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Virgin Mobile price changes

D

DoomyGIR

Newbie
Virgin Mobile bids farewell to unlimited too | Wireless - CNET News

They're throttling speeds after 2.5GB. About the price changes:
"As further evidence of the pressures Virgin faces, the company also unveiled new plans starting July 20 that raise the price of its cheapest options. Its 300-minute plan, which includes unlimited messaging and data costs $35, $10 more than before, while its its 1,200-minute plan goes from $40 to $45. The company did cut its $60 unlimited calling plan down to $55, likely an acknowledgement of the competitive threat presented by MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. The company also said it would waive the $10 add-on fee for BlackBerry smartphones."

​
 
DoomyGIR said:
Virgin Mobile bids farewell to unlimited too | Wireless - CNET News

They're throttling speeds after 2.5GB. About the price changes:
"As further evidence of the pressures Virgin faces, the company also unveiled new plans starting July 20 that raise the price of its cheapest options. Its 300-minute plan, which includes unlimited messaging and data costs $35, $10 more than before, while its its 1,200-minute plan goes from $40 to $45. The company did cut its $60 unlimited calling plan down to $55, likely an acknowledgement of the competitive threat presented by MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. The company also said it would waive the $10 add-on fee for BlackBerry smartphones."
Click to expand...


I read this on my etrade news. Looks like the $25 plan is grandfathered until July 20th.
 
Do you mean grandfathered for one more month so long as you paid for it before July 20th? or something different?

This is a bit of a bummer. I signed up for Virgin Mobile a week ago precisely because of the $25 plan and the option of having an android (with the generally favorable reviews of the LG Optimus). I would have considered other companies more seriously if I knew about this, especially since phones aren't compatible.

With the new prices (and the throttling), are MetroPCS or any others a better deal? or are they all pretty much in line with each other now? The major drawback with Virgin Mobile is its network, or lack thereof beyond mostly major metro areas and the major corridors in between. I don't currently travel a whole lot away from the NYC/DC metro corridor, but that is because of limited finances and is hopefully subject to change in the future.

Anyone have any thoughts?
 
Current VM customers will be grandfathered at current prices for the life of the account. If you have a beyond talk plan before July 20th you will pay 25.00, 40.00, or 60.00 for aas long as your a customer. Of course people on the unlimited plan for 60.00 will want to go down to the new unlimited everything price of 55.00. I am curious as to if I have the 25.00 plan now and let's say on July 25th or whatever I want to change plans to the 40.00 plan will I have to pay 45.00? Or can I always stay at current pricing no matter what plan I want since I am a customer now prior to July 20th?
 
caspian915 said:
Do you mean grandfathered for one more month so long as you paid for it before July 20th? or something different?

This is a bit of a bummer. I signed up for Virgin Mobile a week ago precisely because of the $25 plan and the option of having an android (with the generally favorable reviews of the LG Optimus). I would have considered other companies more seriously if I knew about this, especially since phones aren't compatible.

With the new prices (and the throttling), are MetroPCS or any others a better deal? or are they all pretty much in line with each other now? The major drawback with Virgin Mobile is its network, or lack thereof beyond mostly major metro areas and the major corridors in between. I don't currently travel a whole lot away from the NYC/DC metro corridor, but that is because of limited finances and is hopefully subject to change in the future.

Anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...

From my etrade news flash


"Existing Beyond talk Virgin Mobile customers as of July 19 can keep their current plan pricing as long as they don't let their account expire and they can upgrade to new devices without incurring additional cost.":)
 
Check out VM threads under the forum for Carriers. there is a thread there titled is the VM price increase definate. Lot's of good info
 
Time to rush out and get those phones. Sign up for an account and sell it later on ebay. Those acccounts would be worth something when the new price plan kicks in.
 
I don't see how you can sell a plan.

*I* wouldn't sell one with my name and info to anyone, but maybe that's just me.
 
getchevyn said:
From my etrade news flash


"Existing Beyond talk Virgin Mobile customers as of July 19 can keep their current plan pricing as long as they don't let their account expire and they can upgrade to new devices without incurring additional cost.":)
Click to expand...

Ah, now this is what I like to hear :-)
 
Woooohooooo! I had a feeling this would happen and I wondered if I'd be grandfathered in. If not I'd send it back to HSN. On Virgin Mobile's Facebook page someone asked a couple of weeks ago about new prices and they said they'd have more information. That was somewhat of a sign to me. I bought my phone about 3 weeks ago. The data throttling doesn't mean much to me though.

One question I have is will I be able to purchase $25 refill cards at Target or Calling Mart?
 
soundping said:
July 13, 2011 Press Release.
Sprint Newsroom | Virgin Mobile New Beyond Talk Plans Offer Unlimited Data Plan With No Contract
Click to expand...

fine by me if it keeps the average users speed up and prevents the network from crashing due to all the new triumph and opv users. although i only consume about 1-1.5gb a month over 3g. imo the cheapskates using their opv for home internet had this coming, hopefully the throttle increases network reliability. also i prefer throttling over overages and cutoffs. in aurora il i average 650-750kbps down and 250-350kbps up so im happy right now especially at $25/mo unlimited 3g.

edit: your thread is titled "Sprint/Virgin Mobile Is Throttling It's Users Now" but your source indicates throttling begins in october, 3 months from now.
 
the $10 increase in price is undoubtebly because of enormous data usage incurred in the plan.

On a Sprint plan (contract phone)... you'll pay a "premium data charge" of $10.00 (basically to retain ""unlimited"".)

So, its no surprise that sprint is going up $10 on prepaids.....

If the data hogs continue, there will be throttling just like with the broadband2go devices....
*************I stand corrected**********, Its happening as well. Knew it was a matter of time.

*QUOTED*

July 13, 2011 8:00 AM PDT
Virgin Mobile bids farewell to unlimited data too

by Roger Cheng
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Virgin Mobile, the prepaid arm of Sprint Nextel, said today that it is moving away from a fully unlimited data plan and will begin to slow the connection speed of its more excessive bandwidth-hogging customers in October.

Optimus2.JPG
This fall, exceed 2.5 gigabytes of data in a month and Virgin Mobile will throttle your connection speed.
(Credit: Virgin Mobile)

Virgin said that customers who exceed 2.5 gigabytes of data in a month will see reduced speeds, a practice known as throttling. The company said less than 3 percent of its customer base go over that mark. The policy will affect all customers.
Virgin is the latest carrier to acknowledge the pressures that heavy data usage by its customers have placed on it. Last week, Verizon Wireless switched to a tiered data plan, following AT&T's move last year. T-Mobile also throttles its customers' connection speeds.
As further evidence of the pressures Virgin faces, the company also unveiled new plans starting July 20 that raise the price of its cheapest options. Its 300-minute plan, which includes unlimited messaging and data, costs $35, $10 more than before. Its 1,200-minute plan goes from $40 to $45.
The company did cut its $60 unlimited calling plan down to $55, likely an acknowledgement of the competitive threat presented by MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. The company also said it would waive the $10 add-on fee for BlackBerry smartphones.






Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20...farewell-to-unlimited-data-too/#ixzz1S1z0MygO​
 
I couldn't see myself exceeding 2.5 GB on my smartphone. At home I typically will use 18-20 GB/month. I am too light on bandwidth.:)
 
Hotspot or a lot of video streaming, then the limit could be a problem.

It's pretty simple, Sprint just doesn't want to spent money updating their network.
 
soundping said:
Hotspot or a lot of video streaming, then the limit could be a problem.
Click to expand...

for some users, your source says less than 3%. i stream youtube, slacker, slingbox and use hotspot for maybe 2-3hrs a week and still i use only 1-1.5gb. again hopefully slowing down that 3% of exploitative 3g users will mean more stability and speed for the rest of us.
 
according to 3G watchdog i used 303.23MB last month

even if i step up my usage i don't see myself being throttled
 
squallz506 said:
for some users, your source says less than 3%. i stream youtube, slacker, slingbox and use hotspot for maybe 2-3hrs a week and still i use only 1-1.5gb. again hopefully slowing down that 3% of exploitative 3g users will mean more stability and speed for the rest of us.
Click to expand...

Yes I hope the guy who was bragging he was hotspotting 19 gigs a month is happy. He and his fellow exploiters caused this to happen.
 
i am looking to switch to VM and purchase the motorola triumph when it comes out. i'm looking to switch over before the 20th if i want to stay with the 25 dollar rates, but the phone comes out on the 19th. i know that i would have to receive the phone before i activate a plan but it'll be pretty much impossible to do so due to shipping and stuff. what should i do? i tried browsing around the site looking for cheaper phones but the site isn't even working.
 
I dislike hearing it is throttled, I knew it was coming. But, this month I have used only 99.29mb (my month is half over). Life time I've used 287mb (since late March/Early April).
 
jting0193 said:
i am looking to switch to VM and purchase the motorola triumph when it comes out. i'm looking to switch over before the 20th if i want to stay with the 25 dollar rates, but the phone comes out on the 19th. i know that i would have to receive the phone before i activate a plan but it'll be pretty much impossible to do so due to shipping and stuff. what should i do? i tried browsing around the site looking for cheaper phones but the site isn't even working.
Click to expand...

hi,
buy the phone on the 19th at bestbuy or radioshack and activate on the 19th. you will be in at current pricing. unless I am missing something like stores won't have the triumph on shelves on the 19th. good luck
 
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