Virgin Media retention deals (post your haggling successes)

whattochoose

carpbrother said:

Hello!!!!

Like a lot of people here, I've been a customer of VirginMedia for almost 20 years, however the plans they're offering are not as applicable to our current lifestyle as they were 10-15 years ago. 

Newer Smart TVs with their own apps (and our own independent subscriptions for Netflix/Prime etc) have replaced the V360 Box directly via broadband. I can't remember the last time we used the V360 box or turned it on this past eight months. The deal we have had is 350MB Broadband, phone and Basic TV. My contract was up on 1st June but cancelled the TV on that date, so now I only have BB(350) and Phone. This month it was £87.25, which is frankly double what I want to pay; next month it will be £77 for bb(350) and phone.

So we're aiming to look at a new package without Virgin Media (because there are a lot more competitors in London offering cheaper and faster services for the same price) or with them only if a Virgin Media package suits our needs and budget. I can't be stuffed to go through a long negotiation process - look , just offer loyal customers a good price and don't faff us around!! :-) I'm tired of subsidising 'new customers' :-) and having to 'be one' every time the contract expires.

That aside, we're also looking into the detailed process of getting our VM phone number (the number we've had for years) ported from VM to another Fibre provider (or one that is not tied to our future provider, such as Vonage/Sipgate/VoIPify/ Number People/ CircleLoop/ Voipfone/ A&A). That way we can possibly keep our phone with a VOIP provider independently to whoever our broadband provider is. As long as we're online and the landline phone dongle is connected then it doesn't matter.

We are in West London, TW1, and have a vast array of providers coming through the ranks, but am feeling unnerved about losing VM because we don't know their competitors' reputations as we haven't used anyone else but VM. So we are completely reliant on trustpilot and such like to give us good feedback: even then we are not sure those posts are trustworthy either.. Sorry for sounding cynical! Community Fibre seems our preferred future supplier.

Anyway I'm trying to get my head around the Number porting process with my OTS 'Right to Port' and frankly haven't gotten much information. We seem to be at the behest of the provider we are porting TO and also the one we are porting FROM. Why is it not like with MOBILES where you get a PAC/ STAC codes?

The first question is  - can anyone detail what happens when this starts, what needs to be done by both providers, so we get our (current VM) number with another provider? We are out of contract with VM so are not tied-in any more, however understand I will have to keep broadband active on accounts active until the number is ported.

The second question is - is Community Fibre generally reliable? Community are offering 500Mb and 1Gb (simultaneous - both up and down : VM only offers 500Mb down and 50Mb up) for like £26 and I pay A&A £1.50 a month which makes it £27.50 per month for both line and BB, which is quite a good deal! The closest I've seen Virgin Media get to is £43 (500Mb) and £49 (1Gb)  and that includes an O2 SIM I just don't want and have to take out a contract for! we're all good and don't want to change our already-cheap giffgaff contracts.

Update:
I've looked at phone number being ported and A&A charge £1.50 a month to keep my number (they are offering to port it from VM to them to online, and the only main legitimate person that calls us is the wife's mother in Law from Australia!)

Cheers..

Perhaps try this as well to see what's available where you live....
https://www.openreach.com/

Also this gives some idea of what's good and bad out there....
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-and-worst-broadband-providers-revealed-big-four-outdone-by-smaller-rivals-amDGS6Q7g4ns?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR0OW4YWvcqlYnfSHjBGGqRGt4aCFnsqraAhRbL7eiBSAYP-xaI1EonfHrk_aem_ATsi7NmsaJLG3UhF41A2CaPLtHLqCK3nyxEPIwRh_Yxu9J5sbc2qza-ozs7YFYFt2VSy-KyspwV-x_v6tBzo7dgL

mrspixie_2

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

LoopySnooker

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

Can I just ask how you went about arranging this ? Our current deal is very similar to yours but with 1gig broadband (overkill) and is due to run out in about 6 weeks. Ideally I would like to stay with Virgin as TBF the service has been faultless but there’s absolutely no chance I’ll be paying the full price of about £140 per month.

mrspixie_2

LoopySnooker said:

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

Can I just ask how you went about arranging this ? Our current deal is very similar to yours but with 1gig broadband (overkill) and is due to run out in about 6 weeks. Ideally I would like to stay with Virgin as TBF the service has been faultless but there’s absolutely no chance I’ll be paying the full price of about £140 per month.

I put in cancellation and waited for call, this was there first offer, just lucky I guess.

victor2

mrspixie_2 said:

LoopySnooker said:

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

Can I just ask how you went about arranging this ? Our current deal is very similar to yours but with 1gig broadband (overkill) and is due to run out in about 6 weeks. Ideally I would like to stay with Virgin as TBF the service has been faultless but there’s absolutely no chance I’ll be paying the full price of about £140 per month.

I put in cancellation and waited for call, this was there first offer, just lucky I guess.

Sadly, it seems to be the only way to get a reasonable deal out of Virgin.

PZ19

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

Perfect, price same as advised you back in May possible to get.  Well done

ctbfc

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

That sounds like a really good price.

I am paying £67 for all of that but with Gig1 broadband (and no O2 sim).

Ibits4321

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

How much is your O2 SIM?

whattochoose

mrspixie_2 said:

mrspixie_2 said:

Well I just put in my cancellation today. Quite worried about that, but let’s see what happens.

So I am very happy, all sorted new contract.
Mega volt with o2 as already had volt with o2
2 boxes
sky cinema, sports, HD
Mega tv
tnt
Netflix
kids channels 
BB volt 250
Home phone anytime 
£55

That sounds like a great deal.
I'll be putting in my cancellation in at the end of June when my present contract ceases.
It hasn't stopped Virgin already offering deals to to tempt me. I must have had about 4 emails trying to persuade to swop my V6 box for one of their 360 boxes, but I'm not interested.
A few days ago a lady rang me and made reference to the fact my contract would be ending soon. She said they were once again prepared to offer discounts for their services, this would be M350 Mbps, Mega TV, Sky Sports, TNT Sports,free weekend calls. I certainly did not need the 350 Mbps, as I currently have 250 Mbps, and that is perfectly adequate for my needs.
Here's the rub though. In April I was paying £56.25. Following the 8.8% increase, this then increased to £61.20. If I had accepted her offer, the new price for the services offered would have been £70.32, which represents, more or less, a 25% increase on what I was paying up to April. It's taking the mickey really, isn't it?
I will just wait and see if, following cancellation, they offer me a similarly good deal to the one you've been able to negotiate. Netflix would be nice, although not bothered about Sky Cinema.

LoopySnooker

Quick update, managed to renew for 18 months, 1 Gig broadband (overkill) on Mega Volt bundle, Mini box and Anytime landline for £70/mth, subject to the increase next April.

Overall quite pleased with that, will save some faffing around if I'd switched back to Sky and TBH when I was shopping around I don't think I'd have been able to get anything comparable for the money.