Virgin Media Retention thread

daisylou_466

Trying to get a better deal as I am paying about £52 for TV L, Phone M, Broadband 20Mb on a superhub (I have the original Telewest TV box from about 14 years ago!!).

I called them today to say I was going to Talk Talk on their Essential TV package (£7.50 + £15.50 line rental) - their response was I would get really poor broadband speed, they estimated 2Mb.

They offered to change my services to the following:

TV M (freeview basically)
Tivo box (but I have to pay £49.95 for it)
Broadband 30Mb (new superhub 2)
Phone M

They have offered me this at £28.99 for 6 months and then £33.99 for 6 months.

I said I'd think about it. New customers can get the same deal without paying for the Tivo box and saving £6 on what I've been offered.

I don't think I really need 30Mb or the new Superhub 2, got Superhub last year from them.

I'd really like a Tivo box at no cost after living with Telewest box for so long. Not sure how I'll cope with just Freeview channels but willing to give it a go.

What do you think I should do now. Should I go back and specifically ask for what I want eg no Superhub 2 but Tivo box for free or should I tell them to go ahead with cancellation and see what retentions offer me - does anyone think it's likely to be a better offer?

jatinmistry_uk

After speaking to cancellation team managed to get M+ TV together with asian bundle, 30MB Broadband, XL Phone on TIVO for £40 per month (plus line rental paid in advance). All the deals posted here assuming are exculding phone line rental as no one seems to mention.

I think I have got a decent deal. What do you all think?

lozsta

I posted the following in another thread:

Hi All

Looking for advice really. I am about a month and 2 days off the end of my VM contract. I want to cancel to get a decent deal as it were, and I notice that there are people talking about 75% off their accounts.

I am wondering if they could provide their tactics for me to try. I currently have the following:

• Telephone XL I believe it is called anytime calls to normal phones
• TV XL TiVo box and VM HD box in another room. (this incs BT sports)
• 60Mbps broadband (which due to over utilisation issues for the entire contract I have had about £14 a month back on but it requires I call)
• Sky Sports HD package which is about £37.50.

I am currently paying about £110 for this. It is too much as far as I am concerned but I am not going back to BT (their customer services is terrible), however I have seen some sky deals that look interesting but nothing with the speed of the internet that VM provide (even if it is very over subscribed).

For what I am getting I would consider a 50% reduction to be acceptable so around the £50 mark, however reading about 75% off that would obviously be even better.

Also how have people got VM to lock their contracts as they raised the price twice since I joined. So it has gone up by a tenner a month basically or £120 a year.

Called retentions this afternoon and said I would like to cancel. The lady um'd and arr'd a bit and after mentioning that I have netflix added (which in no way tied me into another contract because it was not mentioned on the call when I asked about Netflix) she managed to get my deal down to £89 with evening and weekend calls and not any time (to be fair I barely use the phone and the missus has it for her parents to call on (they don't believe in paying for mobiles).

I am wondering how to approach this now as I have an idea of what I want to pay, I didn't mention it to the lady as she had only managed to get to £89... How long till they call me? Will they call?:rotfl:

visidigi

lozsta wrote: »

I posted the following in another thread:

Hi All

Looking for advice really. I am about a month and 2 days off the end of my VM contract. I want to cancel to get a decent deal as it were, and I notice that there are people talking about 75% off their accounts.

I am wondering if they could provide their tactics for me to try. I currently have the following:

• Telephone XL I believe it is called anytime calls to normal phones
• TV XL TiVo box and VM HD box in another room. (this incs BT sports)
• 60Mbps broadband (which due to over utilisation issues for the entire contract I have had about £14 a month back on but it requires I call)
• Sky Sports HD package which is about £37.50.

I am currently paying about £110 for this. It is too much as far as I am concerned but I am not going back to BT (their customer services is terrible), however I have seen some sky deals that look interesting but nothing with the speed of the internet that VM provide (even if it is very over subscribed).

For what I am getting I would consider a 50% reduction to be acceptable so around the £50 mark, however reading about 75% off that would obviously be even better.

Also how have people got VM to lock their contracts as they raised the price twice since I joined. So it has gone up by a tenner a month basically or £120 a year.

Called retentions this afternoon and said I would like to cancel. The lady um'd and arr'd a bit and after mentioning that I have netflix added (which in no way tied me into another contract because it was not mentioned on the call when I asked about Netflix) she managed to get my deal down to £89 with evening and weekend calls and not any time (to be fair I barely use the phone and the missus has it for her parents to call on (they don't believe in paying for mobiles).

I am wondering how to approach this now as I have an idea of what I want to pay, I didn't mention it to the lady as she had only managed to get to £89... How long till they call me? Will they call?:rotfl:

75% off is sky, not VM, Virgin will not give you 75% your package. Virgin will not give you 50% off your package.

You cannot lock in your price either, not until the new OfCom rules come into force.

VM make very little if anything on the Sky Sports package - so you will need to pay the £37.50 as a starting point before anything else.

I have recently gone through the full cancellation process and this is my package now:

60mb BB
Basic Phone (we never use it)
XL TV, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Premium HD
1TB TiVO Downstairs
500GB TiVO Upstairs

£89 a month

The simple truth is if you want something that makes them no money then they wont deal with you. Be realistic. As it stands im afraid you aren't in the right ballpark with your price requirements

lozsta

Your Package below:

60mb BB
Basic Phone (we never use it)
XL TV, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Premium HD
1TB TiVO Downstairs
500GB TiVO Upstairs

£89 a month

Has 2 TiVos and Sky Movies. I have a VHD box and one 500GB TiVo so you have a better deal that I do, so what I am thinking isn't too bad. If I was to get them to £75 I would sign but they are sticking with their £89, which for that price you have a better deal than I have... So I have room for movement then?

crazygoog

Hi. I am currently getting:

XL TV
XL BB (60Mb)
M Phone (weekends)
Talk 08 2
Additional V+HD box upstairs
500Gb Tivo
Sky Sports (not HD)

Already paid line rental saver last year too.

This is coming to £80 p/m and any discounts I had have since fallen off. Could I realistically expect to save a decent amount on this?

Any advice appreciated through your experiences.

lozsta

visidigi wrote: »

75% off is sky, not VM, Virgin will not give you 75% your package. Virgin will not give you 50% off your package.

You cannot lock in your price either, not until the new OfCom rules come into force.

You mean these rules?

http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/10/23/protection-for-consumers-against-mid-contract-price-rises/

The locking of contracts from OfCom apparently could breach EU law but it is a step forward.

@CrazyGoog

That is a reasonable price I think compared to my £110 for HD and anytime calls...

visidigi

lozsta wrote: »

Your Package below:

60mb BB
Basic Phone (we never use it)
XL TV, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Premium HD
1TB TiVO Downstairs
500GB TiVO Upstairs

£89 a month

Has 2 TiVos and Sky Movies. I have a VHD box and one 500GB TiVo so you have a better deal that I do, so what I am thinking isn't too bad. If I was to get them to £75 I would sign but they are sticking with their £89, which for that price you have a better deal than I have... So I have room for movement then?

I've been with them 11 years, had the 1TB TiVo since day one of it being available, the 500GB was added this subscription period. The cost difference between the boxes is a matter of £5 - but I already had the equipment that mattered (the second TiVo replaced a V+HD so I was already paying a second box surcharge)

Sky Sports £35.70 in HD and its £41.25 for Sky Movies and Sports in HD.

If you took those two things into account £10.55 is the difference between you and me when equipment is compared.

I have never managed to get VM to less than £89 for a XL TV, Sky Sports and Movies and 60mb BB... I don't think you can...

I went for newer equipment and kept the price higher to get the deal I wanted. You have to know what you want and be realistic.

75% isn't going to happen, 50% isn't going to happen.

£114.24 is the list price for my package.
£89 is what I pay.

That's a 23% discount.

crazygoog

lozsta wrote: »

@CrazyGoog

That is a reasonable price I think compared to my £110 for HD and anytime calls...

You really think? This is pretty much bog-standard rate as there are no retention/loyalty discounts on my bill. If that is the only 2 things you have extra to me then you should be calling them up for a better deal.

hardwyred

lozsta wrote: »

I posted the following in another thread:

Hi All

Looking for advice really. I am about a month and 2 days off the end of my VM contract. I want to cancel to get a decent deal as it were, and I notice that there are people talking about 75% off their accounts.

I am wondering if they could provide their tactics for me to try. I currently have the following:

• Telephone XL I believe it is called anytime calls to normal phones
• TV XL TiVo box and VM HD box in another room. (this incs BT sports)
• 60Mbps broadband (which due to over utilisation issues for the entire contract I have had about £14 a month back on but it requires I call)
• Sky Sports HD package which is about £37.50.

I am currently paying about £110 for this. It is too much as far as I am concerned but I am not going back to BT (their customer services is terrible), however I have seen some sky deals that look interesting but nothing with the speed of the internet that VM provide (even if it is very over subscribed).

For what I am getting I would consider a 50% reduction to be acceptable so around the £50 mark, however reading about 75% off that would obviously be even better.

Also how have people got VM to lock their contracts as they raised the price twice since I joined. So it has gone up by a tenner a month basically or £120 a year.

Called retentions this afternoon and said I would like to cancel. The lady um'd and arr'd a bit and after mentioning that I have netflix added (which in no way tied me into another contract because it was not mentioned on the call when I asked about Netflix) she managed to get my deal down to £89 with evening and weekend calls and not any time (to be fair I barely use the phone and the missus has it for her parents to call on (they don't believe in paying for mobiles).

I am wondering how to approach this now as I have an idea of what I want to pay, I didn't mention it to the lady as she had only managed to get to £89... How long till they call me? Will they call?:rotfl:

Having worked myself up to it I finally phoned VM to try to reduce my bill. I was paying around £80 a month, TV XL, 60m BB, XL phone and a £10 subscription to boxnation. Got through to retentions and moved to basic phone, medium TV (I never watched most of the 200 odd channels) and 30m BB saving £35 a month. My friend has the same 30m BB and on the odd occasion he uses my internet finds no difference in speed or connectivity. I don't game or download movies or watch programmes online and use the internet for surfing, banking, reading articles. I've never had problems with VM and didn't want to leave so I am happy with the new deal. I wouldn't be the best haggler in the world, but I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. My aim was to save some money and I've done that. The advice on this site was very helpful, without it I probably would have kept putting off contacting VM. So thanks MSE, saved me serious money.