Virgin Mobile promises more simplicity

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 05 July 2011 13:43

Your IT - Mobility

Virgin Mobile has cut the number of mobile plans it offers from 19 to nine saying the move is the first of several to be announced in coming months that will "make things simpler for consumers, and [give them] more flexibility and control."

Announcing the move, Virgin has revealed the results of a survey that tells us what we already know - mobile service providers are on the nose with consumers, big time - and has taken a swipe at the rest of the industry: a group that presumably includes its own parent, Optus.

"The nationwide survey of more than 1,000 Aussie mobile users revealed that attitudes towards the telecommunications industry rated particularly poorly, with'¦62 percent of Australians'¦believing their telco is likely to treat them unfairly," Virgin Mobile said. "In fact, most Aussies think they are more likely to be treated unfairly by their mobile phone provider than by a parking ranger (57 percent); their bank (54 percent) or the taxman (49 percent)'¦ [93 percent] of Australians surveyed agreed that telcos need to simplify plans so that they are easier to understand and compare with competitors."

Virgin Mobile marketing director, David Scribner, said: "We've taken a long hard look at ourselves and the industry in Australia. Having researched 5,000 members and consumers over the past few months, we've identified the key pain points'¦We intend to revisit the way we do things, from product offerings through to contractual arrangements and member service channels."

According to the research, one of the main reasons people think telcos are unfair is not being able to rollover unused cap credit (84 percent). "We believe it's only fair that you should get what you pay for so Virgin Mobile remains the only Australian telco to offer free voicemail and the ability to rollover any unused credit to the following month," said Scribner."

That statement may be true, but only in the strict Boolean sense: recent market entrant Amaysim offers rollover of remaining prepaid call credit, but does charge for voicemail.

Amaysim (which uses the Optus network) entered the market in November 2010 on a plank of simplicity with a no nonsense prepaid services offering calls at 15 cents per minute. In June this year it launched an equally straightforward postpaid plan: $39.90 per month for unlimited standard calls and SMS. Virgin Mobile's new-found enthusiasm for 'simplicity' could well be the result of competitive pressure from this new player.
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