Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

missnd

I had 1mb broadband and basic phone - Total £30.50ish (including caller display). Rang NTL cancellations dept, said I was thinking of cancelling but before I do what could NTL offer me? Without any hesitation they offerd me - 2mb broadband with free upgrade to 4mb on June 1st, and Talk unlimited 24 for - £24.74 a month for 12 months!
Not bad me thinks.......
Thanks Money Saving Expert!

Edinburgh_Doc

Called Customer Relations on 0800 073 0591 (option3), and spoke to a friendly Geordie, who reduced my £72.49 pm to £60.00 for 6 months, then £65.50 for 6 months. The whole thing can be renegotiated after 6 months aswell. My 2MB BB, TV package and phone service are the same, as they are exactly what I want (use 1899 for calls). I had to listen to some Talk Talk bashing, but armed with a direct price comparison I held firm and he made me this offer. I'm well chuffed.
Thanks to all on the message board for the tips.

theowl_2

Telewest:
From 4 MB broadband, basic phone and starter TV at £41, I now have same broadband/phone, upgraded to supreme TV with TV drive for £55 per month.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is not any better than a new customer deal. I spoke with 4 different employees over 3 different calls. I cancelled all three services and was contacted days later by customer relations. They gave me £4 off for the first 4 months and free TV drive connection (on the website it says the free installation is for new customers only). However I found out that over the whole year, having taken these discounts into consideration, I pay the same as a new customer. I was told by an employee that no one will receive better deals than new customers. They are assessing the TalkTalk package and will review their position in 4 months time when TalkTalk is up and running. I was advised to call them back then to see if there are better deals. I had all the figures to hand; I stated that I could get a better package with TalkTalk and Sky + for £46 per month and told them I already had a BT line, but they would not budge from the £55 per month. I honestly felt they would not lower the price and I had already cancelled once (having had no intention to).
Somehow downgrading to the 2MB broadband would only save me 1p, and downgrading to other TV packages would reap similar savings, as I had been put on some kind of special package.

dont_2

Don't delay -- do a deal.

I subscribe to NTL : Basic Digital TV
1 MB Broadband
24 Unlimited Calls

With an included discount of £8.50 I WAS PAYING £45-49.

Rang disconnections on 0800 052 9403
Waited "patiently" for 40minutes to speak. (negotiate a deal)
Casually mentioned TALK TALK.

3 mins later call ended.

I now have a 12 month contract for the above 3 for £25.

Saved £20-49 per month. That's £245+ / year.

Yabba Dabba Well done Moneysaver + me of course.

avstar

Can't believe it was this easy !

After 30 minutes on hold... (I reckon to see how keen you are to leave!)
I got through to cancellations - did the 'I'm leaving you for Talk Talk' speech, and was told because I had been an NTL customer for a long time they would match the offer...

Result - 10 meg broadband from today - unlimited download, and Talk 24unlimited local and national calls...all for £20 !!!!

Thanks ever so much for saving me approx £20 a month and now I won't have to tell my teenage daughter to get off the phone.....what will we argue about now ? !

avstar :j

Sonata_2

Called 08000730591, went to cancel service. Explained to the pleasant cahp that I'd like to cancel all 3 of my services. Told him about talk talk offer. Listened to him rumble on about how I shouldn't switch but instead wait and see. Lied that my friend has talk talk and life is peachy for her. Reminded him that she has free 8 mb broadband for life, whereas I am paying £25 a month for my 4 mb one. Said life is unfair.
As a result for 6 month my 47 a month (tv + phone+ broadband) went down to 32.50 a month. And I also got a tip about calling after 6 month and talking to this guy again.
I think success. 10 minutes on the phone = £87 pounds saving a year.

unitedjmd

Thanks to this thread I have reduced my broadband cost from £24.99 to £17.50 while also increasing it from 2mb to 10mb. Also a new modem thrown in for free.

Reduced my monthly line rental by £8.

And got £25 off this months bill.

Thanks. :T

star_gazer_5

Hi

Rang the freephone option 2 number with NTL - Initially I just asked what the period for giving cancellation was, to be told "30 days for disconnection of service" - Then just as I was about to ring off, was asked "Why do you want to cancel?" - Said due to price differences, was put through to a very helpful customer relations rep (I had been and found current prices with SKY, Talk-talk etc, so had them in all in front of me):

Existing Package

TV £46.50
Additional box - £15.00
1mb b/b £17.99
Telephone talk unlimited 6.00
Total: £85.49

New Package

TV - £36 (Matched SKY)
Additional box - £10 (Matched SKY)
Upgraded 2mb b/b £12.50
Telephone - £9.00
Additional kids pack £10cr
Total: £57.50

In additon to this they arranged for BOTH of the set top boxes to be upgraded (Had been told that the box taking the broadband needed upgrading) and a further £10 cr for the kids pack for the year. When I asked why they had offered us this, it was a matter of fact response - "You've been with us over 10 years with a d/d payment and never had any problems with payments, we would rather keep good customers as yourselves so am willing to match the figures you quoted!"

The whole process took around 40minutes - 30mins being on hold and xnferred etc. Set top boxes delivered and installed 36 hours later, one happy set of campers in this household!!!!!

Thanks for the advice and information, you've saved as an (upgraded) bundle!:T

mhl

Another success story here ...

I have been an NTL customer for around 6 years (5 on broadband), on various tariffs over the years. Well, I have just come off the phone after a conversation with someone called Kalam at NTL, who was clearly keen not to lose me as a customer. He came up with an improved tariff pretty quickly, and I was pleased to see that he didn't try to fob me off with extra TV channels - which I was half expecting but don't want.

I currently have 2 NTL accounts - one for cable TV (but just the basic "free" package) and telephone, the second for broadband. The corresponding monthly costs are: phone £10.50 + £7.50 for second line (about to increase to £11), plus £14.50 Talk Unlimited + £1 for itemised billing - total £33.50 (will become £37). Broadband (2 MB) is £24.99 (I don't know how TeleWest is £17.99 since they're now the same company as NTL - unless they are download capped or only 1 MB).

Anyway, I have been offered a total all-in monthly cost of £34 (split £21.50 phone + £12.50 broadband) for six months - and to check what they can offer in six months time. So, in effect, I will be getting broadband for free for this period (and it's due to go up from 2 MB to 4 MB on 1 June). I reckon that's a saving of £150 - well worth the (free) 'phone call.

lefty

Not having tried to negotiate deals of this nature I was rather sceptical that my contract with NTL could be obtained cheaper. My current contract was
TV & Telephone Service...£14.00
Unlimited 1MB Broadband..£17.99.
After only 10 minutes waiting, which I understand is rather unique, was offered half price Broadband and a Goodwill credit of 3 months on the TV & Telephone service.
New payment £8.09 Broadband and £42 credit on the TV & telephone, total saving about £72.
My scepticism proved to be totally unfounded, thanks to Martin and all you fellow negotiators.
Thanks.