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Thread ID: 106782	2010-01-22 20:18:00	T stick or Vodem Prepay	prefect (6291)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
850976	2010-01-24 02:20:00	On your ADSL or other wired internet connections, your unused data also expires at the end of the month. I think there might be one ISP that lets you carry over unused data from month to month, but all of the major players use this strategy to maximise their profits. They're just using the same tricks for their mobile broadband services. Prefect: If you are only using the device very rarely, say one or twice a month, then surely you would just go on the casual plan and pay the $1/day for 10mb, rather than choosing one of their "monthly" plans? That would totally depend on who you are with. The cartainly isn't the case with Xnet, where you only pay for what you use. I also think slingshot may now let you carry over unused bandwidth.	robbyp (2751)
850977	2010-01-27 01:54:00	And the bad news is as follows: I asked Does this mean that the true cost, if the TStick is used at any time during each month, is $29.95 a month?and the Telecom response: Yes, if you wish to use your T-Stick during any given calendar month you will need to top it up with 500MB for $29.95.What a rort! Definitely not designed with Joe User in mind. The telecom companies are still treating data like it's a business-related privilege!!!	johcar (6283)
850978	2010-01-27 02:02:00	And the bad news is as follows: I asked and the Telecom response: What a rort! Definitely not designed with Joe User in mind. The telecom companies are still treating data like it's a business-related privilege!!! Thats if you can even connect to their shabby XT network, which was down again today. Are you going to return it. It is a con, becuase you pay $30 cash to buy that data, so they shouldn't be expiring it at the end of each month. Hopefully 2degrees will come up with something, so there can be some real competition in this mobile data market. CUrrently it is a duopoly and no real competition, so they are cashing in on this while the sun shines.	robbyp (2751)
850979	2010-01-27 02:03:00	I agree Mr Carter, I am so pissed off with both Vodafone and Telecom over this I feel like ripping my ration card. One day we will laugh at the price of mobile bandwidth. I remember a bill for over $200 in 1999 for dial up.	prefect (6291)
850980	2010-01-27 03:04:00	Thats if you can even connect to their shabby XT network, which was down again today. Are you going to return it. It is a con, becuase you pay $30 cash to buy that data, so they shouldn't be expiring it at the end of each month. Hopefully 2degrees will come up with something, so there can be some real competition in this mobile data market. CUrrently it is a duopoly and no real competition, so they are cashing in on this while the sun shines. It certainly will be returned!!! I have a post-paid one that I use on occasion for business (and shudder every time I get my bill), but this one was for my daughter at University out of Auckland, so now I'll just have to teach her how to piggy-back on unsecured wifi connections :p. Hey, if it's OK for Telecom to be immoral.... <snip>One day we will laugh at the price of mobile bandwidth. </snip> The sooner that day comes, the better!	johcar (6283)
850981	2010-01-27 03:08:00	Re: the charges, I read some of the links people have provided. It does say calendar month or the "same month". Yeah it could be a rip off but as a careful consumer one may want to use it at the beginning of the same calendar month. To me when they say calendar month or same month, it means the month you are on, regardless if you started it on the 29th of the month. The finance industry use similar term as well. Generally speaking ISP do not carry your left over balance over to the next month. If any it is an exception. When I had Talk200 with Voda, the mins weren't. When I had Clear dialup internet, the hours weren't. I am now with Xnet for broadband because the general idea is that if you bought 10GB and only used 2GB if you were on holiday for most of it or if you only used 8 of the 10GB, that's your bad luck. I purposely went with Xnet on that regard. Similar with the issue of paying $10 if you don't put your toll calilng via them or need to spend a min amount (specified) on toll calls. One could get into credit card, 6 weeks interest free. If you buy something at the beginning of your month you may get that 6 weeks interest free but if you buy something 1 day before the billing cycle ends, you may get 2 weeks interest free. They tend to bill you and need to pay up within 2 weeks.	Nomad (952)
850982	2010-01-27 03:18:00	I think the frustration is that customers see mobile data as "mobile" (as in cellphone), whereas the telecom companies see this as "data" (related to internet/ISP). Prepaid phones don't lose their credit - mobile data devices have a SIM card (just like a phone) and therefore should work the same way. Off-topic: many cellphone plans overseas (UK, for sure), don't expire unused minutes at the end of every month, they carry them over. NZ is still suffering from a severe lack of competition (or perhaps lateral thinking) in the telco marketplace, despite 2 Degrees launching...	johcar (6283)
850983	2010-01-27 03:27:00	I think the frustration is that customers see mobile data as "mobile" (as in cellphone), whereas the telecom companies see this as "data" (related to internet/ISP). Prepaid phones don't lose their credit - mobile data devices have a SIM card (just like a phone) and therefore should work the same way. Off-topic: many cellphone plans overseas (UK, for sure), don't expire unused minutes at the end of every month, they carry them over. NZ is still suffering from a severe lack of competition (or perhaps lateral thinking) in the telco marketplace, despite 2 Degrees launching... 2 degrees is really only for phone calls and txt at the moment, so their data offerings are a joke. I know someone who has switched from 2 egrees due to their poor cusomter service, and inability to resolve technical problems. I guess they are hamstrung as they have to rely on vodafones 2G network. Certainly the lack of affordable mobile broadband is affecting my business. I just tether my 3G phone to the netbook, but 10MB doesn't go very far, on their $1 per day plan. Wifi is an option, such as cafenet, but the coverage is limited. What I don't understand is how they can allow these streaming data services, such as vodafones on demand music service, which chews through unlimited GBs of mobile data a month, and you only pay $10 per month. If they were using that data for browsing the internet, it would cost thousands at their normal data rates.	robbyp (2751)
850984	2010-01-27 03:31:00	I am now with Xnet for broadband because the general idea is that if you bought 10GB and only used 2GB if you were on holiday for most of it or if you only used 8 of the 10GB, that's your bad luck. I purposely went with Xnet on that regard. Similar with the issue of paying $10 if you don't put your toll calilng via them or need to spend a min amount (specified) on toll calls. Don't xnet only bill you for the data you use. The 10 MB would only be a cap. At least that is the plan I am on. I believe Slingshot also carries across unused data. With normal prepay phones, your unused credit does also get carried across, as long as you remember to top it up each year.	robbyp (2751)
850985	2010-01-27 04:12:00	I haven't got 2 Degrees data working yet. But when I pop the Voda simcard in, it juts works, maybe I have downloaded the settings but I have too with 2 Degrees but I cannot get it to work. A bonus too cos I have a business phone so it does not ask me when it wants to check email then it juts bills me :p I have uninstalled the emails on my email client. Yes, Xnet only bill you for the exact data you use. I was saying that most ISPs apart from Xnet bill you in that way, hence I went with Xnet. Yeah I think Slingshot is the only one that allows you to carry any unused over .. Yeah prepay phone is carried over of course but then with internet incl mobile data internet .. they do it differently ..	Nomad (952)
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