Virgin mobile contract change over please help

londonmomo

Hi, I need you guys advice on this. I have been a customer for virgin mobile(VM). I signed a new contact at the VM shop last month as I found out my contract was expired in Jan 2010 ( i did not get any notification..never mind).
It has been some complication since. First I took £15 terriff (on 11/7/10) then changed to £20 (on 17th). my online account service was somehow disabled, I have phoned CS several times and getting nowhere. sent email inquiry and no proper reply yet. I have just discovered now i can access to my account online. I decided to call CS today and guess what they are saying the new contract started on 10/08 on £15 terriff which is wrong one!
I never received any text msg saying my contract taken effect! then
trasfered to the account team, and the personel explained to me that a lot of trouble going on VM customers with contract transition.
He promised me to refund £15 back and made request to correct my terriff to £20 asap. says i will receive tx msg within 24 hrs. Yeah, I was told this last month but never happend. After finishng the call and I made another close inspection to recent call details, DISCOVERED that I have been charged as PAYG in this transitional period over £48! Second phone call to VM (10p flat), CS says it is my fault ..I shold be checking every so often my bills and once you sign new contract, you move to PAYG till new contact takes effect!
The paperwork I got on 17/07 never says this will be the case. I feel they should inform me when my new contact will start and what happens on call/text charges in between. They disabled my account access and I am not prepared to cal everyday with 10p charge to find out if my text cost this or that.
I thought I would be on my exsisting contact (150mins/150text) till new contract started on 10th. Do you guys think this is my fault? it is not a massive bill so I can afford to pay, but I feel I should contest this charge. please guide me what is the best way. Thanks:)

gjchester

londonmomo wrote: »

Hi, I need you guys advice on this. I have been a customer for virgin mobile(VM). I signed a new contact at the VM shop last month as I found out my contract was expired in Jan 2010 ( i did not get any notification..never mind).

It's a common misunderstanding that a contract ends. It doesn't. When they talk aboiut 12/18/24 month contracts thats the mimimum term on them, after that it becomes a rolling 30 day contract.

londonmomo wrote: »

I thought I would be on my exsisting contact (150mins/150text) till new contract started on 10th. Do you guys think this is my fault? it is not a massive bill so I can afford to pay, but I feel I should contest this charge. please guide me what is the best way. Thanks:)

Normally you just swap on the signing date, but it may be you needed to give xx days notice to change and that took effect.

It would be unusual to move to PAYG but as you changed what you signed for another it may be they did it for the transition period.

Why don't you go back to the shop where you signed up. They should be able to sort it out for you.

londonmomo

Hi, I see... 30days rolling back contract. It does make sense. However,
why did I not get any text/e-mail informing me now I am on new contract?:mad: (by the way they put me on the wrong tariff)
after extra close inspection, I was not charged PAYG rate, but over the limit monthly contract tariff. OK it is possible to go over 150mins limit in this transitional period (which i was not informed) but not 150 text. I am not text addict and my average over the month is less than 30!
Again, it is not a massive bill, but no info given this would be the case.
I really feel let down.
More advice welcome:)