Virgin Mobile price hike

PiggyBankFrank

Hi Everyone,
I was moved to write to Virgin Mobile (my provider) & join this forum to warn others, following an email I received from them this weekend.

The mail outlined “nice and simple” changes to my Virgin Mobile tariff, meaning that “standard costs are now even simpler and better value than before”.

Outside of my monthly paid-for minutes allowance “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.”

So my daily chargeable costs will change as follows:
10 mins of calls was: £1 - now: £2 = 200% increase
15 mins of calls was: £1.25 - now: £3 = 240% increase
20 mins of calls was:£1.50 - now: £4 = 266% increase

Also, a minute of my normal contract call time will be deducted for calls that last less than a minute. Based on my usage pattern over the past 12 days, I can see that 60% of my calls last less than one minute, and that the change would have cost me 20 minutes of ‘stolen’ talktime.

Normally I’d appreciate moves that make my life “nice and simple” and that offer “better value than before”. However, these ineptly-introduced changes do none of these things. I think it’s the insult to my intelligence that hurts more than the price hike. I’m a lazy so-&-so, but even I have been moved to write to the author of the email, Mark Davidson, Executive Director, Customer Care at Virgin Mobile. I’ll let you know if I hear back…

Meanwhile, check your tariff!

sassygirl_2

I too had this email, so rang them straight away. Due to this being a major change you are within your right to cancel your contract when the changes take effect i.e 28th sept (although the email said 22nd IIRC)
I will be cancelling my contract.

Jem102

I'm on a pay-as-you-go tariff (Daily Bonus). I also got an e-mail about changes to my tariff on 28th September.

Calls to landlines/Virgin mobile phones will be 20p per min (instead of 15p per minute, with 5th-10th minute per day free)

Calls to mobiles on other networks will be 35p per min (the e-mail noted that this was cheaper than 40p per minute - however I currently pay 15p per minute!)

Also, from 22 Sept, charges for calls of less than 60 seconds will be rounded up to one minute.

The e-mail had the cheek to say the great news was that these standard costs were "simpler and better value than before". Maybe that's technically true but it does leave me worse off because all my call charges will increase.

manmental

hi, I got the same e mail 24th July. I phoned today saying I wanted to cancel my contract as the new deal is going to cost me more. I am on the 8.50 100 mins/text a month.
The woman then offered me a VERY TEMPTING DEAL... unlimited calls for the rest of my contract!!! Well, not exactly, but 3000 minutes a quarter... so 1000 minutes a month...
I think that sounds reasonable and accepted.

Colliefrog

They are having a very proactive approach to this... as I said in my other post they are offering unlimited (3000pq) LANDLINE calls until you renew your contract if you are a high spender. But they won't be offering this deal to everyone. They are sending every customer official letters and you will only get the landline calls if it states so on the letter. If it doesn't then if you call to complain they may give you unlimited (3000pq) virgin to virgin calls. It all depends on how much you spend and how much your bill will be affected by the price changes and this is only for contract and sim only customers.
If you are going to use this price change to cancel your contract, you can, but only between 22nd Sept and 22nd Nov. Not sure if you still need to give 30 days notice although I doubt it as they have changed the terms and conditions of your contract.

I have been moved to write to the author of the email, Mark Davidson, Executive Director, Customer Care at Virgin Mobile. I’ll let you know if I hear back…

There really is no need to write to him to complain... just call 789 and see what they offer you, if you're still not happy then just cancel your contract!

alared

I`m on the £8-50 110 mins/100 text a month and never go over my call time.
The only difference I can see from the 22nd Sept. will be i`ll be charged a full minute for the FIRST minute irrespective of the time used.
I`ll be staying with them because i don`t think there`s a better deal around..

mazza111

I'll be staying with them too, have 2 contracts with them. One of the old £10/month 300/300 and a new £8.50 100/100. However doesn't hurt to call them and see what's being offered

alared

mazza111 wrote: »

However doesn't hurt to call them and see what's being offered

Let us know how you get on but one thousand minutes a month seems "too good to be true" :rotfl:

Colliefrog

I can CONFIRM that is what they are offering to Contract/SIMO customers whose bills are expected to increase by £10 or 50%. It is not "too good to be true". If you are not offered this then they don't expect your bill to increase much.

alared

Colliefrog wrote: »

I can CONFIRM that is what they are offering to Contract/SIMO customers whose bills are expected to increase by £10 or 50%. It is not "too good to be true". If you are not offered this then they don't expect your bill to increase much.

Why don`t you read both my posts especially the first one before making a comment that doesn`t apply to what I said.

I`m on the £8-50 110 mins/100 text a month and never go over my call time.
The only difference I can see from the 22nd Sept. will be i`ll be charged a full minute for the FIRST minute irrespective of the time used.

My bill will NOT increase by any amount as I never go over and the poster who claimed they are getting 1000 minutes a month is on exactly the same tariff as me,which i thought,and still do, that "it`s too good to be true".
There`s no way Virgin are going to give a massive 1000 free minutes a month to anyone on the basic £8-50 100 mins/100 text tairiff.

Colliefrog

It IS what they are offering customers whose bill will increase. If you're bill won't increase, then you won't be offered the 3000 landline minutes each quarter.