And another one …
Hello good people.
This again is a case of the disappearing Econet airtime and this time around it has reached alarming levels!
So in December 2014, I complained about my $0.40 which had disappeared ‘miraculously’ and I sparked a firestorm through CONSUMERIZIM and I got my refund. And so, since then I’ve been known at home as someone who complains and ‘knows their rights’ thanks to Consumerizim.
So yesterday, July 21 2015, my aunt told me some disturbing news. She just texted me “hie, ndakadyirwa $107 airtime last Saturday ne Econet” that was all. So I had to ask all the details I could get before I could find out what happened to the said airtime from the guys at Econet.
So what happened was;
On Friday evening, the 10th of July, she checked her balance and It was on $107 and switched off her phone. Woke up the following day, checked the balance again and it was still on $107. She then tried updating her WhatsApp (only) via the Samsung App store and (nothing else was being updated or running) she failed. Checked her balance and surprise-surprise, $0.00.
So, yesterday I got in touch with the Econet guys via twitter, gave them a brief summary and asked them what ‘d happened to the airtime and they had this to say, *sorry I can’t screen munch, however I’ll quote*
Econet: Hi Tich, thank you for holding. It shows that her attempts to download kept using up airtime however $4.79 will be refunded to her account.Me: Okay. So this means all her +/- $102 was used up trying to update the said WhatsApp only?
Econet: Apologies, we do not have a facility that confirms the websites that she was using. Please check with her device under running applications
Me: Okay, will do. Thanks for now and have a nice day
Econet: Thank you Tich. Have a good evening
Good thing the Econet guys responded and enlightened me a bit on what happened. But here’s the worry, why is she being refunded a whole $4.79 in the first place, if nothing wrong really happened to the $107? I’m saying a ‘whole’ cos you know, this is econet we talking about.
Secondly, she mostly uses her Samsung Galaxy Grand for WhatsApp purposes and calling. But, lost $107 in less than an hour. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN UNITED STATES DOLLARS! *let that sink in* What hurts me most is, she even failed to successfully update her WhatsApp (your network, Econet). This isn’t some old aged aunt who doesn’t know about background data, running applications and whatnot. She knows all that and disables all those. $107. Gone.
Well, maybe it’s that expensive and running applications and whatnot but guys, $107! Gone. Just like that. Something is definitely wrong with or at Econet. Perhaps their way of charging or maybe billing system? Who knows. It hurts.
I told her about the ‘refund’ and she was shocked that they were going to refund her $4.79 only and all she could say was “I’m done with Econet” *hopefully she is, I’m supporting her on this* “and yah, uvaudze vagare nayo $4 yavo iyoyo” honestly guys, honestly.So this is another customer, gone. A former Econet platinum card holder, giving up.
Question is, how many people are losing their airtime and wouldn’t notice it out there? Be it $100, $0.01, 2cents etc? Thing is, these monies add up and I believe there are thousands of Econet subscribers out there. I can’t even imagine the guys who are on contract, are they being billed fairly? Hameno.
There you go. Again.