Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

NeedaLotteryJackpot

Package
TV - L
Broadband - L
Phone - M

I want to get a V+ box but don't want to have to pay £5 a month for the pleasure. I've never asked for any deals or discounts. All I really want is the TV XL channels and the V+ box for not more than or less than I'm paying at the moment.
Any tips or strategies I should use? Is there a good/bad time to call retentions?

Thanks

HappySad

NeedaLotteryJackpot wrote: »

Package
TV - L
Broadband - L
Phone - M

I want to get a V+ box but don't want to have to pay £5 a month for the pleasure. I've never asked for any deals or discounts. All I really want is the TV XL channels and the V+ box for not more than or less than I'm paying at the moment.
Any tips or strategies I should use? Is there a good/bad time to call retentions?

Thanks

look on Virgin's website to see what it is being offered to for new customers. They you must get at least that price. Also you could ask to be put through to the leaving deparment and you would get a better deal from there.

sirmarcus

Hi all,

I have been with Virginmedia for over 14 years. Last year, I got a free upgrade plus free installation to V+ and to broadband L. I managed last week to negotiate a deal for £26 per month to get :

Broadband L (10MB)
TV V+ M+ (Freeview with a few extra channels)
Phone L (free evening and weekend calls).

The £26-00 also includes my phone line rental of £11.99 per month.

I did this after sending a few emails, speaking to customer services and being polite. I am delighted with my deal.

sirmarcus

I also got a free wireless router lasy year.

ardandy

Spoke to Cust Retentions (as I do each year!) and they can't/won't offer me any better deal than I'm on now. Never use the phone for outgoing calls and due to freeview and my Media Centre we don't use the TV box either!

I've 2 options:
Option 1: (current, no contract remaining)
M - TV Package (lowest)
M - Phone Package (free weekends)
XL - Broadband (20Mb)
£30.99 p/m

Option 2: (12 month contract)
M - TV Package (lowest)
M - Phone Package (free weekends) with free 0870/0845 calls
XXL - Broadband (50Mb)
£38.99 p/m

Can't decide if the extra £8 is worth the uncapped £50Mb bband???? (I can and often do go above 10GB in a day, sometimes more than double that.

janroth

just found out if you 1471 on virgin media then press 3 you are charged even if you are on the free anytime landline calls

sirmarcus

Hi all,

There are a couple of things with the V+ packaging, which may help you reduce your monthly bills.

Virgin charge £5 per month in order to use the record function of the V+ box. This £5 cost is pro-rated; so if you call 150 to get the record function switched 'off', customer services will do this immediately for your and won't charge you again until you switch it back 'on'. So if you only have your V+ box recording function switched 'on' for 15 days in a month, you will only be charged £2-50 for that month.

There is also an inherant fault with the V+ box. If you turn off the record function as referenced above, the box will then not let you select BBC, ITV, etc. interactive services (i.e. Use the 'red' button on your remote control to select interactive services). Interactive services is a freebie provided by BBC, ITV, etc. for all digital TV users. It is not a service provided by Virginmedia. This fault may enable you to complain to customer services that you don't see why you have to pay £5 to access the 'free' interactive services. If you are lucky, they may restart your V+ record function free of charge in order to get you access back to interactive services.

I hope the above helps.

sirmarcus

NeedaLotteryJackpot wrote: »

Package
TV - L
Broadband - L
Phone - M

I want to get a V+ box but don't want to have to pay £5 a month for the pleasure. I've never asked for any deals or discounts. All I really want is the TV XL channels and the V+ box for not more than or less than I'm paying at the moment.
Any tips or strategies I should use? Is there a good/bad time to call retentions?

Thanks

Refer to my previous posting as it should help you. If you turn off the V+ record, you will still get HD and all the other services but don't have to pay an additional £5 for doing so. As I said, you may be able to complain to customer services that you don't use V+ record but don't see why you should pay £5 for the BBC, ITV, etc. interactive services. If you are lucky, they may offer you V+ record free of charge.

Hope this helps and good luck.

pesser_2

some right cracking deals here might ring them up and see if can get them to custom taylor the 50mb deal

virginmedia.com /offer1

markeymark

im only on 50 mb broadband service and pay £37 a month for it, problem is im now just using on my laptop and only averagin around 20meg! done several speedtests each day but no change

seems like im getting a raw deal, should i phone up and complain? try re-negotiate a better deal?