Digital TV Cost Cutting Article - Discuss What You've Been Offered

cathyccu

Here's my experience with Virgin media. My package included Broadband, TV family pack and phone with call barring to mobiles only (I have teenagers!). This was costing me on average £60-£70 pm. Although I wasn't particularly fussed about losing Sky channels, I called Virgin to see what deal they could offer me using the loss of Sky as a bargaining tool.

After an hour of quite enjoyable haggling with the disconnections dept, I now have faster broadband, basic (freeview) TV package and unlimited local & national calls 24/7 (keeping my mobile call barring too) for £19.95pm with a promise that this will continue for the life of my contract with them. It is the best hour I've spent on a call in a long time! It is definitely worth trying-just keep the call polite and friendly and don't necessarily accept the first deal they offer.

Saeed

I got sky 2 mixes free standard box free install 6 month contract for £75. Was going to get an aerial fitted as called virgin tv package, but aerial guys wanted in the region of £60-150, cheaper to do it this way. This offer is still available if anyone wants it. The offer code is 6 MCP. Is it OK to have a Virgin phone line or is BT line a must. I know they charge extra if you don't have a phone line to plug your sky box into, but is Telewest (Virgin) phone line OK?

dtdunn01

Just off the phone to VirginMedia and easily got a better deal after saying a "friend" got a better deal. I was paying £40 per month now I pay £24 and have double Broadband speed! Well worth the 15mins call waiting!
Deal for £24 is:
TV: M
Broadband: L (2mb)
Phone: M

Was also offered for £30:
TV: L
BB: L
Phone: M

Happy bargaining.

ryouga

I thought Id show my(well, brag) my good news, I was supposed to get a £49 new Grade A SKY+ box with free install and free multiroom as I had some premium channels, but the Engineer mucked me around and told me the broadband would interfere with multiroom and so I needed a second socket in bedroom where it was going.

I phoned SKY who told me this was wrong, they then contacted engineer who then said that wasnt what I was told, it was the fact my roof needs new tiles so has plastic sheets over it, and so the multiroom cable couldnt go over roof, and their insurance meant they couldnt put it through loft.

After a 30 minute phone call, where I played all innocent and said I had no tv as my flat didnt have an outdoor aerial and indoor aerials didnt work, and the guy kept telling me to just order the basic SKY box as that had free install, he put me through to sales, and canceled my original order, sales then tried to get me to get SKY+ and multiroom(which is stupid) and I said just living room as multiroom couldnt be installed, and I said I was worried as I have been messed about by engineer and I really wanted SKY+, at first he offered me a refurbished one, but I said no, and he then offered me a new A grade one for £49 with free installation, plus I wont have to pay the £10 per month SKY+ subscription!

Lady_K

Had a call from sky yesterday saying they noticed I had cancelled my subscription with them and asked why. I told them I had previously been on the half price deal and when it ended they wouldnt renew it. He said what would make me come back, I said if they gave me the offer back again and he said we can offer you 10% off thats the only offer available now so I said thankyou but no I always said if I couldnt get it at least half price I wouldnt bother anymore as I also have Virgin media so its not worth it to me.

So that was that end of convo Must say I havent missed it though even though my virgin media one is upstairs in a bedroom. I'm thinking of making that one the free tv too coz I cant afford the price they offered me £34.95 for xl tv xl phone and 2mb bb

equitydealer

ryouga wrote: »

..... but the Engineer mucked me and he then offered me a new A grade one for £49 with free installation, plus I wont have to pay the £10 per month SKY+ subscription!

If you have premium channels there is no £10 p/month fee anyway!

ginjim

had two calls since we left sky(about a month ago) they asked why and we gave our reasons

they just put the phone down
seems like gone are the days where they offer you good deals
tbh we're saving money kids havent really noticed anything they have enough dvds for entertainment
i'm on the computer and the xbox if i wan to
itv channels are adequate for entertainment
not missing sky at all really

Bobus

I followed the advice on this forum and to my amassment saved a whole bundle of cash a month!!

I'm with virgin paying £64 a month on various services

Firstly I tried customer services and got absolutely no where, I tried again hoping to get a different response but I got the identical story from the second call which was that there was nothing they could do to give me a better deal.

I then called the disconnection department....and I got a whole different response.
I told them I was not happy with the service I was getting that I had lost my Simpson's and Lost etc, and that a friend at work had the same package and was paying far less and what could they do to encourage me to stay with them given all the other alternatives around.

The fella after looking at my account knocked my monthly payments down to £36 a month for exactly the same services So over the next year that's £300 quid I've saved!!

mustbemad

Hi,

I was just wondering how long people have been with NTL/Virgin Media before they have rang up and got a deal on their package? Do you have to be out of contract to get offered anything decent?

Thanks for any help,

MBM x

wilf55

no ring up and complain that you have lost some of the channels that you originally signed up because of

my friend did and got an amazing deal 7 months into contract although i havent got the details to hand even she was absolutely amazed they were almost paying her to have virgin good luck