Virgin Media taking my email address away after 15+ years

roddydogs

Look on the bright side, you wont get as much spam (for a while anyway)

Aquamania

louisboy20 wrote: »

Was wondering if anyone has any advice on this email issue please?

I have had a Virgin email address for over 15 years, which was originally set up when I had a dial-up service from them. The arrangement was that you had a free email address, there was no standing charge and you just paid for the usage of the internet as you went along. I haven't had dial-up with Virgin for many years, but they have always allowed me to keep my email address. Once or twice over the last few years, I received an email from them stating that I must dial-in to their service in order to keep my account open (which I did). Although even those emails stopped some time ago.

Yesterday, I received an email from Virgin Media stating that they were closing my email account within 30 days as I "no longer had a Broadband Account" with them. As you can imagine after 15+ years of having the same email address, this is going to cause me an awful lot of hassle as I have numerous online accounts associated with that email address.

I have just had a look on the Virgin Media website and discovered that they closed their dial-up service in May last year, so I suspect that they are now closing all the email accounts of those who originally signed up via their dial-up service, as they can now say that we are no longer receiving a service from them.

Does anyone know if I have any rights in this matter? (They do state in their email that of course, I could keep my email address if I signed up to their Broadband Package - which is something that I cannot do, even if I wanted to, as I live in an area where it is not available!)

I too had my Virgin email account from the days of dial up pay as you go.
Do they even still offer this service???

From there I went onto a monthly subscription dial up (with no call charges), and many, many years ago, I thought they said they were stopping that too, and they offered broadband instead (or maybe it was my decision because BB was cheaper & quicker than dial up)

Anyway, as you admit, you were advised many times to use it or lose it. You also admit that in recent times you have failed to use it, so now face the consequences.

Aquamania

Retrogamer wrote: »

That's not possible

louisboy20 wrote: »

(They do state in their email that of course, I could keep my email address if I signed up to their Broadband Package - which is something that I cannot do, even if I wanted to, as I live in an area where it is not available!)

I find that hard to believe.

I get my BB from Virgin via a BT telephone line. You won't find this offered on their website (or at least I can't) nowadays as they want to push their own lines, but they still provide it to me ... and if the OP was that concerned, I'm sure they could have had the same.

Not sure if the OP could get it nowadays, but Virgin certainly have the ability to offer it if they wanted to, and if the OP really can't get Virgin BB via their own lines, it may be worth enquiring about if they are that determined to keep their Virgin email account ... which is only a rebranded google mail service nowadays.

Cycrow

Aquamania wrote: »

I find that hard to believe.

I get my BB from Virgin via a BT telephone line. You won't find this offered on their website (or at least I can't) nowadays as they want to push their own lines, but they still provide it to me ... and if the OP was that concerned, I'm sure they could have had the same.

Not sure if the OP could get it nowadays, but Virgin certainly have the ability to offer it if they wanted to, and if the OP really can't get Virgin BB via their own lines, it may be worth enquiring about if they are that determined to keep their Virgin email account ... which is only a rebranded google mail service nowadays.

Thats called Virgin National, and they dont actually provide it anymore. They stopped it awhile ago. Only existing customers can still get it

Aquamania

Looks like Virgin finally ended their dial-up service 21 May 2013.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/2/tech-consumer-advice/4225300/virgins-dial-up-internet-service-is-closing-on-21st-may-2013/

Customers were advised at the time that they would lose their email account 90 days therafter if they didn't take "'an alternative Virgin Broadband service"

If the OP has managed to keep it until now, they've done well.

But I'm worried the OP may now have lost all internet access, as they don't seem to have been back having created a brand new MSE account and posted their one and only post. :cool:

roddydogs

Ive still got an NTL EM address, only cause I cant be bothered to tell all my contacts a new contact addresss, as you know how it is people dont bother to change it theyll always "Do it when I get time" (never)