VM unwilling to move on price?

mcwarner

Hello All

I am a current vm customer and have been for about 18 months, My bill has recently risen to £53 p/m for the following services

V+ Box with XL, VHD Box with XL & (up to)10MB Broadband

Having looked at sky, I can get the equivelent tv service, bb & a phone line (which I wouldnt use but is needed for bb) with free line rental for 12 months for £42 p/m
I rang vm to discuss this and was put through to customer services, the best they were willing to do was to install a phone line which would reduce my bill to £50 p/m.
Has anyone else hit such a sudden brick wall with them??
My contract runs out at the end of may and as yet I havent actually threatened to cancel, would I have more luck if I did tell them I was going to leave and go elsewhere?

Thanks in advance
Lee

ottoni

In my experience NEVER try and get a better deal through customer services, they do not really have the power or authority to offer you anything decent. What you need to do is ring up virgin and wait for the option on the phone to come up with 'thinking of leaving us', these are the people who are called the 'customer retention team' these are the guys with the authority to put you on to some really good deals, and it depends who you speak to. Looking at what you have got you should push for at least a TIVO box with free install and maybe 60 meg internet. Although all 10 meg customers are having their speeds doubled. Go on their website and it will tell you when your due for an upgrade.

Arm yourself with some info before you go on the phone, have a look at their website and see what the equivalent package you have got is for 'new' customers. Also look at how much sky would charge you for same sort of package, if its cheaper you know you have something to haggle with.

Basically no price is ever set in stone, and don't let anyone tell you it is, Sky and virgin are all too eager to get you resigned up again.

Don't ring up on a monday as they will want to be hanging on to the best deals till later on in the week, try a wednesday afternoon for example. They can give you some cracking deals and they don't always enter you into a new 12 month contract. Goodluck!!:j

mcwarner

Ok Thanks Ottoni, Seeing as my contract runs out on the 31st of may and they require 30 notice of cancellation I will ring at the end of april with the "threat" of cancellation & see how I get on with them

mcwarner

Rung them up this afternoon, straight through to cancellations, explained about offer from sky and was eventually offered the following:
1TB Tivo box, keep my v+ box (TV still on XL), Broadband upped to 30mb and phone line installed, all for the same price as im currently paying per month (inc line rental)
Would have like reduced monthly cost, but very pleased with outcome
I suppose you dont ask you dont get!

jb66

Suprised you got the 1TB model

mcwarner

jb66 wrote: »

Suprised you got the 1TB model

Me & you both!

mcwarner

Quick update, I have an engineer coming tomorrow afternoon to install new equipment, I do have a question, has anybody here had there equipment upgraded after "threatening" to leave & if so did they charge you an installation charge to come and install new devices?