Unlimited texts with Virgin but charged anyway!!!

rosie383

I have £5 per month contract with Virgin mobile which suits me fine. I get unlimited calls to other Virgin Mobiles, 100 minutes to any network, and unlimited texts.
When I got my latest bill, it was £15.90. I have gone through the items, and see that I have been charged 15p per text to a mobile number which belongs to a friend. Definitely not an international number, she only lives in the next street!
Also, I don't get internet usage, but have wi-fi on my phone, so use that occasionally. I have been charged on numerous occasions for internet usage also.
My question is........ if I put on wi-fi, should I be able to connect with the internet if I'm out of wi-fi range, and don't have internet allowance in my package?
I know it's not a huge amount, but I don't want it to happen again.

Edit: I've just looked at the bills from August, and I have been charged between £12-16 each month. Previously it has always been £5 exactly.

rosie383

Okay: slightly different query now. Turns out that the texts that were charged for were getting re-credited back to my account. The number was in my contacts as starting with +44 so I have now changed it to start with 0 so that should stop that.
However....... i spoke with Virgin CS and they said that I am being charged when I access the internet if I am outside a wi-fi area. I didn't think that could happen. I honestly thought that if there was no wi-fi then I just wouldn't be able to connect.
Apparently there is no way of knowing whether I am connecting through wi-fi or not, and Virgin said that I just have to turn the mobile network off and that should sort it out. Easy peasy thought i. But no!! Once I go into 'manage connections' and switch off mobile network, it renders my phone useless. I have a Blackberry Curve 8900 so if anyone can help me out I would really appreciate it please.

rosie383

Spoke to Virgin again, and they have turned off internet capability unless I am in a wi-fi area. Perfect.
Quick question though......... was I just being completely stupid? Should I have known this before? Have I any redress with the company? Or just write off the extra £40 or so that I have run up and learn from it?

DUTR

Well it seems the thread so far you have been talking to yourself, I suspect, you may have not gotten to grips with certain parts of the phone workings, but as data is now off (which means you may not recieve mms either) that should resolve the billing side of the data, the +44 or 0 , should not affect the billing, roll on the next bill to see if it has all resolved in your favour.

Emy1501

If your mobile Data is on then you are likely to use mobile data even when wifi is on at home as a phone does not always detect wifi straight away when you go to use it.

My phone will use about 1mb a day of mobile data even if I'm at home all day using wifi.

The phone may also be using a small amount of data a day when your out and about especially if updates, notifications, running in background is not turned off.

Data should not be turned on if there is no data allowance.

rosie383

Yep. I'm good at talking to myself. I don't honestly think though that it was to do with me not understanding my phone. It was more that I didn't realise that I could access internet outside a wifi area.
Not bothered about being unable to send MMS either. Again, they cost money and I would prefer to stick to my £5/ month.

v15ben

I'm looking at the £5 Virgin monthly sim only as I'm in a similar position. Just wondering if other than the posted issues, you've found the service/contract to be reasonable and reception to be good?

rosie383

I have to say I recommend it to all my friends- which is great as we can ring each other for free!
Cheaper than any other deals that other pals have got. I have been with them for about 18 months now and very happy.
Oh, btw, you can only get the £5 deal if you are a Virgin customer already. We have phone and broadband with them.
Network-wise, great. Did find for a few weeks that some of my texts weren't sending but it was just a simple case of changing the service centre number in my phone. Sorted in about 30 secs!
Just ring them and ask them to block internet access apart from wifi.

chanz4

Also ask your friend if they are on lycra or have a personal number as they charge.