Virgin Mobile to axe pay-as-you go services from 2022 - what it means for its 123,000 customers 28 July 2021 at 10:48AM in Mobiles 12 replies 1.3K views

MSE_Emily

Virgin Mobile is to close down its pay-as-you go (PAYG) services from January 2022 in a move that impacts 123,000 customers. Here's what it means for your plan, mobile number, and unused credit. 
Read the full story here:
Virgin Mobile to axe pay-as-you go services from 2022 - what it means for its 123,000 customers

accorian

MSE is running the following quote from Virgin Mobile which unfortunately contains several typos. The MSE version is:

'A spokesperson for Virgin Mobile said: "We regularly review our products and services to ensure our offering reflects our customers' needs and best supports their usage".

The typo-free version is:

'A spokesperson for Virgin Mobile said: "We regularly review the prices we charge for our products and services to ensure that those gullible enough to make use of them are thoroughly ripped off.

"We really, really, really do not want users who refuse to sign up to needlessly expensive monthly payment schedules and who instead just top up their phones as and when they, rather than us, feel like it.

"Pay-as-you-go for any goods or services is an old-fashioned idea from the 17th Century (or earlier) of no help to 21st Century avaricious companies and their boards of directors and senior management.

"Trapping gullible people into paying every month for a product or service they may not use to the full  -- and we're counting on them not to -- is the best and only business model for any company which puts greed before ethics.

"We should also like to make it clear that acknowledging in plain, straightforward English what a price-hiking business is actually doing is also an old-fashioned idea from the days when  companies were expected to tell the truth and not insult everyone's intelligence with the clumsy sophistry of inept corporate Public Relations lackeys."  

Ends correction.

dazzaofdagenham

Throughout the last 15 years or so..
never really considered PAYG from Virgin as a attractive option.

Been through most of them with myself and kids as they grow up…

but always found that Virgin PAYG was the least attractive of them all

jnm21

Not sure about price, but the move to o2 signal would rule them out for me.

Could be doing folk a favour - I hope credit will be refunded! 

roddydogs

ASDA here I come.

Razoo

I'm on O2's PAYG service.  It's ideal for me as I live in an O2/EE/Vodafone dead spot, so can't make much use a mobile.

As O2 is now in bed with Virgin, is it likely that O2 will follow suit and axe their PAYG mobile services?

Farway

Razoo said:

I'm on O2's PAYG service.  It's ideal for me as I live in an O2/EE/Vodafone dead spot, so can't make much use a mobile.

As O2 is now in bed with Virgin, is it likely that O2 will follow suit and axe their PAYG mobile services?

No one knows, could be they'll use O2 as the cheapo service, bit like Voda & Voxi?

jnm21

Farway said:

Razoo said:

I'm on O2's PAYG service.  It's ideal for me as I live in an O2/EE/Vodafone dead spot, so can't make much use a mobile.

As O2 is now in bed with Virgin, is it likely that O2 will follow suit and axe their PAYG mobile services?

No one knows, could be they'll use O2 as the cheapo service, bit like Voda & Voxi?

Close Giffgaff?

Consumerbilly

I had a text from Virgin Mobile this morning advising the service would close in exactly three months and giving me some options. I really want the unused credit back and to transfer my number to Asda mobile. I phoned their customer services number and was put through to a nice lady in the Philippines. She tried her very best to help me although it was clear she was not knowledgeable about the service closure and the options available and had to keep putting me on hold while she tried to find out. It seems I can request a refund of unused credit but if I can also transfer the number, like was said in the MSE article, I am not sure about.  The best bet seems to be use up the call credit, transfer the number, close the account and kiss Virgin Mobile goodbye forever. They must have the worst customer services ever. Not the people who they are paying a bag of rice per day but the management who have not trained them and couldn't care less if the customers are satisfied.

AndyPK

I had a txt today. Ends 11 Jan'22.
 Well a transfer to Asda doesn’t sound too bad. Does that include the credit ?

https://www.virginmedia.com/paygupdate

So it seams, you should request a PAC code a few days before service ends. Wait for it to end. Transfer and claim credit back ???? Is that the best way to win ? 

Moving to a different provider is also super easy. Just remember to get your Port Authorisation Code (PAC) before your end date so you can keep your mobile number, otherwise you'll lose it.
There’s a few ways to get your PAC:

• Sign in to your online account and select Switching to make your request
• Text ‘PAC’ and your date of birth (in DD/MM/YYYY format) to 65075. For example: PAC 01/03/1984
• Give us a call on 789 and we’ll get this sorted

Consumerbilly

AndyPK said:

I had a txt today. Well a transfer to Asda doesn’t sound too bad. Does that include the credit ?

They won't transfer the credit - you have to claim it from them of course !