Virgin Money |
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Virgin Money Like all Virgin companies, Virgin Money was launched to give customers a better deal. We aim to offer you a wide range of great value financial products that are easy to understand and sort out. Plain English and straightforward dealing are what we believe in, backed by real customer service. Virgin Money Imagine a place where you get great deals on all your financial needs without having to shop around. Somewhere service isn't just a slogan on a wall. They pick up the phone when it rings and call you back when they promise. And they remember it's your money. In today's busy world our customers tell us it's why they choose to deal with Virgin rather than anyone else. Virgin Money Below are the key milestones, year by year, in the history of Virgin Money. We’ve started at the top with the big events so far this year, but if you’d rather begin at the beginning, simply scroll down to 1995 - the year Virgin launched into financial services. 2005 January TV campaign launched for Car and Home Insurance 'Don't punish yourself' is the theme as Virgin Money don't charge customers extra for paying monthly. 2004 November Virgin Money wins the Interactive Marketing and Advertising award for Best Finance Advertising Virgin Money May Virgin launches Car, Home, Travel and Pet insurance There's nothing we love more at Virgin than improving the customer's lot. With our new insurance products, not only will they save money on their premiums, but they won't get charged for paying monthly either Richard Branson April Richard Branson takes 100% ownership of Virgin Money Virgin Money As a signal of our ambition and Richard's belief in the company, he invests £90 million to buy out our other 50% shareholder, bringing full ownership of Virgin Money into the Virgin fold. 2003 September Virgin Money welcome our millionth customer worldwide! May Virgin Money goes global Virgin Money Launch of the Virgin Credit Card in Australia begins our plans to roll out our successful UK model around the world. The ‘Oz’ card with its radical new clipped corner, bright colour range, low interest rates and ‘mates’ rewards, is a big hit with Oz customers who’ve been getting a raw credit card deal from their banks for years. Virgin Money January 200,000 card customers The Virgin Credit Card becomes one of the fastest growing cards in the UK. 2002 July Virgin Money grabs more awards Virgin win 'Best Pension Provider' at both The Guardian and Your Money Awards. June The Virgin Card becomes an industry 'Best Buy' The Virgin Card is a regular feature in the best buy tables. Moneyfacts May Virgin launches personal loan February Virgin Direct and virginmoney.com merge to become Virgin Money January Launch of the Virgin Credit Card UK customers have long been made to feel grateful just to be offered a credit card by their bank and it's high time people were given a better deal. Virgin Money Richard Branson 2001 June virginlifeinsurance.com launched Customers can now get cover online in just 10 minutes without all the paperwork.Virgin shines at the Guardian Consumer Finance awards We scoop Best Pension and Overall Best Customer Service. April Stakeholder pension launched Virgin is the only company in the UK to get the green light to automatically turn our existing pension into a Stakeholder, because it already meets all the standards. 2000 June virginmoney.com launched One of the pioneer online supermarkets letting customers shop around for great value on financial products like ISAs, unit trusts, mortgages and life insurance. Virgin Money Virgin judged Call Centre of the Year for third year running May Virgin enters the workplace Our Group Personal Pension is the blueprint for the Government's Stakeholder launch in 2001. April Your Money Direct awards Your Money Direct, voted us 'Best direct ISA and pension provider', as well as 'Best Internet life insurance provider'. March On our fifth birthday we reach 1/3 million customers, insuring peoples lives to the tune of £2 billion. January Virgin calls on FSA to beef up risk wordings in the small print Two years later the Government sponsored 'Sandler Review of long-term saving' is released, reaching the same conclusion. 1999 September Service excellence recognised Virgin wins prestigious Management Today/Unisys Service Excellence Award. April Virgin launches a range of ISAs championing CAT standards January Branson's guide to PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs To help consumers through the ISA minefield. Virgin launches 'Branson's guide to PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs'. 1998 December Virgin leads the way We welcome government plans to 'benchmark' pensions, paving the way for Stakeholder. November Virgin launches deposit account September Virgin fights for standards Virgin (and 10,000 of our customers) lobby parliament to get high standards 'kitemarked'. June Call Centre of the Year Awarded by BPS Teleperformance. Based on 54,000 mystery shop calls to 2,000 companies 1997 October Virgin launches the revolutionary One account August Virgin hits £1 billion funds under management and 200,000 investors May Virgin's pension pack wins top award from the Plain Language Commission February Virgin lobbies Government Virgin is the first company to pledge not to ask life insurance applicants for the results of any genetic tests. After a four year campaign by Virgin the Government force other companies to do likewise. 1996 November Richard puts a rocket up the pension industry The Virgin Personal Pension is launched, years ahead of its time, challenging the cost and complexity of the average pension, which has five or more different charges. May Virgin launches life insurance People ask me why we're getting into the murky world of life insurance. Everyone hates it, all the salesmen seem too unscrupulous, barging into your home and taking a secret commission. It's a terrible industry. Exactly. That's why Virgin can make a difference. Richard Branson February Virgin Direct's first TV advert The opening scene shows a mystery man getting out of his car clutching a bundle of papers. In true Roger Cook fashion, the voice-over explains how last year this man convinced 30,000 people to part with their cash, promising to help them avoid the taxman while taking no commission himself. In the final frame the camera reveals that the culprit is in fact... Richard Branson. 1995 November Virgin slams banks and building societies We launch a major advertising campaign to 'name and shame' banks and building societies that dupe savers over interest rates. They try to silence us by threatening court action. October Income PEP launched Virgin launches the cheapest income PEP on the market and challenges everyone to match our high standards. April £42m invested in first month March Virgin Direct opens for business Virgin pioneers index tracking by launching the best value PEP in the market. Over 4,000 calls received on opening day. Virgin Money |
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