R16 000 data bill!

[Geoff.D]

Thing with MTN and Vodacom they have legacy billing systems. Call/Data events are not billed in real time. Billable call/data event occurs on one side of the system. That call data only gets uploaded to the billing system every few hours...so in the space of that update, you could be running up a hefty bill. Usually you sign a disclaimer, when activating you call limit...that you are liable for all cost above and beyond the limit you have set. Best solution I have found....TopUp with MTN with Afrihost APN.

Thanks for the explanation. I will stick with my 3rd party App, which allows me to set the limits and will always stop activity as soon as the limit is reached. A nuisance sometimes but I will continue to live with it.

 

[BuckRogers]

Thing with MTN and Vodacom they have legacy billing systems. Call/Data events are not billed in real time. Billable call/data event occurs on one side of the system. That call data only gets uploaded to the billing system every few hours...so in the space of that update, you could be running up a hefty bill. Usually you sign a disclaimer, when activating you call limit...that you are liable for all cost above and beyond the limit you have set. Best solution I have found....TopUp with MTN with Afrihost APN.

Yet they can do it on prepaid. Your data stops when your balance is R0 - this tells me they can limit usage but chooses not to.

 

[supersunbird]

Yet they can do it on prepaid. Your data stops when your balance is R0 - this tells me they can limit usage but chooses not to.

Prepaid is on a totally different billing system.

It's a programming thing, Vodacom doesn't want to program a different system and move people over.

 

[BuckRogers]

Prepaid is on a totally different billing system.

It's a programming thing, Vodacom doesn't want to program a different system and move people over.

Systems can speak to one another. Databases can trigger events. It's all possible. They choose not to do it for the same reason as keeping the OOB rate at R2 - it is financially lucrative.

 

[C4Cat]

Yet they can do it on prepaid. Your data stops when your balance is R0 - this tells me they can limit usage but chooses not to.

Yes, but even on prepaid, when your data bundle runs out they automatically start using your airtime at OOB rates, without telling you.
They used to send out an sms to warn you when you were approaching the end of your data bundle and then they removed this functionality, so no warning or notification is given anymore whatsoever. That R200 airtime you loaded? gone, because your data bundle ran out an hour ago, no notification given, no ****s given.

Prepaid is on a totally different billing system.

It's a programming thing, Vodacom doesn't want to program a different system and move people over.

Then they should be upfront and not offer to set limits for people at all.

 

[Geoff.D]

I get the SMS messages on a VC contract.

It seems there are 2 different setups which need to be done by VC. Not sure if this applies to pre-paid, nor I am sure what you need to ask for at the store. It seems it is dependent on the skill of the sales person dealing with your contract upgrade at the time.

The first is a simple warning that you have run out of data and that from now on OOB rates will apply. No interruption of service
The second is a hard cap. This system can be set to send an SMS ( I get them) or not. The result is the same, when your data runs out you lose the connection. But as explained in this thread. The cut off may not happen immediately.

I have the watchdog app (mobile devices) installed. I set the limit on that below the VC limit an it simply cuts me off as soon as the local measurements reach the set limit. Works very well.

The apps sucking capacity on my Android devices are (in order of the largest to the smallest):

Google Play Services
Google App
Google Play Store
Office !
Internet Browser (Internal)
Android OS
Vodaphone update

Then the rest.

 

[crackersa]

Don't read into what I say what you want. The point relates to time not other people.

And yes I expected the limit to work. As that was my request when I asked for it.

In my line of work every aspect that can influence the client has to be clearly explained and if anything happen that has not been properly explained it is up to the company to sort out and not the client. This is also governed by our government

vodacom isn't in your line of work. take it up with them...most (if not all regular MyBB forum members) are well aware of the OOB Shark. the fact that you set up your sim in your router as a fail over for when adsl goes down shows that you have limited expereince and knowledge with technology. and based what you said, i would guess that you specialize in the financial industry.

 

[crackersa]

So what is the point of telling you they've put a limit in place when they actually haven't? It duplicitous and dishonest. Why would I want to deal with that? No, vodacom caught me three times with oob rates before I ported to telkom. So they may have made a bit more off me in the short term but they've lost out on my money in the long term. Whatever. IMO the OP would be an idiot not to change networks once he's sorted this out. It's the second time he's been caught out by their deceit, why would anyone continue to support them after that is beyond me (unless he has no choice, obviously)

lmao...got you x3 times? lmao.

and we'll wait your posts about telkom when you try to cancel.

 

[Jola]

Prepaid is on a totally different billing system.

It's a programming thing, Vodacom doesn't want to program a different system and move people over.

They can do it on TopUp contracts as well.

They have been using this excuse for many, many years, it is getting a bit lame now.

 

[C4Cat]

lmao...got you x3 times? lmao.

and we'll wait your posts about telkom when you try to cancel.

At least Telkom cuts my data when my bundle runs out and leaves my airtime alone.
No need to cancel, I'm not on contract

 

[yebocan]

Yet they can do it on prepaid. Your data stops when your balance is R0 - this tells me they can limit usage but chooses not to.

As stated, Prepaid and Hybrid/TopUp billing occurs on newer billing platform, that occurs in real time. The investment required to update their legacy billing systems for most of their post paying contracts, would be substantial. But you are right, their excuses are just that excuses.

 

[BBSA]

As stated, Prepaid and Hybrid/TopUp billing occurs on newer billing platform, that occurs in real time. The investment required to update their legacy billing systems for most of their post paying contracts, would be substantial. But you are right, their excuses are just that excuses.

Jannie promised 10 years ago they going to fix this, and yet today the OOB shark still roams freely.

Best is not to support Vodacom, as it is just greed from their side.