Ovivo Mobile shuts down
The MVNO, which used ads to offer free tariffs, has disabled its services without warning.
Ovivo Mobile has closed down.
The firm posted a message on its website on Wednesday evening saying:
“We are very sad to announce that for reasons beyond our control Ovivo Mobile is closing down on the evening of Wednesday 19th March 2014.
“We'd like to thank each and every one of you for your support and friendship over the last two years.”
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Ovivo Mobile
Ovivo Mobile was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator or MVNO.
It piggybacked off Vodafone’s network to provide its service and used an unusual model to attract customers.
The firm would charge a one-off £20 for a SIM card and had free tariffs that came with 150 minutes, 250 texts and 500MB data, which you could get if you agreed to receive promotions every 10 minutes.
The business model kept the company going for two years and managed to rack up 50,000 subscribers.
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Shut down
But now Ovivo's service has been disabled.
Customers are no longer able to make calls, text or browse the web and are unable to access their online accounts.
The firm’s Twitter and Facebook pages have also been pulled, leaving customers adrift with nowhere to turn for information.
Users have taken to Twitter and web forums to vent their frustration.
Many are upset that they received no warning and that the company had allowed some purchases to go through hours before the service shut down.
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What Ovivo customers can do
If you were an Ovivo customer and want to keep your mobile number, you will need to fill out a form on the Ovivo website in order to request a PAC code.
However, Ovivo has warned this could take some time. It stated: “We will arrange for your PAC code to arrive as quickly as possible but there is a high demand for this service.’”
If you had unused credit you may be able to get your money back.
Providing you made the purchases using a Visa or MasterCard you may be able to claim through what’s called a chargeback service.
To use this process you’ll need to contact your bank within 120 days and ask it to instigate a chargeback for the value of your purchases. For more read Your rights when a company goes bust.
If your claim is rejected, you may be able to take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
To find a replacement mobile service you can compare deals on Recombu.
Cashback website Top Cashback has announced that it will be honouring all outstanding Ovivo Mobile cashback.
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