Vodacom 'Limit' not working

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TarnAlcock

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So after numerous "bill shock" episodes, Vodacom finally tells me I can set a call limit via their web portal.

I did so on the 6th of July and set it to be effective immediately (not at the beginning of the following month).

No I see that my bill for the 6th of July is R2144 (for data alone!) totaling R2893.68 with subscription et al. (The limit I set was R1200).

Even if the limit only kicked in after OOB rates were reached - this still makes no sense!

I have emailed Vodacom asking for an explanation, but as usual I presume some person is going to phone me with a vague response and then demand that I pay them to prove how this happened.

ADoes anyone have any ideas;
  1. Why it is that the limit did not kick in
  2. What recourse I have in this regard
  3. How I can PROPERLY avoid this in future

I have an SMS proving exactly when the limit was set, and screen shots of the amount it was set to, and showing that it is still active.
 
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The limit is for usage only. It does not include your subs. It is also a best effort service. Data billing can be delayed. If you set a limit for R1200.00 it means you can go up to R1200.00 for out of bundle usage + subs that you pay monthly. Data billing can be delayed which is why it is a best effort service. If you download a 4gig movie on LTE by the time the download is done and the billing system updates you could have overshot that call limit. Once the billing updates and the system sees you have reached your limit and overshot it, it will lock.

If this is a data line only, consider changing it to a top up.
 
Ockie said:
The limit is for usage only. It does not include your subs. It is also a best effort service. Data billing can be delayed. If you set a limit for R1200.00 it means you can go up to R1200.00 for out of bundle usage + subs that you pay monthly. Data billing can be delayed which is why it is a best effort service. If you download a 4gig movie on LTE by the time the download is done and the billing system updates you could have overshot that call limit. Once the billing updates and the system sees you have reached your limit and overshot it, it will lock.

If this is a data line only, consider changing it to a top up.
Click to expand...

Hi Ockie,

Thank you for the prompt response.

I understand the out of bundle and ex. subs part, in fact I was expecting this. Even so the overage is exorbitant (considering my average usage + subs - total). I do not download large volumes in a single session. This is cumulative 'small' data usage (i.e. whatsapp, web browsing, email etc.). I have even gone so far as to uninstall all of the usual culprits (Facebook! etc.).

Also if this is 'best effort' Vodacom needs to let people know this! I set the limit and thought all was well. Imagine my horror! There are no disclaimers in the confirmation SMS nor on the activation portal.
 
Ockie said:
If this is a data line only, consider changing it to a top up.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this is a business phone, and the sub is for the device + Smart M package so going top up is not really possible, I think.

However as soon as this contract expires I am going to go back to Top Up. Vodacom has been shamelessly raping my bank account since day one. Despite my adding bundles as soon as I get the notifications that such have run out.
 
So I have had a similar experience. I used to get SMS's saying when my data bundle was going to depleted but these stopped coming through. I then was hit with a few very high bills from vodacom. I also have a limit on my account however apparently data works differently and they cannot cut you off as you hit your limit. Apparently your session needs to end, but even when it does you can still go way above your limit (in my case it was over several days). Which is very strange as they can do it very quickly for prepaid (when any over usage affects their pocket) but cannot do it when on post paid (when it hits the consumers pocket). Any way, after a long period of fighting with Vodacom we got a credit for about 25% of the OOB amount and moved the contract to Top Up the following month.

Unfortunately they have you by the balls. Will def be moving away from them when I get the opportunity.
 
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TarnAlcock said:
Just an Xperia Z2. No tethering. Just basic smartphone usage.
Click to expand...

Well, then go to Settings and then to Data usage. there you will see you data usage by your various apps, and you can even set a hard limit by ticking Set mobile data limit.

In my case my top 3 are Opera mini, google play store and the Exchange services

#knowyourdevice
 
munchies said:
Any way, after a long period of fighting with Vodacom we got a credit for about 25% of the OOB amount and moved the contract to Top Up the following month.

Unfortunately they have you buy the balls. Will def be moving away from them when I get the opportunity.
Click to expand...

munchies, this is my problem exactly! Two months ago they took R5000 from my account. Which made absolutely no sense at the time. They told me I did not purchase any data bundles that entire month. Which is habit for me when I get my smses (which do seem to come sporadically). Because their billing cycles are so messed up I was unable to view the history and fight this with proof of my own so just wrote it off and ate baked beans for the rest of the month! :D

What kind of contract were you on that you were able to switch to Top Up?
 
supersunbird said:
Well, then go to Settings and then to Data usage. there you will see you data usage by your various apps, and you can even set a hard limit by ticking Set mobile data limit.

In my case my top 3 are Opera mini, google play store and the Exchange services

#knowyourdevice
Click to expand...

My biggest consumer is Opera averaging around 400MB. That is why I uninstalled all of the bigger consumers ages ago. I rather use Facebook in browser and save a few hundred MB. (I do check these things). I also use the hard limit, but do forget sometimes especially in between bundle purchases (I buy them incrementally).

Regardless, when a service provider offers a service, they should be up front about the limitations. Especially when it could cost the consumer double the limit they set due to it being 'best effort'.

Maybe I should block the debit order and do a 'best effort' payment of a few hundred rand a month. Watch how quickly they send lawyers my way.
 
Was on a Smart L with an additional monthly data bundle. They let me switch to Top Up the following month. It was like R50 extra a month but well worth it!

I know how frustrating it is. They eventually put me in touch with someone from their technical department and I could almost sense he knew exactly where I was coming from. I think he agreed with me but wouldn't say as much for obvious reasons. It literally is day light robbery, but you can't do anything about it!
 
munchies said:
Was on a Smart L with an additional monthly data bundle. They let me switch to Top Up the following month. It was like R50 extra a month but well worth it!

I know how frustrating it is. They eventually put me in touch with someone from their technical department and I could almost sense he knew exactly where I was coming from. I think he agreed with me but wouldn't say as much for obvious reasons. It literally is day light robbery, but you can't do anything about it!
Click to expand...

Did your package include a device?
 
Ockie said:
The limit is for usage only. It does not include your subs. It is also a best effort service. Data billing can be delayed. If you set a limit for R1200.00 it means you can go up to R1200.00 for out of bundle usage + subs that you pay monthly. Data billing can be delayed which is why it is a best effort service. If you download a 4gig movie on LTE by the time the download is done and the billing system updates you could have overshot that call limit. Once the billing updates and the system sees you have reached your limit and overshot it, it will lock.

If this is a data line only, consider changing it to a top up.
Click to expand...

Just a few thoughts on this.

If I understand this, my OOB usage should have locked after R1200 (it did not and reached R2144), that R2144 is excluding all subs and bundle purchases. These show separately on my bill.

Also I am not even using LTE. I get sporadic EDGE where I live (which vodacom promised to fix over a month ago, but thankfully have not - considering this turn of events!) and as stated I do not download anything. And even if I were to, it would only be a few MB at a time.

Therefore I conclude that;
A) The limit did not kick in, as it was supposed to
B) Most likely this is session based, as munchies mentioned. Which is also odd dconsidering that I switch my data off at work every day, so the session should have reset?
 
munchies said:
It did.
Click to expand...

Well that is good to know! I would rather pay the extra and be 100% reliant on bundles than dodgy limits and slow notifications! You got this right just by phoning CC?

I would try at my local vodashop but they aren't very helpful and would probably tell me no. haha
 
TarnAlcock said:
Maybe I should block the debit order and do a 'best effort' payment of a few hundred rand a month. Watch how quickly they send lawyers my way.
Click to expand...

Vodacom often let customers pay off a huge bill. To do this you phone accounts and do a promise to pay and negotiate with them over how many months and what the exact payment dates will be. I do not suggest you miss the promise to pay dates. They dont take kindly to that.
 
Ockie said:
You can set data usage limits on Android phones itself, so the phone will end the data connection when the limit is reached, so no need then to rely on data billing to update etc on the network side.
Click to expand...

Still can get billshock if setting the data higher than the bundle amount, because its a data amount and not a rand amount, and also forgets to buy bundles sometimes (said so when I suggested that as the fix).
 
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