Only joined Virgin Media for Sky? Blag some extra channels for the loss

sparklepiglet

Hello all.....
.....wanted to share my experience with ntl/VirginMedia & the loss of SkyOne.

We bought the ntl 3 for £30 package in October because I am addicted to Lost & my husband is addicted to The Simpsons. We were quite shocked at losing the only channel we watched regularly and suffered a slight bereavement (can you hear the violins?).

I rang today on the advice given in the MoneySavingExpert weekly email and VirginMedia upgraded our tv package to L for free AND we now get a £10.50 monthly rebate....still in shock because a fortnight ago they were really rude!
Thank you Martin.....:T
We now feel like this.....:beer:.....
and this.....:j.....
and this.....:D

bobnoyb

Anon wrote: »

So £26.94 for all 3? Seems I have settled too early with the first offer that came up (and lost my 10MB internet in the process ). You appear to have inside knowledge? When I was told the best I could get for 10MB BB and XL Telephone would be £36, was that correct? I didn't threaten to leave (as I am actually happy with the service, apart from losing Sky News!) but you suggest that each operator only has a certain number of deals?

Many thanks

Anon

Yes the figures I've given are real but they are intended to help people in their negotiations to show 'how low they can really go' so to speak, and ideally you would have to a long term customer with 3 or more products, and a perfect payment history - someone they want to keep at any cost. In your negotiations I advise not bundling Broadband with the rest, the best deals are for TV & Phone, they are giving out XL's like confetti so get the XL of each for the best price/longest period possible, get that sorted first and negotiate broadband separately. But the main thing I cannot stress enough you might have to be prepared to bluff and actually give notice to quit before they take you seriously, say something like " I'm sorry thanks for all your help but I don't really see how I/my family can continue with without Sky1 blah, blah....". And remember be polite and courteous, flattering, funny even. They are just people and conversations are monitored, they are under strict instructions to keep a GOOD customer at (almost) any cost. If you don't get a rapport with first person you speak to - phone back, (this actually helps in a daft way because they see how many times your calling in and it shows your serious about leaving). Oh and they like it if you slag of Sky and praise nice Mr Branson for standing up to them. What else, oh yes, so they call your bluff and except your notice...so what, if you really didn't want to leave just cancel your notice within the 30 days and no harm done except to your pride. But I cannot stress enough, they are DESPERATE to keep customers, BE NICE, if you come over all nasty and belligerent 'give me this deal or else' your giving them a reason not to help you. Good Luck

MikeinDevon

After reading previous postings I rang VM being annoyed at the loss of Sky Sports News. I spoke to a customer service agent and ended up with Sky Sports 1,2, 3 and Extra - free of charge for 12 months.

the moral is the nicer you are the more you get. The people answering the calls are rarely responsible for the problem, but are the poor souls who have to deal with irate :mad: customers.

Spare them a thought when you call.

awalker

Hi all

Just rang virgin media I have three for £30 package
Said I wanted to downgrade my tv package i.e. freeview it.

Was immediately offered TV m (freeview), Telephone unlimited local evening and weekend calls and sticking with my broadband M for £19.99 a month

A result as I wanted to pay less not get more channels

Thankyou for the heads up again martin and all of you on this forum :money:

hflouch

1. Ex-Telewest uisers need to go through the customer service number on their bill - not the one in Martin's original post.
2. Given a reduced price from £38.50 to £28, no quibble.

Thanks for the pointer

m.turner

After reading various postings I decided to give it a go myself. Nothing ventured. . .

There was quite a wait on hold (probably to calm angry callers!!),:mad:
but eventually spoke to an operator.
I questioned the package I was on as I thought it was large tv with large phone and broadband and why I was being charged £40 a month. He pointed out it was XL tv package I was on but he would put me on the 3 for £30 tarriff but keeping my current package.

Great a £10 saving straight away with only the mildest threat of leaving to join another provider.:j

Spurred on by this I chanced my arm and questioned him about the V+ service and he added this to my account for £10 per month.

So basically I have ended up with 2 boxes one being the V+, no installation charge, no charge for the box and all the previous channels at the same price I was previously paying.

All this was very easy to achieve. No angry discussions, just a mild threat to leave and in his words "I'll try my best to keep you as a customer, after all it's not my money I'm giving away).:A

Go on then, give it a try to see what you can do.
It's definitely worth a call!!!:beer:

janey_uk

I was on the 3 for £33 deal - phone, 2m broadband and Large tv package.
They immediately offered six months half price XL TV package, which would be cheaper than the current one (£9 instead of £11), but I didn't want all of the extra channels so just said so.

They gave me half price on my TV package for six months (£5 off a month) saving equivilent to a month's total bill over the six months. They also offered free installation on V+ but that ties you into another year's contract so said I no.

Total saving £30
Time on phone: 3 minutes
Time in queue: 3 minutes
Saving £5 per minute for my efforts! :j

gerturdeanna

I called this morning to advise them I wanted to leave and quoted the Sky 3 for £26. Previously I was on £18 for 2 mb broadband, free tv and £5.99 line rental but my call charges were £40!!! Total of £63.00
I now have 2mb broadband for £18, 125+ channels (xl package), unlimited free calls and cheap international calls and line rental for £18.45!!! Total = £36.45!!! Saving £318 over the year plus loads more channels and free calls!!!! Bargain!!!

barrieh2

I am already on the top tv package and I am getting what I think is a good price (£48pm) from NTL from when I read a similar thread a while back, so I asked for and got my 4mb broadband increased to 10mb (for the 4mb price, of course) then it got better, I was told that because I was now 10mb it will be automaticly increased to 20mb on the 1st May. Info, to recieve broadband above 6mb you will need a cable modem as well as your set top box, they send an engineer out for this, make sure that's free as well

echo

i'm sorted with my services but i thought i'd ask in here for advice so i can help my parents out.they presently pay £30.50 for XL tv and landline on the 3p call plan.dad's on dial up so doesn't use it much but is interested in BB.call charges come to £10 a month on average.i've checked out the packages and they're so confusing.can you kind people give me some kind of a figure i should be aiming at to get them to keep them? they've been loyal customers for around 10 yrs and i intend to use the loss of Sky one as a bargaining tool as well.