Virgin Media retention deals (post your haggling successes)

Aylesbury_Duck

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.

Because they're not giving you a a price you're happy with after you've given them an ultimatum?   Why does that make them scum?  They clearly aren't that interested in retaining you as a customer, or have realised that the gun you've put to their head has nothing but a flag with "BANG" written on it in the barrel.

Seems to me you need to follow your own advice, which was just 18 hours ago:

JasperAlex said:

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.

IM

IM said:

Just spent a painful hour on the phone to VM retentions, with someone who didn't speak English as a first language and who didn't really seem to have any knowledge of Virgin products and bundles...

I'm long out of contract, but have finally been kicked out of my stupor by the latest price rises.

Have been paying £133.84 (due to go up to £142.34) for 200 meg broadband and 'Full house' TV (that includes movies plus Sky and BT Sport channels in HD).

The initial offer was a reduction to £104/month - which eventually came down to £94.75, but I'm not sure that the latter was a like-for-like.

I gave up in the end, saying I needed to discuss with my wife.

Coincidentally (or not), when I've looked at the Sky website and created a TV-only package with Sky and BT sport in HD (but no movies) it was coming in at £76 - which when added to VM's price for broadband-only at 200 meg of £28, comes out at £104...

What I am learning is that it is impossible to properly compare deals - and that the headline offers aren't what they seem... It's 15+ years since HD TV launched, and pretty much every set sold since then will be compatible, yet everyone hides the add-on you have to pay for HD channels.  

Anyway...

Part of me is thinking I ought to strip back to just the broadband and go down the IPTV route, but I'd rather not.

So, based on the experience of my fellow forumistas, what is the target I ought to be setting myself for broadband of 100+ meg plus a TV package including HD sport?

I'm not entirely bothered by retaining the movie channels (I'd be happy to pay for individual films, on-demand if I have to) and just wish I could ditch the channels (kids, music, shopping etc.) that I never use but which come bundled by default.

So.... Had another hour or so on the phone to India just now...

I said that I'd been offered £94.75 as a like-for-like earlier in the week, and wanted to know if that was the best they could do...

It was not. She could offer me £112.

When I said that the opening gambit I'd been given on Monday was £104 which had come down to £94.75 she said that each agent is given different offers, and suggested calling back again and I might "strike it lucky". 

Have put my cancellation request in now, so will cross my fingers that I get a call from someone with a vague idea of what they are doing,

For reference, below is my current package...



And this is probably the closest I've found to a match for what I actually want (and there is £110 cashback on Quidco at the moment).
I'd lose the movies, but would be happy to PPV the ones I want. Theoretical broadband speed is lower - but did a speed test whilst I was waiting for Virgin, and by actual was <15 meg.

victor2

IM said:

...

And this is probably the closest I've found to a match for what I actually want (and there is £110 cashback on Quidco at the moment).
I'd lose the movies, but would be happy to PPV the ones I want. Theoretical broadband speed is lower - but did a speed test whilst I was waiting for Virgin, and by actual was <15 meg.

Is that a speed test over WiFi or cable to the hub? VM do have a reputation for supplying the advertised speed. I'm always very close to it, even with 5Ghz WiFi. Do use their router in "modem only" mode though, and have my own router, after getting fed up with VM's lousy WiFi.

mrspixie_2

IM said:

IM said:

Just spent a painful hour on the phone to VM retentions, with someone who didn't speak English as a first language and who didn't really seem to have any knowledge of Virgin products and bundles...

I'm long out of contract, but have finally been kicked out of my stupor by the latest price rises.

Have been paying £133.84 (due to go up to £142.34) for 200 meg broadband and 'Full house' TV (that includes movies plus Sky and BT Sport channels in HD).

The initial offer was a reduction to £104/month - which eventually came down to £94.75, but I'm not sure that the latter was a like-for-like.

I gave up in the end, saying I needed to discuss with my wife.

Coincidentally (or not), when I've looked at the Sky website and created a TV-only package with Sky and BT sport in HD (but no movies) it was coming in at £76 - which when added to VM's price for broadband-only at 200 meg of £28, comes out at £104...

What I am learning is that it is impossible to properly compare deals - and that the headline offers aren't what they seem... It's 15+ years since HD TV launched, and pretty much every set sold since then will be compatible, yet everyone hides the add-on you have to pay for HD channels.  

Anyway...

Part of me is thinking I ought to strip back to just the broadband and go down the IPTV route, but I'd rather not.

So, based on the experience of my fellow forumistas, what is the target I ought to be setting myself for broadband of 100+ meg plus a TV package including HD sport?

I'm not entirely bothered by retaining the movie channels (I'd be happy to pay for individual films, on-demand if I have to) and just wish I could ditch the channels (kids, music, shopping etc.) that I never use but which come bundled by default.

So.... Had another hour or so on the phone to India just now...

I said that I'd been offered £94.75 as a like-for-like earlier in the week, and wanted to know if that was the best they could do...

It was not. She could offer me £112.

When I said that the opening gambit I'd been given on Monday was £104 which had come down to £94.75 she said that each agent is given different offers, and suggested calling back again and I might "strike it lucky". 

Have put my cancellation request in now, so will cross my fingers that I get a call from someone with a vague idea of what they are doing,

For reference, below is my current package...



And this is probably the closest I've found to a match for what I actually want (and there is £110 cashback on Quidco at the moment).
I'd lose the movies, but would be happy to PPV the ones I want. Theoretical broadband speed is lower - but did a speed test whilst I was waiting for Virgin, and by actual was <15 meg.

I was on full house, 100mb, weekend phone, my offer last year though, maxit tv just lost kids programs so that’s fine, still have by sports, hd etc, 200mb, and an extra box installed in another room and I am paying £59 till march 2023. So definitely hold out for better

vanillaspice

I’ve just accepted the automated message discount. It says it will send confirmation.  Have you received your confirmation yet?

leew

How the hell do Virgin work out thier prices 

I accepted the automated discount of £3.25 and I am currently paying £18 now ive just got an email through saying this!

Your new monthly bundle cost is: £14.75*.Your next bill will be £11.28* which includes CR £3.47 to cover your changes up until your next bill period. There is also a one-off charge of 0.00 for installation or activation.

Bizarre stuff!! Not complaining as its now cheaper than I was paying before!

Odd. 

BigBlueSky

leew said:

How the hell do Virgin work out thier prices 

I accepted the automated discount of £3.25 and I am currently paying £18 now ive just got an email through saying this!

Your new monthly bundle cost is: £14.75*.Your next bill will be £11.28* which includes CR £3.47 to cover your changes up until your next bill period. There is also a one-off charge of 0.00 for installation or activation.

Bizarre stuff!! Not complaining as its now cheaper than I was paying before!

Odd. 

I wish we could get the automated discount to be offered.  Tried calling many times - stuck in a queue for over 30 minutes and not getting any automated message or even a person.

I'm selecting the option for thinking of cancelling each time.

leew

BigBlueSky said:

leew said:

How the hell do Virgin work out thier prices 

I accepted the automated discount of £3.25 and I am currently paying £18 now ive just got an email through saying this!

Your new monthly bundle cost is: £14.75*.Your next bill will be £11.28* which includes CR £3.47 to cover your changes up until your next bill period. There is also a one-off charge of 0.00 for installation or activation.

Bizarre stuff!! Not complaining as its now cheaper than I was paying before!

Odd. 

I wish we could get the automated discount to be offered.  Tried calling many times - stuck in a queue for over 30 minutes and not getting any automated message or even a person.

I'm selecting the option for thinking of cancelling each time.

Virgin work in very strange ways!

I like I said earlier got the automated discount after around 10mins on hold - I also got offered the discount the very 1st time time I rang BUT i then rang a few times in between and didn't get offered it.

staffsuk

Well, another hilarious encounter with retentions, this time over the letter re: the £3.25 price increase…

My deal prior to the letter was £22 for M100 & 15Gb Sim. When going through to cancel, I was offered the automated option to waive the £3.25 increase for 6 months. I decided to hold to speak to retentions.

After quite the most hilarious communication issues, with the rep speaking to myself & his supervisor simultaneously, and a degree of haggling, he offered me a new 18 month contract for the same package at the same price and waiving the £3.25 for the duration of the contract. I assume that is unless VM introduce another price increase between now & the end of this new contract.

Anyway, £22 is good for me, and not expected from retentions, seeing as I was only able to get £22 initially from outbound.

JamesN

Aylesbury_Duck said:

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.

Nice one. Stick with it. You’ll get a call (make sure in your account it’s set to allow calls, not sure where that is). Should be someone from the UK as well. If you’re going for M100 don’t accept anything more than £20. Might not get it on the first call as well but hold out and they will pester you. I had 3 phone calls in total. Told them I couldn’t have an 18 month contract as we may be moving soon. So I don’t want to risk not being able to get it at the next house and smacked with an early termination charge.