Virgin Media retention deals (post your haggling successes)

mits999

ShelboBaggins said:

ShelboBaggins said:

I currently have M350+Mixit TV+Talk Weekends and paying £76.50 and been meaning to call to reduce for ages as been out of contract for 2yrs! Contacted via WhatsApp yesterday and asked what BB only package they could offer as we don't use TV or phone. First offer was £44 for M350 only or £39 for my existing package. Then they offered their "personal discount" for the M350 only to £36 when I mentioned cancelling, I said I'm being offered £25 to move so they offered M125 for £24 as a price match. The conversation dropped out so was passed onto someone else who offered M250 BB for £36 - I pointed out that I was offered M350 for same price earlier but didn't get any further response.

I want to keep M350 and not bothered about TV/Phone so going to call to cancel. What sort of price should I be looking for? Am also going to ask about adding Volt if that offers an even better discount.

Interesting so I just called VM to cancel and retentions were trying to offer my current package for £50 and then £47, and didn't seem to be able to go any lower except offer M250 for £41. I mentioned what I had been offered yesterday via WhatsApp and they said these were one time offers which I didn't accept (didn't get the opportunity to accept/decline yesterdays as conversation dropped). Asked what options were with Volt and was offered V125 (double to 250) with 6GB sim for £35 or V350 for £47 both include £6 for O2 sim. Asked to carry on to cancel as neither option was attractive compared to what I was offered yesterday. I asked what happens next, do I get an email confirming cancellation - just said they'd make a note of it on account and to call back after 30 days - seems very odd to say that as surely if I'm cancelling my contract I should get something in writing? Do I just wait out to hear from outbound retentions?

Yes you will get a call from outbound team they should let you have it for approx £18 to £25 a month 

PZ19

ShelboBaggins said:

ShelboBaggins said:

I currently have M350+Mixit TV+Talk Weekends and paying £76.50 and been meaning to call to reduce for ages as been out of contract for 2yrs! Contacted via WhatsApp yesterday and asked what BB only package they could offer as we don't use TV or phone. First offer was £44 for M350 only or £39 for my existing package. Then they offered their "personal discount" for the M350 only to £36 when I mentioned cancelling, I said I'm being offered £25 to move so they offered M125 for £24 as a price match. The conversation dropped out so was passed onto someone else who offered M250 BB for £36 - I pointed out that I was offered M350 for same price earlier but didn't get any further response.

I want to keep M350 and not bothered about TV/Phone so going to call to cancel. What sort of price should I be looking for? Am also going to ask about adding Volt if that offers an even better discount.

Interesting so I just called VM to cancel and retentions were trying to offer my current package for £50 and then £47, and didn't seem to be able to go any lower except offer M250 for £41. I mentioned what I had been offered yesterday via WhatsApp and they said these were one time offers which I didn't accept (didn't get the opportunity to accept/decline yesterdays as conversation dropped). Asked what options were with Volt and was offered V125 (double to 250) with 6GB sim for £35 or V350 for £47 both include £6 for O2 sim. Asked to carry on to cancel as neither option was attractive compared to what I was offered yesterday. I asked what happens next, do I get an email confirming cancellation - just said they'd make a note of it on account and to call back after 30 days - seems very odd to say that as surely if I'm cancelling my contract I should get something in writing? Do I just wait out to hear from outbound retentions?

Hopefully you get a call from outbound team, however you should have got email confirming your cancellation and instructions on sending box back etc

ShelboBaggins

The conversation was a bit sketchy so I wasnt convinced she actually put the cancellation through and I didn't get an email so I contacted them via WhatApp yesterday afternoon. Did the same song and dance with trying to offer new deal (all worse than previous offers!) when all I asked was to confirm if cancellation was processed. 3hrs later turns out there was no cancellation so I asked them to do it now. Got text and email confirming within half hour so fingers crossed will get outbound calling me.

barafear799

Word of warning- I recently upgraded/renegotiated my package (well on behalf of older parents) - this word of warning may not be relevant to everyone (especially those more au fait with the "digital/internet" world).

Old contract - paid £8 extra for Talk more anytime - due to lots of home calls made by parents keeping in touch with friends and family. 

New contract/upgrade - was told that everything landline related stayed the same - so didn't scrutinise new contract in any particular depth - did notice another "change of name" with some of their packages - so Talk More Anytime is now Anytime Chatter - and similarly, we have weekend chatter and evening chatter. 

Well - first bill arrived and a massive sting in the tail!! 

So, as well as making home calls, parents have family abroad - and for many years have been using one of those firms offering cheap calls via an access number - the one they were using had an 0870 access number - and when checking whether this was part of the TMA plan all was good - no problems.

But no more - under the new anytime chatter bundle (which is now a nominal £10 extra, up from £8) both 0870 and 0845 calls are now chargeable - and at the eye watering rate of 24p per min, plus initial charge of 13p, plus VAT. 

so a handful of calls abroad over Christmas and new year (normally free/about 1.5p per min via specialist company) and on the latest virgin bill for over £80 incl VAT!! 

Virgin have made this change with very little comms or fanfare. 

Be careful if you rely on "calls via landline and use 0845/0870 numbers" 

victor2

barafear799 said:

Word of warning- I recently upgraded/renegotiated my package (well on behalf of older parents) - this word of warning may not be relevant to everyone (especially those more au fait with the "digital/internet" world).

Old contract - paid £8 extra for Talk more anytime - due to lots of home calls made by parents keeping in touch with friends and family. 

New contract/upgrade - was told that everything landline related stayed the same - so didn't scrutinise new contract in any particular depth - did notice another "change of name" with some of their packages - so Talk More Anytime is now Anytime Chatter - and similarly, we have weekend chatter and evening chatter. 

Well - first bill arrived and a massive sting in the tail!! 

So, as well as making home calls, parents have family abroad - and for many years have been using one of those firms offering cheap calls via an access number - the one they were using had an 0870 access number - and when checking whether this was part of the TMA plan all was good - no problems.

But no more - under the new anytime chatter bundle (which is now a nominal £10 extra, up from £8) both 0870 and 0845 calls are now chargeable - and at the eye watering rate of 24p per min, plus initial charge of 13p, plus VAT. 

so a handful of calls abroad over Christmas and new year (normally free/about 1.5p per min via specialist company) and on the latest virgin bill for over £80 incl VAT!! 

Virgin have made this change with very little comms or fanfare. 

Be careful if you rely on "calls via landline and use 0845/0870 numbers" 

Glad you pointed that little change out. I have Talk More Anytime on a contract that expires in the summer. Don't call many 0845 or 0870 numbers, but it's nice to know I'm not charged for them when I do.

Have just gone through their current call charge documents and it says

Calls to UK service numbers with the 084, 087, 09 & 118 number ranges will be charged
at our standard access charge plus the applicable service charge

Under the old one it the same, but was followed by a section where it said that calls to 0845 and 0870 were included in Talk More Anytime (and others). That section has disappeared now. Devious!

Will bear it in mind when I have to go through the "cancellation" game again!

uF0n

ShelboBaggins said:

The conversation was a bit sketchy so I wasnt convinced she actually put the cancellation through and I didn't get an email so I contacted them via WhatApp yesterday afternoon. Did the same song and dance with trying to offer new deal (all worse than previous offers!) when all I asked was to confirm if cancellation was processed. 3hrs later turns out there was no cancellation so I asked them to do it now. Got text and email confirming within half hour so fingers crossed will get outbound calling me.

It took me three separate calls (first Whatsapp, then phone, then Whatsapp) before my cancellation was actually put through... the first 2 said they had, but obviously had not!

Cancellation went through last Friday... not heard back from retentions yet...

mits999

Virgin no longer offer new customers talk more a time that includes 0870 and 0845, if you need these calls especially for free calls abroad I would say move to BT or Plusnet who still offer them 

BigBlueSky

mits999 said:

Virgin no longer offer new customers talk more a time that includes 0870 and 0845, if you need these calls especially for free calls abroad I would say move to BT or Plusnet who still offer them 

Does this also apply to their 'free' weekend call package for new customers - 0870 no longer included ?

mits999

BigBlueSky said:

mits999 said:

Virgin no longer offer new customers talk more a time that includes 0870 and 0845, if you need these calls especially for free calls abroad I would say move to BT or Plusnet who still offer them 

Does this also apply to their 'free' weekend call package for new customers - 0870 no longer included ?

Yes correct, they have totally removed 0870 on new packages

ShelboBaggins

uF0n said:

ShelboBaggins said:

The conversation was a bit sketchy so I wasnt convinced she actually put the cancellation through and I didn't get an email so I contacted them via WhatApp yesterday afternoon. Did the same song and dance with trying to offer new deal (all worse than previous offers!) when all I asked was to confirm if cancellation was processed. 3hrs later turns out there was no cancellation so I asked them to do it now. Got text and email confirming within half hour so fingers crossed will get outbound calling me.

It took me three separate calls (first Whatsapp, then phone, then Whatsapp) before my cancellation was actually put through... the first 2 said they had, but obviously had not!

Cancellation went through last Friday... not heard back from retentions yet...

Got my call yesterday evening but didn't offer me much better than the normal retentions team and felt like they couldn't be bothered to negotiate. Am hoping for another callback and someone who's keen to negotiate otherwise I'm geared up to sign up in my partner's name. Can't believe I live in Birmingham and my nearest exchange is only one of few that doesn't offer yet offer superfast fibre so Virgin are pretty much my only choice.