Virgin Media retention deals (post your haggling successes)

JasperAlex

Got my second call from outbound retentions today. Still offered me a new contract which was worse than just accepting the 6 month price increase delay and sitting out the rest of my contract. Saw on some other forum they call quite a few times with increasingly better offers so will just sit this one out.

To anyone who can get it, Gigaclear are offering 200Mbps for £17/month. No point staying with Virgin if you are the lucky few.

Aylesbury_Duck

leew said:

JamesN said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Spoke to them yesterday because my current discount deal £11 p.m. off) happens to end in March, the same time as a £3.25 p.m. price rise.  I'd be going from £34 p.m. to £48.25 p.m. for M50 and weekend calls.  Told them I couldn't justify that when I can get BT broadband only at similar speed for £29 and Sky for £25.  I can't drop speed any more because there are often 3 or 4 of us working from home, but I don't need the landline.  After some initial discussion I got put through to retentions.  Had to wait 25 mins on hold but the chap there was very helpful.  They got it down to £36 p.m. for 18 months of the same services with a promise not to implement the March rise or any other rise before July 2023.  Still more than I could be paying for BT or Sky for broadband only but I'm not sure my old BT line is active (I've never used it since owning this house) and don't want to risk the hassle of a problematic switch for the sake of a few pounds a month.

I told my son to call to haggle.  He has M100 broadband only, which was going up from to £46 p.m.  He got upgraded to M200 and a new monthly cost of £28.  Should have got him to call for me...

I've got my contract through this morning, but there's nothing about the promise not to implement any price rises.  I could call them but then again, if they introduce a rise in March next year, it gives me an early exit opportunity if there are better deals around.

Why did you accept £36 for M50? They're ripping you off. Just give them cancellation if you're still within your 14 days and they'll call you back within two days and offer you a better deal from the proper retentions team. I got offered £20 for M100. Its stated time and time again on here. I don't get why people don't issue the cancellation, you can always cancel it and carry on if they don't call you, its 30 days notice. You won't get the best deals calling them, you have to cancel and they will call you.

Agree with JamesN, you shouldn't be paying over £20 for M100, cancel if you still can and wait for a better offer , it WILL come!

Thanks both, you've made me think again.

I presume I just call and cancel because I'm only two days into the 14 days cool-off for my new contract?  Worst case scenario I suppose is that they don't call me with a better offer and I jump to BT or Sky, or accept whatever offer is available from Virgin.

ic

How does anybody get through?  I'm on my third call now... previous two was hold music for 45 mins before being cut off.

JasperAlex

ic said:

How does anybody get through?  I'm on my third call now... previous two was hold music for 45 mins before being cut off.

Earlier in the week it took around 20 minutes for me to get through in the afternoon. Morning is usually quicker and I get through straight away.

bignred05

why do Virgin Media offer everyone 18 month contracts (it used to 12 months only)

then during the 12 months (March usually) they put the prices up anyway, which results in the yearly cancelation calls 

** I've got until the 22.Feb. before I have to call them 

Aylesbury_Duck

leew said:

JamesN said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Spoke to them yesterday because my current discount deal £11 p.m. off) happens to end in March, the same time as a £3.25 p.m. price rise.  I'd be going from £34 p.m. to £48.25 p.m. for M50 and weekend calls.  Told them I couldn't justify that when I can get BT broadband only at similar speed for £29 and Sky for £25.  I can't drop speed any more because there are often 3 or 4 of us working from home, but I don't need the landline.  After some initial discussion I got put through to retentions.  Had to wait 25 mins on hold but the chap there was very helpful.  They got it down to £36 p.m. for 18 months of the same services with a promise not to implement the March rise or any other rise before July 2023.  Still more than I could be paying for BT or Sky for broadband only but I'm not sure my old BT line is active (I've never used it since owning this house) and don't want to risk the hassle of a problematic switch for the sake of a few pounds a month.

I told my son to call to haggle.  He has M100 broadband only, which was going up from to £46 p.m.  He got upgraded to M200 and a new monthly cost of £28.  Should have got him to call for me...

I've got my contract through this morning, but there's nothing about the promise not to implement any price rises.  I could call them but then again, if they introduce a rise in March next year, it gives me an early exit opportunity if there are better deals around.

Why did you accept £36 for M50? They're ripping you off. Just give them cancellation if you're still within your 14 days and they'll call you back within two days and offer you a better deal from the proper retentions team. I got offered £20 for M100. Its stated time and time again on here. I don't get why people don't issue the cancellation, you can always cancel it and carry on if they don't call you, its 30 days notice. You won't get the best deals calling them, you have to cancel and they will call you.

Agree with JamesN, you shouldn't be paying over £20 for M100, cancel if you still can and wait for a better offer , it WILL come!

Called them this evening and said I wished to cancel.  Was immediately offered £32 (down from the £36 offer of two days ago) for M50, phone line and weekend calls, which compares well to the equivalent BT offer.  Stuck to my guns and cancelled, so will now wait and see if and what is offered.

ic

bignred05 said:

why do Virgin Media offer everyone 18 month contracts (it used to 12 months only)

then during the 12 months (March usually) they put the prices up anyway, which results in the yearly cancelation calls 

** I've got until the 22.Feb. before I have to call them 

Most people will read the letter, mumble and forget about it.  I expect the vast majority of their customers are out of contract and just accept annual prices rises as a fact of life and don't do anything about it.  For those that are in contract, if they miss their window, Virgin still have them in contract till the end of the 18 months - also I think all home phone/TV/broadband providers use 18 month contracts now.

victor2

ic said:

bignred05 said:

why do Virgin Media offer everyone 18 month contracts (it used to 12 months only)

then during the 12 months (March usually) they put the prices up anyway, which results in the yearly cancelation calls 

** I've got until the 22.Feb. before I have to call them 

Most people will read the letter, mumble and forget about it.  I expect the vast majority of their customers are out of contract and just accept annual prices rises as a fact of life and don't do anything about it.  For those that are in contract, if they miss their window, Virgin still have them in contract till the end of the 18 months - also I think all home phone/TV/broadband providers use 18 month contracts now.

18 months does seem to be the trend now. Probably makes sense from a business point of view. You quote a price and customers think that's it for 18 months. But in the T&Cs it says they can increase the price by inflation plus a bit annually, which they do. You have the option to get out FOC when the increase is applied, so they just make it really difficult to contact them.

As you say, many people probably just get the letter, moan a bit and bin it.

JasperAlex

VM are utter scum. Actively trying to rip me off at this point. Call up to complain about march price increase and they want to lock me in a contract for a price higher than the increased price?? This has been offered to me at least 5 times now; twice by the inbound team and then 3 calls now by outbound retentions. Each time it has been passed off as a good deal by them.

victor2

JasperAlex said:

VM are utter scum. Actively trying to rip me off at this point. Call up to complain about march price increase and they want to lock me in a contract for a price higher than the increased price?? This has been offered to me at least 5 times now; twice by the inbound team and then 3 calls now by outbound retentions. Each time it has been passed off as a good deal by them.

Then leave them. You can always go back as a new customer at a later date.

Unfortunately, they know most of their competitors give a pretty poor service too.