Vodacom Uchoose Flexi

[BTTB]

60 day expiry... that can't be right. I've managed to go up to 700 or 800 bucks on a flexi 200.

I used to be on a smart s contract and my total bill was about R300 pm. Then switched to flexi 200 and actively started buying the data and minute bundles (with my allocated monthly R200). Dial *111*60# and check out the specials. Especially "power hour" and "chat for 30" if you tend to make a lot of phone calls (you can try out all the options, it won't deduct any money until you confirm the transaction at the end). It takes a bit of discipline to buy them before you make a call, but since then I hardly use R100s airtime a month. In fact, I subbed to Deezer music with vodacom operator billing just to spend my airtime.

If your family (esp. kids) can't manage their bundles, that seems to be their problem
Have them put the "my vodacom" app widget on their home screens, then they have no excuse.

I'd say stick to the flexi (top-up) plans. They are the best value for money and give you access to the same cheap bundles prepaid customers get. Also do a test, load R10 extra airtime on your current contract and see if you can transfer that to your family. On the My Vodacom app it should show your flexi airtime top-right and the prepaid loaded airtime in the centre.

Anybody care to confirm the 60 day expiry period please.

On a positive note my Vodacom bills have been lower since moving over to the uChoose options.
If you could just transfer excess money in the way of airtime or data to another number it would make it the best option currently, at least for my needs.
Over the years I have subconsciously wanted to leave Vodacom to find cheaper alternatives with less small print (complicated contracts) so to speak.

You are right the "kids" have taken a "don't worry Dad pays" attitude and have created some unnecessarily bills in the past, hence me moving to the uChoose option, basically when its finished they can buy their own or go without. In my case its the wife and daughter that have consistently gone overboard, wasting hundreds/thousands of Rands in phone calls and mobile data.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to change my son and myself to the R200 option, that will shave off R300 a month.

Will try the buy option if needed and transfer. Transfer has been enabled on my number, just thought it crazy to have to pay more money in when I am sitting with R700 of airtime on my phone.

In the future I am going to be far more wise in my choice of contracts with Vodacom.

Wondering if a Telkom customer with 2 existing hard-lines could qualify for a good deal, a product that overlaps into your telephone line when you are at home and their network when you are roaming.

 

[Woodie]

Anybody care to confirm the 60 day expiry period please.

uChoose Flexi plans allow you to accumulate 5 times the monthly airtime value before you start forfeiting. In your example you would need to get to a monthly airtime balance in excess of R1750 before you would forfeit any value. This is monthly airtime and excludes any additional recharges you may have done. Recharge airtime does not expire or get included in the forfeiture calculation.

 

[BTTB]

Thanks for the clarity Woodie.

 

[Mobus]

5 months are correct according to the T&Cs.

Unclear which airtime you use first, last months or this month's? I.e FIFO or FILO?

 

[BTTB]

Scaly Company

Popped into the local Vodacom Shop last week to query "downgrading" from uChoose Flexi 350 to the uChoose Flexi 200. Vodacom wants to levy me about R580 to do this move?
The agent claims it is because I have a contract with them. The only "contract" I have as such is that we are paying a separate monthly instalment for the phones we bought through them, in my case about R50 a month over and above the R350 for the uChoose Flexi plan.

All I can say to that is, what a scaly Company.

I confided in the Vodacom agent that we live in a country of Monopolistic and Cartel like businesses and he like I when he walks out that shop has to face this phenomena in just about every business dealing we make in our lives here in sunny South Africa.

 

[marioat1]

Anybody care to confirm the 60 day expiry period please.

On a positive note my Vodacom bills have been lower since moving over to the uChoose options.
If you could just transfer excess money in the way of airtime or data to another number it would make it the best option currently, at least for my needs.
Over the years I have subconsciously wanted to leave Vodacom to find cheaper alternatives with less small print (complicated contracts) so to speak.

You are right the "kids" have taken a "don't worry Dad pays" attitude and have created some unnecessarily bills in the past, hence me moving to the uChoose option, basically when its finished they can buy their own or go without. In my case its the wife and daughter that have consistently gone overboard, wasting hundreds/thousands of Rands in phone calls and mobile data.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to change my son and myself to the R200 option, that will shave off R300 a month.

Will try the buy option if needed and transfer. Transfer has been enabled on my number, just thought it crazy to have to pay more money in when I am sitting with R700 of airtime on my phone.

In the future I am going to be far more wise in my choice of contracts with Vodacom.

Wondering if a Telkom customer with 2 existing hard-lines could qualify for a good deal, a product that overlaps into your telephone line when you are at home and their network when you are roaming.

Check the telkom integrated sim out if you qualify for it

 

[Mobus]

Popped into the local Vodacom Shop last week to query "downgrading" from uChoose Flexi 350 to the uChoose Flexi 200. Vodacom wants to levy me about R580 to do this move?
The agent claims it is because I have a contract with them. The only "contract" I have as such is that we are paying a separate monthly instalment for the phones we bought through them, in my case about R50 a month over and above the R350 for the uChoose Flexi plan.

All I can say to that is, what a scaly Company.

I confided in the Vodacom agent that we live in a country of Monopolistic and Cartel like businesses and he like I when he walks out that shop has to face this phenomena in just about every business dealing we make in our lives here in sunny South Africa.

I don't really agree with you. Yes Vodacom is in the business of making a profit and there is some inherently dodgy things in our cellular industry (such as expiring data and airtime) but in your case, don't forget that the handset is heavily subsidized by your monthly plan (even if the itemised billing only shows an extra R50).

When I got my phone back in June 2015 the S6 egde was R599pm on flexi 200 or R199 with R8209 upfront. For R349 (on flexi 350) I believe the upfront payment was even less. At that stage, the phone was worth about R12k cash. Thats at least a R4k subsidy.

What was the cash price of your phone back when your contract started? If its more than R50x24 = R1200, you're probably still getting a good deal when terminating early or downgrading.

 

[BTTB]

I don't really agree with you. Yes Vodacom is in the business of making a profit and there is some inherently dodgy things in our cellular industry (such as expiring data and airtime) but in your case, don't forget that the handset is heavily subsidized by your monthly plan (even if the itemised billing only shows an extra R50).

When I got my phone back in June 2015 the S6 egde was R599pm on flexi 200 or R199 with R8209 upfront. For R349 (on flexi 350) I believe the upfront payment was even less. At that stage, the phone was worth about R12k cash. Thats at least a R4k subsidy.

What was the cash price of your phone back when your contract started? If its more than R50x24 = R1200, you're probably still getting a good deal when terminating early or downgrading.

Morning Modus

Yes, you have a point here.

I have a mid range Sony M4 Aqua with 8Gb internal memory (too little) which didn't perform very well until after the Marshmallow update, now its a great phone so long as you don't load it with bloatware which I don't.

At the time of purchasing it, I asked for a quote to buy it outright and couldn't understand why the 24 month charge worked out quite a bit less than the upfront payment, why I took the 24 month option.

Since the 1st of the month I have been logging in to Vodacom myself and buying the data packages for the two ladies in my household. Hopefully things will go a bit smoother now with a bit more active management.
I still however have too much airtime which is a issue as I don't talk on the cell much. If I have this need to talk a lot I usually use my Telkom line. When the time comes later this year I will move to a smaller option.

Thanks to everyone for their input.