Virgin Media Retention thread

batleyboy_2

Hi all, is there a best time to ring up to get through to retentions to discuss leaving or getting a better deal on your current package ? Do they work at weekends or just monday to friday ?

Mr_K

It says on their answerphone it's Monday to Friday. However I rang yesterday (Sat) at 9am and got through to a very helpful person. Suspect they won't be open today (Sun) but no harm in trying. Whatever you do, don't bother with the normal CS.

I was paying £54.40 for XL tv, M Phone, L BB with a V+ and extra (very old) Pace box in the bedroom. Rang up and got the Pace box replaced with a VHD for free and the monthly charged reduced to £47.40.

Then I read somewhere that the extra box is free is you get Tivo and on the XL tv pack (they don't seem to advertise this much !). Hence my call yesterday So am getting Tivo installed instead of the V+ and the bill is reduced to £43.90. Not that bothered about TiVo, but if it works out cheaper with the extra box, it's a no brainer. New 12 month contract and a £49.95 installation fee of course, but I'm happy enough with that.

Poppy9

Tivo box stopped working after a day and half.

First no catch up, now no TV at all. Rang CS and told it's been the same all week with people ringing complaining their boxes aren't working.


Plus to add insult to injury checked my account today and they have charged me £49 for installation. I'm not happy as I was told it was free and luckily I have an email from them confirming this so I've sent them a copy of the email.


Engineer booked for Weds to replace box. Should have stuck with the V+ box

visidigi

I must admit, I need to call them today and I am seriously considering a second V+ instead of TiVO, why, because the V+ just WORKS.

liam8282

visidigi wrote: »

I must admit, I need to call them today and I am seriously considering a second V+ instead of TiVO, why, because the V+ just WORKS.

Can you still get new V+ boxes though?

I am keeping mine V+ and getting a tv, so I am not really that concerned.

If there are problems with tivo it will probably be just teething problems that will be worked out. If not, I would just complain and refuse to pay for the service.

Poppy9

Virgin are doing a free upgrade of TV package for 3 months so I've upgraded from m+ tv to L today, a week after I renegotiated my package and it lasts till Feb. After that it's £6 a month but I've set a reminder on my phone to cancel it

They have also cancelled my installation charge and credited me for lack of service, though TV working now but limited.

Midnight_Tboy

stupid question alert.

When I received the callback from retentions and made my deal (27.40 per month for 30mb and basic phone line).......whilst asking other questions such as total inclusive price, no installation fee, self install, etc.....I forgot to last if the deal would be for the life of the account (obv not factoring in regular price rises)

The superhub is supposed to be delivered today, so I'll have that to look forward to sorting out soon, but if I was to ring up CS or retentions, would they have on the info how long the deal should be active for?

alspants123

Hi All,

Thought I would update you all on how I got on haggling with VM

I phoned retentions back citing sky deals and cashback offers and explained I was happy with VM but hard cash was king! I listened to the operative give me the spiel on how poor sky were, having to insure the sky box etc and then got down to haggling, first offer for

large bb
xltv
m phone
tivo 500mg
v+ box in another room (i only have one telly!!)

was £48.90 but no up front fees.

I pointed out I had received an offer of £43.90 and install+connections fee of £29.95 total only 2 days before from them, he explained he was waving the fee of £29.95 and could match the £43.90 per month. I agreed fair deal but I had been on the forums and knew I could cancel and get offered a better deal but thats not how I liked to do business (a complete lie!) suddenly the £29.95 disappered and we settled on:

Large bb
xltv
m phone
tivo box (1tb for £49.95 install and connection)
v+ in another room (which i still dont need but is free)
phone line fee

for £43.90 a month
A fair deal I felt
12 month contract but I can have the deal for 24 months if I wanted.
My negotiating style was pleasent with plenty of "im really tempted" or "I just dont know etc"
Hope this helps.

ffb4

HI all retension deals last for 24 months then goes to regular price apart from half price line rental for 12 months offer but dont think there still offering that.

Midnight_Tboy wrote: »

stupid question alert.

When I received the callback from retentions and made my deal (27.40 per month for 30mb and basic phone line).......whilst asking other questions such as total inclusive price, no installation fee, self install, etc.....I forgot to last if the deal would be for the life of the account (obv not factoring in regular price rises)

The superhub is supposed to be delivered today, so I'll have that to look forward to sorting out soon, but if I was to ring up CS or retentions, would they have on the info how long the deal should be active for?

wary

I've just signed up with Virgin Media (currently with Talk Talk) for basic TV, basic phone & XL Broadband package. Also included is SKY Sports 1 & 2 (the main reason for changing) and a Tivo box. Cost is around £65 pcm. I've heard many bad stories about their customer services & the way they handle complaints, and even though I've not yet had it installed, I'm already significantly unimpressed from my own experience to consider cancelling (I haven't yet signed the contract).

Questions are:
1) From having a quick flick through this thread, it sounds like there is generally scope for negotiation. If I cancel and they try to persuade me to stay, should I realistically expect to at least get some kind of reduction on my package as an inducement?
2) Talk Talk told us that as we'll be switching from a phone line to a cable line, there is NO way that we'd be able to retain our existing phone number. However, Virgin say that it is 100% certain that we will keep it. One is telling porkies but I can't tell which, as both would have good reason for doing so. Can anyone shed any light on this?
3) Although I accept that things occasionally go wrong, I do at least expect a company to bend over backwards to put them right, and to have a good customer service & complaints process in place. Has anyone had sufficiently bad experience that they're screaming at me "DON'T DO IT!!!"?