Telkom prepaid

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Red Plumstead

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I see Telkom starting this nonsense if you are on prepaid, and you do not recharge every 20 days then they terminate your number. I am a pensioner and can't afford it. I recharge once a month.
 
Red Plumstead said:
I see Telkom starting this nonsense if you are on prepaid, and you do not recharge every 20 days then they terminate your number. I am a pensioner and can't afford it. I recharge once a month.
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I very much doubt this is the case, do you have a link regarding this?
 
NeonNinja said:
Why are you the only person to receive this SMS?
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Who said I was the only one? There is a lot of people that is not even on My Broadband. Maybe Telkom is trying to get money and I am one of the trial people. I know it is official from Telkom. Caller ID confirmed and via Telkom Twitter
 
Red Plumstead said:
I have received an SMS from Telkom. Something: You have not recharged within 20 days. To avoid being suspended, Please recharge to enjoy Telkom mobile services.
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I have 2 Telkom Mobile prepaid SIMs, one of which was converted to SmartBroadband Wireless a few years ago (to make use of the then 500GB for R50 deal).

Early on last month I sent an SMS from each in order to keep them active ; that's the way Vodacom works (to my knowledge), so I thought this would be the same.

Have just connected both Telkom SIMs and they're still active ; I've not recharged them in probably half a year, though can confirm that (so far) one of them received the SMS you got as well, which starts :

"There has been no activity on your Simcard in the last 20 days.", and carries on similarly to your message.

I'm inclined to call their bluff on that card & not recharge it for over 20 days from now, and see what happens.
However, your use case is likely different from mine if it's your main number, though it would be surprising if their systems picked up the fact you're recharging every 30 days, and still suspended you after 20.

Try find a suitable (voice ? - if that's what you recharge for) package that lasts 30 days, then it would be surprising if they cut you off after 20.

Alternatively, Cell C have 240 minutes for R100, and approx. 900 minutes for R200 that are each valid for 30 days, so if you have their signal available, that might be an option, but purely for all network calls within SA (ie. doesn't incl. data or SMSs).
 
BayCityRoller said:
I have 2 Telkom Mobile prepaid SIMs, one of which was converted to SmartBroadband Wireless a few years ago (to make use of the then 500GB for R50 deal).

Early on last month I sent an SMS from each in order to keep them active ; that's the way Vodacom works (to my knowledge), so I thought this would be the same.

Have just connected both Telkom SIMs and they're still active ; I've not recharged them in probably half a year, though can confirm that (so far) one of them received the SMS you got as well, which starts :

"There has been no activity on your Simcard in the last 20 days.", and carries on similarly to your message.

I'm inclined to call their bluff on that card & not recharge it for over 20 days from now, and see what happens.
However, your use case is likely different from mine if it's your main number, though it would be surprising if their systems picked up the fact you're recharging every 30 days, and still suspended you after 20.

Try find a suitable (voice ? - if that's what you recharge for) package that lasts 30 days, then it would be surprising if they cut you off after 20.

Alternatively, Cell C have 240 minutes for R100, and approx. 900 minutes for R200 that are each valid for 30 days, so if you have their signal available, that might be an option, but purely for all network calls within SA (ie. doesn't incl. data or SMSs).
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The terminated an elderly lady around the corner in less than 30 days, although she only recharges maybe every 2 months with R20. As she uses hers only for emergencies.
Mine is similar as I used it only when we go out etc. for calls. And then we recharges between R30 to R50.
 
I have also had Telkom sims that has not been used for more then 6 months and they are still active. I have found in the past that Telkom is the one network that is slow to reclaim numbers that is not being used, but that can just be my experience.
 
japster79 said:
I have also had Telkom sims that has not been used for more then 6 months and they are still active. I have found in the past that Telkom is the one network that is slow to reclaim numbers that is not being used, but that can just be my experience.
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Compared to MTN, Telkom is slow to reclaim numbers. At one point I had 5 additional sims with them. When I stopped using them it took about 2 months before they were all reclaimed at once.

In contrast, with MTN, I've actually had a sim reclaimed while I was using it with an active Afrihost data bundle.
 
Have a Telkom sim in an alarm system. Only recharged when the airtime runs out every few months. But actively sends test SMSes every day.

I think inactivity is more than just recharging. Usually they look at activity on the card, and recharging would be one such type of activity?
 
sgs said:
Have a Telkom sim in an alarm system. Only recharged when the airtime runs out every few months. But actively sends test SMSes every day.

I think inactivity is more than just recharging. Usually they look at activity on the card, and recharging would be one such type of activity?
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Can't be inactivity as I use during the month all my top up, mostly via calls. Maybe Telkom wants to get get rid of low users. I know quite a while back Cell C wanted to do something similar, that you have to spend min of R100 per month. If your SIM lays dormant the cost might not be high as someone that says spend R20 per month. As I think maybe they are trying to scare some users.. I logged a few complaints via Twitter but as normal no reply from Telkom yet.
 
Red Plumstead said:
Can't be inactivity as I use during the month all my top up, mostly via calls. Maybe Telkom wants to get get rid of low users. I know quite a while back Cell C wanted to do something similar, that you have to spend min of R100 per month. If your SIM lays dormant the cost might not be high as someone that says spend R20 per month. As I think maybe they are trying to scare some users.. I logged a few complaints via Twitter but as normal no reply from Telkom yet.
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I have a Cell C sim in a basic Nokia cellphone (not a smartphone). It is on the Cell C prepaid 66c/minute plan, calls charged per second. Airtime does not expire as long as you make one call every 3 months. There are no other conditions, so the ones you mention no longer exist. I have had this sim and calling plan with Cell C for several years.

I have another Cell C sim in a smartphone, using the prepaid R200/month anynet calling bundle, which gives me 15 hours of calls to any number in South Africa for the 30-day duration, and toll-free calls are really free, unlike on Telkom mobile. There are other Cell C calling plans and bundles. On this sim I also load Cell C's prepaid data that lasts for a year.
 
Me too but I have had no need to use it in the last 20 day.
I still have R160.00 worth of airtime.
Would buying a bundle make a difference?
BTW how do you get the internet starter pack options?
I changed my tarriff to Telkom More and still do not see it.
lindokuhlend said:
I also received this message and was taken aback by it
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BayCityRoller said:
Alternatively, Cell C have 240 minutes for R100, and approx. 900 minutes for R200 that are each valid for 30 days, so if you have their signal available, that might be an option, but purely for all network calls within SA (ie. doesn't incl. data or SMSs).
Click to expand...

MTN prepaid currently has 120 minutes for R49 (valid for 30 days) under their "back to school" deals *136#
 
One relatively inexpensive way to keep a Telkom prepaid SIM alive is to buy their R49.50 yearly data bundle

once-off R49.50 gets you 100MB per month for 12 consecutive months (12 x 100MB)

- this should be enough to put in a router for a domestic VoIP line for instance (land line look alike e.g. FreshPhone)


this is available on Telkom More (not sure about the other price plans) from:

Login - My Telkom

Telkom is Africa's largest integrated communications company, providing integrated communications solutions to an entire range of customers
selfservice.telkom.co.za selfservice.telkom.co.za
top up > Data Bundles > Choose Bundle Type: Yearly > Choose Bundle


*there are also larger yearly packages giving 200MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB each month for 12 months
(for R100, R252, R505 and R1005 once off respectively)
 
Space said:
One relatively inexpensive way to keep a Telkom prepaid SIM alive is to buy their R49.50 yearly data bundle

once-off R49.50 gets you 100MB per month for 12 consecutive months (12 x 100MB)

- this should be enough to put in a router for a domestic VoIP line for instance (land line look alike e.g. FreshPhone)


this is available on Telkom More (not sure about the other price plans) from:

Login - My Telkom

Telkom is Africa's largest integrated communications company, providing integrated communications solutions to an entire range of customers
selfservice.telkom.co.za selfservice.telkom.co.za
top up > Data Bundles > Choose Bundle Type: Yearly > Choose Bundle


*there are also larger yearly packages giving 200MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB each month for 12 months
(for R100, R252, R505 and R1005 once off respectively)
Click to expand...
Is this still available?
I could not find it to load a new bundle when mine expired.
Even the help desk said they not sure where to find it.
 
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