Vodacom again...

Interesting that my previous post was about vodacom too.  I should write one about the data services in my area too, as I've been on their back about that for about 8 months.  But that is another issue.

Lomvula at the data call center from Vodacom insisted that one cannot buy data bundles on the web for your "secondary" account (mofaya) on the web, you *have* to call the call-center.  As I have in the past put an additional bundle on my Mofaya, I know this to be untrue. Yet she insisted, and was not particularly polite about the whole thing. And when asked for her name, she was very reluctant to give it (again, as I'm sure she said at the start).

If you log on with your secondary account you'll get this message:

Master account holder privileges

Contract and Top-up customers of Vodacom Service Provider have access to Master Account Holder features which allow access to services to be controlled. Access to this service requires that you are either a master account holder or that you have been granted access to these services by your Master Account Holder. According to our records you are not a Master Account Holder or have not been granted access . Please try one of the following solutions:

• Your Master Account Holder will need to grant you access to this feature. If you know who your master account holder is, contact them to request access. They can grant access via the My Account section of this site or by calling Vodacom Customer Care.
• You may not yet be activated as a Master Account Holder. If you believe that you are actually a Master Account Holder and would like to be reflected as such, please contact Vodacom Customer care.

You could probably get your secondary account to get master account privileges, but I haven't done this.


How to do it (if it works correctly the day).  You log in with your main account (if you have one, otherwise I don't think you'll have any issues getting a bundle loaded).  Then click on "My Bundles".

That yellow is how the system didn't work today, what I was trying to fix with Lomvula. Once there, click on Once off data bundles.

Now click on the "My cellphone number" dropdown box, and select the data sim's number.  When selecting my number here, something went wrong the time I bought it.  It said something (unfortunately it didn't say it again when I did this documentation), but the number went to my new number.

Then simply proceed to buy the bundle.  Simple?  Well, please educate Lomvula.

@Vodacom - Shocking email ability... Can you Read?

Ok, so I emailed vodacom with some questions (a specific store)...

Hi,
I am due for an upgrade, and would like to express interest in the Samsung Galaxy S+ (i9001).
I am currently on a "weekender" but I am not really happy with it, as I am less of a talker, and more of a data user.  So I was wondering if I could go top-up 135 or perhaps the all day 100.

I would also like to know on the Everyday off - peak s, it doesn't specify that the minutes are for off-peak periods only on the web.  Is it in fact anytime minutes, or is it only off-peak minutes? (http://www.vodacom.co.za/personal/phonesandpackages/everydayoff-peaks)

If you could fill in for me the table above, it would really help me make my decision.  Also, could you indicate if the above monthly prices are VAT inclusive or exclusive?

 Just by the way, it's pretty hard to try to get a blog to display excel like tables. :-(

Anyway, so eagerly awaiting their reply I got this...

Please note when you upgrade you may migrate to any package, there will be no cost for this migration

The Everyday Off Peak 120 package free minutes does not qualify for Data, only for Voice

It is only off peak minutes that can be used off peak times

Useful information I'm sure. Free migration, and... well, I wonder if he was thinking I was hoping to "surf" with my minutes... And just to clarify, I can only do that (which I can't) during off-peak times.  Anyway, maybe I could've made my initial email more clear.  No answer about VAT, nothing about the cash pay-ins... So here's my next attempt:

Thank you very much for your reply.  Could you please elaborate on these points:

• The cash pay-ins for the different phones?  (Galaxy S+ or the Galaxy II... Please note that it is the i9001 and NOT the i9000).

• Is the bills VAT inclusive or exclusive? 

Ok, this time I think my questions are concise and pretty much understandable. Their reply:

Please confirm if you would like the pay in’s for these handsets on the Everyday off peak 120 Package? 

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! You did not even attempt to answer my fairly explicit questions?  Are you even reading my email?! Ok, here I am still going at it...

I assume there would be a pay in.  And I am interested in one of those handsets.
 Could you please indicate the different pay-in amounts on the different contract/phone options. 
The yellow blocks.

 Their reply... was... the most IQ I've seen I guess... 

Good Day Please see below dealsheets we have

And proceeded to copy and paste everything they have on the two phones from their dealsheet "document".  Which I believe was probably a violation of their terms and conditions with Vodacom.

I believe I would've received better service from an automated computer program.