Received email offer from Rachel Barrass that customer service can't activate?

[CG8]

I received an email from Racel Barrass telling me that the min term on my airtime contract had expired and suggesting an alternative VM airtime plan. Since the alternative was the same as my existing plan (unlimited, unlimited, 3GB) but at a cheaper price (£4.95) then of course I want to accept the offer.

After over an hour on the telephone and previous attempts via the VM web site and also their automatic telephone system. I got passed between three staff none of whome could activate the offer from the Rachel Barrass email on my account.

Apparently their IT systems will not allow the offer to be activated on an account! Why then was it offered?

[Ryan_N]

Hi CG8, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to the forums. 

Really sorry to hear of what has happened here. I am not sure why that would be the case and it's something I would like to into for you. I will send you over a private message so that I can confirm some details with you. 

Cheers, 

Ryan. 

[CG8]

The third customer service agent I spoke, like the others, could not activate the offered £4.95 price on my account. However a £2.00 per month discount was possible and that was applied to my account. I accepted this offer. I checked online that the discount had been applied and it was there.

A day or so later I noticed that someone at VM had reduced my discount to £1.00 per month without bothering to contact me and tell me what they were doing and why. Appalling from VM, I am not happy at all. Prices offered in emails should be honoured and discounts applied to accounts should not be reduced unilatery.

[Paulina_Z]

Hi @CG8,

Thank you for coming back to us about your ongoing Mobile query. We do apologise. Unfortunately, we're unable to process package changes and upgrades on this platform. 

Have you been able to contact our team on 789 or on 0345 600 0789 to discuss this further with our Mobile team? If so, what was advised?

Keep us updated so we can assist further.

Thank you.

[jellyroll]

I have just received a similar e-mail to that received by CG8. Dialling 789 took me to an automated service that offered me 5 different packages, none of them remotely similar to the 2 packages offered on the e-mail. I then phoned 150 and spoke to someone who eventually agreed that I could have one of the packages offered in the e-mail (better that I have at the moment & slightly cheaper). After much to-ing & fro-ing and attempts to sell me other stuff, she said her system had an error and she could not complete the transaction. She then transferred me back to the recorded message at 150! What do you have to do to carry out a seemingly straight forward transaction with Virgin Mobile?

[Matthew_ML]

Hey jellyroll, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear about this.

What was the deal that was offered? 

You should also be able to upgrade via this link here.

Please do keep us updated. Thanks 

[jellyroll]

The link you gave me takes me to a list of about 10 alternative deals, none of which is remotely similar to my current deal (but identical or very similar to the deals offered when I phoned 789).

My current deal is 1Gb data, 1500 minutes & unlimited texts for £6.81 per month (= £7.93 - £1.12 discount).

The e-mail offered 5Gb data, unlimited minutes & unlimited texts for £6.00 per month or 2Gb data, unlimited minutes & unlimited texts for £8.00 per month. I would be happy to take the £6 per month offer!

[Matthew_ML]

Thank you for letting us know, we don't usually deal with package changes via the forums.

Is that deal not on the link at all I just sent you anywhere?

Also when was the letter sent, sometimes these deals could expire and no longer be offered.  Thanks 

[enlli]

If you take out any of those deals now, be aware you will still be hit with the 17.3% price rise

[BenMcr]

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@enlli wrote:

If you take out any of those deals now, be aware you will still be hit with the 17.3% price rise

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That's not the case. Any Virgin Mobile plan taken out from 5th January 2023 won't be subject to the Virgin Mobile RPI increase this year.