Virgin mobile users get tariff tweak treats

Virgin Media has expanded its choice of tariffs today, with a new range of pay monthly and SIM-only deals. As usual, it benefits to be an existing customer. For £7.50 each month, Virgin Media patrons are offered a BlackBerry Pearl 3G with unlimited BlackBerry messaging and e-mail as well as 1GB of web data, 250 texts, 50 …

[Scuby]

Oh I wondered why...

...my Virgin Landline Charges just increased!!

[Buzzword]

A clarification

The cheaper prices are for Virgin Media customers who already have cable TV, broadband, or landline telephone. Not for mere existing Virgin Mobile customers.

[Neil Barnes]

And if you're a pay-as-you-go customer

it'll just be a sixty percent increase in data charges then: fifty pence a day to use the internet instead of thirty.

[Anonymous Coward]

still stucks though

This weekend we move our last mobile off virgin mobile to three. Because I'm bored of the "good news we are simplifying your bill" emails that usually say "things cost more". Because I'm unhappy the way they took away the lower cost virgin-virgin calls. You do still get lower cost virgin landline to virgin mobile calls, but it's not worth the pain.

[jacobbe]

Leaving Virgin

will be moving off virgin mobile.

huge increase in call fees (twice in six months)

the offers are for media customers only.

[mafoo]

Tariff increases

They also sent me a text message today saying that calls to landlines and other networks from my mobile are going up to 40p a minute.

Weirdly calls to ROI are 25p/m. Very bizarre.

[spidercrab]

Do not believe Virgin Media Unlimited access

I signed up to 3 £10 a month Blackberry's with unlimited web access for the family. This month my daughter's one came with a £111 monthly bill. Apparently if you use over 50Mb per day you get charged an arm and a leg for it. They told me there is a fair usage policy for the term unlimited and it means up to 1Gb per month.

My daughter' online account tells her that she has 1.23 Gb left in her monthly allowance which she checks regularly. Go figure.

I pointed out to Virgin Media that on the day when the usage was high my daughter was in our house and the phone was connected to our WiFi so there should have been no excess data charge. Then they admit that if you use the Blackberry web browser, BTW there is no other way to browse the web, you incur a high charge which is outside of your normal unlimited 1Gb monthly limit and the phone will bypass your WiFi and use the astronomic charge Blackberry system!

So take great care with Virgin Media.http://www.reghardware.com/Design/graphics/icons/comment/stop_32.png

[a33a]

Seperate Browser

According to this article : http://crackberry.com/blackberry-browsers-explained , there is a seperate Browser for Wifi (called the HotSpot browser). Blackberry are overcomplicating it.

[Andre Carneiro]

I might consider them...

... if they were'nt piggybacking on T-Mobile.

[ginger_tosser]

Not just for V media customers

My missus just got the £10pm Wildfire by simply calling them and telling them that she wanted a new phone and that T-mobile were offering something solar in-store for a tenner. Her contract wasn't even up 'til September. No other Virgin media products req'd

[John Goodwin 4]

Sweet Virgin

Rang them to tie in some data to my account after buying a Desire Z simm-free, was on 200 cross-network minutes, 200 Virgin minutes and 500 texts for £12 a month.

My new deal is 600 cross-network minutes, 1 Gb of mobile data, 3000 texts for £5.43 a month - now that's what I call a result. The beauty of going through to cancel, rather than amend my plan.

[Anonymous Coward]

Stay away from Virgin

Their 'outstanding' call centre staff are rude. They charge you for using data and texts INSIDE your allowance. Their coverage is terrible. They regularly make mistakes and errors on your bill which they never get round to amending. Their 3G network is sluggish and hangs regularly even when T-Mobile phones are still browsing at speed. 9 months through a 24 month contract I paid their extortionate early termination fees to end the pain. Moving back to the safety of Vodafone to lick my wounds.

[Danny 14]

cant say ive had an issue with them

Granted its an old GW620 but never missed a beat on virgin. Quality has been the same at TMobile (not bad up here).

[Dilbert1969]

Been with Virgin Mobile for years

Now being pretty much screwed by the tariff changes.

Old virgin Pay by Direct Debit:

Call to landline and Virgin Mobile - up from 21p to 40p

Calls to other networks - up from 36p to 40p

Text to other Virgin phones - up from 4p to 15p

Text to other networks - up from 13p to 15p

I only send the odd txt message - if I spend £1 a month it's an expensive month.

[Anonymous Coward]

Virgin Media - con artists and liars

The last sales droid who tried to get me on VM Mobile opened their cold call with a "don't worry; I'm not trying to sell you anything" and then proceeded to try exactly that.

I don't know any VM customer who isn't sick of receiving "Hey ! You're a top customer so this is great news and good for you" notification of ever increasing prices or reduced service.