Virgin Mobile Help

[Haffamazin]

I am probably going to buy a virgin Mobile Phone after the 5th but I dont know which phone I should get. I want the Super Model but I heard that it has screen problems and I cant afford for it to break but I do want the blue screen and the extra features... I also want to know if there are any delas on minutes or anything like that and what some benefits are of VM. If anyone can help me it will be GREATLY appreciated.

[Sigma]

I want the Super Model but I heard that it has screen problems and I cant afford for it to break

There have been a few of the Supermodels that have had screen problems, but it's not a really common problems. Besides that, if it ever does crap out on you, you can call up VM and they'll exchange it for you free. The only real deal going on right now with them is that if you buy the phone now you get $20 on the phone instead of the ususal $10. That and the phones are cheaper right now anyway.

I might work at VM making me biased, but they are honestly the best deal in prepaid. That's not just coming from me because I work for them. As a joke sometimes I like to hassle the other company booth you see in malls and stuff, saying that I'm thinking about a prepaid phone and want them to tell me whey their phones are better. Here's what happens:

ME : How do you compare to Company X?

SALESMAN : We're better, here let me show you on my computer.

ME: How do you compare to Virgin Mobile?

SALESMAN : Um, I can't seem to pull up their information, sorry. Trust me though, we're probably better.

They all do that, too. It's kind of funny.

[HumpMan]

Is there any specific information you want to know?

You might want to go to Virgin Mobile Website and read up on their service. Or visit a Sam Goody, Best Buy, Target or Circuit City and pick up one of their brochures. I did just see a $20 rebate coupon at 7-Eleven yesterday, which would make the Party Animal $59. But I'd wait and see what happens later this month.

Basically it's prepaid cell phone service with two basic per minute rates. 25 cents per minute for the first 10 minutes of use each day and then 10 cents per minute for any minutes that day after the first 10. Virgin Mobile uses Sprint's PCS CDMA network and NO off-network roaming is included. If you anticipate needing your phone outside of Sprint PCS's covered area, you might want to think twice.

To stay current, at least $20 of funds have to be added to the phone's account every 90 days. If you let your account expire, you have 60 more days to do that $20 addition or else you lose the phone number and would have to start all over. "Topping Up" as VM calls it, can be done by purchasing a Top Up card ($20, $30 or $50 denominations) at various places like the retailers mentioned above. Some of these purchases get you a plastic card with the number you enter (either into the phone or via their website) to transfer the funds. At other places, the required PIN number is printed on your purchase receipt. Occasionally I have seen the Top Up card go on sale for maybe 5% off or so at Best Buy. You can also Top Up by registering a credit card on the VM website. You can also use your registered card to have an automatic Top Up done each month, if you want.

Text messaging is included, with incoming messages free and outgoing messages at 10 cents each. Message length, as with all SMS services is either 125 or 160 characters.

Voice mail is included. It can be accessed either via the mobile phone, or from a landline phone.

Nationwide long distance is included.

Additional services such as wake-up calls, rescue rings and listening to music clips or reading movie reviews are provided at nominal charges. You can even get a daily bit of wisdom from SpongeBob Squarepants for a fee... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Ringtones can be downloaded for $1 each.

Any further questions?

the HumpMan

[Sigma]

Originally posted by: HumpMan

Text messaging is included, with incoming messages free and outgoing messages at 10 cents each. Message length, as with all SMS services is either 125 or 160 characters.

And if you want, I can tell you how to make you phone be able to compose texts of over 210 characters instead of the default 160.

[Haffamazin]

And if you want, I can tell you how to make you phone be able to compose texts of over 210 characters instead of the default 160.

Theres really a way to do this??? I really want to know how! Are there any other useful secrets like these??? And what do those debug and security codes i've been reading about on this board actually do? Are they codes to get more minutes or free things??? I am new to cell phones so when I get mine I want to know what it can do inside and out... u know what i mean???

Another question about VM... Does the call timing start while the call is being made before anyone picks up on the other line or does it start when they actually pick up???

[Sigma]

Originally posted by: Haffamazin
And what do those debug and security codes i've been reading about on this board actually do? Are they codes to get more minutes or free things???

The codes are used for different parts of the programming of the phone. Everything from what number is programmed in to how fast your phone talks to the network. I don't know what everything does, but I'm trying to find out what I can. "Free" things from the programming menus doesn't look like there will be a ton of options.

Originally posted by: Haffamazin
Another question about VM... Does the call timing start while the call is being made before anyone picks up on the other line or does it start when they actually pick up???

The call starts the second you press the connect button, but you won't be charged unless someone picks up. If the phone rings for 30 seconds, and you speak for 40 seconds, you are charged for 70 seconds, or two minutes. However if the phone rings for 30 seconds and nobody picks up, you are charged nothing.

[HumpMan]

Originally posted by: Sigma
And if you want, I can tell you how to make you phone be able to compose texts of over 210 characters instead of the default 160.

Uh, thanks, but 125 characters is plenty for me. And would just changing the phone do any good? I think the network limitations of SMS are a big part of the message length limitations. I think any characters in excess of the network limitation just get truncated.

I'm not 100% certain of this, but I think the reason there is confusion (to me at least) between the 125 and 160 character limits is due to what constitutes the message and what is part of the addressing. I'm thinking that the full message with addressing info can be 160 characters, but the message itself is limited to 125. Or said another way, the full message is 160 characters, and the assumption is that miscellaneous addressing or other system info is assumed to only take up 45 characters. But this is largely just a guess.

the HumpMan

[Haffamazin]

Is there any way to get the WAP with virgin mobile our will I have to stay with the virgin extras thing??? Any other cool secrets or cheats????????

[Airb330]

I think FREEUP is better for me since I talk alot on the weekends, but I think Virgin is easier to use and better for some people. I bought my dad one for christmas and it has worked out nicely, just wish Sprint was better.

[Haffamazin]

I would talk a lot on weekends too but FREEUP has expensive phones which i cant afford.

[Airb330]

Originally posted by: Haffamazin
I would talk a lot on weekends too but FREEUP has expensive phones which i cant afford.

The 120c is still pretty cheap, just think of the money you'd save on weekends with FREEUP. Also, a cheap phone (5185i) could be activated on FREEUP, if you bought from ebay. Either way, both are good choices.

[crash2012]

Originally posted by: Haffamazin

Theres really a way to do this??? I really want to know how! Are there any other useful secrets like these??? And what do those debug and security codes i've been reading about on this board actually do? Are they codes to get more minutes or free things??? I am new to cell phones so when I get mine I want to know what it can do inside and out... u know what i mean???

Another question about VM... Does the call timing start while the call is being made before anyone picks up on the other line or does it start when they actually pick up???

heres what ya do, if ya mess up ur phone, its not my fault. at the main screen press 111111 then press the call button on the screen should change to option. then select it. then go to programming. the default code should 868666. if thats not it then i cant help ya anymore. once ur in there just look around and find the sms part, theres on thing in there called max message size. thats what ya change to 210. 210 is the max u can put in there.