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Johannesburg - Mobile networks in South Africa are ‘stealing’ their customers’ data, say Fin24 users.
Last week, Fin24 received hundreds of emails from disgruntled mobile network customers who complained that their internet packages are disappearing quicker than previously and that data costs have also surged.
In particular, MTN has reiterated that customers’ phone settings are to blame for the fast-depleting data complaints.
READ: MTN sticks to its guns on data depletion
Fin24 also published an article about how the National Consumer Commission (NCC) is expected to further look into the legality of networks expiring customers data.
An NCC spokesperson floated the idea of exchanging unused data for a ‘currency’ that buy other products such as voice minutes.
READ: Heated debate over legality of data expiration
In the meantime, Fin24 has received many more emails from users who say that networks must ‘return my data or pay back the money’.
Read their responses below:
Fin24 user Mad said, “Exchanging residual data for talk minutes or some currency is a start - not being able to use what you already paid for is plain stealing.”
Fin24 user Ruthnkosi wrote:
“Good day. It's so sad because I almost killed my kids. Last month I paid almost R10k. When I queried I was told it was for 8GB out of bundle data. This is daylight robbery and criminal. Something needs to be done... .The government needs to intervene.
Fin24 user Mark wrote:
“The cell phone companies are ripping us off by expiring prepaid data within a month of purchasing the data. A client pays for the data upfront and should not have an expiry date of one month attached to the data. This is blatant theft. They should be forced to comply with the law.”
Fin24 user Andre said:
"If I have paid for my data, it is mine to use at my own time and leisure. Data is not food with an expiry date, I want value for my money."
Fin24 user Ugan said:
“This is madness I have had my phone for about a year; how come for the last three months my bill has doubled, and my settings is now a problem?
Fin24 user Tanduxolo wrote:
“I am a very angry MTN user who has been the victim of disappointment due to their evil tactics of robbing us our data, in the last few months (four to be precise) I have lost over 7GB of data!”
Fin24 user Anton wrote:
“I have experienced this frequently on Vodacom. They have blamed auto updates that I have never used and they even once said it was the Google Maps app that updates itself. The last person I talked to suggested I install a data monitoring app. I did this and sent them a picture of their sms and the app showing a roughly 60MB difference.”
Fin24 user Lele said:
“My account jumped from an average R1 600 per month to over R5 000. They blamed my settings and yet I changed nothing on my phone. No new settings or apps. MTN is ripping me off and now I just received an sms saying my data is depleted halfway through my billing month.”
Fin24 user Nkosiyezwe wrote:“I just can't understand what is going on in South Africa. It looks like the providers free to do anything they like. What I also don't like is whenever I buy data I always get another data for free but which will expire within a week. I don't trust this data! Is it a genuine gift?”
Fin24 user Sello wrote:
“I'm also a victim of ‘data’ depletion, I could not understand that this time just phone software update can take more than 4MB worth of data, this surely not fair of MTN, after reading this article I'm convinced MTN has something to do with this it cannot be a coincidence that all of a sudden most MTN customers are complaining about data surge all at the same time, their denial proves no point it's just been unfair of them. I hope sanity would prevail on them and they would credit customers with data they unduly debited."
Fin24 user Masego wrote:
“To be honest this is very stressful. I load my data everyday and I don't understand why because it doesn't last. Both me and my husband experience the same problem. They claim to be giving us free minutes which we never even asked for...We are not fools and can see what is happening."
