Automatic payments with VM.

[unkuser]

What needs to be done to renew automatically every month with VM?

I have $50 in my account balance, but it seems I have to manually go to the website and "Restart" my monthly plan to have continuous mobile service. I had to call VM because I didn't know why my internet was always going to virgin mobile website. They told me I had to restart the plan.

What do you guys do to prevent this from happening? I have a CC on file with VM and also had money in my balance, but regardless I still had to do something manual to get them to restart the monthly plan. <--- plain annoying.

 

[dachiefmizzy]

From experience and research, everyone has to do it.. Its only once a month so we just deal with it.

 

[fchs]

From experience and research, everyone has to do it.. Its only once a month so we just deal with it.

lol, ya just deal with it's take less then a 1min

 

[investor22]

It just happened to me at the start of my second month (I had signed up for autopay). I lost 3G right at midnight of my renewal date. I just waited it out during the day and at 15 minutes to midnight I received a text message that my new minutes would start after midnight. So after midnight...still no 3G...toggling airplane mode and restarting phone did not bring it back. But then clicking the Activate button on the phone brought back the 3G.

The part I don't like is going without 3G for 24hours on the renewal date. Some people have mentioned that it fixes itself in 7 to 12 hours. I hope this doesn't happen every time. I decided not to click "Restart My Plan Month" on the website because I was leary of being double billed. Some people said that worked for them.

 

[Helgaiden]

i have it on autopay and its only auto charged once so far but i have not had a lapse in data service.

 

[unkuser]

There is something flaky with their renewal system.

I already paid the service for another month. So my next bill was due on May 3rd. However I still had to go "RESTART" my monthly plan to get my service working. This is what I mean.

Just paying for the next month will not cycle your plan. I wonder what would happen if you pay 1-2 months in advanced, will this work?

 

[lizm]

I had VM a few years ago and had my daughter's phone set up on auto pay for a texting plan back they had back then that was unlimited.

One month VM screwed up the auto-replenish, didn't renew the monthly plan, and began charging me per text. Seeing about $350 disappear from my bank account in about 3 days, I realize what's going on. They refused to refund ANY of it, said it was my fault their auto top-up didn't automatically go to the plan.

Luckily my bank didn't see it that way (after hours on the phone with them, them calling VM, all 3 of us talking, etc) and I got the whole amount credited back to my account.

So I quit VM and went elsewhere for a couple of years.

Now I am on VM again because I love this plan but I am NOT on auto-pay. I store my card info there and go to the web site once a month and pay. Kind of sucks but for $25 a month I'll deal with it.

I won't EVER authorize VM to automatically do anything with my credit card or bank.

 

[Zi6m]

I am in my 2nd month so far. I purchased a $25 airtime code from a 3rd party vendor online using Paypal. Activated the code at vm.com on the last day of service @ approx 5.00pm.
Got a txt a while later confirming plan details ($25 BT 300 mins etc) starting at 12.00 that night.
Didn't have to restart plan as stated by others.
Good to know about the plan resetting error - to a per text / call charge.
Definitely something inconsistent with VM monthly top up procedure.

Personally - there is never ever a reason to give a CC number or bank account access to any vendor for recurring payments.

 

[dan6681]

I have my account set up to auto charge my CC. However, during the afternoon of my billing date my phone would only load the VM webpage like others have stated. All other data would not work. I hit the activate button and everything went back to normal and a text was sent indicating minutes would be reset at midnight.

I was pissed at first because I thought the 3G outage issue had returned, but apparently VM also has billing issues that need to be resolved.

 

[unkuser]

I have my account set up to auto charge my CC. However, during the afternoon of my billing date my phone would only load the VM webpage like others have stated. All other data would not work. I hit the activate button and everything went back to normal and a text was sent indicating minutes would be reset at midnight.

I was pissed at first because I thought the 3G outage issue had returned, but apparently VM also has billing issues that need to be resolved.

That's good news. At least you dont have to call them. Can somebody confirm this? If that's the case I have to re-install the VM activation app.

Why would they have such a hard time implementing automatic payment is beyond me.

Thanks

 

[duvallite]

It's totally unbelievable they can't straighten out the automatic payment issue. Lots of talk about this problem on the various forums. Since it happened to me a couple of weeks ago when my plan first renewed, I'm now debating whether I should pay manually or give the auto payment another try. I've read that some people just press the Restart My Plan button at the VM site and data will then work again, while others (like above) press Activate on their phone and then data works again. I just wish there was a clearly defined method spelled out that would work for everyone all of the time.

 

[pcp135]

I only pay with top-up pins bought from elsewhere. I don't trust VM with my credit card information at all.

The strange thing is that in my account, right now my next bill is due May 1. I paid on April 1st. On April 1st, the web site showed that my bill was due on April 1. When I paid, the text I got said something like my payment effective date will be may 1st. So somehow one of the system is a month ahead. The entire operation seems to be put together by total hacks. I wouldn't trust them with any sensitive info.

 

[Eollie]

I only pay with top-up pins bought from elsewhere. I don't trust VM with my credit card information at all.

The strange thing is that in my account, right now my next bill is due May 1. I paid on April 1st. On April 1st, the web site showed that my bill was due on April 1. When I paid, the text I got said something like my payment effective date will be may 1st. So somehow one of the system is a month ahead. The entire operation seems to be put together by total hacks. I wouldn't trust them with any sensitive info.

Im still trying to decipher what you said.
But Im guessing you got a text saying your plan was effective until may 1st.

Yes VM's site is very confusing.
I think they tried to design it to be easy to use but instead it a pain in the ass.

 

[Takenover83]

Yes, it's a pain when you are on the road, and your internet quits working even though you have toped up. And navigating the VM site on a smartphone (when no pc is available) is no fun and actually takes quiet a bit of time.

 

[pcp135]

Im still trying to decipher what you said.
But Im guessing you got a text saying your plan was effective until may 1st.

Yes VM's site is very confusing.
I think they tried to design it to be easy to use but instead it a pain in the ass.

lol...sorry about that. What I am basically saying is that in my online account, I have the correct due date but when I pay the text I get says the payment will be applied to the next month as if the current month is already paid for.

 

[Eollie]

lol...sorry about that. What I am basically saying is that in my online account, I have the correct due date but when I pay the text I get says the payment will be applied to the next month as if the current month is already paid for.

I see now.

I remember when I was with verizon At one point my bill showed my one month behind on payments. I could never get caught up ever. Unless I paid two months bills. A csr tried to explain it and even a store rep, but honestly it never made sense to me.

 

[lance1955]

I just went though the same thing a couple of days agao. CC on file and it did not auto charge. Internet went out and after round and round. I removed my CC from allowing them to supposed auto pay. I had CS do the transaction over phone/. 5 secs later the internet was working again.
Looks like you have to pay 1 day ahead or you internet service will crap out. No id only I only get them to fix this dam 3g issue id be happy.

 

[LeslieAnn]

Been on autopay for years with several different plans and phones and never had to redo my service each month.

 

[jmel]

I used calling mart recently to get a 25 dollar pin for 24.01. I added it to my virgin mobile account 3 days before the bill was due. The account automatically removed the 25 dollar credit and kept working the next day. So, seems like I don't have to do the 'start month over' fix myself.

 

[zires]

@jmel,

Same with me. My minutes are going to reset today at midnight.