Virgin per minute billing?!!

billsavings

Virgin Mobile brought in per minute billing for calls up to one minute in Oct 2009.

"Making calls that last less than a minute
On 19 October 2009 we introduced some changes to the way you are charged for the first minute of any calls you make to UK landlines and UK mobile networks (including mobiles on Virgin Media). The changes also apply to calls you make to freephone numbers, Groupcall, WAP and pagers. If your call to any of these lasts less than one minute, a full one minute will be deducted from your monthly allowance of minutes. Or, if you’ve used your allowance up that month, you will be charged for the full minute, even if your call is less than a minute. After that first minute of each call, you’ll continue to be charged the remaining cost of your call per second."

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=paymonthly.ourTariff.standardcharges.shop.sm142

Sequeena

If you have minutes on your contract you should only be charged the VAT on those minutes unless you go over the 300...

Makes sense really, everyone else charges by the minute.

property.advert

Years ago Orange on contract were per second billing, even for the inclusive minutes. I have seen this switch to per minute billing and it is a massive con, though mobile usage prices have never been lower.

baldelectrician

Just checked my bill.

The calls are counted per second. It shows calls of 3 seconds- not rounded up

i_wanna_save_money!

The OH and I are both on virgin contract - his bill for the last two months has been over £30 instead of the £12.50 per month it should be. I rang to complain, and was told he had exceeded his minutes, so I just assumed that was true, told OH to restrict his usage and keep a check on minutes and texts left each month.

Today, I have recieved my bill, and instead of it being around £8 as per usual (same usage for approx last three years), this months bill is £34.17!!! I don't know what is going on, but I am not happy I did not go over my minutes - I know this for a fact as I regularly check minutes, and do not like to go over.

What can I do, and who can I contact (someone in UK preferably), phone number 01225785610 says no one is at there desk and to try back later.

Hope someone can help - I am fuming.

Old_Gold

billsavings wrote: »

Virgin Mobile brought in per minute billing for calls up to one minute in Oct 2009.

"Making calls that last less than a minute
On 19 October 2009 we introduced some changes to the way you are charged for the first minute of any calls you make to UK landlines and UK mobile networks (including mobiles on Virgin Media). The changes also apply to calls you make to freephone numbers, Groupcall, WAP and pagers. If your call to any of these lasts less than one minute, a full one minute will be deducted from your monthly allowance of minutes. Or, if you’ve used your allowance up that month, you will be charged for the full minute, even if your call is less than a minute. After that first minute of each call, you’ll continue to be charged the remaining cost of your call per second."

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=paymonthly.ourTariff.standardcharges.shop.sm142

In other words dear customer we have decided to charge you an awful lot more so up yours.

Old_Gold

i_wanna_save_money! wrote: »

The OH and I are both on virgin contract - his bill for the last two months has been over £30 instead of the £12.50 per month it should be. I rang to complain, and was told he had exceeded his minutes, so I just assumed that was true, told OH to restrict his usage and keep a check on minutes and texts left each month.

Today, I have recieved my bill, and instead of it being around £8 as per usual (same usage for approx last three years), this months bill is £34.17!!! I don't know what is going on, but I am not happy I did not go over my minutes - I know this for a fact as I regularly check minutes, and do not like to go over.

What can I do, and who can I contact (someone in UK preferably), phone number 01225785610 says no one is at there desk and to try back later.

Hope someone can help - I am fuming.

Complain to trading standards and as many organisations as you can. The more people complain the more likely something will be done about it.
I am surprised that Martin himself has not taken the issues up on behalf of the consumers.

jassi_9

Old_Gold wrote: »

Complain to trading standards and as many organisations as you can. The more people complain the more likely something will be done about it.
I am surprised that Martin himself has not taken the issues up on behalf of the consumers.

i dont think anybody was really aware of this until i made this post and now it seems like we are being conned....

my contract is for 300 minutes and 300 texts and this is far from what me and others are now receiving!

we are getting 300 calls

how do we go about highlighting this to martin so he can look into it for us?

baldelectrician wrote: »

Just checked my bill.

The calls are counted per second. It shows calls of 3 seconds- not rounded up

on my statement is shows calls of 3 seconds and 5 seconds etc etc

but what it doest say is that that 3 second call counts as 1 whole minute of my allowance......thats very sneaky!

i_wanna_save_money!

This is definately something that need to be addressed! I went on conrtact phone as it supposed to be cheaper...does anyone have a freephone number I can call please? X

2010

billsavings wrote: »

Virgin Mobile brought in per minute billing for calls up to one minute in Oct 2009.

"Making calls that last less than a minute
On 19 October 2009 we introduced some changes to the way you are charged for the first minute of any calls you make to UK landlines and UK mobile networks (including mobiles on Virgin Media). The changes also apply to calls you make to freephone numbers, Groupcall, WAP and pagers. If your call to any of these lasts less than one minute, a full one minute will be deducted from your monthly allowance of minutes. Or, if you’ve used your allowance up that month, you will be charged for the full minute, even if your call is less than a minute. After that first minute of each call, you’ll continue to be charged the remaining cost of your call per second."

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=paymonthly.ourTariff.standardcharges.shop.sm142

The above is correct and that`s it.
If you make a call of LESS than one minute they deduct a full one minute off your call allowance.