News 2005
Virgin Mobile thanks each of its customers with up to £100 off a new phone
25/05/2005
- Virgin Mobile launches Red – one of the nation’s most generous reward schemes
- The more you spend on calls, the more you earn towards a new phone – get 10% back on everything you spend
25.05.05: Virgin Mobile announces today that it is giving each of its 5 million customers up to £100 off a new phone as part of its new Red rewards scheme. All of Virgin Mobile’s customers have been clocking up a discount since 1st January 2004, that can now be used towards buying a new phone when they want to upgrade.
Virgin Mobile Red rewards all of its customers by giving them £10 off a new phone for every £100 they spend on calls and texts. No other network offers such a huge loyalty reward of 10% back in money off towards a new phone.
Customers can save up to £100 on any new phone in the range – or if the phone costs less than £100 and they have enough Red rewards they can get the phone for free. All airtime minutes used are counted towards the discount, including those used abroad and on bundles, as well as text messages and picture messages. Another benefit of Red is that customers have up to two years to build up their discount – longer than any other network offers. Customers can also upgrade their phone at any time after just three months of joining.
Red is available to all existing as well as new customers. Customers can see the value of their Red rewards at any time at Virgin Mobile’s website: www.virginmobile.com/mobile
Virgin Mobile’s loyalty scheme offers simple cash off your next mobile phone and there are no issues with saving up loads of points as there are with other loyalty schemes. With the Nectar loyalty scheme you need to spend £250 to get £2.50 off your shopping bill - the same as Tesco’s Clubcard, and with WH Smiths Clubcard you have to spend £50 to get £1 back. Without a doubt, customers want to see rewards quickly and meaningfully on loyalty schemes – with Virgin Mobile’s deal of £10 back for every £100 spent – it essentially equates to £1 for every £10 spent.
Virgin Mobile will be adding further consumer benefits to Red in the coming months which will focus on rewarding higher spending customers with a range of extra special offers.
Graeme Hutchinson, sales and marketing director at Virgin Mobile, said: “Virgin Mobile has always offered its customers something in return. Virgin Mobile is the first network to be able to offer an upgrade scheme to our prepay customers after just three months. And the longer a customer stays with us, the more they call, and the more discount towards their next phone they earn. It’s that simple. There are no catches or extra fees, just one great offer for all our customers – guaranteed money off their next Virgin Mobile phone.”
* Excludes new pay monthly contract customers
Notes to Editors:
For further information please contact:
| Virgin Mobile | |
|---|---|
| Virgin Mobile Press Office | 0845 600 6272 or press.office@virginmobile.com |
| Joanne Baker | 07941 233300 or joanne.baker@virginmobile.com |
| Lansons Communications | |
| Shellie Wells | 020 7294 3627 or shelliew@lansons.com |
| Liz Willder | 020 7294 3677 or lizw@lansons.com |
| Helen Ainsworth | 0207 294 3656 or helena@lansons.com |
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc, the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator, is majority owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 5 million customers.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.com or on the High Street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Dixons, Phones 4 U, Curry's, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, TOMO, Woolworths, Toys R Us and Ryman plus hundreds of independents mobile phones dealers and available via Shop Direct, Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,400 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile is in `The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list 2005 and is part of the FTSE4Good Index.
