Virgin Media: Haggle down your costs.

Bigbubble

This is my first posting on MSE (or any discussion board for that matter!) Firstly, I want to say that I am really grateful for all the advice that has been offered through this forum and I can’t imagine how much I have saved over the past year or so as a result (particularly in Tesco discount codes!!).

I have recently been reading about haggling down the price of broadband and phone services, etc. so today I tried calling Telewest to tell them that I wanted to cancel all my services (Phone, TV and Broadband) as they were too expensive. After selecting numerous menu options to select ‘disconnect services’ the phone rang for ages and then a recorded message told me that no one was available to answer my call. I immediately called again but selected the ‘Upgrade TV package’ option. My call was answered immediately!! However, the operator was very cross that I had selected the wrong menu option and gave me a direct dial free phone number to call.

When I finally spoke to the right person I said that I wanted to cancel my entire contract with Telewest and mentioned BT, TalkTalk, Freeview, etc. The guy said that he couldn’t believe that I was paying so much for my package (oh, thank you so much for your sympathy!) and said that he would play with some figures (!). He also asked me whether I knew how unreliable TalkTalk was and how limited the channels were on Freeview. Quite frankly I know virtually nothing about TalkTalk or Freeview (other than what I have read on this site) but I made some non-committal noises and repeated my assertion that I thought Telewest was very expensive.

Original package and cost

Broadband 4mbs – 25.00
TV Essential package – 11.50
Phone line rental – 12.00
Call waiting – 1.75
Call mobile 1.50

Total 51.75

The kind man tried to suggest that I didn’t need such a high speed broadband connection and my 5 year old daughter could easily live without Cartoon Network and offered me the reduced TV package and reduced speed broadband connection for 27.99. I thanked him but said that I would like to cancel with my contract with Telewest anyway. After a bit more huffing and pencil chewing he offered to provide my existing package at a monthly cost of £27.99. A monthly saving of 23.76 and 285 pounds over a year.

I am sure some astute moneysavers may feel that I am still paying over the odds (I would be as grateful as ever for any comments) and I know I also need to investigate the override numbers thing. Nevertheless, I am really happy at the savings that a bit of bravery and a 15 minute free call that have achieved.
:T

Edinburghlass_2

Welcome to MSE and especially to the Telephone Board and well done you

Encantador

Having got NTL to give me 10Mb BB phone line and free calls for around £23 a couple of months ago, horrified to open todays bill and see they wanted £110

Spoke to customer retentions (08000529403) who blamed a technical fault for the `offers` not showing up on the bill. She raised a credit so they will only take £30 ish by DD (offer plus calls) and all should be OK next month.

we will see.

Lady_K

They did that with me and I couldnt get the same offer that I had been given before because the girl had not wrote down how she had worked it out. The amount that I was promised was down but because the rest of the details were missing they couldnt honour it. They did credit my account by the amount I had been charged but I still lost out because the new offer was nowherenear as good. I'm wondering if to swap to sky broadband now next time coz I'm getting fed up of having to call ntl

ScoobyZ

conned, got the 12 month discount for just 1 month (£9.99) then billed £34.99 which is more than I was paying before. Just calling them now and stuck on hold.

imiweb

Just to keep you in the loop.

I posted ages ago back in April/ Start of May re my deal.

10Mb bb
24/7 unltd calls local and national
line rental
22.99 all in

Well that was my NTL Heaven! esp the 10Mb!!!

I still have the same deal but it seems I have had to ask for my bill to be checked and rechecked every month! It should be 22.99 + any aditional call charges i.e. 0870 or 0845 etc etc. but Noooo! they have consistently scewed up month on month and since they have recently changed their call system from free to 0845 I am footing the bill for calling them to rectify the problem they can't sort out!

Anyway the jist of it is that I am happy to spend a few mins on the phone once a month to save what should be a £60 bill by cutting £37! to recitify their consistent billing errors!

Oh and one bit of advice make sure you get any deal in writing in the form of a confirmation email! then you can use it to prove the offer you get by customer retentions.

nice 1
imiweb

WestieFan

Reading this thread and amazed at the savings some of you are getting.
I thought I would also try to get my bills down, but am not too good at the haggling thing.

I am paying
Digital base pack and phone 22.50
Talk unlimited local 2.00
Unlimited 1mb BB 17.99

As I don't have a BT line (there was at one time), the TalkTalk site is saying their service isn't available to me, so I can't use their prices to haggle with ntl. Any advise on what to say etc when I phone would be much appreciated.

Paddy_Landau

WestieFan wrote:

As I don't have a BT line (there was at one time), the TalkTalk site is saying their service isn't available to me...

TalkTalk told me the same thing. I simply phoned BT to find the assorted prices, and did all my calculations carefully.

Even taking into account BT's minimum contract period and so forth, Talk Talk still worked out cheaper after a year.

I had the figures in front of me when I called NTL, and NTL gave me a decent discount.

Ensure you get all the figures in front of you, on paper, and take into account all the small print.

divadee

I have just called ntl as have had problems with my bills past couple of months. They are all sorted now, also enquiried about offers as threatened to go to talk talk and i got offered following

family pack and talk unlimited 24 (all landline calls day and night) for £24.50 a month for 12 months

4mb unlimited broadband for £12.50 a month for 12 months.

was quite pleased with this deal as £37 a month for everything is not bad in my eyes.

They had mucked up my broadband this month same as others doing the 10mb offer and then tried to charge me £34.99 when told i wouldnt be. Called them up a couple of weeks ago and said no its all sorted and you will only have to pay us £24.99 today was told im £8 in credit so dont owe them anything!!!!

I did the honest thing and told them that was wrong and i should of owed them £24.99 this month, but they said nope nothing we can do about it, we cant take the credit off you, i said what if you charge me double next month and she said no not possible. She did thank me for my honesty so hopefully next months bills will be correct and for the next 12 months provided no changes should be ok (i wont hold my breath though )

ergm3

Am with NTL and had broad band and telephone line. First just phoned normal number and all they did was give me 4 pounds off (Boo Hoo!!!) Then saw this chat line and phoned the 0800 number. 5 mins later They matched the Talk Talk offer and upped my broad band to 4 megs and gave me 2 months free (with no fixed 12 month contract) !!!! I did moan about not getting a cheaper mobile calling plan. But they could not add this (or so they said)..... They also would not email a confirmation. But the chap on the line gave me his name and exxtension so I hope all will be OK. Will have to wait and check my bill I guess......