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Question of the Day: If you were buying a TV today, which brand would you choose?
Virgin marriage teeters
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
The_Pumpkin_King
Jedi Master
*curse ambiguous titles* 
but seriously they where doomed from the start
but seriously they where doomed from the start
sunsoffun
Expert Member
EPIC FAIL
Cholerappa
Active Member
Virgin Mobile is mobile's Pepsi
porchrat
Honorary Master
I don't know about that, Pepsi still has some redeeming qualities. Virgin mobile is terrible, everyone I know that is on their network has endless trouble with them, I'm glad I'm not on their network.
I wonder what the out come would have been if they had these:
- Their own network and not piggy-backing on Cell C's network.
- They could interconnect their own cell phone towers without having to pay royalties to Telkom monopoly.
- interconnection fees was not exploited like it is today.
Choices are good, as long as it fit the options supplied by the big 3
- Their own network and not piggy-backing on Cell C's network.
- They could interconnect their own cell phone towers without having to pay royalties to Telkom monopoly.
- interconnection fees was not exploited like it is today.
Choices are good, as long as it fit the options supplied by the big 3
Chevron
Serial breaker of phones
Most definitely.
Rouxenator
Dank meme lord
Eina
Have had no real problems with the network. But their itemised billing, unexplained top-ups, refusal to give reference numbers when complaining about these issues, not answering of emails, still can't login to one's account details on their website, can't transfer airtime... and only one number to call - no direct access to the billing department - leave a lot to be desired.
I'm a contract customer purely because i save about R200 a month on mobile data charges.
They blame their new admin software. But 5 months NOT to get it right. Over 2.5 months I've complained about erratic top-ups which I had to explain to THEM. Each time their Customer Service Champs email the billing dept to call me and no-one does.
If they go under I hope I can just keep the E51 and go back to Cell C.
I'm a contract customer purely because i save about R200 a month on mobile data charges.
They blame their new admin software. But 5 months NOT to get it right. Over 2.5 months I've complained about erratic top-ups which I had to explain to THEM. Each time their Customer Service Champs email the billing dept to call me and no-one does.
If they go under I hope I can just keep the E51 and go back to Cell C.
ads
Senior Member
Leaving aside the Cell C network issue, their poor service, and the fact that they are not a true MVNO (they cannot set tariffs and interconnect independently of Cell C), the real problem with Virgin Mobile is as follows:
The Virgin brand is positioned in the UK (and most other developed markets) as an aspirational, but "everyman" brand. Most of the Virgin companies have built their reputations on offering great value for compelling, different services, yet remaining accessible to the man in the street. For those who've never experienced Virgin in the UK (Virgin Mobile UK, Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic, Virgins Trains, Virgin Broadband etc), they are the brand chosen by people who want the best price, but still want good service, often with some clever twists. In a number of cases (e.g. Virgin Mobile UK), they are actually the cheapest.
In contrast, or perhaps as a result of the above, Virgin is perceived in South Africa as a highly aspirational, premium brand, particularly by people who have experienced it in other markets, and would like to show off the fact. For the man in the street in South Africa (who is, on average, much lower on most economic scales than his counterpart in the UK), Virgin has no such resonance, and is simply another "foreign" brand. He's not likely ever to use Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Trains, Virgin Broadband, or even Virgin Active.
Virgin Mobile South Africa did nothing to improve this perception by using UK adverts unchanged in this market, and (as in this article) they have confirmed their position by targeting the premium, but supposedly cost-conscious market. Unfortunately, for all but those few kugels in Sandton who just have to have the brand, they just don't have a compelling product for that market.
What I cannot understand is how Richard Branson didn't see this, and he continues to let (typically obnoxious) ex-pats run the business. It's a pity he couldn't have run it himself and done it properly.
The Virgin brand is positioned in the UK (and most other developed markets) as an aspirational, but "everyman" brand. Most of the Virgin companies have built their reputations on offering great value for compelling, different services, yet remaining accessible to the man in the street. For those who've never experienced Virgin in the UK (Virgin Mobile UK, Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic, Virgins Trains, Virgin Broadband etc), they are the brand chosen by people who want the best price, but still want good service, often with some clever twists. In a number of cases (e.g. Virgin Mobile UK), they are actually the cheapest.
In contrast, or perhaps as a result of the above, Virgin is perceived in South Africa as a highly aspirational, premium brand, particularly by people who have experienced it in other markets, and would like to show off the fact. For the man in the street in South Africa (who is, on average, much lower on most economic scales than his counterpart in the UK), Virgin has no such resonance, and is simply another "foreign" brand. He's not likely ever to use Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Trains, Virgin Broadband, or even Virgin Active.
Virgin Mobile South Africa did nothing to improve this perception by using UK adverts unchanged in this market, and (as in this article) they have confirmed their position by targeting the premium, but supposedly cost-conscious market. Unfortunately, for all but those few kugels in Sandton who just have to have the brand, they just don't have a compelling product for that market.
What I cannot understand is how Richard Branson didn't see this, and he continues to let (typically obnoxious) ex-pats run the business. It's a pity he couldn't have run it himself and done it properly.
dominic
Legal Expert: Telecoms
DragonLogos
Expert Member
and not forgetting any anti competitive behaviour - like BA - you would be picking the wrong company to let things slide, again ask British Airlines