View Full Version : Virgin Mobile SUCKS!
Chris_H
13-02-2009, 09:48 AM
Can you believe this, I got my girlfriend a R200p/m contract with unlimited free sms's. She has had this contract for 3 months, firstly the phone broke 2 weeks after we got it and sent it in for repairs at Autopage as per Virgin Mobile Tygervalley. Got the phone back and the next day the phone did the same thing, send it in for repairs again in December and had to wait till January for the phone to come back... The phone started messing about the same way again and we have to take it back to them once more now...
Apart from that we just received a sms warning us not to use the FREE UNLIMITED sms's too much or they will suspend the service!? So I phoned 123 and this guy tells me that there is a LIMIT on our UNLIMITED sms's!?!?
Seriously, the sale was based on free sms's, we don't send mass sms's for business like I’ve heard people do and then gets asked to stop, and we don't sms international numbers!
Even more is that the number we have now has been ported from Vodacom, the very same day it was done my girlfriend started receiving horoscope sms's and we noticed that her airtime would run out in just under two weeks without making one call. We started to suspect the sms as the culprit but only one gave a 'stop' option, the other continued. I managed to track the number down on the internet and phoned the hosting company and asked what the hell is going on. They said that she had visited a site and subscribed to two horoscope services, each sending one sms per day at R5... when I told them that it's impossible as we don’t read **** like that they said that the phone had to be in her hand to subscribe... they must think I r monkey >:(
Virgin mobile, has so far been the worst provider I have ever had on one of my accounts and I can't wait to cancel the contract!!!!
dotnerd
13-02-2009, 11:02 AM
I just canceled too, bunch of frickin ****ers!
Just pay off your handset and you're free to go.
The_Second_One
13-02-2009, 11:12 AM
I'm with Virgin Mobile as well... and to be totally honest... I have totally the opposite experience! Nothing but happiness. I average around 3000 SMSes per month and no issues at all.
Mamajyot
13-02-2009, 12:24 PM
I am with Vodacom and I think the service sucks big time.
Bottom line is all providers are out to screw us.
SUPERMAN89
13-02-2009, 12:26 PM
123 and this guy tells me that there is a LIMIT on our UNLIMITED sms's!?!?
Dats not right!!!
Hogrod
13-02-2009, 01:14 PM
And international SMS don't count as part of free SMS anyway
Tell us something we dont know...
Chris_H
13-02-2009, 05:14 PM
I just canceled too, bunch of frickin ****ers!
Just pay off your handset and you're free to go.
I bet you when the handset comes back from repairs for the third time now it will still be faulty and then i'm going to do just that, hopefully we wont have to pay for a broken phone :(
battmann
13-02-2009, 09:38 PM
logic.
Seperate the issues.
1.Broken phone -manufacturers fault
2.Unlimited smses - Virgin has not stopped you
3. Your g surs the web - gives Horosope site details of cell no
What are you whining about, again?
HypoThesis
14-02-2009, 08:32 AM
logic.
Seperate the issues.
1.Broken phone -manufacturers fault
2.Unlimited smses - Virgin has not stopped you
3. Your g surs the web - gives Horosope site details of cell no
What are you whining about, again?
Whether the OP is in the wrong or not bottom line is VIRGIN SUX I've been with them for a year and a half... I'm just waiting for them to sort out their latest fad of "due to system upgrade our billing system blah blah blah" so they can figure out exactly how much i owe them so that I can port away!:mad:
Sensorei
14-02-2009, 05:17 PM
Can you believe this, I got my girlfriend a R200p/m contract with unlimited free sms's. She has had this contract for 3 months, firstly the phone broke 2 weeks after we got it and sent it in for repairs at Autopage as per Virgin Mobile Tygervalley. Got the phone back and the next day the phone did the same thing, send it in for repairs again in December and had to wait till January for the phone to come back... The phone started messing about the same way again and we have to take it back to them once more now...
Apart from that we just received a sms warning us not to use the FREE UNLIMITED sms's too much or they will suspend the service!? So I phoned 123 and this guy tells me that there is a LIMIT on our UNLIMITED sms's!?!?
Seriously, the sale was based on free sms's, we don't send mass sms's for business like I’ve heard people do and then gets asked to stop, and we don't sms international numbers!
Even more is that the number we have now has been ported from Vodacom, the very same day it was done my girlfriend started receiving horoscope sms's and we noticed that her airtime would run out in just under two weeks without making one call. We started to suspect the sms as the culprit but only one gave a 'stop' option, the other continued. I managed to track the number down on the internet and phoned the hosting company and asked what the hell is going on. They said that she had visited a site and subscribed to two horoscope services, each sending one sms per day at R5... when I told them that it's impossible as we don’t read **** like that they said that the phone had to be in her hand to subscribe... they must think I r monkey >:(
Virgin mobile, has so far been the worst provider I have ever had on one of my accounts and I can't wait to cancel the contract!!!!
Firstly, the phone breaking is not Virgin's fault. It is the manufacturers fault. Secondly, as unfortunate as your situation is the with R5 astrology sms's, this happens on all cellular networks and not only Virgin. Vodacom & MTN also take no responsibility for sorting it out when it happens. As for the unlimited SMS issue - well that does suck but I was told when I enquired at a VM store that the limit is actually 1000 sms's which imo isn't bad considering you get 150 free minutes for R150. Anyway I decided to go with prepaid for the 60c/MB data and not contract because yes VM's customer service is terrible. But my point is that although Virgin has its issues, considering the good deals they have what they offer is no worse than Vodacom or MTN. I left Vodacom after 7 years because of crappy service and why choose the most expensive network if their service sucks. MTN has been pretty good but they also have dimwits in customer service. Virgin I have not been with for long but they offer very competitive rates and I have had no problems with reception or their EDGE/gprs. So fine, you might have issues with them but you get what you pay for and Voda/MTN are hardly any better.
BrianStephan
16-02-2009, 09:53 AM
I have the Unlimited sms deal for R200 a month and got that same sms and phoned them and was told that its unlimited as long as you dont send mass sms's for bussiness purposes and to make money whatsoever I send on average a month about 5000sms's and there is no problem so the unlimited sms's are really unlimited as long as you dont use it for business purposes as for your phone thats a manufacturers fault and not that of the service provider. Unlucky with the subscription but thats also not the fault of of the service provider. I have found sometimes that the sms's take a while to get to the person who I am sending it 2 but that's really nothing when you get R200 airtime a month and unlimited smses
I just canceled too, bunch of frickin ****ers!
Just pay off your handset and you're free to go.
Do not forget that they are collecting R 200 monthly while phone is sitting at workshop. In that way you end up with quite few unused R and they say that is air time, they will not deduct it from balance.
I send on average a month about 5000sms's
Thats over 165 every day including weekends. How on earth do you send so many sms's?
BrianStephan
17-02-2009, 12:35 PM
Its easy when your gf lives in JHB and u in Durban
Sensorei
17-02-2009, 03:53 PM
Its easy when your gf lives in JHB and u in Durban
Eish, you never heard of instant messaging via mxit/msn/skype/gtalk? It'll cost almost nothing.
BrianStephan
17-02-2009, 07:01 PM
I use mxit but it freezes allot so free sms's work great
Chris_H
24-02-2009, 03:07 PM
There we go... just got the sms that the unlimited sms's has been suspended. Now just to get my phone back from the repair shop and then I will cancel my contract.
DJNgoma
24-02-2009, 06:21 PM
There we go... just got the sms that the unlimited sms's has been suspended. Now just to get my phone back from the repair shop and then I will cancel my contract.
Why?
BrianStephan
25-02-2009, 09:23 AM
How can you get that msg have you tried sending an sms I have also received that sms and it was sent in error to me
Joy-Energiser
25-02-2009, 03:39 PM
Just exactly HOW MANY sms's were you sending for them to suspend your service ?
Sounds like abuse to me, are you sending mass sms's to every person on your contact list(Just say that is like 100) 10 times a day ? You could easily average 30000 a month
I don't don't see why its necessary to send that many.
BrianStephan
25-02-2009, 04:02 PM
I on average send about 4000 - 5000 a month sometimes way less but no more and my account has never been suspended have received that warning but was sent to me in error
DJNgoma
25-02-2009, 04:29 PM
Just exactly HOW MANY sms's were you sending for them to suspend your service ?
Sounds like abuse to me, are you sending mass sms's to every person on your contact list(Just say that is like 100) 10 times a day ? You could easily average 30000 a month
I don't don't see why its necessary to send that many.
Can't see how you offer unlimited SMSs then say "Oh wait, but there is a limit to how many you send". Basically MXit but cheaper and slower.
sidai
25-02-2009, 05:17 PM
That is why there is terms and conditions !!!! They can change the stuff as they like. If you signed the contract, you agreed.
PS. I NEVER had problems with VM neither with free sms's
PSS. Don't get a crappy phone!
DJNgoma
25-02-2009, 10:09 PM
That is why there is terms and conditions !!!! They can change the stuff as they like. If you signed the contract, you agreed.
PS. I NEVER had problems with VM neither with free sms's
PSS. Don't get a crappy phone!
Well they better not change unlimited to mean limitied because you just might see a case about misinterpretation opening up.
sidai
26-02-2009, 01:46 PM
Well they better not change unlimited to mean limitied because you just might see a case about misinterpretation opening up.
As per T&C:
"Virgin Mobile reserves the right to WITHDRAW or ALTER this promotion at any time."
http://www.virginmobile.co.za/virgin-portal-customer/legal-docs/FreeSMSTCs25052009.pdf
BrianStephan
26-02-2009, 03:00 PM
True they can but only on certain pts where u using it for bussiness purposes etc...
I have been sending 4000-5000 sms's a month and I am fine no warning nothing
The sms's are unlimited I can assure u that
sidai
27-02-2009, 11:17 AM
How do you guys get it right to send soooo MANY sms's?
I send (normal person) about 5-15 a day!
DJNgoma
27-02-2009, 11:50 AM
As per T&C:
"Virgin Mobile reserves the right to WITHDRAW or ALTER this promotion at any time."
http://www.virginmobile.co.za/virgin-portal-customer/legal-docs/FreeSMSTCs25052009.pdf
Thanx for the doc, quite unfair for people upgrading to a higher price contract.
BrianStephan
27-02-2009, 01:36 PM
Sidia try getting a gf that stays 800km from you thats how
sidai
27-02-2009, 03:27 PM
Sidia try getting a gf that stays 800km from you thats how
Probably true
Chris_H
02-03-2009, 08:58 AM
Just exactly HOW MANY sms's were you sending for them to suspend your service ?
Sounds like abuse to me, are you sending mass sms's to every person on your contact list(Just say that is like 100) 10 times a day ? You could easily average 30000 a month
I don't don't see why its necessary to send that many.
My fiancé sends about 30'ish sms's a day... none of which is bulk. I got my phone bill from them this month (Jan) and the total was 1100 sms for the total month. So I phoned Virgin Mobile Tygervalley and the guy that spoke to me said that they are sending these sms's in general and that if you get an sms like the one stating you are being billed you should send an sms and check your airtime to see if it applies to you :rolleyes: Furthermore, apparently they will only suspend the service if you start sending bulk smses like you said or if you use a software that does mass smsing.
anyway, I am still waiting for the phone to come back from repairs. This is the third time it will come back and, according to Virgin Mobile Staff, I will get a swap out if the phone goes faulty for a fourth time. Depending on how Virgin behaves, I might still keep this contract.
duncan1a
16-03-2009, 10:11 AM
Virgin are absolutely shocking. I have just ported away from them. Go to hellopeter.com and search for Virgin Mobile and you'll see how hopeless they are
Sackboy
16-03-2009, 02:00 PM
They're starting a new campaign with an official limited SMS figure.
Pizzamann
17-03-2009, 11:57 AM
Rather search for MTN on hellopeter. MTN, going nowhere FAST! It's day 11 since my application with MTN and these guys are completely a lost case, as my application papers are missing in action to this very day and 4 trips later, nothing has happened.... Virgin Mobile on the other hand helped me within a couple of minutes! Thanks VM for the excellent service!!! MTN can fly off a bridge!
i am planning to leave Virgin Mobile when my contract expires in a month or two. I cant really say that ive had TERRIBLE service but its just not been good enough. here's some of my reasons or movin,
1. cant access your bill on your phone when you need to, this is a real pain in the a$$
2. the "sort me out" centre is more like a "we dont know what we are doing" centre. they could never give me straight answers. and after dealing with Telkom for years i have become very patient with these type of things so i am not just ranting about this
3. airtime not always available. not too much of a big deal, unless you in a small town in Karoo and there is only one shell garage there. How hard can it be to get your airtime sold at all outletts, come on?
4. and the last thing is that their contract plans dont actually pay off. You pay for the phone (monthly) and you buy airtime (get billed according to how much you phone/sms everyday, the more you use the less you pay) initially this sounds great, but then i realized that i never gain anything from this as i only make a couple calls each day, not allot of calls on one day. also cheaper rates over weekends woulda been nice
i went to Virgin cause I have used them before elsewhere in the world and they were great. sad to say the service is not the same in SA. So now the big question, MTN or VodaCom?? :confused:
Pizzamann
17-03-2009, 05:43 PM
Vodacom.
MTN's call center 0831808 were closed for almost 2 days last week. Their switchboard in Cape Town doesn't answer 99.9999% of the time, neither does the one at MTNGroup Joburg. Managers and staff doesn't seem to care much either.
superkew
07-04-2009, 02:06 PM
I like my v-mobile.
Got it a week after they launched - no contract, just a debit order. Altho their credit vetting is useless (They wouldn't let me upgrade to a contract from my pre-paid debit order) I think they are pretty good.
Compare V-Mobile rates to MTN and then wonder why MTN even promotes their "all day rate".
yaseent
23-05-2009, 03:09 PM
I'm on VM R200 unlimited sms's contract as well. Apart from my sms's being delivered a tad bit later, I'M RECEIVING SMS'S SENT TO ME 5 HOURS LATER. And then apart from that, the only reason I get the sms that was sent to me, was by sending out an sms, only to realise the timestamp is 5 huors earlier. Probably all sounds a bit confusing by the way I phrased that, just think of it as pinging a server and only getting a msg sent to you 5 hours earlier after you made a ping request. Apart from this, I have R200 or R100 airtime, I log onto the internet using my pc I get redirected to a Cell C page that says I have insufficient airtime. Is it just me or has maybe google's landing page increased in size? So i phone up VM, apparently the problem was sorted out, all I needed to do was get the new settings. So I do that, frustrating enough, I get the same problem after the new settings. Phone VM up again, guess what the problem was sorted out only if you're using your mobile phone to browse, not your pc. I just kinda give up now, because every cellular network in SA, is a piece of crap. Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Virgin Mobile all seem to be part of the same vendetta. There was one or two weeks of GPRS downtime.... ON EVERY NETWORK. Every network was experiencing gprs downtime? Howcome? WTF CAREs. We need an international investment in this country, and ICASA needs to stop licking @$$.
Napalm
24-05-2009, 07:42 PM
I've been with Vodacom the past 8years. On contract.
Even though they aren't the cheapest, their Callcentre seems to be fairly helpfull most of the time and the Deals they offer is quite good.
I do agree they could be much cheaper on the Data-bundle rates..
HermanTheGerman
25-05-2009, 12:07 PM
Chris, if any hardware - no matter what - breaks after only 2 weeks, you don't send it in for repair. You go to the store and tell them (not ask but tell) to supply you a with new device!
Heck, even SAfricans have some consumer rights. You just gotta use them, else those businesses will go on screwing you!
Tweak
25-05-2009, 12:41 PM
I've been with Vodacom the past 8years. On contract.
Even though they aren't the cheapest, their Callcentre seems to be fairly helpfull most of the time and the Deals they offer is quite good.
I do agree they could be much cheaper on the Data-bundle rates..
yeah not only data tho.
They spend less than 1cent on 1000 sms's sent but they make 800rand for that same transaction.
Since most south africans dont have land line based internet/communication and these big fat bastard companies have 20 million customers each one would Imagine they would loosen their belt a little. but NOOOO
not in south africa
mjkelly
25-05-2009, 09:44 PM
I'm on VM R200 unlimited sms's contract as well. Apart from my sms's being delivered a tad bit later, I'M RECEIVING SMS'S SENT TO ME 5 HOURS LATER. And then apart from that, the only reason I get the sms that was sent to me, was by sending out an sms, only to realise the timestamp is 5 huors earlier. Probably all sounds a bit confusing by the way I phrased that, just think of it as pinging a server and only getting a msg sent to you 5 hours earlier after you made a ping request.
I have had this problem ever since joining Virgin in Dec 07', about 70 - 80% of my virgin to virgin sms' are delayed. I send anywhere from 500 to 1000 sms's a month. And they are delayed anywhere from 10 min to a few hours, or sometimes they just never deliver. Their call centre is useless, they either don't understand, or eventually when i do get through to someone useful, they say i must record 5 instances of this happening and then call them back. Ofcourse when i call back, either i get through to the person that does not understand again, or I tell them about the 5 recorded occasions and they never call back! So when i follow up, they have no record of it. This has happened about 3 or 4 times now. Plus my phone is in for repairs now for the 5th time, but it has been different problems so they won't give me a new phone.
In fact the last time it went in for repairs they wanted my proof of purchase to prove it was still in the 2 year warranty, so I asked them how long my contract was, to which the answer was 2 years. So then I asked if the phone came with the contract, they said yes. But apparently they still needed proof otherwise I needed to pay the R890 or they would not return my phone!! Although when i said since they have no proof i took out the contract, i just wont pay next month, then magically the proof appeared on her computer that my contract was not yet up, therefore my phone still being in 2 year warranty!
Virgin mobile sucks @$$....fact! Pity their rates are so good though..
So anyways just waiting until December, then it's me, vodacom and my new iPhone :) I would rather pay more for a reliable service and a better choice of phones.
In my experience, the ONLY way to get anywhere with Virgin Mobile is through HelloPeter.com
Even then it takes following up (by you, NOT them, of course!!!!) to get problems resolved...
yaseent
26-05-2009, 11:27 PM
So anyways just waiting until December, then it's me, vodacom and my new iPhone :) I would rather pay more for a reliable service and a better choice of phones.
Yeh me and you.. same boat. I'm very surprised you sent your phone in for repairs! I will not dare send my phone in for repairs unless it's completely dead! My vibrating function stopped working, and I'm having software issues but I didn't dare send my phone in! Not to virgin mobile or cell c or mtn I wouldn't dare it because I know their repair center (which is all by the same company as far as i know) has closed down, and from past experience with cell c, their repairs are useless! Phone comes back faulty, or worse and it takes ages, months! I'd only ever send a phone in if it was from vodacom, their repairs are efficient and satisfactory. But I agree what you say, after the virgin contact is done, straight to vodacom. It's a better option, but south africa can certainly do better and really does deserve better. Let's see what happens, apparently TELKOM the F****** twats are teaming up with AT&T - perhaps MAYBE we'll get something good out of this? But then again... it is telkom we're talking about. Vodacom are in talks of getting their own transmission lines (at the moment all cellular networks are using hellkom's argh telkom's lines) so we'll see. Perhaps the 2010 worldcup will improve the communications in this country. I'm hlding my thumbs up!
spidaman
27-05-2009, 02:01 PM
....and im about to renew my contract with them...
HypoThesis
28-05-2009, 07:10 AM
....and im about to renew my contract with them...
Noooooo, say no to the dark side!
arizonalipo
01-06-2009, 12:57 PM
Hi,
Realizing yesterday that I was leaving town again tomorrow, because I am just quick like that, I called Virgin Mobile to order a cell phone and service from them. The customer service rep assured me that the camera on the Slider Sonic was comparable to the one on the Wildcard, so I chose that one, even thought that QWERTY keyboard made me drool. I’d rather have good pictures, because I am a photoblogger, after all. I looked that over a bit more carefully after the kids were settled last night, and I can only conclude that Virgin Mobile lies. The cameras are so not comparable, with the Wildcard being the better one by several orders of magnitude.
thanks !
HypoThesis
01-06-2009, 05:35 PM
Just paid my phone up. Paid the oustanding amount on my account and asked them to move my number to a pre-paid one (it's easier to port) and tomorrow I port to Vodacom. Hello happiness.
Been 1 and a half years of BS. Thanks for coming but never again Virgin.
Chris_H
19-07-2010, 01:28 PM
Sooooooo... my girlfriend in the OP is now my wife. We were busy talking in our room this morning when she started receiving smses, 55 in total from mobthumbs or some cr4p. The smses reads:
"Payment received. You are subscribed to Mobthumbs. Cost R20/day. Help: 0216736840. To unsubscribe, sms THUMBS STOP to 37445"
Phoned virgin mobile as this is not the first time this number got subscribed to a service we did not request and the rude lady gave me the number of WASPA. I spoke to Evan and he told me to phone back in 3 days if it is not unsubscribed, only then will I be able to find out if I will get a refund. So far it has cost over R50 in airtime and at R20/day it will be at R0 airtime on Wednesday. So I guess there will be another battle on hands. Can't wait to move in two months time when the contract expires.
But now, what I want to know is how can these guys be stopped. Is there any way you can block these WAP subscriptions been billed to your account? I mean we were talking, the phone on laying to one side, (never mind the data / wap settings that are f'd on virgin and my wife has not been able to browse the net for months now) so how can we protect ourselves from these thieves? I've seen so many complaints on hello peter regarding the exact same issue and company with nothing being done :(
Rich_W
16-08-2010, 09:28 AM
Hi Chris_H
I just stumbled across this thread and read some of the posts including your most recent post. We are working closely with Virgin Mobile and we can assist you to resolve complaints/issues that you have with Virgin Mobile. If you need any virgin mobile related assistance please feel free to drop me an email - richard[at]getclosure[dot]co[dot]za