|
|
|
|
|
Phone fan
A couple years ago my father got a prepaid phone through Virgin Mobile. He would have to reload minutes (or whatever) onto his account every three months or so (he thinks). Sometime within the past 6-8 months, something changed with Virgin Mobile's prepaid plan. My father said he has to reload minutes on it about every month whereas before it was every three months or so.
Does anyone know why this is happening? I tried to look on their website, but it is a real b***h to navigate. If they have info on their prepaid plans, they've got it well hidden. Could someone tell me what the cheapest Virgin Mobile prepaid plans now are? I keep seeing something about PayLo, but it's unclear if that's their new prepaid service.
Phone Collector
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-...aylo-plans.jsp
I don't think VM USA has any pre-paid plans where you actually buy the minutes. I believe they are all monthly plans. Whether that changed in the last 6 months or not, I don't know. Perhaps he used to put 3 months worth of money in his account every three months in the past?
Edit: I stand corrected by all the folks that posted after me. Sorry for the bum advice!
Last edited by aurora40; 05-22-2012 at 08:44 PM.
My screen is bigger than yours
They still have the basic pay-as-you-go plan, but it's somewhat hidden. When choosing a plan, you need to click the "dont see the plan you're looking for? click here" link. It just brings up the last plan, where it's 20 cents per minute, 15cents per text, etc. You can top up some amount, and just top up every 90 days.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
For several years now, Virgin Mobile's "cheapest" plan has been a straight 20˘/minute. To keep service, you are required to keep a positive account balance, and to add $20 every 90 days, regardless of your account balance.
Perhaps your Dad is using more minutes than he used to? If not, did his plan somehow get changed? Can you get onto online account management for him to confirm? (You'll need his phone # and account pin [formerly known as a "Vkey"] to check his account online.)
Why yes, that is a bag phone
The pay as you go "Basic Rate" plan with 90 day expiration is listed on TOS page at virginmobileusa.com/legal/general-terms-and-conditions-paylo#basic_rate. It's also mentioned on the About Us page virginmobileusa.com/about-virgin-mobile It used to come up when you activated a phone or logged in and went to change your plan. I don't have a payLo account or unactivated phone to test it with so I don't know if that's still the case or not.Originally Posted by aurora40
My site: PrepaidPhoneNews.com My other sites: wapreview.com, boostapps.com
Phone Collector
If you do auto topup they only require $15 every 90 days. They usually prompt you to sign up for this if you are adding the topups manually every 90 days.
My screen is bigger than yours
I just activated an old phone for travel purposes. I topped up 10$, and it says my next due date is in 3 months. Good enough for traveling :-). Topping up 15 or 20$ would've been too much.
I've got more phones than fingers
Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29703/27.1741; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)
Yes things did change. The old paygo plans ate no longer offered on Virgin Mobile. The paygo service is now offered on Virgin Mobile's PAYLO service. It works the same as the expired VM paygo service, if you are helping your father in setting up a new PayLo account, you should consider adding $60 when activating your new service. That will attach the1 year Service Preserver for your account, that will not require any additional top up for 12 months, unless you use all your $60 and need additional funds to pay for your service.
if your father still has an active account on Virgin Mobile, call 1.888.322.1122 and request that they tranfer you onto the PayLo Basic service since it will not be possible to resume an expired service option like the old VM paygo service. Before they change your service it may be necessary to purchase a PayLo phone. Customer service can tell you if that will be needed.
Last edited by vmobi; 05-22-2012 at 06:27 PM.
Operating without a contract makes you far more valuable.
My screen is bigger than yours
Basic Rate:
Domestic voice: 20˘/minute; text, email, and IM: 15˘ per message; Picture messages: 25˘/message. Web access: $1.50/MB, web access subscription expires 24 hours after funds are deducted from your account. International Text Messages: 20˘ to send and 10˘ to receive. Account Active Period Information: Account active and cancellation period is based on amount of funds added to your account. Amounts Over $20: If you added $20 or more to your account, the account will remain active for 90 days. Unless sufficient funds are added your account during the 90 Day Active Period, your account will become inactive 24 hours after expiration of the 90 Day Active Period, your service will be interrupted and your account balance will be forfeited. Your account will expire 60 days from when your service is interrupted, and on that day, your account balance will be forfeited and you will lose your phone number. Amounts Between $10-$19.99: If you added $10-$19.99 to your account, your account will remain active for 45 days. Unless sufficient funds are added your account during the 45-Day Active Period, your account will become inactive 24 hours after the expiration of 45 Day Active Period, your service will be interrupted and account balance will be forfeited. Your account will expire 105 days from when your service is interrupted, and on that day, the account balance will be forfeited and you will lose your phone number.
My screen is bigger than yours
I just looked at the Virgin Mobile USA web pages for payLo. It looks like they really don't want you to use the basic (20˘ per minute) plan since it isn't even listed in Plan Details.
Unfortunately, Service Preserver is $90 per year, not $60. If you TopUp $20 quarterly, this is only $10 more per year than topping up quarterly and gives you the convenience of only having to TopUp once a year. However, if your usage is low, i.e., less than 75 minutes a month or 17.5 minutes a week of talk, the auto-TopUp option for $15 every 90 days is a better deal since that is only $60 per 0.985626283368 year (360/365.25 year).
Phone Expert
So which is it....24 hours or 60 days?
My screen is bigger than yours
Your account is suspended (inactive) 24 hrs after 90 day period, but they hold your
number for 60 days, in which you can reinstate your account/number by topping up......
Phone Expert
Thanks but I was referring to the your account balance will be forfeited that I made bold in both quoted statements. One says "your account balance will be forfeited" after 24 hours after your 90-day period, while the other says "your account balance will be forfeited" 60 days after your account is suspended. I want to know when one's account balance would really be forfeited as both the statements I quoted cannot be true.
My screen is bigger than yours
They probably just want to make sure they get all your money; or maybe the lawyers missed the part about after 60 days when they changed the Terms of Service. Before Sprint took over Virgin Mobile USA, your balance was not lost until your account expired 60 days after going inactive. This was a really nice feature of Virgin Mobile USA, but then Sprint decided to make them like everybody else and grab the money as soon as the account becomes inactive.
I've got more phones than fingers
Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29703/27.1741; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)
The basic paygo rate does seem to have been left out of the new PayLo service menu. Maybe Sprint/VM will clarify this when they introduce the new PayLo devices on 05/31.I just looked at the Virgin Mobile USA web pages for payLo. It looks like they really don't want you to use the basic (20˘ per minute) plan since it isn't even listed in Plan Details.
Unfortunately, Service Preserver is $90 per year, not $60. If you TopUp $20 quarterly, this is only $10 more per year than topping up quarterly and gives you the convenience of only having to TopUp once a year. However, if your usage is low, i.e., less than 75 minutes a month or 17.5 minutes a week of talk, the auto-TopUp option for $15 every 90 days is a better deal since that is only $60 per 0.985626283368 year (360/365.25 year).
Maybe VM wants to focus on monthly service options going forward. Most of the local VM/Boost dealers seem excited by the changes that are in store for Virgin Mobile and PayLo.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks