I don’t understand! The mobile phone I was given within a few days of arriving in Riyadh had 50 Riyals credit on it. I’ve sent no text messages and made only two brief phone calls. But today it ran out of credit. Where did the money go? It appears no one in the office can give me a satisfactorily explanation. At least not in a form of English that I can understand. It’s not too much of an issue because my contract includes mobile phone expenses, but I’d like to understand WHY the phone ran out of money. I can only assume the credit is valid for one month and then expires. If you don’t top up the credit then the balance is lost. If I’m correct then that should be easy enough for someone to explain…. But they can’t!
Later…… Having parted with 50 Saudi Riyals I’m now in possession of a top-up card valued at 50 riyals. After scratching the panel on the back of the card it is possible to see a figure which appears to be the distance to the moon in millimetres. And I thought the 16 numerical codes in the UK were long. But the phone is back in action and I received my first call.
Later still………. The network has sent me a message telling me I have 43 riyals left on the phone. After one hour and making no calls 7 riyals has gone!!!!!! Back I go to the administration office and ask for an explanation. Apparently despite me not having a data plan because my phone is capable of receiving data they mobile provider is automatically allowing my phone to take data which they are deducting from my phone credit. So I can’t change my plan to include data but they will give it to me and charge heavily for the privilege. I thought the phone was receiving the internet data through the company wireless network. Apparently I was mistaken! With further research I’ve been able to deactivate the mobile network data link on the phone.
I previously purchased a usb internet dongle with unlimited data (for three months) so the phone can connect to that if it needs data.
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