Stung on 3g charges VIRGIN

anco2

am on virgin sim bundle offering £10 for 300 mins but also 30p a day data for day of use. I have just been stung with £155 bill for 2 days roaming and the customer service tell me it is because the 25mb cap was breached. I was using wireless connection at the time of use so at a loss to know why I would get hefty 3g charges. Also I was never told about the cap by customer service when I asked about it and never received a communication about it. Also PAYG Virgin mobile customers get unlimited 3g which seems pretty unfair. I heard about this sting a few years ago but didnt realise it is still going on. Does anyone have any advice? I want to fight the bill but wondered if I had any precedence to go on. Any help gratefully received.

Many thanks

Ann

robt_2

First things first... '3G' is a way of carrying data such as calls and texts so there are no '3G charges' - it might seem like I am being pedantic but it will help you to know the correct terminology if you ring them up again

You say roaming - I assume you are using the correct term and were indeed abroad and roaming on another network?

What do you mean by 'you were using wireless' - do you mean you were connected to a wireless and network and NOT the phone network? Virgin have no way of knowing how much you download over a wireless network.

Another point - what PAYG customers get has no relevance, it is your contract that you need to be focused on and understand the full costs of.

Unless you have actually been billed incorrectly I'm afraid you will need to pay up I'm afraid.

anco2

Hi

thanks for the terms - I would agree it would help and appreciate the lesson
I wasnt abroad I was at my mates house on the day they are referring to using their wireless network to access the internet on my mobile. The virgin person says I was using WAP (but they call it data roaming allowance on the bill). So my understanding was I was using the wireless but they say I was downloading the internet through the WAP. Harsh really . Thanks for the reply

robt_2

anco2 wrote: »

Hi

thanks for the terms - I would agree it would help and appreciate the lesson
I wasnt abroad I was at my mates house on the day they are referring to using their wireless network to access the internet on my mobile. The virgin person says I was using WAP (but they call it data roaming allowance on the bill). So my understanding was I was using the wireless but they say I was downloading the internet through the WAP. Harsh really . Thanks for the reply

From what you say it looks like you were not using the mates wireless network then, as I said, Virgin have no way of possibly knowing which networks you connect to, or what you download or how much you download through a wireless network. Maybe you thought you were connected to the mates home network but as it turns out you were not sadly.

grimlea

anco2 wrote: »

Also PAYG Virgin mobile customers get unlimited 3g which seems pretty unfair.

if you mean mobile internet - do they? i haven't heard of this before, could you let me know where you got this information from (unless you mean the addict tarriff, which would require a top up of £20).

am on virgin sim bundle offering £10 for 300 mins but also 30p a day data for day of use. I have just been stung with £155 bill for 2 days roaming and the customer service tell me it is because the 25mb cap was breached.[/QUOTE]

take a look at the charges it does say there is a fup (its the mobile web charges you need to view)
http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=paymonthly.ourTariff.standardcharges.shop.sm142

anco2 wrote: »

The virgin person says I was using WAP (but they call it data roaming allowance on the bill). So my understanding was I was using the wireless but they say I was downloading the internet through the WAP

if you were downloading through a wireless network Virgin would have no way of knowing how much you had downloaded, in order for them to charge you for using the service, you must of been downloading via WAP/Mobile Internet.

kai666

What were you doing to get billed £155 in 2 days? Sounds like you weren't on the wireless connection at all, As Virgin couldn't have billed you if you're were wireless to another network. They simply wouldn't know. It would have nothing to do with them.

anco2

Thank you for your comments - in answer I cannot tell you what I was doing as Virgin cannot tell me what the charges are for or when they were made as they cannot see them. Even though the account was suspended on 5th Aprilfor bill that was racked up between 3-5 April they tell me they cannot tell me the details until 3rd May when the bill is generated. It is ludicrous and distressing when my usage for the last two years is consistently between £10-25 per month. The wap charge of £47 is all they tell me. I was on a wifi network for an hour or so at the time in question. In addition I apparently have 283 of my 300 inclusive minutes left. So, any advice would be gratefully received particularly as I keep phoning virgin to resolve it and speak to nice caring young people who 'understand' but do not appear to have either the initiative or authority to resolve the dispute. I am genuinely concerned.