Virgin Media £20 Discount for paying by Direct Debit

MSE_Martin

What's this all about?

If you're a Virgin Media customer (the renamed NTL/Telewest) and aren't paying by Direct Debit, there's a way to make £20 and save £5 a month.

What to do

If you don't have a Direct Debit set up to pay your digital TV bill, simply give Virgin Media payments department a call on 0141 3000 225. Ask to switch to Direct Debit to pay future bills, in order to avoid the new £5/month charge it is levying for non-DD customers.

Many are reporting now that as well as saving you that monthly fiver, the Customer Services representative will credit your acount with an extra £20. Simple as that.

What if the £20 credit isn't offered?

If it isn't offered, simply say to them something like "I know someone got £20 when (s)he did this" as this could jolt them into action.

AND MUCH MUCH BIGGER SAVINGS IF YOU TAKE IT ON OVER SKY TOO!

As I put in the weekly email a few weeks ago, Virgin Media customers who lost certain Sky channels recently should be giving Virgin a call anyway, to haggle down the price of their package or get a free upgrade. Full details of that in the Get a big discount from Virgin as you lost Sky

If these techniques don't work, for other ways to slash the cost, read the article Digital TV Cost Cutting.

Martin

Please report your successes/failures by clicking reply

Heinz

IMHO, the above 'reverse-interpretation' of Virgin's £5 per month non-direct debit penalty charge (it's not a penalty charge at all but a discount waiting to be applied for) can also be applied to BT's current £1 per month discount (which will be re-named a £1.50 per month penalty charge from 1/5/07).

As such, the same advice (call 0800 800 150) should be simultaneously offered to BT customers.

Tinribsw

Has anyone got thru on this number 0141 3000 225, I just get a dead line.

valnray

I tried this but the answer that I got was that whoever, had been able to get this " £20 ", had probably had it offered in conjunction with another offer. i.e. a different package.
I was told that they do NOT offer a further £20 just for signing up with direct debit.......Val

handbags_at_dawn_2

I tried getting in touch regarding the jump in penalty charge for not paying by DD from £2 per month to £5 per month, which occurred when Virgin Media took over NTL. I note your £20 discount claim/advice, but do not really want to sign up to pay by DD (I normally pay on-line). Do they have the right to levy this charge, its not as though the bill is being paid by cash or chqs - does it really cost £5? Is it lawful? Is it not similar to the bank charge penalties travesty?

Handbags At Dawn.

Beate

And what about the people who have paid by DD all along? Why don't they get a bonus of £20 for that?

littlewren

Beate wrote: »

And what about the people who have paid by DD all along? Why don't they get a bonus of £20 for that?

I agree with you Beate, we should be offered something too, even if not the full £20.

Heinz

littlewren wrote: »

I agree with you Beate, we should be offered something too, even if not the full £20.

But as Val said above, it's not on offer anyway.

alchemista

How does this apply to just Virgin Broadband customers? I have them charging my credit card, never received notification of a £5 charge so I assume they won't be charging me.

Is this just for TV customers?

malid

How does this apply to just Virgin Broadband customers? I have them charging my credit card, never received notification of a £5 charge so I assume they won't be charging me.

I am an ex NTL customer and on checkign my acount this week note that payment has not been taken from my CC since December. There is no facility to set up online payment for ex NTL customers. What do I do? contact Virgin media or sit tight until they contact me. By the way, I didn't know that VM had taken over as I have not received ny notification.

kazkasay

I tried very hard to get this £20 credited to my account,as I switched to paying by direct debit in Feb but they denied all knowledge of customers getting discounts. They were adamant that they did not or have never offered this. The only saving you make is not being charged £5 per month for not paying by direct debit.
Anyone got some more ammunition I can throw at them to get this credit to my account?!