Virgin Mobile account problem

Martin_R

:mad:Mobile phone problem.
Four years ago i purchased an iphone from Apple for my sister.
I then went to Virgin to set up a monthly contract, with no fixed term so as a I could pay the bill. No problem.
Last year, my Sister said i’d paid it for long enough and she wanted to pay.
Virgin wouldn’t allow me to change the phone into her name, accept her as someone who could speak to them, but would accept her details for the DD.
This week, Virgin failed to collect the DD, when i contacted Virgin, they said my Sister had cancelled it (she had phoned Virgin but they refused to talk to them as she hadn’t cancelled it and her bank confirmed that Virgin hadn’t tried to collect it).
I phoned Virgin and they said she had cancelled the DD, i said that she hadn’t, and also that i could not log into the account online as it was saying everything was unrecognised.
They said they would phone my Sister. They did.

My Sister then phoned me in tears, as she had spoken to 4 people and one of them couldn’t understand her accent (a London one). They wouldn’t accept a payment from her as the account is in my name despite the fact they saw her name on the DD, and she knew the password for the account.
I phoned Virgin again.
I spoke to a very nice lady who said of course they should have spoken to my Sister as I had given permission etc.
I gave my Sisters credit card details, but these were rejected, so the lady said she would phone my Sister.
When speaking to my Sister, she was very apologetic and said the reason the credit card was rejected was because i was giving the number and it was her address, not mine.
The lady was very apologetic to my Sister and gave the outstanding months amount (£12.97) free to apologise.

Here’s the new dilemma.
Virgin have said that I can cancel the contract and set up a new one that would have to be in my name but I could include my Sisters details, but she wouldn’t be able to change account details or phone.
If I cancel the contract completely, so as my Sister can open one totally new, would she be able to keep her number?
Or, should she get a new sim card and transfer the number over to it - but as the sim is in my name, how could this be done please?
Any help gratefully received. Thankyou.

AndyPK

I'm sure after ~24 months the phone has been paid for and the minimum term contract is up. So this is good news!


She should get a SIM only plan for less than £10 a month.


PlusNet would be a good place to go, as this should allow the number to be transferred (same reception and phone should work even if locked to virgin).
Start with virgin, see if they can transfer the number to one of their sim only deals

eDicky

Martin_R wrote: »

If I cancel the contract completely, so as my Sister can open one totally new, would she be able to keep her number?
Or, should she get a new sim card and transfer the number over to it - but as the sim is in my name, how could this be done please?

A person using a phone number of a contract in another person's name is always likely to cause these kinds of problems. They will never end, so the situation needs to be ended even if it means that your sister will have to start using a new phone number.

Unless Virgin are able to move the number between names, which seems very unlikely, the only way I can think of to move the number on the existing contract to one in her name is to port it to another network. For example, order a free GiffGaff SIM and register it online in your sister's name. Then obtain a PAC from Virgin to terminate that account and move the number to the GiffGaff SIM. Now, I don't know how likely this is to succeed, because if the porting process checks the name there will of course be a mismatch. Someone else can probably confirm how realistic the chances are.

If successful the number your sister uses could then be ported to a network contract of her choice. Perhaps a GiffGaff top up would be necessary, I'm not sure.

pmduk

Virgin will not transfer a contract between two parties.

AndyPK

I doubt the PAC system is that cleaver in checking details!

1 party requests a PAC code (I guess this can't be done if the phone is now dead).
2nd person takes out a Sim only deal and is given a temporary number.
Installs SIM in the phone. And then txt the PAC number.

I'd be surprised if that didn't work ? !
Well got to be worth a go anyway

Martin_R

Sorry, in my post I might not have been clear.
The contract is a payg one where it is £12.97pm and cancel at any time. My sister owns the phone as it was bought outright by me (I never do contracts with phones, I always purchase outright).

Asos, after speaking to my Sister last night, I told her to get a Virgin sim, then i’ll get the pac code and give it to her, she can then contact Virgin with it and at the same time take out their £10pm payg contract which gives her six times more GB than she gets how at the more expensive price, then i’ll cancel my payg contract that she pays.
All sounds confusing, but I know now that whenever i buy a phone for someone (I always get unblocked ones), I won!t buy a sim with it thinking i am doing good

eDicky

You cannot port your number to a contract on the same network, that's why I suggested getting any PAYG SIM on a different network first as a 'bridge' to port it back to Virgin.

Don't try to tell Virgin of your intention because moving a number from one person to another is not officially in the remit of the use of a PAC.

GiffGaff is often said to be the easiest to obtain a PAC from soon after setting up.