Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

DealChaser_2

Brightonfan wrote: »

Just got my sister a new deal with sky as she was being ripped off for 3 years paying £40 just for All the channels except for sports.No phone or broad band.She had a seperate virgin phone line package which she was paying £18 just for that.Altogether £58 per month

Now she has

Free sky+ box
10 mb broadband
All channels again(including movies like before) except for sports
phone with 24/7 calls
£15 to install

She now pays £43 per month.She can add sports for another £9 making it £52 per month.

I was offered your deal at £32 without sports on Virgin but with bigger phone package and M+ tv.If i did add sports then it wouldn't be no where near £57 per month.I couldn't get a v+ box free either though.Did try.

Thanks for your response, Brightonfan. I have a couple of questions:

1. Your sister's deal sounds pretty good. Does that include caller ID?
2. I was told by the VM rep that Sky Sports had to be charged at £20.50 (or was it £21.50?) because that's what Sky charges them. Was that a fib?
3. On your own £32 per month deal, what were you offered to upgrade to Sky Sports?

I am still not 100% satisfied because I've noticed it doesn't have Eurosports, so will miss some hockey. (I'm not on the TV XL package because I don't watch other channels.) As for the V+ box, they wanted an additional £5 per month for that, which I asserted wasn't worth it.

One other thing they argued was that BT / Sky broadband will only remain up to 2 Mbps because that's the limit of the BT phone line. Not sure that is true. But maybe there is some truth in the statement that BT will want to prioritise their own broadband customers first over other companies offering broadband over a BT line. Then the VM rep pointed me at the "samknows" web site which is supposed to be an independent reviewer or internet service providers - but I noted that samknows has a contract with VM so I don't really trust its impartiality. I couldn't find much on the internet about unreliable internet over a BT line.

All in all, it does sound like it's worth a call to Sky to see what they can do for me as it sounds like I have not yet hit the sweet spot for the package I desire...

Brightonfan

DealChaser wrote: »

Thanks for your response, Brightonfan. I have a couple of questions:

1. Your sister's deal sounds pretty good. Does that include caller ID?
2. I was told by the VM rep that Sky Sports had to be charged at £20.50 (or was it £21.50?) because that's what Sky charges them. Was that a fib?
3. On your own £32 per month deal, what were you offered to upgrade to Sky Sports?

I am still not 100% satisfied because I've noticed it doesn't have Eurosports, so will miss some hockey. (I'm not on the TV XL package because I don't watch other channels.) As for the V+ box, they wanted an additional £5 per month for that, which I asserted wasn't worth it.

One other thing they argued was that BT / Sky broadband will only remain up to 2 Mbps because that's the limit of the BT phone line. Not sure that is true. But maybe there is some truth in the statement that BT will want to prioritise their own broadband customers first over other companies offering broadband over a BT line. Then the VM rep pointed me at the "samknows" web site which is supposed to be an independent reviewer or internet service providers - but I noted that samknows has a contract with VM so I don't really trust its impartiality. I couldn't find much on the internet about unreliable internet over a BT line.

All in all, it does sound like it's worth a call to Sky to see what they can do for me as it sounds like I have not yet hit the sweet spot for the package I desire...

I couldn't actually speak to sky directly myself as it has to be the account holder who has to cancel their subscription.I told my sister what to say.She phoned me up after the first deal sky offered her and i told her not to except it after given it a quick going over in my head and continue ahead with cancellation.Thats when she got her good deal.Not sure if you will get a good deal with sky as she has been with sky herself for a few years is rewarded with a loyalty discount. questions...

1) yes she does have caller ID

2) Don't know what Virgin pay for sky services like sports but it doesn't stop them from juggling with figures on there own services to bring down the price.

3) I wasn't offered sky sports myself but i wouldn't pay £57 for that with that package.I mean no v+,no 24/7 calls etc.I know people who pay less then the figure you have been quoted.
As for sky broadband 10mb only getting 2mb i will let you know in the future.Personally i think thats is balls because it all depends how far you are away from the exchange box.I cannot see Bt putting a limit on it.I had Bt internet once myself.Never had any problems myself but they are expensive.
Oh and i had to pay £5 handling charge every month to Virgin for not paying by DD but i got wavered.
I'm stuck with Virgin now because if i leave i will fail a credit check if i return and there's no way Sky would take me on with a CCJ.

jem16

DealChaser wrote: »

One other thing they argued was that BT / Sky broadband will only remain up to 2 Mbps because that's the limit of the BT phone line.Not sure that is true

That could well be true. ADSL is limited by the phone line, both on noise interference and distance from the exchange. My max is about 4mb.

Then the VM rep pointed me at the "samknows" web site which is supposed to be an independent reviewer or internet service providers - but I noted that samknows has a contract with VM so I don't really trust its impartiality. I couldn't find much on the internet about unreliable internet over a BT line.

Sam knows is the best site to use - it will give you a true indication of the speed you would be able to get.

Speedwise Virgin does have the edge over all its competitors at the moment. I have Sky TV but have kept my broadband with Virgin purely for the speed as I can get nowhere near the 20mb that I get from Virgin.

boospurgeon_2

been on here before and managed to get package as follows
Line rental 11
Talk international 1.50
talk evenings and weekends 3.45
Loyalty -17.25
XL TV 23
M BB 20
paper bill 1.50
ie total £42.95
now reading more recent posts - think am paying too much but not sure best deals (think head's scrambled from starting back at school) - is it worth phoning again or shall i try sky?

Chrisblue1962

Hi, I recently haggled my basic deal of phone line rental, free evening and weekend calls and 10MB broadband for £20.00/month...which I was chuffed with after I threatened to quit to Talk Talk.

theowl_2

Currently have:
L Broadband
M Phone
XL TV
V +
Paying £48 per month. Just called, quoted a better Sky deal which included Sky Sports 1 + caller I.D for £4 more, but was told that all they could offer was £10 off per month if I pay a £75 one off fee for my existing V+ box. Don't think it was retentions and am considering calling back to cancel. I'm sure they could waive that fee, considering some of the identical packages people on here have that are much cheaper!

L74

daleuk wrote: »

Hey guys,

I currently pay the following, do you reckon I can haggle it down further?

£23.74 is the total for:

Phone £11
Talk International £1.50 + Talk Unlimited £7.95 + Talk Mobile £1.50
Loyalty Pack : BB / Phone -£19.46
Broadband M £20
Paper bill £1.50
TV Size M

Hi
Have you managed to haggle it down? Just read on forum that someone else is on a similar deal/package but also with a free voicemail and ebilling (£-1) for total £21.49. Rang Virgin today and asked to get a similar package but they said 'no', that they don't do this deal anymore.

DeeRus

Just gave them a wee call, as I'm currently on the XL Package for the TV, Phone and BB = costing £57.95 per month, which apparently carries a discount of £20 odd a month.

Basically I said I'd just had a visit from Sky and they are offering a good deal, comparable with what we're on etc.......now been offered by Virgin:

XL TV and Phone - went through the" what do you use" routine but didn't fancy giving anything up on the telly or phone but downgraded to L BB, as being honest, we're a domestic customer with just everyday uses, so was happy to consider downgrading.

Now paying £44 per month (must remember to call back and change to paperless billing to save again!) - also getting the V+ box installed, a new modem and Wireless Router.

All based on a new 12 month contract.

Only downside was they wouldn't budge on the £30 installation fee but as I'm saving about £14 a month, I'll consider this my part of the haggling and it'll be installed this Saturday!!!

Brightonfan

Brightonfan wrote: »

Just got my sister a new deal with sky as she was being ripped off for 3 years paying £40 just for All the channels except for sports.No phone or broad band.She had a seperate virgin phone line package which she was paying £18 just for that.Altogether £58 per month

Now she has

Free sky+ box
10 mb broadband
All channels again(including movies like before) except for sports
phone with 24/7 calls
£15 to install

She now pays £43 per month.She can add sports for another £9 making it £52 per month.


I was offered your deal at £32 without sports on Virgin but with bigger phone package and M+ tv.If i did add sports then it wouldn't be no where near £57 per month.I couldn't get a v+ box free either though.Did try.

Update

Installation hasn't gone through yet with Sky and Virgin phone my sister out of the blue.
They offered her a deal which will take some beating by any standards.

2 free V+ boxes(multi room)
XL tv
XL phone
L broadband
Free install
12 month contract

£39 per month.Thats right £39.WOW

kevsy206

you dont fancy giving out the account number Brightonfan .... Virgin say they will match the same deal if i can prove a "friend" has the same deal as whats stated above.... wooo hooo .... it you could that would be brill...:beer: