T&C's Changes to Virgin Monthly: Can I terminate contract?

ArsenalFC

[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]As I understand it from this great forum over the years any changes to the T&C's allows the customer to terminate their contract without penalty. Just want to make sure that it's ok for me to write to Virgin and end my current contract which has a year to run.

Below are the changes:
[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]
We hope you’re enjoying your Pay Monthly mobile tariff from Virgin Media, and are just getting in touch to let you know about some changes to your mobile service.

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]A nice and simple monthly mobile deal
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]The great news for you is that our standard costs are now even simpler and better value than before! From 28th September 2009 any calls you make outside of your monthly allowance will be charged differently. Calls to other mobile networks in the UK will cost 35p a minute (instead of 40p a minute). That’s 5p cheaper! And if you’re calling a UK landline or another Virgin mobile, it’ll cost one simple flat rate of 20p a minute, instead of 15p for the first 5 minutes each day and 5p a minute after that. Calls to our Groupcall service will also be charged at 20p per minute and calls to freephone numbers will cost no more than 15p per minute in the UK. What’s more, you can keep browsing the internet as much as you like for just 30p* a day, any day you use it.

Also, from 22 September 2009, the first minute of any calls you make to UK landlines or UK mobile networks (including mobiles on Virgin Media) will be charged differently. This means that if your call lasts less than one minute, a full one minute will be deducted from your allowance of minutes. Or, if you’ve used your allowance up that month, you will be charged for one minute. After that first minute of each call, you’ll be charged the remaining cost of your call per second. All other call types in the UK will continue to be billed the same as they are now.

To find out more about any of these changes, just call us free on 22525 from your Virgin mobile phone. [/FONT]

monomer

Firstly, sorry but I can't help you with your contract question, but I received the same email. How sad that they try to hide their rate increases in such a blatantly obvious way.

Anyway, you can but laugh and just to look at the funnier side of things, I have to credit innesmackenzie on Twitter for this insightful comment:

I love Virgin Mobile's new 'simple' flat rate of between 25% and 300% more than I currently pay! It's great, because I'm a moron!

and this gem:

With Virgin Mobile, now I don't have to worry about complex charges for sub-minute calls - all are charged the full minute rate. Old school.

Priceless. :rotfl:

steveecourt

I for one will do anything to get out of my contract. I have an 18th month contract with 6 months left to run. Does anyone know if this amendment to our contracts is enough for use to terminate without penalty.

telsco

Charging £2 for 10 minutes use instead of £1 is outrageous!!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

amancalledchip

im 6 months into an 18mnth contract so i will be ringing them.Most of my calls are under 1 minute , so now my contract is for a maximum of 100 calls , not 100 minutes

ACDeag

Trust Virgin Media to ruin what was once a good value mobile phone company with a simple tariff.

Since they took it over they have removed many of the things that made it good. I remember when I had it that it had a minimum charge of 1p for calls, you could pay by direct debit with no line rental (not available to new customers now), roaming was cheaper than on most other networks. There are many more but I can't remember them.

JazF

I was in Virgin Media shop yesterday and was told by an assistant that they are doing away with the £8.50 tariff. Whether this was so I would sign up sooner rather than later or whether this is true I do not know. However if it is true they will lose a lot of potential customers as no other network comes near that offer.

philharg

yeah I need to know as well if this is a way of getting out of contract and how you go about it... Runs out in december and they way they have treated me lately I wouldnt mind getting out sooner than that!!

Colliefrog

If you are a 'valued' customer Virgin Mobile will be offering you FREE landline calls for the remainder of your contract. If you're a low spender then they will offer free virgin to virgin calls. If your bill is expected to rise by £10 then consider yourself a valued customer!

Poppy9

I have an 18 month contract with Virgin which has been running for 14 months.

Today I've had a letter:

Important News about your mobile service on phone number XXXXXXX

Great news from 28.9.09 calls outside monthly allowance will be charged differently. Calls to other mobiles now 35p per min. instead of 40p per min.

Calling landline line or other virgin mobile 20p a min. instead of 15p for first 5 minutes and 5p per minute thereafter that per day.


From 22.9.09 the first minute of any cally you make to UK landline/mobiles will be charged differently. This means if your call is less than 1 minute you will be deducted a full one minute from your allowance or if allowanced used up charged 1 full minute. After the first min. remainder of call per second.

here are my current T&C

5. Changes to this agreement, the charges or our services

5.1 General changes: We may change this Agreement at any time for Network security reasons, legal or regulatory reasons, or if we wish to have all of our customers on the same terms and conditions for Services. We may also need to change or withdraw all or part of your Contract Allowance, the Services, or any Additional Services if they are uneconomical, technically impractical, not fulfilling their purpose for you or us, or as a result of changes in technology or changes made by our Network supplier. Unless the change is a significant change as set out in clause 5.3 we will give you 14 days notice of any change to this Agreement, your Contract Allowance or of any change to the elements of the Services or Additional Services you are using.
5.2 Price changes: We may also change our Charges or introduce new Charges. Unless the change is a significant change as set out in clause 5.3 we will give you 14 days notice of any change to the Charges for the elements of the Services or Additional Services you are using.
5.3 Significant changes: We will notify you at least one month in advance of any change coming into effect that (in our reasonable opinion):
(a) will increase the monthly or other periodic Charges for your Contract Allowance by an amount which is more than the percentage increase in the previous twelve month period in the Retail Prices Index (or any future equivalent) published by the Office for National Statistics; or
(b) is a change to your Agreement, your Contract Allowance, the Services or any Additional Services you are using, or to the Charges for any Services or Additional Services you are using, which is likely to be of material detriment to you.

5.4 Non acceptance of changes: If you do not accept a change that falls within clause 5.3 you may cancel this Agreement by writing to us within 1 month of us telling you about any change, to let us know that you want to cancel. However you may not cancel this Agreement if such change:
(a) has been imposed on us by any regulator with appropriate authority, for example OFCOM, or as a direct result of new legislation, statutory instrument or government regulation; or
(b) relates solely to an Additional Service. If this is the case then you may cancel such Additional Service by giving us a least ten days notice in writing to that effect.

T8RSP

Dare I say it, but:

Here we go again!

(Possibly!)