Friday, August 14, 2009

Virgin Mobile is the worst cell phone ever!

Virgin Mobile which uses the OPTUS network turns 8 this year. Congratulations, due to your ability to rip of customers for 8 long years, you have maintained yourself in business.
Even thought you may have some of the most competitive rates between the four major carriers, you have the worst customer service and loyalty system available. Let me explain.
I signed up in June 07, on a 24month plan @ $44 + phone $5 i.e $49. My cap was $320 at the time, which was adequate. In July 1st 07, i went to Newfoundland for 3 months until October, during that time i made automatic payments via Credit Card, i could have suspended the service but i chose not too, hence i donated 3x49 = $147 to Virgin’s cause.
When i came back i began using their service, their reception was average when compared to Koodo and Telus (Rogers I hate and Bell should burn). In January 2008 i made a deposit of $211 into my Virgin account, around February Virgin not only stopped sending paper bills, but also introduced a surcharge on credit card payments. I did not mind the surcharge but the paper billing was their first mistake, this was discrimination against their own customers who aren’t computer-friendly. I didn’t argue my case at the time, but instead like a sheep just accepted it. Having not received a bill via mail for over 5 months, i had completely forgotten electronic billing, so when my $211 credit ran out my service was disconnected and i got stung with a $10 late fee. How unfair is THAT!!!!, i could have deposited my $211 into a bank and made interest on it, instead i deposited in Virgin and paid interest. STRIKE 1 VIRGIN.
The following month, due to excessively usage of the phone for work, i managed to exceed my $320 cap. Now we all know the reason we are on a Cap is so we know how much we spend, but guess what? Virgin allocates you a $500 Credit limit on each account, meaning if you exceed your $320 cap they allow you another $180, of which you have to pay dollar for dollar. This was absurd at the time and i was not going to stand for it, so i jumped on the phone and i argued my case, having won my argument and having them wave $90, i also demanded that my Credit limit for the future be reduced to $320, to match my cap, at the time the service representative agreed. However STRIKE 2.
Continuing to forget electronic billing i ended paying several late fee’s for the upcoming months, eventually my service got disconnected again, even thought i was making payments of $49-59 per month, when i called up again i found out that i had exceeded my cap by $50, the frustration i went through to explain to the representative that i had been re-assured, by a previous representative it won’t happen again, eventually i spoke both to the Team leader and debit department and investigation was launched into the recorder phone call, of which still i have heard nothing about from them, and YES!! I DID PAY THE EXTRA $50. STRIKE 3.
So now here is STRIKE 4, last month an unexpected charge of $60 appeared on my bill from data usage, personally i hardly use the phone for internet, if i do its always runs of W-lan. I explained that to the service representative, she could not assist me at ALL!!!, so i told here “i aint paying it, as i was not responsible for it”, you know what her resposnse was “Can i assist you with anything else Sir”, omg how can you assist me with something else when clearly enough your not there to assist. So on Tuesday they disconnected the service, so i made a payment of $49, and followed it by a phone call at 4.30pm, i spoke to customer service, gave her the receipt no. for the payment and she was going to transfer me to the credit department to reactivate my service, but guess what.... the freaking department was closed, like WTF!!! If your closed don’t pick up the phone, why torment your customers, the lady apologized to me but was unable to email, nor leave a message for them to call me back, apparently the credit department does not have an email address, like WTF its the 20th century, even my 7 year old nephew has an email address. So being unable to contact them on Wednesday via phone i send an email requesting i be contacted ASAP, nothing as of yet. My phone doesn’t make outgoing calls except ‘000’, nor can i call Virgin either. Seriously what a bad experience, i cant wait to go back to Koodo, they even offered to pay off my remaining 3 months. But thats not the issue, the issue is why should they always get away with it?

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