Top up charge

[RJL2016]

I just activated an optimus v and set up an automatic charge each month to my credit card. I see that virgin mobile charged me $35 (plus tax) for the first monthly fee and another $35 (plus tax) for something called a top-up.
Does anyone know what that is? The virgin mobile web site refers to top up as the purchase of air time but isn't that what the $35 charge is for? It sounds like some sort of way to collect cash in advance from me.

 

[Lthope33]

I use virgin mobile (have the motorola triumph, used to have the optimus v). I didn't give them my credit card...i pay cash and get a pin number at radio shack or a vm store, however I sometimes keep additional cash my vm account. Are you sure you were charged twice? They should take $35 out of your card, then when the "roll over day" (the day your new payment is due) arrives, they "top up" your account at midnight. That means that take the $35 from your account and use it for your monthly payment. You should get a text message both when you add money to your account and also when you "top up" meaning the money goes from your account to the monthly payment. Are the text messages making you feel you were charged twice? Or did you actually get charged twice on your card? Also, I don't recall being charged tax. Maybe that varied from state to state? I'm in new york. In any case, I've called their customer service occasionally when there has been an error in payment, and they have always fixed it for me. The number is 888-322-1122. At prompt say "troubleshooting"; at prompt say "something else".

 

[MacFett]

If you top up via PIN tax is included in the top-up. If you top-up through VM.com it is monthly +tax.

When I setup my wife's account we got charged twice because she didn't get the confirmation text that her account had been toped up because her phone and account weren't active yet. So I went through topping up again, by this time her phone and account were active and I got both texts.

If they did take an extra $35, it will sit in your account until next month. After it will take the $35 out of your VM account at the end of the day of your due date.

 

[Blazin65]

I feel your pain on this too. I'm still not sure if I understand the language this company uses. Top Up? What kind of term is that. I don't see why they don't just a charge a monthly fee like everyone else and call it a monthly fee.

Also, when I first signed up, I gave the representative on the phone my credit card number and told them to automatically charge me each month and if I went over the amount of time, just put the 10 cents a minute on my credit card. But when I used up my minutes with 10 days to go, they cut the phone off.

Sorry this is not answering you question. But just be advised it might take a few months to figure out how the bill works on this company.

 

[agianne]

I don't see why they don't just a charge a monthly fee like everyone else and call it a monthly fee.

I understand the spirit of your question, but you've got to remember that it is a "monthly fee" only to those of us who choose to regularly top up every month on our renewal date. Not everyone does that.

With VM you can choose to skip paying whenever you want for whatever reason, no questions asked. As long as you don't leave your account dormant for more than 90 days (right?) you can top-up your account and keep using your same number without having to re-activate, set up a new account, pay an activation fee, etc.

 

[agianne]

If you top up via PIN tax is included in the top-up.

To clarify that, I think it would be better to explain that you pay sales tax on top-up cards/PIN purchases at the point of sale, if applicable.

VM USA always adds sales tax to PIN purchases both over the phone and via the virginmobileusa.com web site. (I understand they do this even when the purchaser resides in a state like CA that exempts this type of purchase from sales tax.)

Online vendors like callingmart.com do not charge sales tax, unless you live in the state in which the online vendor has a physical presence, then the online vendor may required to charge you sales tax.

When you buy at a local retail store, you'll pay sales tax unless an exemption is provided by local law, California being an example of a locale that exempts these services from sales tax.

 

[RJL2016]

Thanks for all the feedback. I finally heard back from Virgin Mobile....they acknowledged a double charge error and corrected it. It pays to check your credit card statement.

 

[jjbova]

I agree with using the "top up cards".... I buy $50 cards, and use either the $35 or $45 plan (mostly the $45). This way, I have some left over money on my account, and every few months I only have to get a $25 card and it's covered. I know I am paying the same amount, but it's like a bonus every few months, and to me.... $50 is still WAY cheaper than any contract plan out there.

I won't trust VM with my CC on file though, to many horror stories.

 

[Petrah]

Thanks for all the feedback. I finally heard back from Virgin Mobile....they acknowledged a double charge error and corrected it. It pays to check your credit card statement.

VM is stupid sometimes. I had an extra 25 dollars on my account that I didn't put there, and they lady on the phone kept arguing with me saying they accidentally took the payment from my credit card. It didn't seem to matter that there was/is no credit card attached to my account. The CSR lady got borderline angry with me over it and refused to listen to me at all lol. I ended up with a free month even though I tried to explain that I didn't pay for it nor did I have a credit card attached to my account.

Edit: I don't have an issue with Virgin Mobile, but I do think that they need to fire the programmer who created their online payment software.