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I recently purchased a Slider Sonic from Virgin Mobile. The following is the email correspondence. This would be laughable if it wasn't so common.
Original mail sent by me to VM:
I recently purchased the Kyocera Slider Sonic for my son's b-day (today). Nowhere on your site does it state that the usb cable or the memory card are not included. In fact it states just the opposite in the user's manual and the help that are posted on your site. I must say that this is misleading and aggravating at best. Possibly fraudulent.
The cable is difficult to obtain elsewhere and both the cable and card should be supplied or the purchase price of each should be credited to my account since it was stated to be included with the phone.
Thank you,
Christine G
Response that I received:
>>> "[protected]@virginmobileusa.com" Wednesday, October 17, 2007 1:04 PM >>>
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your email -- and for giving us the opportunity to answer your question. We're here to help.
To answer your question: the features of the Slider Sonic have changed; the Transflash expandable memory and USB Cable are no longer included. Sorry for that!
You can place an order for the memory card from one of our retail outlets located near by to your place or you can also buy it online from any third party website which is selling the Slider Sonic compatible
memory card.
Hope this email was helpful. If you have any other questions or would like more info, please feel free to call us at [protected] (or *VM on your Virgin Mobile phone). We'll be delighted to assist you.
Aidan
Virgin Mobile At Your Service
Email 2 from me:
Your response is not acceptable. I have already received a flippant, could not care less, what do you want me to do about it, response from the girl that I spoke with yesterday when I finally got through the phone menu to a live person. I realize (now) that the features of the Slider Sonic have changed and that the Transflash expandable memory and USB Cable are no longer included. My point being that you do not disclose this anywhere on your site or at the time of purchase and that I would not have bought the phone had I known this.
This was purchased as a gift. I ran around Monday evening looking for some place to purchase either the card and/or cable. No one (Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc) carries these items nor could they direct me to someplace that did. I had to give the child a gift, which he was unable to use most of the features on. He was most disappointed and I was extremely aggravated.
If you are going to direct an unhappy customer to a third party vendor or other location you had best be specific about where and sure that the item is available for purchase. I also did a Google search and was unable to find any place that offered the items. There were several sites that had Sandisk cards but did not specifically state that they were for use in the phone. Nowhere could I find the cable for sale. Kyocera does not even offer them for sale at their online store.
I have always recommended Virgin Mobile upon hearing that someone was looking for a new provider but you have dropped the ball on this one. I hope that you can provide a more satisfactory reply to this mail.
Christine
Dumb response # 2:
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your email -- and for giving us the opportunity to answer your question. We're here to help.
My apologies for any inconvenience this has caused and if this was not fully explained to you. Your feedback is very valuable to us and we welcome it. Our service is built around the likes and needs of our customers; we're always looking for ways to give you more of what you want. We are quite flexible and are constantly looking for ways to improve, so we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.
We will be happy to pass along your feedback to the concerned department.
Further, the Transflash memory card for Slider Sonic is readily available at almost all the stores who sells our products. You can check with Best Buy, Target, WallMart etc.
Alternatively, you can contact the phone manufacturer too any information on this.
If you have any other questions or would like more info, please feel free to call us at [protected] (or *vm on your virgin mobile phone). We'll be delighted to assist you.
Laura
Virgin Mobile At Your Service
My last attempt to get an intelligent response:
Obviously no one is taking the time to actually read what I have written or you're just trying to frustrate me into giving up.
The Transflash Memory Card is NOT readily available at almost all the stores that sell your products. If it were I would have purchased one. As I have already stated, I have already been to Walmart, Best Buy, Etc. They have stated that they do not carry these products.
I have also checked the Kyocera on-line store.
You have actually done nothing to resolve my problem.
Apologies for my inconvenience are not sufficient.
So that there is no further confusion let me spell out for you what the options are at this point.
Please respond with one of the following:
1. You will provide to me both the card and the cable at no additional charge.
Or
2. You will credit the account with the purchase price of these items.
Or
3. You will provide instructions on how to return the phone for a full credit of the purchase price.
If you are not authorized to make this decision please have a supervisor or manager contact me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, Monday - Friday, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Thank you,
Christine
Dumb response #3:
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your email... and for giving us the opportunity to answer your question. We're here to help.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused.
The new Slidersonic does not come with a USB cable or a Sandisk memory card.
The USB cable and Sandisk memory card can be purchased from a retail store, and you can enquire with them about the pricing for the card. Please inform them that you would like to use the card with a Slidersonic phone for Virgin Mobile USA.
For more information on our phone models and accessories, please access the below mentioned link on our website. You can also browse through the Help section on our website for more information on frequently asked question.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/phones/catalog.do;
You can check the availability of a retailer in a particular area on our website; by entering the address, or at least a Zip Code or City/State, at the following link on our website. Please check out with the store to ensure that they have the products you are looking for.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/utility/prepareFindStores.do
If you feel your situation is not resolved, please give us a call at the below mentioned number, so we can work to clear this up for you.
If you have any other questions or would like more info, please feel free to call us at [protected] (or *VM on your Virgin Mobile phone). We'll be delighted to assist you. Hey, they don't call us Virgin Mobile At Your Service for nothing.
Jeff
Virgin Mobile At Your Service
At this point I again braved their stupid Phone IVR where the Menu voice sounds like it's laughing at you trying to get a live person on the line. Once I did get a live person on the line, she (Adrienne) put me on terminal hold only to come back on the line stating that the USB cable was available for purchase on the web site as an accessory. This was said in a tone meant to make me feel stupid. Needless to say the cable was not not on the site when I originally purchased the phone. They still have not told me exactly which card is needed. I intend to maintain the service with Virgin Mobile only long enough for my son to enjoy the novelty of having his own phone then both of our accounts will be cancelled. I'll be posting this complaint anywhere that it's relevant.
They activated my monthly plan for august via my debit card without my consent.
Virgin
Mobile is the absolute WORST Company on the planet! I purchased a
$400 phone activated it and paid $55.00 a month for all inclusive! For
which they can not provide! For NO service! NO Internet, NO Web! Then
they eliminated getting emails! When I have called they say well didn't
you check your area for coverage! Yes I did! But on your map it doesn't
give non-existent! Crappy Service on you coverage map! And that is what I
have gotten! The customer Service is even worse! Rude! Employees that
can't help you! And don't have a clue! It has been the most singly waste
of time and money I have ever encountered! I will be canceling my
service with them! DO NOT USE THEM~! They are stealing money for all
inclusive service which they do not provide! And customer service is no
help! They are criminally bad!
I have complete sympathy for your situation. I am currently trying to get resolution with an issue with Virgin. I would love to file a class action law suit just to drive the point of "good customer service is a thing of the past" home to Virgin. The true goal of this is to make this very valid point. The frustration is immeasurable! Unless people, in some way, start taking a stand, then businesses will continue in this manner. I know that I would love nothing more than a televised apology on live T.V. Please feel free to email me at finkcolarikrhondarenee@gmail.com. All comments are welcome. My best to you all.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Fink-Colarik
OMG they told me the same stupid thing when i needed them to send me a new charger for my optimus v phone i purchased from them. first they informed me that my phone was no longer under warranty so i had to pay for the charger. then they told me that they no longer had the charger in stock. but what really set me off is when the dumb supervisor MARY# 11339 told me that if i was still under the 1 year warranty they will send a "trouble ticket" to IT and i would receive the charger with in 5-10 business days. but since my warranty is only a good 2-3 months over due they could do absolutely nothing for me. and don't let me forget to mention i have been a customer with them since the very first phone the "party animal" 10+ years ago. they don't care if you have been a customer yesterday or 20 years they will continue to say "we are sorry and we are here for you" then say "we are sorry but we cant help you but you can buy more of our crap". this issue with these idiots happened just 2 hours ago. they are far from VIRGINS when it comes to SCREWING people over. WORST SERVICE EVER
I have called virgin mobile for the last 3 days due to the phone I have (lg rumor touch) having tons of issues. I was on the phone with virgin for 2 hours at the least. Transferred to 12 people i am NOT happy with the customer service reps I spoke with. half of them had attitudes ( a lady named Brian told me I didn’t have a good enough reason to speak with her supervisor) my issues should be noted all through my account and I also asked for my calls to be recorded. For all the hassle I was going through. my issues just in case it was not getting noted as I was told it was here they are: every call is dropped, internet freezes up (I got locked out of my face book and email due to this), I am constantly turning my phone off and on all day to try and do something to help it, I get proxy errors, internet errors, etc etc etc. this phone is obviously a bad model. One of the many calls I made I was told that I was not in the area for good coverage, but u know what my mother lives right next door and has an lg optimus with virgin and it works just fine. One of the 12 people I talked to reset my internet and I waited for about 5 minutes before trying it I set it next to the lg optimus and my mother’s phone turned right on as my lg rumor froze. I was told by a guy name Jim told me after all the hassle with the others that I could get a upgrade and transferred me to a guy named Daniel that said no you can’t. all he could do was replace the phone a have(mind u this is my second lg rumor touch that I have had replaced) I told him I DO NOT want the same model I want one I know will work out here and its the same one my mother has which is the lg optimus. And he said he had a refurbished lg rumor touch that was 30 days old and to let u know the first one I bought for over 100.00 was brand new off the shelf and still messed up! I was trying to compromise with him that I would take a refurbished lg optimus. All he did was kept repeating himself. No satisfaction at all I have been a customer since Feb. 2011 and have been paying for the services that I AM NOT getting. I also have a issue with the fact that u are not doing the social networking anymore due to the fact that its listed as one of the perks of having the phone. I am so disappointed with the way I was talked to and dealt with I am making a complaint with the BBB.
My son gave me his Virgin Mobile USA Blackberry Curve when he upgraded to another phone. I activated it with a new Virgin Mobile USA number on a prepaid monthly plan and checked it at the store where it was activated, it worked there with a brief call to see if it worked. Once I left the store and tried using it, I always got a no service on it. I called Virgin Mobile USA and told them that I could not receive service on the phone from my home location that same day. A customer support person had me go through a lot of different functions to check it to see if something was wrong. After that he told me that I could not receive service from my home area and transferred me to another customer service representative to see about getting a refund. The representative there was the rudest person I had ever dealt with. I took the phone and the bill back to the store and contacted them. They called Virgin Mobile USA and Virgin Mobile USA told them to have me send my ticket in to an address they gave with a brief description and they would send me my refund within two weeks. I sent it in with the brief description and never received any replies or my refund. Virgin Mobile USA is the worst cell phone business there is in my opinion and I would suggest that anyone reading this complaint never do business with them. Their customer representatives are rude and and not helpful at all. Once they get your money you'll never get it back
ya"ll suck why give a promo code if it does"nt work? just topped up on your web site but you did
'nt give me bonus airtime. bogus !
This letter is not intended to be seen as rude or harsh but quite frankly I am very dissapointed with the Virgin Mobile phone company and its Live Advisors. I have had nothing but complications and trouble with my cell phone, therefore, constantly making phone calls trying to get help and fix the problems that occur. I try to remain cool, calm, and colected over the phone, knowing that the Live Advisors are only trying to do their job but its not always that easy when they "put me on hold" and then hang up. I have now been on hold, for more than 15 minutes, waiting for a "supervisor" to pick up my transfered phone call. This is not the first time where this has happened. I have called in multiple times for a variety of reasons including, broken/sticky buttons, not being able to make or receive phone calls along with it using minutes during that time, and most recently today; none of the buttons on my phone work other than the red end button (not being able to: look at text messages, make or receive phone calls, look at contacts, nothing; other than being able to turn my phone off.) – I did take out the battery for a whole day, and it failed to make a difference in performance. Disappointed not just by my cell phone/s performance, the Live Advisors seem rude, uncooperative, and not completely helpful. Mind you, this is not ALL of the Advisors, just some. But what frustrated me most was when a Manager/Supervisor was not at all accommodating to my needs. They went out of their way to NOT answer my phone call. I called to get another phone sent to me because as of now, with the buttons on my current phone not working I have no phone to keep connected with. I drive an hour to school and I recently lost my job. I do not have the money to get a new phone and barley drive to school. I am very setback by the bad-mannered Virgin Mobile employees and hope something is done about this shortly. Thank you for your time. mw
VM is probably the worst service. Their monthly unlimited for $50.00 is fine and connections / receptions are really good. But, every month I go through the same crap of taking a whole week with several tries to be able to log on to their web site ( Account Log On ) which always seems to be out of order. My log on phone # and password never changes, so why is it that using the same log on info doesn't work nine out of ten times? What a piece of crap web site...these people should not be allowed to do business in the US. Their mediocre mentality and sub standard business practices are traditions of third world countries.
these charges started on the 2nd and i did not access vxl until the 25th
the point is I never accessed vxl until 7/25 but these charges started before the 25th on the 2nd of july.
I agree. Virgin Mobile customer service has really pissed me off lately. I ordered a brand new phone, the Shuttle, about 3 weeks ago. The charger that came with it was defective. I called the company because my new phone was dead and i was unable to use it. The phone came with a warranty saying i could get a free replacement charger. So i called to order one, they said it would take 3 to 4 business days to come in and i said "That's fine." After waiting one week, i haden't gotten it yet and called back only to hear that someone had cancelled my order. I WAS PISSED OFF! So i ordered another one to be sent to me without cancellation. I gave them my address and they sent it out with the same ole' 3-4 business day thing. I waited yet another week only to find out that it had been sent to Arkansas where i lived 4 years ago. I called back and gave them the correct address here in Washington, DC. They sent out another charger to me but it went to Arkansas AGAIN! I was so pissed at how these people don't understand me when i say "WASHINGTON D.C. and NOT ARKANSAS!" They sent another one the following day on an overnight, and i finally got the charger. The only problem is that this new charger that i got WENT TO A DIFFERENT PHONE! I was never this upset before so i called back and wanted to know what was going on and they said they have to submit paperwork to the distribution company. They said it takes 48-72 hours for them to contact them back. SO NOW im forced to wait another half a week. It's been 3 weeks now and i have been without a properly working phone. I don't know what else to do now besides change phone companies because this is seriously the most ridiculous service i've ever experienced.
i am having trouble with my data plan i put a $20 card on my phone and used $ 10 for the 20 mb data plan and wanted $10 for minutes well i ended up being charged $1.50 per mb and it used up all the money so far 3 or 4 investagations have been done its getting fustrating to get any where with this simple proublem the customer car rep keeps telling me to wait but its been to long i am realy fustrated with your service
I have had the same experience. I specifically stated that I would call each time to activate my service, just in case there was a month that I did not need, or would rather not afford, the service. Lo and behold, one month I found that my service had been 'renewed', and my card charged ... Of course, I didn't really bother with raising 'cane', seeing that we are all busy. I chalked it up to the challenges of technology, and running an organization such as VM. But, that raises a question: when I, or anyone finally cuts service, and moves on, will our credit card be 'accidentally' charged, once, or periodically, by VM, using the same strategy, or mistake?
If you have issues with any telecom carrier's service or billing you should consult with your state's Public Utilities Commission or other governing body that regulates telecom companies and also your state's Attorney General.
I do not know what to do...
I am OVERBILLED as much as 10 cents per SECOND for local calls and they ignore my complaint...they even hung up on me 3 times ...BASTA!
I AM SO INSULTED ...I might youtube all that info and believe me, i can have traffic on it...
The other way they overbill me is by increasing the use time for EACH CALL...easy to prove if you look at other people's phone bill!
Please, let me know what i can do without too much energy involved because it shouldn't be my problem nor time at the end...thank you.mx
My grandson whom is 11 year's old took his birthday money and bought his own first cell phone, avirgin cell, He spent a total of 50.00 for the phone and minutes, which he hasn't got to enjoy for the first time because he can't get any reception. His family just moved here from another state, so either parent is working yet. So the little guy is just out because they can't afford to get him anythind different.
When my cell phone was stolen, I called Virgin Mobile to report it. After many minutes which seemed like forever, with "Simone"..the voice from hell...I was finally able to talk to a live advisor. She dealt capably with arranging for a new phone to be sent to me. When it arrived, it was completely different from my old phone, and there was no booklet to show me how to program the new phone. After many futile calls again, I finally reached a live advisor who said "just log on to Virginmobile.com and find the "picture"...whatever that means...and then I could download all the instructions. I've tried everything, but nothing works. The live advisor I spoke with said they didn't have any instruction books to send me. How cheap can a company get?
I'am not getting help with my problem
i make phone calls they tell me i sound like i'am in a tunnel no help
Just so you know who you are trusting when prepaying Virgin Mobile:
They are fraud artists..as it is said:
You may fool some of the people some of the time, but NEVER all of the people all of the time, check out:
and then you should no longer be surprised if they rip you off with their billing practices and vanishing air time by spamming your text mail.
http://www.primenewswire.com/ca/news.html?d=132136
Schatz Nobel Izard P.C. Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Virgin Mobile USA, Inc.
HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 28, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Schatz Nobel Izard P.C., which has significant experience representing investors in prosecuting claims of securities fraud, announces that a lawsuit seeking class action status has been filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on behalf of all persons who purchased the common stock of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. ("Virgin Mobile USA" or the "Company") (NYSE:VM) in connection with the Company's initial public offering which took place on or about October 12, 2007 (the "IPO" or the "Offering"). Also included are those who purchased shares thereafter in the open market.
The Complaint charges that Virgin Mobile USA and certain of its officers, directors and underwriters violated federal securities laws. Specifically, on or about October 10, 2007, Virgin Mobile filed a Form S-1/A Registration Statement (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") for the IPO. On or about October 11, 2007, the Prospectus (the "Prospectus") with respect to the IPO, which forms part of the Registration Statement, became effective and, including the exercise of the over-allotment, more than 27.5 million shares of Virgin Mobile's common stock were sold to the public for $15 per share, thereby raising more than $412 million. The complaint alleges that the Registration Statement and the Prospectus contained inaccurate statements of material fact because they failed to disclose that the Company would report a widening loss for the third quarter of 2007 and that subscriber growth trends were slowing dramatically.
I was gonna buy the sonic slider from the virgin mobile website until i noticed in the "What you get" category it only lists charger and battery. So i did a page search to find where USB is, and it shows up next to a red "NOTE" (well, considering a lot of the heading stuff is in red i almost didn't notice it) "USB Cable and Sandisk TransFlash removable memory card are not included in this kit. These item can be purchased separately" Yeah... $20 for for microSD and another $20 for usb cable. So overall you'll run about $120, not to mention the "required" $20 Top Up card, which puts you at $140. I was lucky enough to buy the phone from a small retailer locally who dabbles in computer stuff too, and was able to offer me a deal of $100 for everything.