Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

I'm at a loss with this one. Bought an upgrade handset for my Virgin payg sim last week from CPW - met all their criteria (musn't have upgraded in last 90 days/must have made a paying call in last 90 days) but when I checked their website, the same handset upgrade was £10 cheaper.

Returned the unopened phone to CPW for a full refund, but when I tried to buy again via their website, got a message saying 'We are sorry, but this number is unfortunately not due for an upgrade right now.' So obviously having the money refunded doesn't cancel the 'upgrade' on their systems.

Spoke to CPW CS at great length who are adamant, and will not move on this, that it is only Virgin who can "reset the upgrade eligibility date" (their words) for my phone number. Even before I called Virgin to check this, it did seem ridiculous to say the least - while VM could verify a number had been used to make a paying call, how could they possibly keep tabs on what handset I was putting the sim card in??

I could buy a new handset every day from any number of shops and put my sim in, if I had the funds - how on earth could Virgin police that?? Anyway, this was all endorsed by the various VM CS staff I've spoken to this week, one of whom even used the word 'nonsensical' to describe CPW's claims.

But I've been back to CPW several times and they are completely adamant it is VM's responsibility. So I'm stuck - can't now upgrade the handset at CPW....even at the higher price instore. Has anyone come across this ludicrous concept before?

Any way round it? I've let CPW know, in some rather fruity anglo-saxon, what I think of their customer services - I know that won't solve the problem, but it doesn't half make you feel better about it.
..

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Not ridiculous at all. This is exactly how it works on all networks.

Your handset must provide it's serial number to VM before it can connect to VM's network.

By blocking your handset.

VM's staff have been known to tell untruths. Particularly offshore. But based on your arrogance above, it would seem you're explaining it the wrong way to them and they are misunderstanding the situation.

It IS VM's responsibility.

Yes. It's called how the entire UK mobile industry works.

Tell VM to fix it. Although to be fair, it may have been CPW's omission that caused it, either way only VM can fix it.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

... and, further to the above, I'd say if you have sufficient pocket money to upgrade your handset, rather than simply replace one that's broken, just put it down to experience if you later discover you didn't get the best deal.

Paying over the odds by £10 is annoying, but how much did you pay for the handset in total?

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Wow! You're a happy-go-lucky sort!! Nothing like a bit of infantile patronising, eh? I'd be grateful if you didn't come back with that sort of nonsense next time. Could you possibly flag up where, exactly, I displayed any arrogance in the post above? I spent much of my holidays on the phone to CS at both parties, basically being passed from pillar to post with no resolution in sight. You'll forgive me if I became a little frustrated by the process. Far from explaining the situation wrongly to VM, they had the whole story, verbatim, including full transcripts of conversations between myself and CPW and any emails forwarded on to them. So no, not wrongly - don't jump in again without checking some facts, please. I rather naively thought this forum, and others like it, was the sort of place one could come for some helpful advice; on the contrary, it seems self-importance is the prevailing currency....

---------- Post added at 11:34 ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 ----------

Thanks Chris, for a more sober response. Believe me, I now wish I'd kept the handset from the original purchase!! It wasn't a huge amount, but money is tight here at the moment, so £10 is £10, as someone probably said. Once.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

You claimed CPW's explanation is "ridiculous" without realising it's exactly and entirely true.

You claimed VM 'couldn't possibly' do something that is a very fundamental and basic component of how mobile networks work.

You call a concept 'ludicrous' even though it's the entire basis of how the UK mobile market works.

Your frustration is perfectly justified. Your rants about CPW's explanation being 'ridiculous' 'ludicrous' and 'fruity anglo saxon' are not. You insist on blaming CPW when they're just following the process dictated to them by VM, and refuse to accept the truth.

Ironically it seems that you blaming and patronising CPW for something that VM needs to fix is more important to you than actually getting to the bottom of the situation.

Seeing as the only 'fact' you've presented so far is the fact that you've completely misunderstood the situation and haven't the faintest clue how the process works, what other 'facts' am I supposed to check?

Sorry, your self-importance is not accepted as payment for my services. Acceptable payment methods are:
Paypal
Bitcoin
Mod edit.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

I suggest that some of you step away from this thread and calm down before the baiting and flaming get out of order..If you can't then I can see the frack hammer somewhere in your futures.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Indeed, and I'd be the last person to advise wasting money unnecessarily. The trick is not to waste even more in trying to put things right. I hope it works out for you.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Thank you Maggy.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Added some paragraphs to make the first posts easier to read.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Latest bits of correspondence;

From CPW

"I'm sorry to hear about the issues your having with getting your pay and go upgrade. I understand this can be frustrating and I apologise.

Pay and go upgrades can be processed only at the consent of the network. Your information is entered onto our system along with the mobile number and this confirms with the network that you are eligible to upgrade. There are criteria that need to be met in order to qualify and the network confirm this.

Carphone Warehouse cannot see if you have previous upgraded through another retailer, and we cannot see if you have made a call within 90 days. both of these are confirmed by the network, in this instance Virgin.

I've included a link to the FAQ page outlining pay and go upgrades and what criteria need to be met in order for an upgrade to be processed. please click here to view.

To upgrade on Virgin you much not have upgraded in the last 6 months, or it be at least 6 months since joining Virgin. and a fully chargeable, connected call made within the last 90 days. This is the information that is confirmed by Virgin when we process the upgrade eligibility check. The response from the checks to Virgin state you are not eligible to upgrade. This I what we need Virgin to confirm you can do before the upgrade can be processed and is the reason we cannot process your deal at this time.

In order to process your pay and go upgrade we need Virgin to re-set upgrade eligibility date."

And from VM;

" I'm really sorry about this


I'm afraid there's nothing we can do from our side to change this. I've never heard of anything like us resetting an eligibilty date for an upgrade.


As this is Carphone Warehouses system, we've got no control over this from our side. As you mentioned, we can't check what handset you're placing the sim into.


I really hope you have some good luck and get this all sorted with them. Please keep me updated with how you get on."


So despite all the sound and fury in those earlier replies, it's not quite as straightforward to sort as some believe. Rational views welcome!

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

The CPW response confirms precisely what I stated above. The VM response is incorrect, as you've already been told.

CPW have no obligation to upgrade you without VM's permission as VM would refuse to pay them so they'd just be giving away their own money.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Pay them what?? For what??? I'm buying the handset from CPW!

Given that I've spoken to around seven different 'areas' of VM's CS about this, could you possibly offer a suggestion as to which dept would action this?

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

What phone do you want? It may be cheaper elsewhere.

Why are you tied to virgin? They are not the cheapest out there

---------- Post added at 07:56 ---------- Previous post was at 07:56 ----------

If they give you a discount for upgrading your phone the Payment comes from virgin mobile

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

You're buying a handset at far below it's retail value. What, do you think when you get a 'Free' contract handset from CPW they're just giving away free phones for fun?

The Upgrades department or complaints/executive office.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

No, that would be just stupid :rolleyes: I have spoken to both the upgrades dept and VM head office who both deny any responsibility and state, unequivocally, that it is only CPW who can action this. To be quite honest, I'm past caring now; just a little baffled how two major companies (and let's face it, this is not Mobile-u-like Unlocking Services we're talking about!) can't get a story straight between them.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Funny, perhaps ask VM to upgrade you directly. See what they say then, seeing as they would then use their internal system that would say the exact same thing as CPW...

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Done that, although as VM (claim to) have no system to monitor when customers on payg tariffs are buying handset upgrades (and found it bizarre that CPW should be suggesting this) I was really heading up a cul-de sac with that one. Was offered a new handset for £40 more than the CPW price.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

So VM will allow you to upgrade directly? Hmm. Have you checked your online account to see your accrued discount? Given they have an offer that gives you £10 off your next handset upgrade or every £100 you spend, if they have no system to monitor when you are buying handset upgrades then what would stop you stacking that up indefinitely and eventually getting a new £100 phone for free every day?

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Not 'upgrade' as such, no. Just 'allow' me to buy a new handset, with a new sim with £10 credit. I don't really understand the rest of the post - online account? accrued discount? You've lost me. I've simply got a payg sim, that I occasionally add credit to, in a crappy old phone that I think I inherited from my boys' cast-offs. It does calls & texts and not much else and I wanted to buy a new handset that did a little more.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

When you have a payg sim for every £100 you spend VM allow you £10 off a new phone upto a maximum of £100. To see if you have any money available you need to login to your mobile account. As you don't appear to have one you need to create one by going to www.virginmedia.com and connect to the virginmobile site which will give you the opportunity to create an account.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Thanks but not a lot of point. I have a work phone which handles the bulk of my mobile activity. The payg phone is just a cheap & cheerful backup for the very occasional moment when there's no signal etc. Kids borrow it for festivals and stuff. I doubt I'm anywhere near £100 in all the years I've had the number!

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Well in that case they're doing it wrong. Upgrading involves just the handset, no new SIM, no new credit. I suspect they were trying to sell you a second phone.

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/gener...e.howdoi.sm103

If they had no way of tracking when you bought an upgrade handset people would just be getting free phones forever.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

And that's EXACTLY what every single person I've spoken to at VM or had emails from has said - they have no way of policing it. Which brings me back to the start line.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Again, if they have no way of policing it, they would literally be giving away free money. You'd think that'd have made national news by now.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Only passing on what they're telling me.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

Im sorry about this situation :( unfortunately i have no idea exactly what to advise you to do.

May i just on record apologise for the utterly disgusting way you've been spoken to though. I read these replies to you and felt sick.

If people do not have anything useful to reply then please dont. I can see a lot of anger and frustration. Its embarrasing, i genuinely felt embarrased reading the nasty response. Maybe this is something these people need to deal with in their life rather than doing this on a forum to someone asking an innocent question.

If all else fails i'd suggest you get in touch with citizens advice who might be able to offer some advice on your legal position

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

I think you need to bite the bullet on this your getting nowhere the amount of time and effort let alone calls to VM & CPW would be more than the £10 saving you where after on upgrading.
I would just buy the phone your after and a new simcard and just take it as lesson learned don't do it again move on.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

It became more of an exercise in trying to prove which party was ********ting me; I'm past caring about the phone, tbh.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

I would never go with Carphone Warehouse, they are really expensive.

For example to Kill time i was in PC World in Swansea last week and i know my contract is due for renewel so i called into the Carphone Warehouse instore that used to be Phones4u.

I spent about 15 minutes going through with the guy what i wanted from a phone and how many minutes i currently have and data useage and txts etc.

The best deal they wanted to offer me to stay with EE was £30 a month for a Samsung Galaxy S4 which is not guarenteed to be upgradable to Android Lollipop where my current handset is, 1000 Minutes, Unlimited Txts and 1GB data. I said no thanks i wasnt interested.

Re: Carphone Warehouse vs. Virgin Mobile - Help!!
 

strange ive allways got it cheaper thru CPW currently im on EE note 4 unlimited mins unlimted texts 4 gig data £33 a month thru upgrade my old phone note 2 was on orange 3g 1000 mins unlimted texts 500mb data for £37.
on ee website you can get s5 for £35 pm normal should be cheaper thru upgrade.