What's the easiest way to top up?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › What's the easiest way to top up?

Behodar

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#90217 16-Sep-2011 15:29

A bit of a grizzle, I'm afraid...

I just called *333 to top up my prepaid phone and it was an exercise in frustration. The fun part went something like this:

You selected to top up … one hundred … dollars … from the credit card … 6 … 1 … 2 … 7 … 3 … 5 … (etc) … with an expiry date of … October … two thousand and … twelve … if this is correct (my ear brushes against the screen) that is an invalid selection … you selected to top up … one hundred … dollars … from the credit card … 6 … 1 … (I hang up in frustration)

I've historically had errors from the T-World menu too; I recall having topups not work although I don't recall the specifics. This time it was a certificate error as soon as I selected to top up using a credit card.

Why is topping up such a pain? You'd think that companies would want to make it easy to give them money. Is there an easier way than fighting against the automated system?

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#522020 16-Sep-2011 15:30

If you have a smartphone you can do it online.

firefuze

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#522183 16-Sep-2011 22:40

(my ear brushes against the screen) that is an invalid selection …

Can understand it might be frustrating but this is the phone/user not Telecom making it difficult to top-up.

You can top up on device by going thru TWorld/Your Telecom, telecom.co.nz/topuponline, in-store, via *333 as you mentioned or via TXT if you bank with TSB, ASB or KiwiBank.

joff_nz

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#522247 17-Sep-2011 08:34

I've found on smartphones, because you have to turn on the screen and keypad, that it is a buttload easier to topup using speakerphone.

Behodar

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#522249 17-Sep-2011 08:46

OK, the "online topup" thingy worked although a suggestion for anyone from Telecom: Give an option to credit the phone directly instead of having to do a two-step process of getting a voucher number and then entering it.

firefuze: Can understand it might be frustrating but this is the phone/user not Telecom making it difficult to top-up.

The slow... spaced apart... voice prompts... are not the... phone/user's fault :)

It took me three minutes to get as far as the confirmation prompt (at which point the whole thing started over again). The online topup feature took maybe half that, even though you need to do two different things.

However, all in all, I'm in a better mood now than I was when I posted that yesterday :P

Does anyone else get the certificate error when trying to use a credit card in T-World? I realised after posting that it could be due to my imported phone.

sbiddle

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#522258 17-Sep-2011 09:08

Behodar: OK, the "online topup" thingy worked although a suggestion for anyone from Telecom: Give an option to credit the phone directly instead of having to do a two-step process of getting a voucher number and then entering it.

I'm not quite sure where you went to top up, but this functionality has existed for quite a few months now, ever since Telecom rolled out the ability to authenticate users via their SIM.

When you top up you're given the option of your phone number (default), or to enter another phone number. There is no requirement to get the voucher sent via SMS like it used to.

Behodar

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#522260 17-Sep-2011 09:14

sbiddle: I'm not quite sure where you went to top up, but this functionality has existed for quite a few months now, ever since Telecom rolled out the ability to authenticate users via their SIM.

I went to http://www.telecom.co.nz/topuponline, which still says that it'll send a voucher code even when I access it from my phone (using the internet.telecom.co.nz APN).

sbiddle

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#522261 17-Sep-2011 09:20

Behodar:
sbiddle: I'm not quite sure where you went to top up, but this functionality has existed for quite a few months now, ever since Telecom rolled out the ability to authenticate users via their SIM.

I went to http://www.telecom.co.nz/topuponline, which still says that it'll send a voucher code even when I access it from my phone (using the internet.telecom.co.nz APN).

That's an old legacy topup site. The new Your Telecom page is accessible from the main tworld portal, or direct using a number of URL's including sphone.telecom.co.nz this gives you realtime usage and balance information and topups no matter what APN you use.

Up until around 4 or 5 months ago Telecom had no way to authticate users against their SIM so offering some features online wasn't possible.

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Behodar

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#522262 17-Sep-2011 09:22

As noted in my first post, I get a certificate error when I try to top up using T-World. I just pulled out my old spare phone (Sony Ericsson supplied by Telecom) and tried that, and it gives an error on that one too.

quickymart

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#522272 17-Sep-2011 10:34

I bought a top-up voucher for my Prepaid T-Stick last year, called 08003232, and the whole process was completed in about 5 minutes.

firefuze

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#522427 17-Sep-2011 18:55

What device are you using?, and at what stage do you get the certificate error? i.e the page before you have put in cc details or only when you click purchase with cc details entered? . Cant say I have had any issues, or feedback from others with the error you mention.

Behodar

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#522664 18-Sep-2011 15:18

I go to T-World > Your Telecom > Top Up Mobile > Top Up by Credit Card and then I get the error.

On my imported Nexus One, I get "There are problems with the security certificate for this site. This certificate is not from a trusted authority." On my Telecom-supplied Sony Ericsson W705a, I get "Server not certified".

billgates

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#522679 18-Sep-2011 16:24

Behodar: I go to T-World > Your Telecom > Top Up Mobile > Top Up by Credit Card and then I get the error.

On my imported Nexus One, I get "There are problems with the security certificate for this site. This certificate is not from a trusted authority." On my Telecom-supplied Sony Ericsson W705a, I get "Server not certified".

I get the same warning on my IE9 browser on Windows Phone, but I can click/touch the 'I understand the security risks so let me continue' something along the lines button and it's lets me into the credit card portal and top up. Just topped up 2 days ago. Best part is you can choose a custom top up size too!

Do whatever you want to do man.

Behodar

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#522717 18-Sep-2011 18:30

I certainly don't claim to be an SSL expert but the other day I was reading an article about the Diginotar hack, and it said that one of the big problems with SSL is people clicking Accept when they get a security error. As you can appreciate, I'm a bit nervous about pushing a "continue anyway" button when the phone is trying to warn me that it could be unsafe.

nakedmolerat

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#522730 18-Sep-2011 19:21

Behodar: I certainly don't claim to be an SSL expert but the other day I was reading an article about the Diginotar hack, and it said that one of the big problems with SSL is people clicking Accept when they get a security error. As you can appreciate, I'm a bit nervous about pushing a "continue anyway" button when the phone is trying to warn me that it could be unsafe.

fair and reasonable!

akia

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#522836 19-Sep-2011 07:54

Hi guys - I'm aware of the SSL certificate. I've tested this morning and it seems to be working fine. Let me know if the SSL certificate error comes up again. Apologies for the inconvience.

As the guys have said there are multiple ways to top up. Here are some:

Online (via non 3G connection) - https://secure.telecom.co.nz/prepaid/topup.cfm

On your phone/t-stick (via a 3G connection or WiFi) - http://m.telecom.co.nz/yourtelecom go to 'Top up your mobile' then select either via Credit Card or Voucher. You can even top up someone elses mobile from here.

Call up (IVR) - 0800 32 32 32 and follow the prompts

MTopUp - It seems to be not well know but MTopUp allows people (once set up) to txt to top up directly from your bank account, more details here: http://telecom.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1696

Voucher - Once you've bought a voucher you can redeem it via multiple ways: http://telecom.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2953

Any queries or issues let me know.

Cheers,
Amber Craig

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