Virgin Mobile planned to throttle speeds of Broadband2Go users who go over 5GB per month. Now it appears that the unlimited broadband plan will be eliminated completely. From Virgin’s terms of service:
$40 Broadband2Go Plan Expiring on February 15, 2011 Until February 14, 2011, you may purchase or switch to the $40 Broadband2Go plan described below. If as of February 15, 2011 the last plan you purchased was the $40 Broadband2Go plan, you may continue to purchase the $40 Broadband2Go plan until further notice or until you switch to one of the other Broadband2Go plans. Once you switch to another Broadband2Go plan, you will not be able to switch back to the $40 Broadband2Go plan. If as of February 15, 2011 the last plan you purchased was a plan other than $40 Broadband2Go plan, you will not be able to purchase or switch to the $40 Broadband2Go plan.This represents quite the turnaround. Last summer Virgin introduced the unlimited broadband plan, and it was greeted warmly. There were problems at first, but eventually it all seemed to work well. I got to test Broadband2Go, using a MiFi device, and I thought it did the job admirably. But then came the speed throttling issues, which first happened quietly and then became public. And now, just a few months after launch, the plan will disappear completely. I’ve reached out to Virgin Mobile for comment and will publish their response if they issue one. Update: Jayne Wallace, director of corporate communications at Virgin, confirms that the above is true. She notes that Virgin will announce further information regarding Broadband2Go next week. ]]>
Posted in Virgin Mobile
It’s simple . They are raising the price to $50 and cutting the cap to 2.5 gigs full speed 3g and throttling afterwards.
Not that great a deal.
People must go to jail for this! We must shame them into restoring it immediately.
Real shame for people who purchased a MIFI device from Virgin Mobile recently. They’ll get a month or so at $40, and then get ripped after that point.
If the $50 for 2.5GB 3G is true — that’s garbage compared to what they’re offering. I was going to get Broadband2Go for the summer so I could work at the park, but I’ll figure something else out just out of principal.
That’s real shady on Virgin’s behalf. I bought the Broadband2Go device with the $40 plan & it was truly a wonderful thing I thought. But Virgin nows wants to switch things around just like that & become like its other competitors offering the same thing as they do. Whatever happened to looking out for the best value in the customer’s interest, especially in these financially hard times where everyone is budgeting what they need to do? Shame on Virgin.
I just got the email from these weasels.
They use all the corporate weasel words as if the cut is CONTINUING the service I am used to !
Total Orwellian doublethink.
I am supposed to be HAPPY that others can use the service that is being cut from me.
For the greater good of others!
They can kiss my @zz
I bought my modem last month AFTER the throttling announcement was made. I’m interested to see how they throttle. If it stays on 3G and throttles me to 256 kbps as the announcement states, I can live with that. If I’m locked out of EVDO (3G), and stuck using 1xrtt (2G), it’s going back to Walmart. 256kbps is not that bad. If that’s the speed it gets, I’d pay $40 a month for it throttled from the start. It still beats going over the 5 gig mark and getting dinged with overage charges like the big carriers do.
I got the virgin mobile mifi at a best buy for almost $200 dallors because I thought I was going to get unlimited internet for 40 dallors a mounth. Then after only 3 mounths of service they are going to cut my service to the point it is unusable if i want to watch video.. which is why i to pay for internet in the first damn place..you can get free dial up almost anywhere…Now I can’t just bring the mifi back and get my 200 dallors back… they sold me something that they said at time of purchase would have unlimited internet…they can argue all day long that it is a month to month thing… but they started throttling the internet before feburaury 15 2010..so they broke the month to month contract… that IS BAIT AND SWITCH!!! cause they are doing so before feb 15 2010.. and that is illegal!!!!
Sprint HAD a Game Changing Service
.
Even though Broadband2Go has No Contract- A customer should have a reasonable expectation that the service (plans) that caused a person to purchase equipment for utilizing
a service (or Product), should have some longevity of availability and use ( at the same or BETTER Pricing )!
If Virgin Broadband2go eliminates The $40.00 throttled plan (after march 15, 2011) to those locked in as per stated in their Jan 2011 “New Terms and Policies”; it will be Time to band together and file class- action
Law- suits against SPRINT/VIRGIN.
Filing whatever can be charged against VIRGIN Mobile for USING “PUMP AND DUMP” tactics,
To sell products and CRANK UP FEES.
.
.
If the Virgin Price changes are due to the $40.00 Price of Virgin Broadband2go “unlimited” service seemingly being cheaper than the Sprint POST PAID w/ contract Service (for POSSIBLY the same speeds);
then Sprint/ Virgin should have made adjustments to service speeds insuring the highest speeds to Sprint Customers!!!
.
.
Kinda like General Motors;
a Cadillac vs. a Chevrolet
.
Both made by the same company with alot of common parts, but the cadillac is a higher tier vehicle than the chevrolet.
.
Just because the chevrolet is lower priced and made with more (value) priced materials and construction, it still comes fully functional- (including an engine/ transmission and even 4 wheels and tires).
.
Solution:
Sprint- FASTER fully unlimited.
Virgin Broadband2go-
slightly SLOWER max speeds unlimited still Value Priced!!! So maybe can’t watch movies flawlessly,
Oh well………
Virgin SHAME ON YOU !!!!
Wonder how many other carriers have done this too or have plans to? Not long before all the unlimited plans start becoming “limited-unlimited”
Did some reading up…Seems Verizon’s looking to do something similar with throttling service of heavy users. There are a couple out there who still offer unlimited, though few on the big networks. And at a greater cost. Think I may just stick with my combination of a desktop and net10’s cheap unlimited plan that includes talk and text, but limits your unlimited data to mobile web browsing. At least I know what I’m paying for and don’t have disruptions to my service or coverage.
If you were previously on the $40 unlimited plan just ask CS to keep you on that plan when you call to top up your account. I haven’t had my service active for about 5 weeks and just found out about the rate hike today. I called VM to find out what was up with the hike and asked if I could keep the plan I had. I was told I could and it wasn’t even an issue. I was also told I could switch to the $50 plan (which is supposed to be faster) but could not go back to my $40 plan if I do. I’m keeping my $40 plan as long as I can. I’d recommend asking to stay on it and if they say you can’t, call back until you get a rep that will allow you to.
I wish I had known about the drama before I purchased it…I am so tired of businesses being able to redefine words unlimited is unlimited…not unlimited but umm I have the right to slow your connection to a creeping halt and they are never held accountable for it.Broadband is supposed to be faster. it is bait and switch and consumers should be able to say FRAUD and CLASS ACTION SUIT…it seems as no one takes pride in the services they offer anymore.. but then again why should they …they are able to make millions without so much as a slap on the wrist for bilking their customers. Smells like Wall Street… Can lose billions and still make millions. I left Comcast because I got tired of teaching Accounting ever other month(talk about new math!!!) Oh I want to curse a blue streak!!