Did Virgin Mobile get rid of "pay as you go" plans?

[rszdtrvl]

I was searching and searching for a new phone and found one to order.

When it arrived, I found that it was not compatible with the "pay as you go" plan.

So I ordered another phone, from the "Pay Lo" plan, which I figured was the new "pay as you go" phrase.

I think I am wrong again, and that this phone won't work with my plan.

The cheapest plan offered is now $20/month and you pay per-minute with that plan (from what I can see).

I ended up keeping the new phone I ordered, unopened, and will hang on to it. And purchased a battery for my old phone, which now works great.

Did they discontinue the "pay as you go" plan? The one where you add $20 to your account at least every 90 days and pay per minute/text?

I really don't want to upgrade my phone plan - especially since DH and DS are locked in to the $25 month plan (300 phone minutes, unlimited text & internet) that does not exist at that price anymore.

I have been with VM for at least 8 years and I am sad that they no longer make phones for my plan. I feel like I am being forced to upgrade if I want a new phone.

 

[lady_hlh]

I still do pay as you go with Virgin Mobile. I just looked at the Target website and they have 3 VM phones under the no contract required phones section, maybe you just ordered the wrong type of phone that requires a contract.

 

[rszdtrvl]

If you have had the plan, it still works. But they no longer offer it as an option and no longer make phones for that plan, from what I can see.

I don't want to change my plan just to get a new phone, but someday that will be the only option.

I think I am still locked in at $.15/minute, from eons ago. LOL.

Virgin Mobile still doesn't do contracts. If you don't pay for the month, you lose your service.

 

[NotUrsula]

You can replace your "basic" phone and continue the plan if you have that kind of plan, but they don't sell them to new customers any more. Their new cheapest plan is $20/mo. There are not many "basic" phones left to buy new; your best option for getting usable phones is to buy them used off of ebay. (DH lost his phone a couple of years ago and ended up buying two replacements, then found the original. He's set for awhile because he has those unused phones as backup replacements.)

I have their $25/mo smartphone plan, but I kept my old pay-per-minute plan as well as an emergency backup, should I lose my job and need to cancel the monthly plan. (It would enable me to drop back to $80/yr instead of $300).

What I find is that the operators and the website are set up to assume that you have an unlimited monthly plan; there are not that many of us hold-outs who still have the sort that deducts from a balance over 90 days. You sometimes have to call and argue to get the money credited correctly so that it carries over rather than expiring at thirty days.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Thanks! That is exactly what I needed to know.

I kinda wish I would have upgraded my plan to the $25/month plan when it was offered, but oh well. I am okay with my cheapo plan, since I don't really use my phone that much anyway.

Someday, I am sure I will need to upgrade my plan, and when that happens, I will already have a phone. I am just going to hang on to the new phone I got. I have not had very good luck with used replacement phones from ebay working correctly.

 

[bethbuchall]

I am so afraid that something is going to happen to my phone and force me to switch plans. I watch it very carefully. I pay $0.18/minute for calls but I also have a text plan that you can't get any more. My daughter has the 300 min + unlimited texting + unlimited data for $25/month. She did receive notice that if she switches phones after 5/25/12, she'd have to start paying $35/month. My older son wishes that he'd switched to that back when it was $25.

 

[lady_hlh]

If you have had the plan, it still works. But they no longer offer it as an option and no longer make phones for that plan, from what I can see.

I don't want to change my plan just to get a new phone, but someday that will be the only option.

I think I am still locked in at $.15/minute, from eons ago. LOL.

Virgin Mobile still doesn't do contracts. If you don't pay for the month, you lose your service.

The non-contract phones are still on the Target website, maybe Virgin Mobile is no longer offering them to order through them but it sure looks like you can still get one from Target. I see the one that I got at Target for maybe $15 listed as being availble in stores only.

Actually I just looked on VMs website and they have the Kyocera S2100 which is the phone that I got from Target recently that I use a phone cards with. I know they talk about plans but you don't need to use those you can just use a top card with those phones because that is what I've still been doing. I think they don't want to highlight the phone card option and would rather have you sign up for a plan but it isn't required.

 

[rszdtrvl]

I had originally purchased the VM "Venture"
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...ame=Prepaid+carrier&filterValue=Virgin+Mobile

And returned it because it would not work with my plan.

Then, I looked at the "Pay Lo" phones that I thought would work and purchased the "Samsung Restore"
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Virgin+...05.p?id=1218312477736&skuId=2156205&st=virgin mobile phone&cp=1&lp=10


That I thought would work. But won't unless I upgrade my plan.

My current phone is the "Switchback", (retailed for $150 back in the day and is probably now considered an antique) and I like it, but would like a more modern style. The Switchback is bulky, and now with the new battery it is even more bulky.

 

[HM]

I had no idea that you couldn't get it anymore. That's what I have and have had for years. I sort of wished I'd switched back when they still had the $25 month plan that my kids have.

They want to upgrade to the iPhone, but we're holding off until Christmas at least because of the phone price. Do you think they'll still offer the $5 credit a month for existing customers at that point?

 

[Disneefun]

1. VM no longer offers the pay as you go to new customers.

2. If you have a pay as you go plan you can can keep it even if you change phones. The trick is, you are limited to only 3 phone choices at this time (shown here). You buy one of these, activate it on their site and your plan and money roll over.

3. If you get a phone other than those and have a pay as you go plan, you have to change plans.

4. Once you change plans, you can never go back to the pay as you go option. So if you activated a new phone, switched plans and then decided you'd made a mistake, you're out of luck.

5. I know all of this b/c I've spent the last month working my way though customer no-service to solve some problems with my old phone and an airrave that the neighbors bought. Long story, but I've switched phones twice in the last month, both to the S2100 and the S2300 and have had no changes to my plan, minutes, etc. You just have to stay with those lower end "Paylo" phones if you want to keep pay as you go.

 

[rszdtrvl]

1. VM no longer offers the pay as you go to new customers.

2. If you have a pay as you go plan you can can keep it even if you change phones. The trick is, you are limited to only 3 phone choices at this time (shown here). You buy one of these, activate it on their site and your plan and money roll over.

3. If you get a phone other than those and have a pay as you go plan, you have to change plans.

4. Once you change plans, you can never go back to the pay as you go option. So if you activated a new phone, switched plans and then decided you'd made a mistake, you're out of luck.

5. I know all of this b/c I've spent the last month working my way though customer no-service to solve some problems with my old phone and an airrave that the neighbors bought. Long story, but I've switched phones twice in the last month, both to the S2100 and the S2300 and have had no changes to my plan, minutes, etc. You just have to stay with those lower end "Paylo" phones if you want to keep pay as you go.

If this is the case, then the new phone I purchased WILL work with my plan! Yay! When this current phone finally dies, I WILL have a phone that works.

I did see those Pay Lo phones on the VM website, but the plan ($20/month) confused me after at first I thought it was the new "pay as you go" phrase.

 

[kellia]

I am so afraid that something is going to happen to my phone and force me to switch plans. I watch it very carefully. I pay $0.18/minute for calls but I also have a text plan that you can't get any more. My daughter has the 300 min + unlimited texting + unlimited data for $25/month. She did receive notice that if she switches phones after 5/25/12, she'd have to start paying $35/month. My older son wishes that he'd switched to that back when it was $25.

FYI- if you have the $25/mo plan, she can get a new phone if she needs it, it just can't be a phone that was offered after 5/25/12. The Optimus V and Triumph were some of the last released that qualify. I bought an Optimus Elite and then went to add it and they said it wouldn't qualify for the $25 plan, I'd have to upgrade to the $35/mo.

 

[Fire14]

I have no idea why this posted here.