I'm not sure why you would be charged twice for data. I have been using Vodafone's 3G service on my
iPhone since they launched the service. I have not faced any issues with billing. I am currently on their 3GB data plan and the only thing I pay them is the monthly charge. Although I am a post paid customer, it should be no different for a prepaid customer as well.
As for 3G iPhone plans, Vodafone's 3G data plans are the same for all phones (including iPhone). It says that on the 3G tarrif page on their website. Surprisingly, this clause is missing from the prepaid tarrif page. But there are inconsistencies in Vodafone's services and their people do not always give you the right information.
Thank you, I missed the fine print on the Vodafone 3G postpaid tariff page. I guess there are some inconsistencies/discrepancies between prepaid/postpaid.
Maybe Vodafone felt that if a person owns a iPhone the customer would automatically be a postpaid one. Another punch in the nuts for the common man.
Just to add to what you said.. Although activating iPhone services on Vodafone does enable you to use tethering and personal hotspot, that is not the real purpose why we have separate iPhone services. The need for this was once there but Vodafone never changed their backend systems so we continue to have to activate this to utilize all iPhone features including data services (out of the box).
Agree, whilst calling the CC service, if I dial the number to get settings for my phone, their CC automated system can find out which phone I am using, far out, that means their system can understand which phone I was calling from. The automated reply states that settings for your phone are not available and to call from another phone to get settings. If I were a novice iPhone user I would just give up and go. It should work out of the box.
Have you tried talking to Vodafone CC either via email or walking into a store (since you can't get thru via phone) and clarifying what will be your charges? Ideally the sequence of activation should be first activate iPhone services and then activate data plan. You can try deactivating your current data plan and the reactivating it again. If you still get 10p/10kb deducted apart from being charged for the data plan then it is clearly a Vodafone billing issue. In this case you should either register a compliant or email the nodal officer with your complaint. They cannot charge you twice for the same data.
I did get through to the CC, finally, spoke to the technical department for iPhone as well. They assured me that I wont be charged for the "pay as you go" iPhone services plan as I have a "Mobile Internet" pack activated.
Have you tried talking to Vodafone CC either via email or walking into a store (since you can't get thru via phone) and clarifying what will be your charges? Ideally the sequence of activation should be first activate iPhone services and then activate data plan. You can try deactivating your current data plan and the reactivating it again. If you still get 10p/10kb deducted apart from being charged for the data plan then it is clearly a Vodafone billing issue. In this case you should either register a compliant or email the nodal officer with your complaint. They cannot charge you twice for the same data.
Initially, that is exactly what I did. I was on the iPhone services activated mode. I had a 99Rs 2G plan and felt I was being charged double. So, thinking things through, I let my core balance on my prepaid card drop to Rs. 20. I then did a Rs. 499 recharge and got on to the 499 plan. Activated 3G (Sent an SMS ACT 3G - which according to the CC deactivates any 2G plans active previously). Surprise! Surprise! my core balance dropped to Rs 0.10 and 3G got deactivated. That was when I wrote to the Nodal Officer.
So, I don't think activating the plan after iPhone services is active, would work. Tried that. Thank you though, it was my thought initially when I chose the 499 plan.
Sincerely appreciate you guys spending time trying to help me out. Using the 'www' profile although it has no relation, seems to be eating my battery life and service/coverage bars are few or none at times, that is an entirely different issue, I would not want to deviate from my main concern. Just FYI. This is the main reason along with wanting to use the personal hotspot feature that I would like my phone to work without a custom profile. Factory unlocked iPhone 4 is what I am using and I don't intend to jailbreak it.
Well, Act iPhone is a service which is sole completely its not at all realeted to 2G/3G services its just allows u to enable personal hotspot as u maybe knowing, now you should just surf and check if its the same issue agian then i ll tell you next the best solution...
Thank you. Will keep you posted, awaiting the confirmation message wrt the iPhone services being activated.
and this service is free of cost it's just that the Edge/3G costs and having a plan is awesome 