Trapped with Virgin Media fibre!

2 Posts
Newbie
Hi everyone,
I live on an estate, it's about 20 years old, just a couple of houses off the main road. The internet speeds around here are ~3mb For years there was no fibre broadband. Up until about 5 years ago when Virgin routed cables and we could have super fast speeds.
I've been with them since however...
They basically have a fibre monopoly and every year they raise the prices and try as I may I can't haggle it down by much as I can't move anywhere. They have started calling my bluff now and don't offer me any discount as they know I can't move.
My current price is up for renewal at £33 a month and it's jumping to £48 in the new year!
I literally have no alternative to move to for actually usuable internet (more the 5 mb).
Is this a monopoly? Any advice on what I should do?
Chris
I live on an estate, it's about 20 years old, just a couple of houses off the main road. The internet speeds around here are ~3mb For years there was no fibre broadband. Up until about 5 years ago when Virgin routed cables and we could have super fast speeds.
I've been with them since however...
They basically have a fibre monopoly and every year they raise the prices and try as I may I can't haggle it down by much as I can't move anywhere. They have started calling my bluff now and don't offer me any discount as they know I can't move.
My current price is up for renewal at £33 a month and it's jumping to £48 in the new year!
I literally have no alternative to move to for actually usuable internet (more the 5 mb).
Is this a monopoly? Any advice on what I should do?
Chris
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Replies
When you're out of contract, say you want to leave. Just say it's too expensive.
They (should) offer some sort of deal but you have a 30 days notice period. During that 30 days, they are likely to call with another deal.
During this 30 days, start another order with another BB operator. Yes, the speed will be rubbish but you will have a 14 day cooling off period with them before anything happens anyway.
Fiddle the cooling off and notice periods but always be pre-pared to leave Virgin Media.
They will know they have a monopoly.
While this has no bearing on anything, I have 200Mb Fibre BB and pay something like £25 a month for it.
The last time, I had already set up TalkTalk broadband and even had it installed before the 30-day notice period for VM had finished. But TalkTalk had a modem and router, I didn't have enough plug sockets so took VM up on their last deal they offered.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
In that case its worth looking at your router to see what you use .
Just posting this as its not always the case in my experience.