Sugar Mama Ending

[E-Jay]

That was two months ago. I use over 9000 texts per month, haven't had a single one show up more than 20 seconds late.

That's why I posted things from last year and recently(2 months ago).
The problem still existed...
Glad urs is working and hope it continues but when I was shopping for prepaid service... This was the kind of feedback I was getting.

I can't really complain though... I pay $35 a month.

[rtillitt]

http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/v...ar-mama-35794/

Note this particular comment by Jayne Wallace from Virgin Mobile USA:

"OK, perhaps “due to technical difficulties beyond our control” wasn’t exactly accurate. I was using a common euphemism to be clever. In fact, the change is due to operational issues we’re experiencing."


Possibly its related to this:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz...402_941925.htm


Then again, possibly not (scroll down)

http://www.fenwick.com/attorneys/4.2.3.asp?aid=298:

[dmarkson]

Boost iDEN text delays are still there. I test it at least a few times a week. Sent a message to Boost last night and it took hours to come in.

If you send tons of text back and forth you might not run into the problem.

However for my tests I receive a message, reply, and repeat the cycle. At some point, usually between the 2nd and 4th cycle I will not get the incoming reply. It comes in hours later (maybe its the power cycle that makes the difference). If another message is received all of a sudden the stuck message comes in too.

[Churner]

Then again, possibly not (scroll down)

http://www.fenwick.com/attorneys/4.2.3.asp?aid=298:

Link no longer points to an article. Got another way to access it?

The Biz Week article was a real eye-opener. That was a dirty trick VN pulled on the guy. Reminded me of the film "Flash of Genius."

[fonezfonz]

VM and dirty business? NO WAY!

This is the kind of behavior that has made Wall Street what it is today.
http://www.intomobile.com/2008/01/21...tatements.html

This is how Virgin Mobile lost 133,000 users last quarter.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/virgin.html

[Ubersanger]

http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/v...ar-mama-35794/

Note this particular comment by Jayne Wallace from Virgin Mobile USA:

"OK, perhaps “due to technical difficulties beyond our control” wasn’t exactly accurate. I was using a common euphemism to be clever. In fact, the change is due to operational issues we’re experiencing."


Possibly its related to this:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz...402_941925.htm


Then again, possibly not (scroll down)

http://www.fenwick.com/attorneys/4.2.3.asp?aid=298:

I just checked out that blog and in the comments, there is this:
> Hopefully some other SMART company will pick up this opportunity

Great idea!

I’m from a company called Embee Mobile.

We have a Facebook application that let’s you earn *free prepaid minutes* for your Virgin Mobile Phone.

Its called the “Embee Mobile Minute Wallet”:

http://apps.facebook.com/mobilewallet

Like Sugar Mama, you can participate in surveys and other offers — and get *completely free prepaid minutes*.

In fact, its not just limited to minutes — you can fund any type of plan, including data, text, ringtones.. even use it to fund your unlimited plans.

We support 20 US-based carriers, including Virgin, and are expanding to other markets soon.

Hope you will be willing to give it a try. Feel free to contact us if you have questions:

support@embeemobile.com

Russell, CEO, Embee Mobile


Does anyone have any experience witht his company?

[Churner]

This is how Virgin Mobile lost 133,000 users last quarter.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/virgin.html

IMO, that's a logical result of VM moving ALL of their customer support functions outside the US.

Some of it could also be subs cutting expenses by cancelling wireless service or people who moved to other providers, like Boost. We've had far too many people announce there intentions to do the latter here in the forum lately.

[fonezfonz]

Maybe , maybe not. 133,000 people , 133,000 individual reasons.
VM may or may not doing things right with customers, but face it, they aren't the best prepaid mvno out there.

Bottomline, the numbers next quarter, will it continue to decline or not?
We'll see.
Imho, I could care less what people think about what I think of VM, I think they suck and that's pretty much it.

IMO, that's a logical result of VM moving ALL of their customer support functions outside the US.

Some of it could also be subs cutting expenses by cancelling wireless service or people who moved to other providers, like Boost. We've had far too many people announce there intentions to do the latter here in the forum lately.

[rtillitt]

> Link no longer points to an article. Got another way to access it?

Sorry about that. From a page about RODGER R. COLE, lawyer @ Fenwick & West..

BrandPort v. Virgin Mobile: Cole led Virgin Mobile to a complete defense judgment in a trade secret case filed in New Jersey state court by BrandPort. BrandPort unsuccessfully competed in a request for proposal process to become one of Virgin Mobile's vendors. BrandPort filed suit alleging that Virgin Mobile misappropriated 55 of its trade secrets disclosed in the RFP process, and BrandPort applied for a temporary restraining order to shut down the pending rollout of a Virgin Mobile service. After indicating that she was inclined to grant the TRO, Cole was able to convince the judge to deny the TRO application. Shortly thereafter, Cole persuaded the judge to deny BrandPort's motion for preliminary injunction. After taking the key BrandPort depositions, Cole and his team filed a summary judgment motion. After a two-plus hour hearing in June 2008, the Court complimented Cole's "excellent" work and granted Virgin Mobile summary judgment dismissing all 55 of BrandPort's trade secret and related claims. Judgment was entered in favor of Virgin Mobile.

[gestaltent]

Sugar Mama and FMP are gone, but here is a news article that suggests some clues as to what may have led to it. Apparently, VM USA (which just announced that Sprint is going to acquire it completely) is suing the company which ran the SM program.

http://moconews.net/article/419-virg...sugar-mama-pr/

They say, they will release more news about it tomorrow into the specifics for the reasons behind the lawsuit.

Could be closing SM may not have been completely in VM's control.

[Jill-o]

Very interesting, gestaltent...thanks for posting that. I'd be interested in reading tomorrow's article...

The program was so successful with users, I can't imagine that they wouldn't come up with something comparable to take its place in the future...with fingers crossed...

[gestaltent]

Those guys took long enough. Apparently, the news that Sprint taking over VM was a bigger piece of news then SM getting killed
The sequel to the piece Jill-O has been waiting for. And yeah, it involves money and no, it is not VM's real fault. We should send our hate mail to a totally different company.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081203238.html

[Jill-o]

Thanks gestaltent, I appreciate the post. Interesting...I recall having had a problem with SM a long while back. I emailed VM who told me to email Ultramercial. THEY were useless. I got a canned reply to a question I never asked. Completely incompetent...

I did notice on the VM site though, it says:

"We hate to suspend a program that so many people were so excited about. That's why we're looking to reinvent Sugar Mama to create an even better way for you to Take Advantage of Virgin Mobile."

This implies that they intend to do some OTHER kind of promotion. With any luck, it'll be not only for voice, but for text, or data as well...

Can't complain, I banked a truck load of minutes since 2006...