Virgin has released a statement promising that all current contracts will be honoured and has promised that customers will be contacted with more information. Meanwhile, Virgin will stop selling phone plans from June 15 2018 and Virgin stores will close throughout the same month.
While Virgin will be honouring all current contracts, our guess is that those contracts may not be run under the Virgin brand. Virgin Mobile, though owned by Optus, operates an independent business with its own sales, management, market, support staff and stores. As the shut-down takes place you may start noticing that you're getting communications, bills, support and marketing from Optus rather than Virgin.
Maybe you're happy for your Virgin contract to be handled by Optus, in which case the best thing for you to do for the time being is nothing. Just wait and see what happens. But if you'd prefer to take your business elsewhere, you definitely have options.
Here are the steps you need to take:
If you're currently under contract with Virgin Mobile, you can leave early if you want to, but you will probably have to pay a fee. Happily, Virgin Mobile actually have some of the better early exit options around.
If you're on a month-to-month plan, you're in the best position. You can leave at any time without facing any penalties.
If you're on a handset contract, generally all you have to do to leave early is pay out the remaining cost of your phone, plus any extra charges you might've incurred at the point of cancellation – such as excess usage fees (hopefully, you don't have any!).
And if you're on a SIM-only contract plan? You may need to pay a cancellation fee. How much will depend on how long you have to go on your contract.
Check our guide to leaving your Virgin Mobile contract for full details on costs and considerations.
Optus is phasing out the Virgin brand precisely because of the amount of competition the company's facing on the market right now. Which means if you can get out of your Virgin contract early, this is a great opportunity to see what other deals are out there. Here are our picks for Virgin Mobile alternatives based on what you might be looking for ...
Mobile plans on the Optus network
Virgin Mobile isn't the only cut-price phone provider offering plans on the Optus network. In actual fact, there are thirteen others. We won't go through them all here, but here are just a few to consider:
Compare all plans on the Optus network:
Mobile plans with "fair data"
Maybe you loved Virgin Mobile for its "fair data" policy. While there may not be another telco out there with the exact same benefits that Virgin offered, inclusions like data-free music streaming and data rollover are becoming increasingly common on the market. Here are just a few providers who might be able to meet your need for fair data:
Compare plans from Boost, Belong and ALDI Mobile:
If you can get out of your Virgin contract and have a new carrier lined up for your business, it's time to get switching. And the good news is you can definitely keep your phone number. There are even laws that protect that right. Here's what you need to do:
Your old service will continue to work until the transfer has been completed.
In most cases, your new service will be activated within in a few hours. If you're lucky, you'll be up and running in minutes, but the process can take a day or two in some cases – so you may need to be patient.
SIM cards store very little information these days, which means all of your contacts, phone numbers, emails and photos are either stored on your phone or in the cloud. Switching carriers will not delete any of your personal information.