News 2001
Virgin Mobile offers stress therapy
03/09/2001
There's good news for anyone buying a Nokia phone from Virgin Mobile this month. Customers can get £20 off the cost of any Nokia phone if they buy £20-worth of airtime vouchers at the same time.
That means that the Virgin Mobile 3310 now costs a market beating £79.99! That's stressful news for those who bought one on another network, where the Nokia 3310 costs between £99.99 and £129.99.¹
¹ Carphone Warehouse, September 2001
And with the Virgin Mobile offer the Nokia 3330 costs a remarkable £109.99, and the Nokia 8210 a barely-there £179.99!*
Buying from Virgin Mobile means peace of mind because the customer owns the phone outright. There is no contract, no monthly line rental and no hidden costs to mess with your karma. Serenely, you only pay for the calls you make, either by topping up, or monthly by direct debit. And calls are cheap - just 15p per minute for the first five minutes of use each day, and 5p per minute after that, for up to 23 hours and 55 minutes each day.
So, for those who have missed out on this great deal, now might be the time to enter the corridor of growth and inner healing. Virgin Mobile has found that playing the mating call of the pacific grey whale is an effective way to soothe and calm - or maybe a spot of chanting?
*Offer available in Virgin stores, on the web. by phone 0845 6000 600, and in WH Smith.
For further information, please call:
Alison Bonny, Virgin Mobile, 07802 430 276
Joanne Baker, Virgin Mobile, 07941 233 300
Georgina Annett, Consolidated Communications, 07941 251 100
Julia Clark, Consolidated Communications, 07747 632 175
Sasha Bradbury, Consolidated Communications, 07941 230700
Email: press.office@virginmobile.com
Notes to Editors:
About Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a 50:50 joint venture company between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Deutsche Telekom's One 2 One, and is the UK's first mobile virtual operator (MVNO). Since its launch in November 1999 it has attracted over one million customers, making it one of the fastest growing mobile phone companies ever.
It has scored a number of firsts, including being the first operator to scrap peak rate calls, introduce a daily discounting tariff, introduce an integrated MP3 mobile phone and is the first operator to introduce a cash back tariff, The Big Bonus.
Virgin Mobile is the only network to offer cheap calls and no line rental with no hidden catches and no contracts to sign. Standard calls cost 15p per minute for the first 5 minutes of use each day, and 5p per minute after that, for up to 23 hours 55 minutes each day. There is no line rental fee and no catches, however you choose to pay - you only pay for the calls you make. Voicemail retrieval is free and SMS messages cost 10p per message in the UK.
You can also Pay As You Want - by topping up with a voucher or a debit or credit card, or you can pay monthly by direct debit. Either way, you still receive the same great value tariff and no monthly fee.
The Big Bonus scheme entitles customers using £30-worth of calls or more each month to 10% of whatever they spend as an airtime credit the following month (includes calls made within and from the UK). The Big Bonus is available to everyone paying by direct debit, or to pre-pay customers topping up with either a credit or debit card.
VirginXtras is Virgin Mobile's groundbreaking range of value-added and money-saving services. The VirginXtras service helps customers get the information they want, in the most accessible and easy-to-understand way, whether it be via IVR, SMS, voice or WAP, and can be tailor-made to suit each individual. VirginXtras is available to every Virgin Mobile customer and puts service over technology. Sports covered include: rugby union, rugby league, football, Formula 1, tennis, cricket, golf and British superbkes.
Customers logging on to www.virgin.com/mobile simply pre-select areas of interest from seven core categories, including: sport, music, going out, staying in, travel, shopping and fun. So, whether people are after the most recent film releases at their local cinema, discounts on a whole range of items from CDs to holidays, football scores for their favourite team or a recommendation for a night out, VirginXtras offers the easiest way to get the best and latest personalised information sent right to your phone.
Virgin has already taken the brand overseas with Virgin Mobile (Australia), a partnership with Optus, which opened for business at the end of October 2000. A similar joint-venture between Virgin and Singapore Telecom will see the launch of Virgin Mobile (Asia) later in 2001. The global Virgin Mobile brand is also expected to launch in the USA and Europe within two years. Virgin Mobile has also recently launched in Northern Ireland.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virgin.com/mobile; or on the High Street at over 4,500 outlets including Virgin Megastore, Our Price, V.SHOP and in outlets including supermarkets such as Sainsbury, Tesco, WH Smith, Iceland, Co-op, Asda, Somerfield and John Lewis.
