Cell phone contract for life not just 24 months

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Kruben

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Cell phone contract for life not just 24 months

All I want to do is to retain my cell phone number (at the end of my contact with Nashua Mobile) as a prepaid number

And this is the response:

“Please be advised that should you wish to cancel your contract, you will not be able to retain the cell number on prepaid but the cell number can be ported out from Nashua Mobile to another SP. When your 24 month contract expires, the contract will go on a month to month until you notify us of your intentions to port out or cancel the contract completely (which means losing the cell number). On your termination form attached there were two options and you have ticked the option ( i wish to retain my number for porting purposes). Therefore the termination was loaded as a port out. If the contract is cancelled, the number stays with Nashua Mobile”

Any Ideas on how I can retain the cell number on prepaid ?
 
Just port the number to a different SP.
 
I feel your pain. I've got the same problem with Autopage. The best bet for you would be to go on one of those "retention contracts" and choose a top up option for like R50 or something. Then it works exactly prepaid after that. You just get credited with R50 every month and buy airtime when you run out.

The retention contracts are generally a lot cheaper. Its just a contract with crappy phone for a cheap price. I plan on doing the same thing unfortunately.

I wouldn't know how else to go about it.
 
its actually easier. go to a vodashop. tell them you're on a nashua mobile contract and its expiring. then tell them you wanna port the number to vodacom sp prepaid. i think you only need to give them 30 days notice and then its ported.

by the way if you at vodacom sp on contract and need to 'port'to prepaid, it only takes 1 day...
 
I had a contract (Vodacom) with Autopage, and was told the same when I called to cancel. After much to-ing and fro-ing, and arguing about terminology, I got what I was asking for - my old number on pre-paid, I didn't even have to change sim card, and my vodacom4me password and settings never changed.

Just stand firm and insist that you wish to have the number on prepaid at the end of your contract. Explain that they are breaking the law if they refuse to do that, and insist on speaking to a supervisor at every refusal (you'll never get to speak to a supervisor, there aren't really any at all, but ask anyway), and eventually someone will understand what you are asking for and give it to you.
 
Thanks Colin, I've contacted them. Will update when I hear back from them. Mine is a little different though. I went from Vodacom prepaid to MTN contract and now hoping to get back on Voda prepaid.
 
Colin, thank you. I can port my MTN contract number to voda prepaid. I need to tell AutoRetardedPage that I'm porting to Vodacom SP and go to a vodashop with my ID. I might have to pay for a new voda sim card but what the hell, I'm happy
 
Yes you can !!

Thank you guys for all your input

I have now ported my number.

Went to the local Cell C store on Saturday (11 July 09) and enquired about porting the number. Got a new starter pack, and by the same night I was using Cell C. It was free (no porting chargers)

Points to remember when porting:

You can port across networks – in this case it was from MTN to Cell C.
Some stores may say “you cannot port from contract to prepaid” this is not true you can port.
 
Follow up

After sending an email to ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) regarding porting to prepaid (case number is CT/G648/ 09)

I get the following email from Nashua Mobile:

“Good morning Mr.Moodley

I trust you are well. I have some good news for you, MTN is now allowing all subscribers to keep their existing cell numbers from contract to prepaid.

The line with Nashua has been loaded as a port out and you may port out the number immediately to another SP.

Please can you kindly advise me on your intentions so that i can assist you further and i do apologize for all the inconvenience caused”


Moral of the story

Level of difficulty:
You make it very difficult to get clients to get out of their cell phone contracts and make it very easy to just say “yes” to an upgrade

This makes you wonder about the morality of mobile service providers
 
In the end, they are forcing you to port. If you are set on getting out of a contract, you'll just go to another provider. They then lose your business.

That's what they have just discovered, hence the about turn:)
 
porting trick

Here is the porting trick:

The thing with porting is that you need to give them one calendar months notice. Your timing needs to be just right (at the end of your 24 month contract) or you stuck for another month with them.

That extra month is a “big” bonus for them because your phone subsidy is paid up and the profit margin is greater.
 
So Now You Know, what to do

07 August 2009

Attention: Mr. Kruben Moodley
Per MAIL – [email protected]


RE: Cancellation of cell phone contract - 083 *** ****


Dear Mr. Moodley

Thank you for taking the time to bring your query to our attention and giving us the opportunity to respond.
We would like to apologise for the inconvenience and frustration caused and hope that the query has been resolved to your satisfaction.

As detailed in your communication with Nashua Mobile, you advised us that you were informed that you cannot migrate your cell phone number from a contract to a pre-paid number on MTN. Stephanie Bhana gave this information to you from our Durban offices. Your number will not automatically change from contract to pre-paid once your 24 months have lapsed. With Mobile Number Portability in place, you can request for your number to be converted to pre-paid.

The option has only been available from June 2009 to Nashua Mobile. The reason why the information was given to you incorrectly was lack of communication and training from Nashua Mobile’s side.

As a resolution to your query, you will be pleased to know that we have informed all of our staff regarding the changes.

In future, should you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us on the following details:
011 207 8393
[email protected]


Kind regards,




Feroz Ramthal
Office of the Managing Director
Nashua Mobile

____________________________________________________________


So there you have it !!
 
As a resolution blah blah

How about here's R100 airtime for the inconvenience??

We're a bunch of palookas, we're so sorry.

Meh. Like that'll ever happen...
 
FOR REAL !

The option has only been available from June 2009 to Nashua Mobile. The reason why the information was given to you incorrectly was lack of communication and training from Nashua Mobile’s side.
Click to expand...

You think that’s true or just maybe it was that email from ICASA that made them change their minds!!!
 
Kruben said:
You think that’s true or just maybe it was that email from ICASA that made them change their minds!!!
Click to expand...

The email from ICASA, if I had to bet. So much blah, blah, blah from these guys. Hulle vat ons vir gatte.

Good that you didn't just roll over. I took Vodascum to ICASA and won. If more customers do this, we will get the service we deserve. As long as we don't, well, we will be rolled over.
 
Last edited:
Well I've been trying to port my number to Vodacom prepaid from MTN Contract. Autopage said "No, take out another contract with anyone or lose your number". So, I took Colin62's advice and went to Vodashop and said "Help Me". They sent through the port request and it was subsequently rejected by AutoRetardedPage. So I phoned them and after 2 people, I got put through to a lady and I explained to her that I want to port. And her exact words to me were "Now tell Vodacom to catch a wake up as Icasa says that you cannot port a number to another network once you orginally ported from them." So I went back to Vodashop and told them exactly what Autopage said. The guy at Vodacom said they are trying to be funny and 2 hours later, I got the sms saying the port was successful.

Bottom line is that it can be done, no matter how sarcastic AutoRetardedPage are. I've got 4 contracts, today it became 3, in November it becomes 2.
 
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