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Haggle with Virgin - our new guide

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  • Anon
    Anon Posts: 14,561 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hi, I have just spoken to Virgin Media to haggle for a new price. Have been paying £66.99 (just out of contract a couple of months ago) and have managed to get it reduced to £65.00 for 18 months. I do pay for all day phone calls as well due to elderly relatives etc and they have chucked in the larger TV package. My broadband speed stays at M100. Not sure that it's a great result but it would save me £5.99 a month over the period of the 18 months. In light of what is coming overall this year, at least we can stay in and watch more telly!!!  I was on the phone for over 30 minutes in total but at least I got a better offer than the £4.00 for the next six months which was replayed several times on the line whilst I waited.
    It is good you managed to get a saving. However, that still seems very expensive for what you have, as it is little different to the "drop to" price you mentioned. From reading deals achieved on here and other forums, it seems calling them rarely gets the decent deals. To get the better deals needs you to cancel then await a call (or calls) from outbound retentions. You could be hoping for less than £50 (depending on the tv package and that anytime calls) based on what others have reported. You can cancel what you have agreed and cancel your services (14 day cooling off) to renegotiate - inbound can't give the best deals in 99% of cases as they do not have access to them - it is how the Virgin Media process works.
  • Alpha_5
    Alpha_5 Posts: 154 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I cancelled last Friday and get a call back on Monday. It was one of their field sales reps who called, apparently they are helping with outbound retentions at the moment. I'm now paying less than before I was the price rise, so they've done me a favour by putting their prices up and allowing me to haggle.
  • I was using their automated service until they asked if I wanted to continue on Whatsapp. They were extremely busy, but after two hours I eventually got through to a representative saying I'd like £35 for 200mbps and Talk weekends. (Currently at £60.75) At first they wouldn't budge, so they put me through to the retention team. Another two hours of waiting and answering a couple of questions, they finally agreed to the £35 offer I gave them along-side an 18 month contract.

    Very happy with this, saving £25.75 per month. Well worth the five hour wait if you ask me.
  • I called up today as my bill was going up from £29 a month (new customer deal, 100mb, basic TV and phone) to £66. I was offered £25 a month on an 18 month contract instantly which I took. Maybe I would have been offered slightly better if I cancelled but I'm happy with the deal. 

    I didn't have to wait for the call to be answered either, I was transferred immediately once I'd finished with the automated section.
  • whattochoose
    whattochoose Posts: 732 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    The discounts I currently receive from Virgin end on 19th April. I spoke to somebody at Virgin in January about re-negotiation and the lady I spoke to promised me a call back on the 19th March to talk about a new deal.
    But if you were me would you start the ball rolling now?
    Thanks.
  • PZ19
    PZ19 Posts: 551 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    The discounts I currently receive from Virgin end on 19th April. I spoke to somebody at Virgin in January about re-negotiation and the lady I spoke to promised me a call back on the 19th March to talk about a new deal.
    But if you were me would you start the ball rolling now?
    Thanks.
    You have to wait 30 days before the end of your contract before giving notice so I’d wait till they promised to call you and then if they don’t, give them a call and start negotiations then. 
  • whattochoose
    whattochoose Posts: 732 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    PZ19 said:
    The discounts I currently receive from Virgin end on 19th April. I spoke to somebody at Virgin in January about re-negotiation and the lady I spoke to promised me a call back on the 19th March to talk about a new deal.
    But if you were me would you start the ball rolling now?
    Thanks.
    You have to wait 30 days before the end of your contract before giving notice so I’d wait till they promised to call you and then if they don’t, give them a call and start negotiations then. 
    Will do. Thanks for the heads up.
  • starryshell
    starryshell Posts: 135 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I called up today as my bill was going up from £29 a month (new customer deal, 100mb, basic TV and phone) to £66. I was offered £25 a month on an 18 month contract instantly which I took. Maybe I would have been offered slightly better if I cancelled but I'm happy with the deal. 

    I didn't have to wait for the call to be answered either, I was transferred immediately once I'd finished with the automated section.
    Wow, that's a very good deal. I have a similar deal that ended, and the most they're willing to take off is £5. Twitter responses were even more dismissive than the two calls I made to the retentions office. Looks like I'll be cancelling after 12 years with them. 
  • Hope this helps others - My 18 month contract for 100MB, anytime calls and Maxit TV was coming to an end.  Full price was £91 but I'd been paying £67 a month.  I followed the MSE advice and reviewed TV stations I use etc and called up a month before renewal.  Spoke to a helpful guy who offered options but best fit was reduced TV to Mixit, anytime calls and 100MB for same as I'd been paying.  
    I was tempted but held my nerve and said I'd think about it.  Left it ten days before I called back.  Was put through straight to 'Disconnections' and offered several really good options.  Ended up with Mixit TV, Anytime calls and 100MB for £43 a month - saving me £24 a month!  Even if they put the price up mid-contract (which they will) I'll still be saving.  
    Thank you MSE - you have saved me £££ over the years and I would not have had the confidence to haggle with Virgin without your advice.
  • HGBen
    HGBen Posts: 4 Newbie
    Second Anniversary First Post
    Not sure that number works anymore. They don't answer the number (May 2022) above, make you connect via What's App, after waiting I had chat with perfectly nice Agent who understood that with increase in utilities etc I wasn't accepting increase from £47 to £87. He 'transferred' me to Customer Relations who apparently had access to better deals than he did. Waited from 5pm Tuesday till 2pm the next day for another agent, despite the Chat Bot trying to start the chat from beginning several times again. 😩 When picked up by 'customer relations' there were no niceties, just told £49 was best offer, all other deals for new customers. They had lost the chat with previous agent so I sent it to them as screenshots as suggested. Short answer £49 only offer. I'd already said I didn't need sport channels and was quite happy with M100 broadband. 
    Told them I was going to cancel, which brought counteroffer of £39 for same package I was on - which included the drama channels and BT Sport! Eventually sorted at 3.25pm.
    Talk about pulling teeth, 23 hours for something we probably could've sorted over 10 mins on the phone. Not my idea of Customer Relations! ☹️
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