Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

hansi

Why don't you use saynoto0870.com. That will cut your bills!

sirmarcus

hansi wrote: »

I think if you check you bills, you will find that you do pay a rental for it.

There is a way of not paying £5 for V+ rental. Please refer to my postings on page 62 https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/188239

and page 63 on this forum.

It worked fine for me.:)

tripleh_2

I just phoned them to ask why they charge 10p a minute for 0845, I actually thought it was about 4p. I also asked if I could get a better deal than I have now and they said no. So is my deal any good?

phone rental 11.95
talk unlimited 7.95
Addition loyalty -1.75
triple combo -21.50
tv xl 24.50
v+hd 0.00
bband xl 37.00
sky sports 1 & 2 20.50

TOTAL 78.65

Hopefully someone on here can help me, please

sirmarcus

tripleh wrote: »

I just phoned them to ask why they charge 10p a minute for 0845, I actually thought it was about 4p. I also asked if I could get a better deal than I have now and they said no. So is my deal any good?

phone rental 11.95
talk unlimited 7.95
Addition loyalty -1.75
triple combo -21.50
tv xl 24.50
v+hd 0.00
bband xl 37.00
sky sports 1 & 2 20.50

TOTAL 78.65

Hopefully someone on here can help me, please

Suggest don't use Virginmedia for 0845/0870/etc. numbers. Look at saynoto0870.com instead. This site will provide you with either landline numbers (01***, 02***, etc.) or freephone numbers (0800, 0500, etc.) as an alternative for the 0845/0870/etc. number. As you have talk unlimited, these calls will not cost you anything.

If you still need to make an 0845 number call (for example, you cannot find an alternative number via saynoto0870.com), use http://www.18185.co.uk/index2.php instead. They will charge you 3p per min for any 0845 call. There is also a connection charge of 4p per for any call; however Virginmedia also charge a connection fee and it is a lot more than 4p. It is free to join 18185 and Virginmedia do not charge you for using the 18185 service. There is an article on 18185 somewhere on MSE; so have a look at this and also 18185 home page for further info.

I have been doing the above for many months/years and I have never been charged by Virginmedia for making any phone calls during this period. For info, I have saved a lot of money.

With regards your total package cost. I pay £28 per month for TV M+, TV V+, Broadband L, phone L (free evening and weekend calls) and phone line rental.

I use my PC to watch sport free via the website myp2p.eu. Via this website, you can get every live pemiership, spanish, italian, german, etc. foortball game and not just the few live games that are shown on SKY and ESPN. The website also shows many other sports free; for example golf, cricket, etc. The picture/audio quality varies and is probably quite as good as what you get via SKY on TV; although I would say that the golf picture/audio quaility is excellent and is a par with SKY TV; if you pardon the pun.

If you prepared to sometimes watch football mtaches being commented in Chinese, Dutch, etc., you will be okay with myp2p.eu. For me, I can work out what is going one in a football game, so I am not bothered what language is spoken. It is also great not to have to have to listen to Andy Gray for 115mins.

Hope this helps.:)

MeanMrMustard_2

I can't help feeling that I'm paying more than I need. I have been a Virgin customer since they took over Telewest, as I was with Telewest in the first instance. It looks like I'm paying more for M Broadband than even L Broadband currently costs for new customers:

Telephone Line Rental £11.99
Talk Evenings & Weekends £3.45
Phone, Broadband And TV Saving -£7.00
Broadband Size: M £20.50
TV Size: M £0.00
E Bill Discount -£1.00

Total service charges £27.94

That seems an awful lot for such a basic package. However, because of this...

hansi wrote: »

... beware, they wrote to me some time ago and told me that, due to their mistake, I had not been paying for my TV package for the last year. But to their credit, they only started taking the payment from the date they wrote to me, and didn't backdate it.

...I wonder if it would be unwise for me to try and haggle, because it looks as though I'm getting my TV for free. Anybody think I can realistically get my same package for less?

darkblue_2

After haggling:


Line Rental £11.99
Talk Mobile Credit £-1.50
Talk Mobile £1.50
Phone, Broadband And TV Saving £-7.00
Talk Weekends £0.00
Fully Itemised Billing £0.00
Free Voicemail £0.00
TV Size: M £0.00
Broadband Size: M £20.50

£25.49

MrMusterdMan - it looks like I'm getting the same as you slightly cheaper with some extras (that I don't use)
Give them a call and say you noticed a friend has the same services with a cheaper rate and some extras - you can't really lose.

PS - I've been with them for 2 years and they've not tried to charge me for TV - to be honest, I'd tell them to stick it, as it's essentially freeview only it crashes more

ihvm

I have been with virgin media since 2008. I have had standard virgin box, XL telephone, XL TV and large broadband for £49.50 per month. When I joined didn't get no 2 months discount or free installation.


my contract ended and I gave them my 30 days notice because they have been rude for some reason, at one point shouting at me.

You see because I joined in 2008, the cost of my package before discount is £73.00 but for a new customer its £55.00 including line rental, with same box as me, with £7.95 for 2 months and free installation. so they saying am getting £23.50 but really its £5.50

I didnt want to leave them so I asked them for the triple for £46 plus 11.99 line rental. but they saying you will get a £7 discount which is £51for me and to a new customer who gets it for £58 and free installation.

Virgin are crap and useless and don't care about existing customers. Why are they still charging me £73 before discount why not charge me £55 like new customers and give me a discount then.

Doesnt loyalty mean anything theses days. Goodbye virgin, hello Sky, who offered me a £10 discount for a new customer.

THESTOAT

Hi People,

Been with VM for a year and I was getting charged £36.50/month for L broadband, M TV and XL telephone and paper billing. Rang them up a couple of times to see if they could offer a discount but with no luck. I then rang the cancellation department and said I wanted to leave. I managed to change the package to L Broadband, M TV and L phone for £23.44. A total saving of 152.88 per year. All this for changing the phone package down one level. Try it and see what the benefits are.

ihvm

you got a good deal cos it suits you, but the market is highly competitive and I believe that every year they increase prices, so why are going to stay with a company who are not going to negotiate, dont forget you pay them, without you they would crumble.
For example T mobile gave me a good deal on my phone deal because they are willing to negotiate.

lsmith84

I was paying £19.99 a month and I was reasonably happy with that but I was bored at work and looking through the MSE website on broadband best buys. I saw the deal that Plusnet was doing for £17.74 a month all in, and also the PlusNet and Primus phone and broadband package at £15 a month for both all inclusive.

Not a massive saving but I then went on to read about the haggling forum and thought I would give it a go...

I called VM and told them I wanted to leave because of the more competative deals. They offered me the same package that I was already on for £14 a month on a 12 months contract as I do not require a phone line. That's a saving of £6 a month and £72 saving over 12 months! Easy!!

:money: