Report on Neotel service.
no.to...@gmail.com
nice detailed usage/cost in the monthly invoicing; and I was able to connect
his device to the Internet.
So I bought a prepaid one. But being more modern/smart-assed it can't
connect to the Internet, except via the newest/herd-following M$ windows.
The 'user instruction letter' provided is inconsistent and wrong:
this 8 A4-paged document is computer generated, bearing the client's
name and selected telephone number. So there is no excuse of having
received and outdated copy. Yet Annexure 1: [the pages are not numbered]
states: "1. Insert the data Suite CD into your computer.", whereas
multiple/all Neotel employees and help-line tell that there is no
CD available -- the device uses the so called 'ZeroCD' system, where the
driver is loaded from the device to the PC. [By the device initially
appearing as a CDROM drive].
One more of the several errors in the documentation is:
> Voucher Loading
> There are three methods....
>
> [1] Direct "Top-up" ...
> [2] SMS ..sending us an SMS to 241 from your Neotel device,
> and we will respond by SMS with your account balance.
> [3] IVR ...
Method 2 does NOT describe how to "load Vouchers" i.e. PAY.
It describes how to discover the current balance, via SMS instead of voice;
which is a service that is indeed needed, but which does NOT work.
Responsible users need a written record of their balance, which would
be easily achievable if the wrongly described service [SMS 241] just
worked.
After a voucher is "loaded" an SMS is received, which confirms the loading
and indeed gives the current balance. But users need to have the balance
via SMS at any/all times.
After I had "loaded the voucher pin-No" the indicated balance was R137...
After making a 0800... call to Neotel, to confirm that balance information
was not available via SMS, and being kept on hold for a long time;
I visited the Neotel 'office' to have a demonstration that/if my
device could be connected to the internet via their computer/S;
and at the same time was told that my balance was R131...
Since, from the time when my balance was R137 till the time when my balance
had become R131, I had made one 0800... call and been kept on hold, plus
two failed SMS attempts to 'determine my balance'.
Further queries as to the R6 cost for 2 SMSs got:
"whereas 0800.. numbers may be universally free, they are NOT free
from a neotel device".
We can accept that conventionally free 0800 numbers are NOT free from
Neotel; provided this is stated up front, and not deceptively concealed.
Also the advertised 'detailed billing control' is not practically
achievable. So since you can't control your costs, they have hidden
opportunities to screw you.
Such deceptive practices may be expected in Cairo or Bombay, but are
still badly regarded in current S.Africa.
Or are they?