Virgin renewal - Broadband + Landline + Television - how much to haggle renewal down?

makara

A customer of mine (I do his I.T.) has been with Virgin for a while for Broadband + Landline + Television - and has just come out of contract - so presumably will get charged the full amounts now.

I don't know the total amount he is paying currently (or what exact packages he is on) - but APPROXIMATELY how much should he try to haggle down the overall price?

I looked at some random examples I found on MSE in a thread, and people were saying after threatening to cancel, Virgin then slashed their full rate by (about) £20 per month (provided the customers re-entered a new minimum contract).

Does this sound about right?

Thanks

makara

P.S. - here is the thread I found - 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/broadband-and-tv/haggle-with-virgin-existing-customer-tips/

Neil_Jones

Find out what the new customer deals are for the same package and aim for that.  Ring them up and go for it.

But until you know how much your customer is paying (or what package they're on), any guesses of savings is just that - a guess.

makara

Neil_Jones said:

Find out what the new customer deals are for the same package and aim for that.  Ring them up and go for it.

But until you know how much your customer is paying (or what package they're on), any guesses of savings is just that - a guess.

Thanks - just used my own address to see prices on the Virgin website for their "bundles" (I live not far from my client) - and it has given (what I presume) are new customer prices. 

I will be visiting him today, so will ask him to show me the bill - and then phone Virgin, and ask them to lower the tariff in return for another contract commitment.

makara

Wonderful result - 

Went round client's house - he showed me £96 monthly bill for 2 x Television boxes / 200 Megs Broadband / Landline with Anytime calls was going to increase to £100 on March 1st   - just after his 18-month contract runs out


- phoned Virgin Retentions   - they offered same package for £66 per month   

- or same package but with 100 Megs Broadband (not 200 Megs) for £60 per month   - my client accepted the £60 deal.

However I quizzed him on whether he actually uses Virgin for Television   - as I had installed "Roku Express" for him last year on his main television.  He realised he no longer uses their television at all


- I phoned them back, and asked them to take off both television boxes.  They said £51 per month for no television and 100 Meg broadband.  I told them that makes no sense, as her colleague had offered £60 for same package PLUS 2 x Television boxes. 


- She offered an alternative of £61 for client's existing package (versus the £66 her colleague had earlier offered).


Asked her what about if we remove the SECOND Television box? 

She got fed up, and told me she will do 1 x Television + 200 Megs Broadband + Landline with Anytime calls for £51 per month on a new 18-month contract.

Client will now pay £918 over 18 months (allowing for incremental changes) instead of £1800.  So has practically halved his bill.

It pays to haggle.

[Deleted User]

makara said:

 He realised he no longer uses their television at all

She got fed up, and told me she will do 1 x Television + 200 Megs Broadband + Landline with Anytime calls for £51 per month on a new 18-month contract.

Client will now pay £918 over 18 months (allowing for incremental changes) instead of £1800.  So has practically halved his bill.

It pays to haggle.

Paying £51 per month for 200mps broadband is not a good deal at all.

The TV bundle is a waste as you said above. 

makara

He needs the anytime calls plus landline. 

I suggested he use landline for incoming calls, and his mobile for outgoing. 

But he is elderly, so wants to make use of a landline.

EDIT ADD - Virgin's tariff guide says the "Talk more anytime" is £27 - I suspect that's what is keeping the overall bundle price high.  As said above...he (like a lot of my elderly customers) is addicted to landline phones and making calls from them.  I would personally sacrifice the call package and get a cheaper price overall / and / or faster broadband for the same price.  But then I'm not in my 70s or 80s...

EDIT ADD 2 - something similar happened last year with my school friend's elderly (70s and 80s) parents.  I haggled hard with Sky to get them a much better deal.  Then they scuppered it by insisting on an anytime landline calls package.  Even the Sky retentions person tried to explain to them it was an unnecessary extra cost, given I had ported their mobiles over to Sky Mobile unlimited calls for next to nothing.  But they dug their heels in, saying the landline is easier for them. 

Must be a generational thing. 


Hyperoptic isn't available. 

So in the circumstances it's going to be a tough job to get cheaper for a customer who doesn't want the hassle of cashback deals. 

Anon

Others are reporting around the £20-£25 price (some less)  just for 100 or 200mb broadband and phone line, so I would expect less than £30 including the calls package (limited or no tv package) should be achievable (after cancelling and getting a call from outbound retentions).

mopezone

Blimey! Am I getting diddled here?

I pay £127 rising on 1st March to £136 for Anytime calls (must have the landline as elderly relatives prefer not to call a mobile!), Maxit TV with Sky Sports HD and BT Sport, 1 TV box and M200 Broadband.
Just phoned retentions and after some haggling was offered £101pm for the same package on an 18 month contract - (I'm currently out of contract)
I would have liked to have got it down below £100, but he wasn't moving any further - so I don't seem to have been offered as good a deal as what is being suggested above?
Any views? Should I call back in the hope of getting a different agent? Should I put in my 30 days notice and hope to be called back?

By the way, is there any time, day or phone number which gets you connected to somebody in the UK? I could barely understand what the agent was saying! 

makara

mopezone said:

Should I call back in the hope of getting a different agent? Should I put in my 30 days notice and hope to be called back?

I would call back, and say "After some deliberation I decided it's still too much for my needs - I would like to cancel, as I want to move to SKY"

You should then find they will lower it again (hopefully)

As for who you get - the first time I got an English lady on a perfect line - the second time someone East European on a very bad line - so I don't think it matters what number you call...it's luck of the draw as to which call centre picks up AFAICT

Anon

mopezone said:

Blimey! Am I getting diddled here?

I pay £127 rising on 1st March to £136 for Anytime calls (must have the landline as elderly relatives prefer not to call a mobile!), Maxit TV with Sky Sports HD and BT Sport, 1 TV box and M200 Broadband.
Just phoned retentions and after some haggling was offered £101pm for the same package on an 18 month contract - (I'm currently out of contract)
I would have liked to have got it down below £100, but he wasn't moving any further - so I don't seem to have been offered as good a deal as what is being suggested above?
Any views? Should I call back in the hope of getting a different agent? Should I put in my 30 days notice and hope to be called back?

By the way, is there any time, day or phone number which gets you connected to somebody in the UK? I could barely understand what the agent was saying! 

Yes you are getting diddled - look at the new customer offers for an indication of what their current pricing is. 

As an existing customer renegotiating, it is always recommended to cancel then await a call from outbound retentions within your 30 days - it seems from discussions on here and other forums that the vast majority of good deals reported were after actually cancelling (not from the inbound retentions that you call in to speak to).