Virgin mobile huge increase in roaming prices.

reddwarf2002

From August Virgin mobile are increasing roaming charges by a huge margin outside of the EU. In many of the destination it will cost £4 per minute to make a call, and £1 per text messages. How they justify these prices I have no idea. No doubt this is to ofset the abolishment of EU incoming charges. Someone needs to take these telcos to task once and for all.

http://help.virginmedia.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1003&PARTITION_ID=1&secureFlag=false&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=121442&TOPIC_ID=2057

seaviewing

You might mention they are scrapping the fee for eu incoming calls whilst roaming?
I appreciate it is a big hike for non eu - a rip off in fact!!

But for balance, the eu stuff is coming down....

grumbler

reddwarf2002 wrote: »

... No doubt this is to ofset the abolishment of EU incoming charges. Someone needs to take these telcos to task once and for all.

Do you not see any contradiction in what you say?

dealer_wins

Vote UKIP... oh wait a min.....

reddwarf2002

grumbler wrote: »

Do you not see any contradiction in what you say?

My point was that the EU regulation is not working in terms of bringing down roaming prices as telcos are raising (excessively) for different areas. The prices being charged cannot be justified.

reddwarf2002

seaviewing wrote: »

You might mention they are scrapping the fee for eu incoming calls whilst roaming?
I appreciate it is a big hike for non eu - a rip off in fact!!

But for balance, the eu stuff is coming down....

Re-read my post, I did mention it.

grumbler

Fine. Let's privatise all telcos then and set 'justifiable' prices. Ultimately we will have half of the population calculating 'justifiable' prices for everything and enforcing them. Does this not remind you anything from the past that failed?

My point was that unless you regulate all prices (see above) what we see at Virgin is the only predictable outcome of any partial regulation. The only way is to subsidise prices at the cost of taxpayers. That's why Ed.Miliband's populist promise to 'freeze' prices on energy makes me laugh.

In a market economy only very small number of prices on the most essential products can be regulated. Roaming prices are not even close to anything essential that Brussels bureaucrats have to be concerned about.

boatman

It has to be said that if the EU can force the companies to lower prices to reasonable levels, the prices they charge and have been charging are/have been excessive. Yes they need to make a profit but they have got used to making big profits and seem to think its ok to effectively rip us off.

ballyblack

You might mention they are scrapping the fee for eu incoming calls whilst roaming?

Are you sure?

From the 1st July the charges are being reduced not scrapped??

gjchester

Companies exist to make a profit. No profit, no company. Would you prefer a state monopoly on mobiles where you either pay the going rate, or have no phone? And remember a mobile phone is a luxury, not a basic human need despite what some people may believe.

Are the profits too large is another matter, but think about this. Who benefits from the profits, and shareholders obviously, not go look at the make up of your pension funds, many pension funds invest in these big companies you are probalby getting this profit back in some form in way of rises in your pension fund.

And lets remember these profits are taxed, so you get money back that way, and Yes these companies may try to reduce tax laibilities, but lets be honest if you had a fully legal way to reduce your personal tax bill you'd take that option, why should companies not be allowed to do the same.

seaviewing

Sorry redwarf I read too fast !

they say this on the link:
and we’re scrapping the charge for incoming calls too.

reduced yes, to zero

Still not exactly a bargain for data tho even thought they say its better