says the other sms's is only applicable for call usage (huh?!!!). WTF.

So to get quote to the original article:
"SMS notifications with data usage information. Contract subscribers get notifications when they’ve used 50%, 70%, and 90% of their cap"
TOTAL BULLSH*T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Angry*
Ok' i'm off to HelloPeter now.
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Not gonna help you on current billing but may I introduce you to a friend of mine:

Onavo : Monitor Data Usage

Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.onavo.android.onavoid
Iphone http://itunes.apple.com/za/app/onavo-data-usage-get-more/id423545287?mt=8

Worth it to protect you in the future.
 
I just got the Itemized Data Billing. Look at this:

Date Time Total Data Access Point Desc. Connections Charge
06/02/2012 04.57 67,192.60 KB internet 28 R 57.54
07/02/2012 03.07 465,729.11 KB internet 156 R 347.12
08/02/2012 00.21 269,765.58 KB internet 96 R 200.77

(Just a few days extract - It seemed to happen each and every day with varying amounts of data used every day (night)
Look at the times at night. WTF. Why at those ungodly midnight hours? Is there perhaps an APP on my phone doing this every night? How do I find out?
I loaded 3G watchdog app, but is there an app to monitor the internet usage of other apps?
 
SeRpEnT said:
I just got the Itemized Data Billing. Look at this:

Date Time Total Data Access Point Desc. Connections Charge
06/02/2012 04.57 67,192.60 KB internet 28 R 57.54
07/02/2012 03.07 465,729.11 KB internet 156 R 347.12
08/02/2012 00.21 269,765.58 KB internet 96 R 200.77

(Just a few days extract - It seemed to happen each and every day with varying amounts of data used every day (night)
Look at the times at night. WTF. Why at those ungodly midnight hours? Is there perhaps an APP on my phone doing this every night? How do I find out?
I loaded 3G watchdog app, but is there an app to monitor the internet usage of other apps?
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Look at the apps in my 1st reply, seriously I dont know why people load that 3G watchdog crap. :)

Edit: not only does Onavo give you the alarms it also does per app breakdown and the ability to restrict selected applications to WiFi only usage.
 
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Ok cool. Just downloaded it (via Android Market on IE on PC connection and then sent to cellphone via the Android Bluetooth option.) I noticed that 3G Watchdog now shows that i used that 1.7MB as data. Huh? Why show Bluetooth usage as download data? BLuetooth is supposed to be free, so why bother? Does Onavo do this too? I use Bluetooth a lot, that would mean the stats would be skewed and just plain wrong?
 
SeRpEnT said:
Ok cool. Just downloaded it (via Android Market on IE on PC connection and then sent to cellphone via the Android Bluetooth option.) I noticed that 3G Watchdog now shows that i used that 1.7MB as data. Huh? Why show Bluetooth usage as download data? BLuetooth is supposed to be free, so why bother? Does Onavo do this too? I use Bluetooth a lot, that would mean the stats would be skewed and just plain wrong?
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I can not answer for Bluetooth as I never used that for data but I know WiFi and 3G data are separate.
 
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