Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

bengood

Hi everyone,

I've spent a lot of time over the last few days looking at changing my Virgin Media service...felt the cost was way too high (averaging £80-£90 per month!)

It has been a LOT of effort to compare different service offerings from different providers, e.g. to see what a comparative service from Sky would cost. There's a lot of ifs and buts..particularly with moving from a cable phone to a BT phone (hence to DSL). Eventually discovered that where I live I'm only likely to get "up to" 6Mb/s on DSL and I have 20Mb/s on cable now!!

Anyways...the latest offer from Virgin is -

20Mb broadband ("XL")
TV M (essentially, freeview channels only)
Telephone including free weekend calls to UK landlines
£30 per month (+£2 for caller ID which I won't live without!)

I'm thinking of going for this one and using 18185 for phone calls.

I was very tempted to go for the v+ box with the XL TV package (would have taken the price to more like £50) - but the reality is I hardly watch TV anyway!! It would have just been a new toy!

Cheers,

Ben

short_of_a_shilling!

10mg broadband
XL TV
XL Phone

£44.00

GizmoBradwell

£14.50 pm for phone and bb is what i used to pay but now my contract has ended i am to pay £22 a month for the same (well an upgrade to 10mb bb whenever whatever), though it's not on contract now. While new customers can get Broadband L + Phone M £5 a month For the first 3 months, then just £14 a month after that.

What do i do? can i cancel my service and sign up again in a week?

If i take a new contract and i move to somewhere that doesn't have cable do i pay any penalties despite it not my fault there's no service to transfer to?

spongerob500

I am tempted to get disconnected from virginmedia and go to SKY. I have till October on my contract, I understand I'll have to pay a disconnection fee. Does anyone know whether it has to be paid in full? or monthly as my bills were?
I pay £40pm for M Broadband (10mb), M TV and M Phone. (No DD charge, Paper billing included) Do you think this is a good deal?

marcellep

spongerob500 wrote: »

I am tempted to get disconnected from virginmedia and go to SKY. I have till October on my contract, I understand I'll have to pay a disconnection fee. Does anyone know whether it has to be paid in full? or monthly as my bills were?
I pay £40pm for M Broadband (10mb), M TV and M Phone. (No DD charge, Paper billing included) Do you think this is a good deal?

When you leave you will get a final bill which you have the usual time scale to pay it, after which time they will send you a red reminder... and also add some charges too.

Its not often worth breaking the contract.

jinky_jack

Hi - first post here! So I hope you can help...

I only require Virgin Broadband. I use freeview only and i'm happy with my set up. I don't currently use a home phone as we just use our mobiles and skype!

I currently pay £20/month for Virgin size L.

I would consider moving up to size XL if I could get a good deal?

I use the internet a lot and also do lots of downloading. Virgin have never let me down so far - I do realise they have terrible customer care but to be honest once the internet is up and running I never use the customer care!

What should I be aiming to pay for 10mb per month? I doubt I would move to any other provider as I don't use a landline so it's not worth me paying line rental.

I hope this babbling makes sense!!

Any advice would be greatfully received!!

Jack

shellyO_3

Im in the same position (ie only want broadband) My contract came to an end and I was told to ring back in 3 weeks when there would be an offer of broadband for £11 a month - completely untrue!

I do NOT want a virgin phone, only broadband and from having paid £14 a month (£10 for 6 mths and £18 for 6 mths) I have been told that I will have to pay £20 a moth! I am absolutely incensed. Tried haggling but no joy.

Any advice? I want a reliable, unlimited company with minimal tech support phoneline costs

Shelly

tfboy

I'm about to give them a call. I've been a "loyal" customer for the last 6 years or so (when they were NTL).

I have no need or desire for TV, all I want is BB and a phone line. I hardly use the phone and I wish the line rental was cheaper, but have just realised I'm on an expensive rate. Paying about 4ppm for local calls at the weekend :rolleyes: So obviously not getting any benefit of the lowest phone package option where you get free eve+w/end calls. Currently paying:

£37 for 20MB XL BB
£11 for phone line rental
£1.75 for caller ID
=====
£49.75 for fixed charges plus maybe £2-3 per month in calls.

Funny how the most loyal customers are the ones who get screwed and you have to renegotiate your contract all the time to keep up. You'd hope they'd give you something back, but of course if you don't ask, you don't get. So I'm gonna ask and I AM gonna get, or else I walk!

tfboy

Well, they've essentially offered me the current deal package:
£20 20Mb XL BB
£11 phone with free w/end calls

That would be a new 12 month contract. I asked about moving house and they did say that there's a £5/month cancellation charge for the broadband and £10/month for the phone, but that's capped to £150, i.e. if I were to cancel only two months in.

If VM was available at my new address, they'd just transfer the service, but if not available I would still have to pay! That's not good and I seem to remember reading earlier in the thread that they can just waive the cancellation if you move into a non cabled area. Will have to see - and that's assuming I actually do end up moving this summer :rolleyes:

Sol00

I wouldn't risk it, someone on one of the forums was charged the full cancellation fee.