Please Help me with Virgin conundrum?

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  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    edited 29 September 2016 at 3:50PM
    zuliano wrote: »
    I went to the Uswitch site and put in postcode and copied these three deals from top of list:

    I am guessing the virgin one is for NEW and not loyal customers??
    But it will also give you a clue as to where to pitch any negotiations as an existing customer.
    But I am confused if the others are or are not better deals than the actual deal Virgin has given me of £57.48 per month going up to £60.48 per month...?
    They are better deals. There are also PlusNet and Talktalk to consider, who tend to be cheaper still.
    And why in the Sky and BT in SKY deal does it say in the section 'Free' whilst underneath it has £17.40?
    OFCOM and the ASA allow the comms companies to factor out the line rental when considering if a package is free or not. You still have to pay it (although some companies give a discount when you pay a year in advance).


    The big question about this thread that I don't see an answer to, is what do you actually want and need? It may be that you are confused as to what the options are, or you think that all the packages are the same?

    - Do you need Pay TV (i.e. premium channels and downloads that are not part of Freeview)? If so, which channels do you need?

    - Do you need Catch-up TV on your TV? Which channels?

    - Do you have an aerial on the property, or an existing satellite dish? Do you know which TV reception options are available there?

    - What BB service do you need? What do you use it for?

    The most basic option of ADSL broadband with free calls will cost from about £7.50 per month plus line rental. Depending on your answers to the questions above will determine how much more than that you'll need to pay.
  • zuliano
    zuliano Posts: 105 Forumite
    If your mother has Dementia I wouldn't be installing a decoder from another supplier to her TV. Does she actually watch TV? Does she use the telephone?

    Do you live there with her?
    These are all questions I'd be asking prior to accepting a "deal" whereby she'll be paying around £60 a month in a new 18 month contract, especially as you say you are in financial difficulties.

    If it's only your TV, telephony and broadband needs being catered for then you might need to seriously consider Freeview for TV and a basic landline and broadband package (with whichever supplier offers the cheapest deal).

    Hi Moneyineptitude (lol your user name explains how I am feeling lately :) )
    Just to fill you in first where I am at. I looked at Virgin community site, and somone had said to another 'ask for a loyalty discount'. My mum has been with these people well before Virgin took over. IE from the very first cold call at the door when they were planning to lay the cables. Then it was Cable&Wireless. later it became NtlWorld, and then/now Virgin. We have TV, Computer (desktop), and TV with them. So I really feel she/we desrve a loyalty discount.
    HOWEVER, after telling the TV advisro he said I needed to depat to the err 'Retentions Team (if I remember right, and then promising me it would remain a free call, I get a recorded voice saying I will have to wait !% minutes, and am having to bear the most awful muzak ever!!! :mad:


    OK answering your questions. My mum has vascular dementia. She is not, thank goodness, totally gaga, but does have serious memory problems so much so she cannot drive a car anymore. But she does watch tv
    And she can use the phone.
    we dont have mobile/smartphones

    yes I live with her and am a carer

    We have three tellys. the one in the lounge is the one connected to the Virgin Tivo box. The one in the living room is freeview as is the one in mum's bedroom

    Can you get catchup TV with freeview (you cannot with the ones we have) and Eurosport, we love tennis
    If it's only your TV, telephony and broadband needs being catered for then you might need to seriously consider Freeview for TV and a basic landline and broadband package (with whichever supplier offers the cheapest deal).

    yes your not first person to mention FREEview! it sounds good! when i think about it most of what is watched are the soaps. film 4, sky arts, eurosport

    JUST been speaking with member of Retention Team, he NOW says mum can have deal of £53.00 per month, unlimited calls, 50MB broadband, and player bundle channels for full annual contract

    From today we have 14 day cooling off period whether we accept this contract or not
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    edited 29 September 2016 at 4:19PM
    Some freeview broadcasters have free catch-up services, these are: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, Demand5/My5, QuestOD and UKTV Player(Dave, Really, Yesterday & Drama).

    If your catch-up service(s) are not on that list, the chances are that you will have to pay for them and/or pay for the box that receives them.

    Likewise, FilmFour, Eurosport and Sky Arts may or may not be available on various services. Each of them has a published channel list that you can check. Filmfour is available on Freeview.

    Unless you are catching-up several programs simultaneously, you do not need 50Mb BB, so don't be misled into thinking that 17Mb ADSL will not suit your needs, as it may do. You need to check the likely speed at your address on the Website of your possible new provider.

    If you want to access the Catch-up services above without a full Pay TV contract, the easiest way is to get a Youview box. You can either buy one, or get one in a Broadband/TV bundle from BT, Plusnet or Talktalk (as Youview is proprietary to them (kind of)). e.g. Talktalk Essentials TV is £7.50 pm + £17.70 line rental.
  • zuliano
    zuliano Posts: 105 Forumite
    Cornucopia wrote: »
    But it will also give you a clue as to where to pitch any negotiations as an existing customer.


    They are better deals. There are also PlusNet and Talktalk to consider, who tend to be cheaper still.


    OFCOM and the ASA allow the comms companies to factor out the line rental when considering if a package is free or not. You still have to pay it (although some companies give a discount when you pay a year in advance).


    The big question about this thread that I don't see an answer to, is what do you actually want and need? It may be that you are confused as to what the options are, or you think that all the packages are the same?

    - Do you need Pay TV (i.e. premium channels and downloads that are not part of Freeview)? If so, which channels do you need?

    - Do you need Catch-up TV on your TV? Which channels?

    - Do you have an aerial on the property, or an existing satellite dish? Do you know which TV reception options are available there?

    - What BB service do you need? What do you use it for?

    The most basic option of ADSL broadband with free calls will cost from about £7.50 per month plus line rental. Depending on your answers to the questions above will determine how much more than that you'll need to pay.

    what do you actually want and need? It may be that you are confused as to what the options are, or you think that all the packages are the same?

    - Do you need Pay TV (i.e. premium channels and downloads that are not part of Freeview)? If so, which channels do you need?

    - Do you need Catch-up TV on your TV? Which channels?

    - Do you have an aerial on the property, or an existing satellite dish? Do you know which TV reception options are available there?

    - What BB service do you need? What do you use it for?

    yes I am confused. THIS phenomenon, the multichannels etc just seems to have taken over (when I was a kid there was two and then BBC2 which gave us 3 came, and then channel 4, and now...!!! I don't ever remember begging for 100 channels or whatever, and there are LOTS I don't watch as I am sure you and others here dont? Main reason is the godamn adverts. Most often than not you surf the channels and it is nearly always ads.
    But there is a novelty of sometimes surfing through stuff and hitting on some interesting thing. But my favourite channel went online, BBC 3. I also like Eurosport (as does mum) for tennis, and Sky Arts

    IF I could get money down even further by telling them the channels I dont want I would, but they have their own 'packages'. I got A price-deal down a short while ago by agreeing to reduce channels to the 'play bundle'

    Do we need pay TV? GREAT question! I suppose we have just accepted this for some reason. i DO like using catchup in the morning for stuff I may have missed at night. if it wasn't for mum I would get rid of TV and just use computer. Does freeview have a catchup service ? The freeview we have seem quite limited.
    It never occured to me that our existing TV could access freeview! :o

    We have an aerial but not a satellite dish

    Which channels for catchup? Usually the main ones. The ones provided BY Virgin are fairly limited also. Just the channels you could get with freeview
    - What BB service do you need? What do you use it for?

    you mean broadband? I am on the computer a lot and frequently use the internet
  • zuliano
    zuliano Posts: 105 Forumite
    Cornucopia wrote: »
    Some freeview broadcasters have free catch-up services, these are: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, Demand5/My5, QuestOD and UKTV Player(Dave, Really, Yesterday & Drama).

    If your catch-up service(s) are not on that list, the chances are that you will have to pay for them and/or pay for the box that receives them.

    Likewise, FilmFour, Eurosport and Sky Arts may or may not be available on various services. Each of them has a published channel list that you can check. Filmfour is available on Freeview.

    Unless you are catching-up several programs simultaneously, you do not need 50Mb BB, so don't be misled into thinking that 17Mb ADSL will not suit your needs, as it may do. You need to check the likely speed at your address on the Website of your possible new provider.

    If you want to access the Catch-up services above without a full Pay TV contract, the easiest way is to get a Youview box. You can either buy one, or get one in a Broadband/TV bundle from BT, Plusnet or Talktalk (as Youview is proprietary to them (kind of)). e.g. Talktalk Essentials TV is £7.50 pm + £17.70 line rental.

    Thanks. I am going to really study what your saying. I have had nearly a full day of this business with Virgin and need now to chill out, so I will get back on this etc tomorrow.

    Thank you and everyone here for this great help :beer:
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    edited 29 September 2016 at 7:18PM
    zuliano wrote: »
    But my favourite channel went online, BBC 3.
    Not being funny, and good luck to you, but you're not exactly their target audience. :)

    I also like Eurosport (as does mum) for tennis, and Sky Arts

    IF I could get money down even further by telling them the channels I dont want I would, but they have their own 'packages'. I got A price-deal down a short while ago by agreeing to reduce channels to the 'play bundle'
    Unfortunately, that would be too easy. It can be configured, but you have to do the work in deciding whether the bundle of channels is enough for you. FWIW, each of the main providers now have TV bundles, Sky & VM with their own technology, BT, Plusnet & Talktalk with Youview boxes. EE also have a TV service based on their own proprietary box (which seems to be well regarded).
    Do we need pay TV? GREAT question! I suppose we have just accepted this for some reason. i DO like using catchup in the morning for stuff I may have missed at night. if it wasn't for mum I would get rid of TV and just use computer. Does freeview have a catchup service ? The freeview we have seem quite limited.
    It never occured to me that our existing TV could access freeview! :o
    Catch-up and Pay are not necessarily the same thing. See my other comments about the Catch-up players you can access for free with a Youview box.

    The question of whether you want Pay TV or not is not a chatty interlude. It's probably costing you c £30pm for your current Pay setup compared to something more basic but functional.
    you mean broadband? I am on the computer a lot and frequently use the internet
    Okay. But not gaming, so not high usage.
  • OK fresh new sunny morning!

    Here is a receipt I got from Virgin late yesterday:

    Please take a minute to read through and check everything is as it should be. This email is not a bill, so the price quoted does not include any paper bill or direct charges you may have on your account. It does contain useful information about your services and about our billing.
    Your Updated Package ...

    Player Bundle Talk More Anytime
    Player TV (M)
    TiVo Monthly Fee
    SuperFibre 50





















    Bundle charges total £34.00 Promotional offer(s) Loyalty Discount £7 per month for 18 months









    Promotional offer(s) total £7.00CR Phone line rental Telephone Line Rental








    Phone line rental total £17.99












    New monthly package total* £44.99 Chargeable from 30 September 2016






































    *Prices correct as at today's date.

    THAT nis their current offer--as far I I am aware. they seem to chop and change at a whim. That's my experience in last few days of 'wheeling and dealing' with them!

    For example this is about the 3rd deal I have had where I actually get a receipt confirmation

    I am a ver ynaive technological consumer. I really do not know what is what. All I know is I use a desk top computer, and we have telephone (landline. No mobile phones) and the TV and box (Tivo box )

    I am not sure if 50 MB just refers to computer? or computer and TV. So I am going slow with this so I can understand hopefully what is going on!
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    edited 30 September 2016 at 11:07AM
    zuliano wrote: »
    I am not sure if 50 MB just refers to computer? or computer and TV. So I am going slow with this so I can understand hopefully what is going on!

    50MB is total data - so Computer + Catch-up TV. Your live TV is on a separate signal on the same Virgin cable but doesn't count as this kind of data. 50MB is way more than you need based on the usage you have described.

    Unfortunately, and I totally understand where you are coming from, you are probably not going to get much further with this until you know what you want/need and what you can do without. You also need to decide whether your preferred premium channels (Eurosport & Sky Arts) are worth the c. £25-35 per month that they are probably going to cost in terms of the subscription required and the necessary equipment to receive them on.
  • zuliano
    zuliano Posts: 105 Forumite
    we have a sony widescreen TV. These type of sets just preceeded the TVs that started looking very slim width
    However it has great picture, and like this neighbour who is professional electrician said, the audio of these kinds of models have better audio than the stick thin TVs because of the depth of them

    So. am wondering if like pay tv, freeview can be adapted to the older type of TV?
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    zuliano wrote: »
    So. am wondering if like pay tv, freeview can be adapted to the older type of TV?

    Yes, it can.

    There are basic boxes from around £25, recording boxes from around £100 and recording boxes with catch-up from about £125.

    You will also get a Freeview-based box included if you subscribe to a TV & Broadband bundle from BT, Talktalk, Plusnet or EE.
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