Virgin Media Packages

doire_2

Tribulation wrote: »

Check the prices from the 18185 link earlier in this thread.

Don't know how much a post office phonecard charges, but to phone say Canada from your Virgin line via 18185 is just 0.5p per min.

Edit: Just had a look at the post office card. 18185 is usually cheaper.

Post office:

Australia: 2.5p
Canada: 3p
France: 2.5p
Germany: 2.5p
Hungary: 3.5p
India: 8p
Ireland: 2.5p
Italy: 2.5p
Jamaica: 8p
Russia: 4p
New Zealand: 3p
Pakistan: 9p
South Africa: 5p
Spain: 2.5p

landlines: 2.5p
mobiles: 21.5p



18185 via freephone number from Virgin landline:

Australia: 2p
Canada: 0.5p
France: 2p
Germany: 1p
Hungary: 4p
India: 4p
Ireland: 2p
Italy: 2p
Jamaica: 9p
Russia: 1.5p
New Zealand: 2p
Pakistan: 9p
South Africa: 3p
Spain: 1p

landlines: 1p
mobiles weekdays: 10p
mobiles weekends: 4p

In the above examples, with 18185 they are all cheaper except for Hungry which is 0.5p more, Jamaica 1p more and Pakistan which is the same.
Some are a lot cheaper such as India being 8p with the post office and 4p with 18185

I see your point but i only ring my brother once every fews weeks (he lives in South Korea).

Therefore i didn't see the need to be paying £1.50 for a service

Tribulation

doire wrote: »

I see your point but i only ring my brother once every fews weeks (he lives in South Korea).

Therefore i didn't see the need to be paying £1.50 for a service

You don't have to pay £1.50 though.

You simply call 18185 on their freephone number (free to register) from your Virgin land line.

Using your Post office card costs you:
3.16p per min to a south Korea land line (no connection charge)
6.5p to a South Korea mobile

Using 18185 costs you:
3p to a South Korea land line (plus 4p connection charge)
5p to a South Korea mobile

So from your point of view there's absolutely no point going through the hassle of setting up a DD with 18185 as the land line charges are the same.

But for others, depending on where they call, they could save a lot. You would still save a lot phoning 0870 and 0845 numkbers via 18185 than via Virgin though.

terra_ferma

I have found out today that you can have Virgin TV and not use their phone. The XL package is £27 (and some pence, cannot remeber what the guy in the Virgin shop said, sorry, probably 99).
I will stay with sky for those which will still be cheaper.
Sky include free international calls in their unlimited package, which cost £5.

If you are after cheap international calls Alpha Telecom is a good option, I've been using it for 10yrs+. S. Korea is 4p landlines and 5p mobiles, no connection charges. You access it via dialling 1833 on your phone (or a freephone no if you have cable phone). You pay as you go using a debit/credit card.
If you have free calls to a landline it's 1p cheaper using their 0207 number.

terra_ferma

I phoned sky and was told you can't have their phone or broadband without the tv

BexTech

terra_ferma wrote: »

I phoned sky and was told you can't have their phone or broadband without the tv

That is correct.

They want you to be TV customers, as there is little money on the phone and broadband side for them.

BexTech

terra_ferma wrote: »

I have found out today that you can have Virgin TV and not use their phone. The XL package is £27 (and some pence, cannot remeber what the guy in the Virgin shop said, sorry, probably 99).
I will stay with sky for those which will still be cheaper.
Sky include free international calls in their unlimited package, which cost £5.

If you are after cheap international calls Alpha Telecom is a good option, I've been using it for 10yrs+. S. Korea is 4p landlines and 5p mobiles, no connection charges. You access it via dialling 1833 on your phone (or a freephone no if you have cable phone). You pay as you go using a debit/credit card.
If you have free calls to a landline it's 1p cheaper using their 020 number.

Yes, you can have XL TV from Virgin without a phone line, you used to be able to get the smaller packages too, however they see their phone service as their cash-cow (their words) so use that to subsidise the lower value packages.

Many people at one time had TV without cable phone, lots have broadband from cable without phone and TV.

I used to have just over basic TV and broadband from them, but now with retentions offer have L phone, XL tv and L broadband. I was VoIP only for the phone for years, but as I didn't have to pay to have the phone installed and they were offering me reduced price broadband, TV and 'free' phone line, evening and weekend calls and caller display, I took it.

For International Calls I use VoIP mostly Vyke as most destinations are call are 2.1p per 60 mins, other destinations other providers (all through my VoIP ATA, which means no PC on to make and receive calls).

terra_ferma

Did not write that in my previous message because I was too furious, but I've been conned by sky, when I phoned saying what I wanted to do they upgraded my brodband and phone BEFORE they told me I could not have them without TV although I told them clearly that I wanted to cancel.
They probably thought that a VERY insisting guy from the cancellations dept would be able to talk me out of it. When he tried to cancel my account he could not do it because phone and broadband had just been changed.
He seemed to take this seriously and to be worried about come backs, and sent an email to another dept cc his manager and promised it would be sorted.

I knew there was something wrong because the first sales woman on the phone was too quick to upgrade and did not try to sell me the line rental as well, which Sky are pushing at the moment (I still have BT). How dishonest, just to get her commission.

When I was told I could not have them without TV I knew I had been had, because an upgrade ties you to a 12 months contract..
But I have already made a complaint for misselling and will take it further. Will write down any time spent on this and charge my hourly pay rate, £25, if I end up taking them to small claims.

terra_ferma

Just got a reply for Sky customer service, sent at 00.06am...
Very happy with their response, cancelled all services and sent me the MAC code through the post.
I will now sign up with BE.