Chiyo
Save Me Konata-Chan
Premium
join:2003-02-20
Minneapolis, MN
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| Virgin Mobile for the idiots
Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid or have such a bad credit score or has had their checking account taken away from them that this is their only option.
--
That was the wild boar.... Moo!
My podcast: The Banzai Beat »www.banzaibeat.com |
|
funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Skype
| said by Chiyo  :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid or have such a bad credit score or has had their checking account taken away from them that this is their only option. Maybe these customers, by their financial mis-management, deserve fewer and more-expensive choices in their lives. But when it comes to a public resource, such as the frequency spectrum, is there a limit to what can reasonably be charged for access?
That said, Virgin Mobile's "screwed" pre-pay plan for 250 MB costs half of what Verizon Wireless charges monthly (non-prepaid) for 250 MB. That's an embarrassing tier at an embarrassing price, and I'm glad to see some market recognition of that fact!
What is most intriguing is that Virgin is selling access to the net in byte-sized increments rather than by time. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL |
|
tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
Premium
join:2008-01-16
Chandler, AZ
·Cox HSI
·Callcentric
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid i think that you will find a lot of people on these forums using pre-paid phones, although possibly not from virgin. a lot of people prefer the convenience of pre-paid such that you have a phone and you control what time you put on there. you are never surprised at the end of the month and if money is a little tight, you can let the phone go without adding time to it. if i didn't *need* the features a post-pay contract offers, i'd be prepay in a heartbeat.
q.
--
"...if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself..." |
|
kaila
join:2000-10-11
Lincolnshire, IL
clubs: 
| reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over...... As a parent, I've found VM to be very useful. They have a decent selection of 'burner' phones so loss or breakage isn't that big of a deal. And I'd rather not have a family talk plan with an army of phones all under a contract.
--
Jeff Howe
Jeff's Blog - »www.jeffhowe.net/Jeffhowe.net/Blog/Blog.html |
|
nightshade74
Yet another genxer
Premium
join:2004-11-06
Prattville, AL
·Knology
| reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid or have such a bad credit score or has had their checking account taken away from them that this is their only option. I'm sure some poor souls are on prepaid because they have
to be. However it isnt everyone.
Light users come out better on prepaid. $20 gets you 200 minutes on
Virgin... Where are you going to get a post paid plan for $20?
When my brother shows up from Italy I can hand him my
old Verizon phone and activate it on Page Plus. For $2.49
/ Day he can talk as long as he wants. »www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/U···ice.aspx
No contract -- just the $5 to activate it. |
|
grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Chiyo
I don't think my mom is an idiot. I bought her a virgin mobile phone. She only uses it very little. I load minutes on her phone for emergency's. You guys kill me with this Internet slick talk, but if you saw someone with a VM phone on the street you would be chicken to call them an idiot. |
|
funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| reply to tubbynet
said by tubbynet :if i didn't *need* the features a post-pay contract offers, i'd be prepay in a heartbeat. You are aware of how expensive it is, right? It isn't just a question of business model...
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL |
|
tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
Premium
join:2008-01-16
Chandler, AZ
·Cox HSI
·Callcentric
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·FrontierNet Intern..
| said by funchords :said by tubbynet :if i didn't *need* the features a post-pay contract offers, i'd be prepay in a heartbeat. You are aware of how expensive it is, right? It isn't just a question of business model... i understand that, but i *really* don't like talking on the phone. ideally, i'd have a google voice number for voicemail (or some similar service) and then i'd only call people that i felt deserved a call.
~90% of my communication is done from my computer (email, skype, google chat, etc.). even though the costs of a pre-pay "plan" are higher than those of post-pay, i would end up spending less (as i already spend ~$56/month for 450 mins with unliminted "in" text/pix/vid from verizon).
q.
--
"...if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself..." |
|
hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | reply to nightshade74
You pay $5 to activate it?
That must be their catch on living outside of Ohio. If you sign up in Ohio you don't pay that fee. We'll not suppose to at least. |
|
hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | reply to funchords
And you could do better? |
|
aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FIOS
3 edits | reply to Chiyo
said by funchords :said by Chiyo :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid or have such a bad credit score or has had their checking account taken away from them that this is their only option. Maybe these customers, by their financial mis-management, deserve fewer and more-expensive choices in their lives. But when it comes to a public resource, such as the frequency spectrum, is there a limit to what can reasonably be charged for access? That said, Virgin Mobile's "screwed" pre-pay plan for 250 MB costs half of what Verizon Wireless charges monthly (non-prepaid) for 250 MB. That's an embarrassing tier at an embarrassing price, and I'm glad to see some market recognition of that fact! What is most intriguing is that Virgin is selling access to the net in byte-sized increments rather than by time. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Several people in my girlfrineds family only use Virgin mobil phones. They all own more than one house(all 400K to 800K in value)(with at least one 100% paid off), make in the six figures and also have no debt or credit problems.
They just don't use cell phones very much. (They are all between 55 and 70) Virgin mobil gives them the ability to make calls when they want at a low price without having to be on a monthly plan which would go to waste since they don't make many cell phone calls. |
|
dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to Chiyo
said by Chiyo :Anyone who uses Virgin Mobile is already screwing themselves over by doing pre paid or have such a bad credit score or has had their checking account taken away from them that this is their only option. Don't see the need for paying ~$40 per month for a service that I may not use over the course of a couple months.
Also, no need for a contract with an ETF.
Using VM, all I have to pay to keep the phone active is $20 every three months.
If you have needs beyond this - go for it!
Do the math:
$20 every three months...
$40 every month...
Who is getting screwed?
Pre-Paid data for a laptop - in a pinch it would be nice, but seeing as there are usually faster, FREE, WiFi places pretty much anywhere I go in The Bay Area... I will have to pass on this.
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera |
|
aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
1 edit | reply to Chiyo
What speeds does the virgin mobil modem have?
I might pick up one so I can have access in places where there is not a wifi spot.
I just wish the days of use were triple what they are planning to offer. |
|
RDenis
@rr.com
 from:
dadkins
| reply to Chiyo
Dumb comment. MY wife who does most of her conversations on her work phone,keeps a Virgin Mobile phone for emergencies. Costs her $7.00 a month. Great bargain. |
|
funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| reply to hottboiinnc
said by hottboiinnc :And you could do better? flame-bait ignored.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL |
|
Swingerhead
Premium
join:2004-04-06
Richmond, VA
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to aaronwt
I agree. You dont end up having money by blowing it on things you dont need. I have plenty of disposable income but use Virgin because 90% of my day im within reach of a land line and broadband. 10 minute drive to work. The 25 cents a minute doesnt bother me at all and is well worth it when I have to call the wife from the grocery store because I cant remeber i she wanted salted or unsalted butter. |
|
tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
Premium
join:2008-01-16
Chandler, AZ
·Cox HSI
·Callcentric
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·FrontierNet Intern..
| reply to aaronwt
said by aaronwt :What speeds does the virgin mobil modem have? since it is piggy-backing off the sprint network, i would assume it would be evdo rev.a. i average between 500-800kbps down and 250-400kbps up in the phoenix-metro area on my company provided s720. i would assume that the speeds would be comparable over vi-mo.
q.
--
"...if I in my north room dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself..." |
|
HotRodFoto
Premium
join:2003-04-19
Denver, CO
| reply to funchords
said by funchords :said by tubbynet :if i didn't *need* the features a post-pay contract offers, i'd be prepay in a heartbeat. You are aware of how expensive it is, right? It isn't just a question of business model... Depends which provider, $50 a month unlimited here with Cricket or Boost, beats just about anyone else in town pretty much! Andddddd I don't have to give out my damn SSN# to anyone either! Gorgeous! 
--
Capturing the images of Colorado
»jdebordphoto.com |
|
sivran
Long Live The Suite
Premium
join:2003-09-15
Arlington, TX
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | reply to tubbynet
Exactly. Pre-paid works out to be quite a bit cheaper for people who don't use their phone much. $100 gets you 1000 minutes that don't expire for a full year on T-Mo. Toss in a $20 phone, and you've got, essentially, cell phone service for 10/mo, albeit all paid up front.
I don't think there are any post-paid plans at 10/mo.
--
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon profitable cause... |
|
kieranmullen
Premium
join:2005-12-12
Portland, OR
clubs: | reply to Chiyo
Their prepaid plan is actually one of the better ones. $15 every 3 months and it rolls over never expires.
--
KieranMullen »360oregon.com
|
|
