Poor Virgin customer service

[theratman]

I'm posting on behalf of my girlfriend who is having a horrible time with virgin.
She's a foreigner and has a contract with virgin,she is only able to send sms's to 'select' numbers in germany.When I say select I mean that other numbers she sends to overseas do not receive the sms's but she is charged for them and the send report says failed.

She is doing everything correctly having lived here for 4 years she is not unfamiliar on how to send an sms overseas.She has contacted virgin on 7 or 8 occassions only to be told various different explainations,i.e:you are putting in the wrong number.2:There is a problem with the german network.3:The messages were sent and you were charged so they must of received them.We have as many times to speak to a supervisor and everytime "adam" has left early or is sick.We told the consultant to tell him(Adam) to call us the next day when he is in on 3 occassions and not once have they called back.

This problem is not exclusive to her mobile,when I was overseas my friends with virgin contracts could not reply to sms's either.She has tried to send sms's from my moblie but seeing as how I too am on virgin they only go through to the select few numbers.I have reference numbers for the calls made to virgin and am really hacked off with their inability to sort the problem out or give a rational explaination as to why the sms's are not going through.
We have been to 3 virgin stores to try and sort this out and they just refer us to the customer care.

If anyone is able to assist me I would be most grateful.

 

[Mamajyot]

Hi There

I suggest you try hellopeter.com

You got a better chance on that site.

 

[InTheCube]

This might not be very helpful to your problem, but why not tell her to use email for communication? You can set it up on her mobile. You can also setup skype for her on her mobile (either using the official Skype client, or Fring), and for the other people overseas. And they can communicate using IM.

Even if one side is offline, the skype IM messages will still be delivered when the user comes online.

Its not the solution to your problem, but an alternative.

You could also try MXIT, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or the 100's of other IM clients.

Get them all onto an IM, and they can communicate for much less than the cost of an International SMS.

 

[theratman]

Response on hellopeter:
Thank you for your post.

We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced through the recent interactions you had with our organization.

We havevisited your account and note that the sms successfully go through as you are being charged. This has been handed over to Technical Support manager to speed up feedback for feedback on ref:19994 (Double check on secondary system).

We will rever to you soonest.

Kind regards,

OMG.The SMS's DO NOT GO THROUGH.Wtf is wrong with them.
If the sms's go through them why do they:1:Fail,2:The other person does not receive them?

 

[guest2013-1]

Response on hellopeter:
Thank you for your post.

We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced through the recent interactions you had with our organization.

We havevisited your account and note that the sms successfully go through as you are being charged. This has been handed over to Technical Support manager to speed up feedback for feedback on ref:19994 (Double check on secondary system).

We will rever to you soonest.

Kind regards,

OMG.The SMS's DO NOT GO THROUGH.Wtf is wrong with them.
If the sms's go through them why do they:1:Fail,2:The other person does not receive them?

Does your girlfriend have an overall fondness for her phone number at all? Is it something cool like 0777777777?

What is her monthly (minimum) cost for this contract?

How many months left on it?

Reason why I ask these questions is simple. If there is no joy from the service provider you have, hit them hard by switching providers. There are 3 other (more competent devils) out there to deal with.

I'm more biased towards MTN but each to his own.

If all else fails ask them what you need to do to cancel the contract (ask them that exact question, do NOT ask how much it will cost you to cancel)

Then if the agent tells you you'd have to pay a penalty, you reply with "According our contractual agreement, you promised to deliver certain services to which both parties agreed to. Because you can't provide these basic services, I feel you breached the contract in the first place which won't hold me liable to pay you anything for canceling this contract"

If they backchat you tell them you don't care, and that they should cancel this contract, and if they dare charge you for it you will go to advertising standards (?) authority and ICASA and log disputes and have your lawyer draw up some documents with intention to sue.

Also throw in there you will then publish everything to online and print media and submit your story to several investigative programs because you're just one of many people YOU KNOW OF PERSONALLY that are being ripped off by Virgin.

See if that gets you out...

 

[D3x]

Virgin Mobile probably has one of the WORST customer services I have ever experienced.

I sent my wife's phone in for repairs. After 10 months of waiting I called & asked them WTF? After calling they said they would send it ASAP. I was told 3 times on different days that the package was already posted, only to find out it wasn't

I visited Hellopeter & I got a response from someone as useless as the people in their repair centre cos when the phone came back (after 12 Months of being in their possession), the phone was returned in the exact same state / condition it was sent in.

I was so sick & tired I told them to pi$$ off & I never dealt with them again. I can gladly say I have experienced ALL the Cell SP's & Vodacom is by FAR the best.

 

[Tpex]

Bro, your GF pays for the service she gets, aside from their customer care, they cellular acess is borrowed from CellC, which is borrowed from Vodacom.... I would seggest to anybody Virgin Mobile (south africa) is not a service provider to rely on, Rather go for said Vodacom or MTN at least you know they have good support and service plus decent prices

 

[D3x]

Bro, your GF pays for the service she gets, aside from their customer care, they cellular acess is borrowed from CellC, which is borrowed from Vodacom.... I would seggest to anybody Virgin Mobile (south africa) is not a service provider to rely on, Rather go for said Vodacom or MTN at least you know they have good support and service plus decent prices

Yeah, learned that the hard way. The only Virgin service I get that is really awesome is from Virgin Active Sunninghill..

 

[theratman]

The problem is it took her like a month to get a contract because she is not south african,it was such a mission.So thats a reason why it's unlikely she would change providers...They are arrogant twits and their hellopeter response is proof of that,they still havent contacted her.I called yesterday and asked for "Adam" who low and behold was unavailable.

 

[jsraja]

The customer care service of the Virgin is worst ever,if you try to contact you might be wait in the hold for an hour and you will not be clarified with your doubts properly.