Currently on an extended break from Ciao - quite happy to let my ops stand, but I'll not be adding t...
Currently on an extended break from Ciao - quite happy to let my ops stand, but I'll not be adding to them for a while. Too much going on in the rest of life!
Member since:26.07.2000
Reviews:113
Members who trust:20
I hold Virgin responsible for the mobile phone infiltrating my life to a point where I wouldn't ' be without one now! In an arena where there is so much hype and small print, I found the Virgin service clear, comprehensive, and good value for money.
You buy your phone out right, there's no line rental to pay, and your call charges are calculated in a fairly transparent way - 15p pre minute for the first 5 mins, and then 5p per minute thereafter - and better still this applies to other virgin mobiles as well as to landlines. Calls to other networks are slightly pricey, but no more so than their competitors. The factor I find most useful is that it doesn't matter what time of day you call, only how long you have spent on the phone that day. This payment scale suits my call pattern to a T, as I don't make a lot of calls, but on some days, especially if I'm organizing an event for the evening, 'I'll be making a lot of calls all at once, none of which could wait for an evening time band. I buy my call cards at Safeway, who have had 10% off them for the last 6 months or so, which just makes them even better value, but it is convenient to be able to 'top up' with a credit or debit card on the odd occasion that you can't get to a shop.
Service wise I've had no problems - their free automated and email services have always been of a high standard, and on the odd occasion I have had to pay to speak to an advisor they were quick and helpful- and when it was their fault, they refunded me for the call. It's mildly irritating that they use you calling in to update your credit as an opportunity to advertise to a captive audience, and I was not that pleased to discover they had started charging for 0800 numbers, but all in all the benefits outweigh the negative points.
The key thing that has been important to several people I know is that even if you can afford no call credit, you can still receive incoming calls and texts, and, I believe, make 999 calls. I live in London, so I can't comment on the service's availability in the outer reaches - all I know is that it's been fine on the various trips to the edges of Britain I have made with it.
This is probably not the service for someone who makes a *lot* of calls, but then that' not who pay-as-you-go services are aimed at. If you value straight-forward systems, and a good reliable basic service at a good price, then this is for you.
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Sounds good apart from charging for free phone numbers. Still, I believe they now have a list of free phone numbers belonging to charities - these remain "free" to call. Half a loaf is better than none.
Jul 2nd, 2001
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