Virgin mobile are useless
Discussion
I have/had been a virgin payg customer for many years, using payg because it was best value for my usage.
In 2020 they sent a new simcard to change over because they had changed to a different network provider. This did not work because my virgin phone was locked to the (old) virgin network. I requested an unlock code for my phone via their website but it did not povide one. I asked on the virgin forum and I was not the only one, after about 6 weeks i think I finally got an unlock code so I could use my phone.
The reliability was worse than before so I thought I would use up my remaining credit and then take my number elsewhere.
Yesterday I turned on my phone but it would not connect, looking online I found that virgin had disconnected all payg phones.
Today I called the help line to try and get the PAC code to take my number but they cannot give me one because they have disconnected me already.
They said they had been sending notifications since 2019, a LIE, there was no mention on the letter from 2020. They said they had sent me text messages in October and November 2021, more LIES, no texts from them since 2020.
They said I should have been checking social media (I assume they mean facebook etc) to find information that they would be stopping all payg phones!! Why the hell could they not just send a letter since it is them wanting to change things.
Virgin Mobile, what a shower of s
t. 
editted to add "You have at least 3 months to switch to Pay Monthly or request your PAC, after we have notified you." from the virgin website.
Now I have the hassle of getting a new number and changing that everywhere, including on sites that will will want to text an authentication code to a number I cannot use to log in to a website to change to a new number.
In 2020 they sent a new simcard to change over because they had changed to a different network provider. This did not work because my virgin phone was locked to the (old) virgin network. I requested an unlock code for my phone via their website but it did not povide one. I asked on the virgin forum and I was not the only one, after about 6 weeks i think I finally got an unlock code so I could use my phone.
The reliability was worse than before so I thought I would use up my remaining credit and then take my number elsewhere.
Yesterday I turned on my phone but it would not connect, looking online I found that virgin had disconnected all payg phones.
Today I called the help line to try and get the PAC code to take my number but they cannot give me one because they have disconnected me already.
They said they had been sending notifications since 2019, a LIE, there was no mention on the letter from 2020. They said they had sent me text messages in October and November 2021, more LIES, no texts from them since 2020.
They said I should have been checking social media (I assume they mean facebook etc) to find information that they would be stopping all payg phones!! Why the hell could they not just send a letter since it is them wanting to change things.
Virgin Mobile, what a shower of s
t. editted to add "You have at least 3 months to switch to Pay Monthly or request your PAC, after we have notified you." from the virgin website.
Now I have the hassle of getting a new number and changing that everywhere, including on sites that will will want to text an authentication code to a number I cannot use to log in to a website to change to a new number.
Complaints seem to be magic.
Last week they could never get my phone number back because it had already been disconected, but a complaint made the impossible possible.
The complaint confirmation letter from them did not mention that they had given me no notice, only that they "cannot generate a PAC for this number anymore" but the next paragraph says "for info on getting your PAC"
It seems that making a new acount with a temporary new number they can get my old number back and give me the PAC so I can go to a better provider and keep my number, aslong as I cancel within the 14day cooling off period.
So rather than sending me 1 letter before cancelling my phone connection and having a happy ex customer and not have a complaint.
They would rather cancel without warning, waste my time and their's with 2 phonecalls saying they cannot do it, send 2 letters aknowledging my complaint, have another long phonecall saying they can infact do it when it will resolve my complaint, send a new simcard out (letter 3), tie up another phone number for two weeks, set up and cancel a direct debit, have a resolved complaint and have a very unhappy ex customer who will never want to come back.
I do not understand this approach to customer service.
Last week they could never get my phone number back because it had already been disconected, but a complaint made the impossible possible.
The complaint confirmation letter from them did not mention that they had given me no notice, only that they "cannot generate a PAC for this number anymore" but the next paragraph says "for info on getting your PAC"
It seems that making a new acount with a temporary new number they can get my old number back and give me the PAC so I can go to a better provider and keep my number, aslong as I cancel within the 14day cooling off period.
So rather than sending me 1 letter before cancelling my phone connection and having a happy ex customer and not have a complaint.
They would rather cancel without warning, waste my time and their's with 2 phonecalls saying they cannot do it, send 2 letters aknowledging my complaint, have another long phonecall saying they can infact do it when it will resolve my complaint, send a new simcard out (letter 3), tie up another phone number for two weeks, set up and cancel a direct debit, have a resolved complaint and have a very unhappy ex customer who will never want to come back.
I do not understand this approach to customer service.
A slight update, I called to check on the progress of recovering my number and was told that they cannot do that for payg and the request had been denied and closed. I was not very happy about that so asked to make another complaint about misinformation/ mis-selling.
I was told a supervisor would ring back within 2 hours, which they did within 30 minutes.
The request to recover the number had been denied because there was not a number to put it onto, because I had not yet received the new sim to activate it. They have said again they are able to recover the dead number and have done a new request to recover it.
She said she will keep an eye on the IT response/recovery (so did the last guy
)
I asked if I should call them to check on progress but have been told they will ring me back next week (I hope they probably will do that), when the number is recovered. She said it might take until next Tuesday to recover the number and give me a PAC code and when I said I was worried about going over the 14 day free cancellation time she said they would waive any charges. I did ask if I could have an employee number of the lady I spoke too but she could only give me her name.
I asked if they could send me an email confirming what has been agreed, but they cannot do that unless they close the complaint
.
Now I have a week long nervous wait to see if they can get my number back or not, will they ring me back, if they will charge me for being late to cancel early enough. Basically, will I be told again that calls 3 and 5 were misinformation and the 1st, 2nd and 4th calls were correct
Tune in next week/month for anotherexciting instalment of can I get my number back. 
I was told a supervisor would ring back within 2 hours, which they did within 30 minutes.
The request to recover the number had been denied because there was not a number to put it onto, because I had not yet received the new sim to activate it
. They have said again they are able to recover the dead number and have done a new request to recover it. She said she will keep an eye on the IT response/recovery (so did the last guy
)I asked if I should call them to check on progress but have been told they will ring me back next week (I hope they probably will do that), when the number is recovered. She said it might take until next Tuesday to recover the number and give me a PAC code and when I said I was worried about going over the 14 day free cancellation time she said they would waive any charges. I did ask if I could have an employee number of the lady I spoke too but she could only give me her name.
I asked if they could send me an email confirming what has been agreed, but they cannot do that unless they close the complaint
. Now I have a week long nervous wait to see if they can get my number back or not, will they ring me back, if they will charge me for being late to cancel early enough. Basically, will I be told again that calls 3 and 5 were misinformation and the 1st, 2nd and 4th calls were correct
Tune in next week/month for another
anonymoususer said:
Saleen836 said:
Had a text from them t'other day saying my monthly bill is to rise in April by 11.7%!
My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
Me too I think My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
I know the package you are on
it was £6 a month then went up to £6.10
Some progress from last week, they had asked what time would be best for me, I had said mornings, so they rang at 4pm.
They have recovered my number, Woohoo, and sent me an new simcard with my old number. I requested the pac and it came in a text saying it would cost £28.38 to use, for early cancellation. This is despite being in the 14 day cooling of period and having been told on two seperate phone calls they would waive the cancellation charges if it overran the 14 days.
I have looked around and it seems that virgin try this stunt a lot, charging in the 14 day cooling off.
I am hoping at the moment that this is just a computer generated message, because the customer service staff did what they said they would, but I will be keeping an eye on my bank statement, just in case.
. They have recovered my number, Woohoo, and sent me an new simcard with my old number. I requested the pac and it came in a text saying it would cost £28.38 to use, for early cancellation. This is despite being in the 14 day cooling of period and having been told on two seperate phone calls they would waive the cancellation charges if it overran the 14 days.
I have looked around and it seems that virgin try this stunt a lot, charging in the 14 day cooling off.
I am hoping at the moment that this is just a computer generated message, because the customer service staff did what they said they would, but I will be keeping an eye on my bank statement, just in case.
Saleen836 said:
anonymoususer said:
Saleen836 said:
Had a text from them t'other day saying my monthly bill is to rise in April by 11.7%!
My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
Me too I think My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
I know the package you are on
it was £6 a month then went up to £6.10
Some good deals on at the moment for new customers
Countdown said:
Saleen836 said:
anonymoususer said:
Saleen836 said:
Had a text from them t'other day saying my monthly bill is to rise in April by 11.7%!
My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
Me too I think My billfrom then onwardswill be £6.82
I know the package you are on
it was £6 a month then went up to £6.10
Some good deals on at the moment for new customers
Woo Hoo, it's here, the update nobody has been waiting for.
In spite of two phone calls saying I would not be charged a penny, my bank statement had arrived saying I had been charged £6, I had not got around to calling them until I received an email saying that that this months bill would be £19.55. Hmm.
I called Virgin again (call 7?) and told them what had happened and how I had been told twice that I would not be charged. They checked and said the -£6 bill 'adjustment' had been applied (so why did it leave my bank), but the free cancellation had not been applied. They have now reduced the cancellation to £0, so I had to ask about refunding the £6 aswell, which they will do.
Just incase, I asked if I will get more bills in the future and have been told that as my account has been diconnected when I used the PAC they have no reason to bill me anymore.
I am crossing my fingers that this is then end now.
In spite of two phone calls saying I would not be charged a penny, my bank statement had arrived saying I had been charged £6, I had not got around to calling them until I received an email saying that that this months bill would be £19.55. Hmm.
I called Virgin again (call 7?) and told them what had happened and how I had been told twice that I would not be charged. They checked and said the -£6 bill 'adjustment' had been applied (so why did it leave my bank
), but the free cancellation had not been applied. They have now reduced the cancellation to £0, so I had to ask about refunding the £6 aswell, which they will do. Just incase, I asked if I will get more bills in the future and have been told that as my account has been diconnected when I used the PAC they have no reason to bill me anymore.
I am crossing my fingers that this is then end now.
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