Virgin's Sunday Times Advert

[charl.voster]

I'm now confused. Virgins best price is R1.55 according to their website and everything I've heard and seen.

They have an add on page 23 of the Sunday Times that says you get 355 minutes for R500 - thus making the cost per minute R1.40. The same add however states "A call rate that drops from R1.75 to R1.55 every day after you've talked a total of 5 minutes"

They also claim that you get R80 back in rewards that you can spend on a phone or airtime. That in effect makes your first 355 minutes a mere R1.18 per minute!

What is going on? Where does the R1.40 per minute come from?

[swordfish1]

well, probably their ad designer PC crashed again ... I am still waiting for my CC pin number more than a month after the CC arived and after number of phone calls ... I definitely have higher expectations from a company that size! And the stupid automated voice when you call them, "due to the huge interest bla bla bla ...", simply pathetic! I wonder what their expectations were? 2-3 customers per day? Complete lack of planning!

[JStrike]

Ya, I am also still waiting for my pin number a month after recieving the card. Pretty damn useless so far

[charl.voster]

This is Virgins lengthy reply to my question ;)
=============
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nicholas Maweni" <Nicholas.Maweni@virginmobile.co.za>
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 11:42 AM
Subject: RE: an answer please.


It's the average time allocated.
==========================

[noxibox]

They have an add on page 23 of the Sunday Times that says you get 355 minutes for R500
I haven't seen the advert. Is this implied to be for one month's use?

[charl.voster]

yes.

[noxibox]

I've just run the numbers.

355 minutes over 30 days is 11.83 minutes per day.
5 minutes at R1.75 = R8.75 per day
6.83 minutes at R1.55 = R10.60

Or

150 minutes per month at R1.75 = R262.50
205 minutes per month at R1.55 = R317.75
Total is R580.25
Less R80 Vrewards leaves R500.25

I haven't seen the advert, although it sounds as though it may not be as clear as intended.

[noxibox]

I will say that if they're going to spend the money it takes to put a fullpage advert into the Sunday Times they could include a breakdown of how they calculated the total.

[MyDraadloos]

The devil is in the details ....... or in this case the missing small print.

Read that as well and it did not make any sense at all.

Looks like it was written by dislexic copy writer without the skills to express himself.

[Fantastic1]

Virgin adverts are never clear.... the say No Lock In and Contracts, but if you take any phone from them, you are binded by a 24 month to pay the phone. It leaves you in the same Contract position.
They just using words to catch clients.

All Virgin advertised phones are cheaper to take out from Vodacom, You get a Free Phone + Free Minutes.

[killadoob]

virgin actually work out more expensive than a contract through vodacom :)

i get 200 free anytime minutes a month plus a 4000 rand phone for 500 a month

not a bad deal if you ask me

[bwana]

but if you take any phone from them, you are binded by a 24 month to pay the phone. It leaves you in the same Contract position.No you're not - you can choose anywhere between 1 and 24 months to pay off the phone.

Additionally you can cancel the talk package at anytime and take you're phone with you as long as you keep paying it off of course (or settle in full).

So I'd have to disagree with your assessment.

Whether or virgin or vodacom is cheaper depends on usage.