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VM Rate hike, what will you do?

When VM raises their rate from $25 to $35, what will you do?

  • Happy to pay the new "low cost" of $35.

    Votes: 15 40.5%

  • Drop VM for another carrier.

    Votes: 12 32.4%

  • Go back to a cheap pay as you go phone and buy a WiFi tablet.

    Votes: 5 13.5%

  • I use a higher plan and will stick with it.

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .
tcat007

tcat007

Android Expert
If/WHEN Virgin Mobile raises their @5/mo to $35/mo later this month what will you do? I plan on buying a tablet.
 
Agreed. A link to a reliable source would be nice, otherwise it's just an unfounded rumor. Their FB wall is full of all sorts of that silliness.
 
Here is a link
http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011/07/virgin-mobile-price-increase-coming-no.html

It looks pretty legitimate actually. So with the new plans, it seems that everything is raised by $10, except the totally unlimited plan (dropped by $5). Thing is, there is no additional fee for using a BB (as there is now). The main people who benefit are the BB users .. not fair!



I am very disappointed. There is no point for me to use Virgin Mobile if they increase the prices.
I actually was contemplating switching from my iPhone (AT&T) to VM, but my iPhone is only $40 and I get more minutes (both because I'm on a family plan) With taxes, VM is roughly the same :( .
Found something else
http://www.hyperlinkusa.com/admin/ClientDocuments/TheTimes_Indirect_English_July 2011.pdf

Looks like this really is true! It's in VMs monthly catalogue :(
 
Hi,
I emailed VM back in May about possible price increases and they made it sound like that current customers would be grandfathered in and stay at the current Beyond Talk plan pricing. Maybe not, I am not sure, but that is what they told me in their email response. I guess we will see.
 
I am on the 40 dollar plan, actual pay 39.60 a month 5 dollars extra will not break me in my opinion the 25 dollar no contract unlimited text and data was doomed from the start,add a unlocked Android phone to the mix and you get exploits to the Data abusers to take full advantage of,i am pleased with the service enough to keep it,and i know the limitations of what this service can do and the Android Phones,it is a mobile device it will not or ever will replace a Desktop or Laptop,i cannot believe anyone crying over this price and even the prices of the phones would go out and buy a android tablet,when for the same price you could buy a much more powerful laptop, is over my head.
 
Verizon just nixed their "all you can eat" bandwidth plan leaving just Sprint as the big carrier with an "all you can eat" bandwidth plan. It certainly is a competitive advantage at this point for Sprint (VM), but one has to wonder how long they'll run with it before greed takes over. At $35 I will see what other options I have, if any.
 
greg4android said:
I think that was an "IF/WHEN" scenerio . . . It was just a poll.
Nothing was stated that it WAS going up.
Everyone's getting their feathers ruffled already . . . chill.
Click to expand...

Sorry, it is a fact, not a scenario. The PDF link is straight from Virgin.
They are raising the lowest plan by 40%. :eek:

The only remaining question is if those of us on the $25 plan will be allowed to continue or if we will have to take that 40% shafting... :(

Nice while it lasted, but I always knew it was a bait-and-switch.
 
but even when the plans go up; here are some things to consider:

the unlimited went down, and probably is still better than boost because of the triumph..

plus there is no more $10 fee for blackberry's,

the paylow plan got better: $30 for 1500 mins & 1500 texts, plus 30MB of data,

and most of the paylo phones you can now use on the beyond talk plan...

i think VM is trying their best to compete with cricket, boost, and t-mobile prepaid (with their new $50 unlimited plans..) we may not like it but plans dont stay around forever... and just think with raises like these we can expect better customer service =]
 
i think the only thing i wish they did was add more minutes to the $35 and $45 plans since it went up by $5, wish we could get like 100 more minutes or something like that...

i also highly doubt that people are going to drop VM, its still one of the best prepaid plans out on the market right now
 
insertusername said:
Here is a link
Prepaid Phone News: Virgin Mobile Price Increase Coming - No More $25 Unlimited Text & Data

It looks pretty legitimate actually. So with the new plans, it seems that everything is raised by $10, except the totally unlimited plan (dropped by $5). Thing is, there is no additional fee for using a BB (as there is now). The main people who benefit are the BB users .. not fair!



I am very disappointed. There is no point for me to use Virgin Mobile if they increase the prices.
I actually was contemplating switching from my iPhone (AT&T) to VM, but my iPhone is only $40 and I get more minutes (both because I'm on a family plan) With taxes, VM is roughly the same :( .
Found something else
http://www.hyperlinkusa.com/admin/ClientDocuments/TheTimes_Indirect_English_July 2011.pdf

Looks like this really is true! It's in VMs monthly catalogue :(
Click to expand...

hey i tipped this for you! thanks for sharing this info!! =]
 
Got a response from VM today about price increases. I was basically told that you would be grandfathered in if they ever do raise plan prices. However, for example, if you have the 25.00 month plan and they increase prices you will be fine but if 300 minutes is no longer enough and you need 1200 talk minutes, you will have to pay the new price for the 1200 minute plan. So if you have a monthly autopay plan and prices go up you will be good but if you have to change plans because you need more minutes or what not then you will pay new price. No indication that plan prices are going to change though. Hope this helps.

This was what VM told me back in April. So we shall see
 
@Androidkitty Thanks for the tip! Pretty awesome since I'm new here :) And I agree about VM still being a good deal.

@jp3515 I have a feeling that this is what is probably going to happen. Most carriers only apply the updated prices when you change your rate plan (at least in the postpaid market because if the carrier changes your post paid contract without your consent, you have the right to break the contract with no fees. That's why carriers just let you grandfather into the plan).

Since VM is not postpaid, they don't really have anything to lose but I still can't imagine them doing this. It would cause a lot of bad publicity.

In simple words: Unless you jump plans, you can keep what you currently have.
 
Also,
I did email VM again today about these possible price increases and I am waiting for a response from them, which I will share when I hear something.
 
zrobot said:
Sorry, it is a fact, not a scenario. The PDF link is straight from Virgin.
They are raising the lowest plan by 40%. :eek:

The only remaining question is if those of us on the $25 plan will be allowed to continue or if we will have to take that 40% shafting... :(

Nice while it lasted, but I always knew it was a bait-and-switch.
Click to expand...

They've had the $25 plan for well over a year, so hardly a bait and switch. More like trying to recoup costs from dbags who tether and use the most bandwidth. Even at 35 it's still damn cheap for unlimited data.

No one is shafting you; don't like it, switch. But bitching about an increase is infantile.
 
insertusername said:
@Androidkitty Thanks for the tip! Pretty awesome since I'm new here :) And I agree about VM still being a good deal.

@jp3515 I have a feeling that this is what is probably going to happen. Most carriers only apply the updated prices when you change your rate plan (at least in the postpaid market because if the carrier changes your post paid contract without your consent, you have the right to break the contract with no fees. That's why carriers just let you grandfather into the plan).

Since VM is not postpaid, they don't really have anything to lose but I still can't imagine them doing this. It would cause a lot of bad publicity.

In simple words: Unless you jump plans, you can keep what you currently have.
Click to expand...


u are very welcome! you provided awesome info. you deserve a tip! good job! =]
 
http://www.multiupload.com/P04SIZ0N5AThis reminds me of greedy decisions GM executives made in the past, wring as much money out of their loyal customers as possible, without providing a quality product. Data outages/usage most likely are because of a few percentage of customers who use more than their share, a data cap 1/2 GB throttle limit would solve that problem, while keeping the product quality & price affordable. Instead, VM decides to raise prices without addressing the real problem. Short-term thinking, by some fresh MBAs I'm sure.
 
benslgdroid said:
Contacted virgin help and they say there is no pl plans for an increase that it is all a rumor
Click to expand...

FWIW, I got a response back from VM earlier and they told me as well, that there are no plans for any rate increases to the monthly plans. Monthly plans will remain the same as they are right now. Stay tuned....
 
If this is true, the $25-35 jump is a response to all of those people who don't have much use for the phone, but are loving the unlimited data. They aren't going to increase the minutes on the plan, in order to entice people to Jump to $45 or $55.

I start with the $25, but found given my phone usage, the $40 was more economical. I am debating if I will stick around. My intercept is somewhat crappy, and depending on how much the Triumph costs, I might buy it or look to jump ship.

I like Boost's Shrinkage, and if after six months, I can get the fully unlimited for $45 - for $30 bucks (6mos * $5) it might be worth it.
 
So under what circumstances exactly would one be "grandfathered in"? If I were to start using VMobile today, would I be able to continue on the $25 plan indefinitely?
 
benslgdroid said:
Contacted virgin help and they say there is no pl plans for an increase that it is all a rumor
Click to expand...

jp3515 said:
FWIW, I got a response back from VM earlier and they told me as well, that there are no plans for any rate increases to the monthly plans. Monthly plans will remain the same as they are right now. Stay tuned....
Click to expand...

Er, fellas, did you read the document found by insertusername? It's Sprint's internal "The Times" newletter for July. Look at page 7 under the heading "COMING SOON: Virgin Mobile Voice Offer Refresh". It clearly shows the price changes. So unless it's an exceptionally good fake, price increases (and one decrease) are real and are coming this month.

It's normal for a carrier's customer service people to deny changes that aren't public yet so I'm not surprised they told you it's a rumor.

So the only question not answered yet is if those of us already on a plan will be grandfathered in. That's the question to ask them after you tell them you've seen their internal "Times" newsletter and already know about the changes.
 
This poll needs more options. Will I stick with VM and pay the $35? Probably, at least for now until I have the time and energy to really look into what else is out there, and doing so is pretty darn low on my list of priorities ATM. Am I "happy" to do it? Not particularly.

And seriously, people who have contacted VM- you really think they haven't given all the reps a special training session on staying completely mum about this (i.e. lying)?
 
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