Is Virgin Media's offer of a discount on a big package a good deal or not

jrgriffin

Hi, I'm a VM customer, who is out of contract, facing a price increase on 1st March from £124.5 to £133 for the existing package of:-

Anytime calls, Maxit TV with Sky Sports and BT Sport, 2 TV boxes and M200 Broadband

I've been offered the same package as above but with M350 Broadband by inbound retentions for £93 for 18months (no increase on 1st March) but was interested in whether forum members think that's a fantastic deal, average or frankly take the risk and you'll get a better deal within 30 days of cancelling.as outbounds will call me back.

Neil_Jones

You need to determine whether you're using the features of what you're paying for now.

If you don't do anything particularly intensive with the broadband (ie you're not part of a family of six streaming 4k Netflix material all day every day) and its usage boils down to looking at email then you don't need M200.

If you hardly watch TV (or if the bulk of your viewing boils down to Freeview channels) its pointless paying for Sky Sports/BT.

If you hardly make any calls (or you don't make enough to cover the cost of any time calls) its pointless paying for it.

jrgriffin

Neil, These are good points you've made, but I should have added that I have a heavy tech load household with regular streaming/gaming, regularly use Sky Sports, BT Sport and Eurosport, family always on the phone. I did think reducing 2 boxes to 1 might be an option, but as both main TV's are regularly used in parallel, although I've thought it's possible to cast Virgin TV GO to the 2nd TV and ditch the box, nobody in the house is keen to lose the flexibility of the remote, so I'm fairly sure I need the package, which begs the question is the price offer a good one or not.

Neil_Jones

Well that's a saving of £40 a month which over its lifetime (assuming no further increases which there no doubt will be) saves you £720.

Check what they're offering as a new customer deal/price for the same package/offerings.  If its cheaper, see if you can knock them down some more.  Also ask (and if you're willing to) see what they can do if they can offer 24 month contract instead.  They may not do them, but worth asking as you may get a bit more knocked off for a longer commitment.

The caveat you must be aware of is that if there is a chance of you moving house in the next 18/24 months and Virgin don't supply the house you are moving to, you will still have to pay exit fees.

If you can get below £90 a month I'd seriously consider it.  At £85 (or somehow less) we're into territory of biting their hand off, but I'd be surprised if they go that low in all honesty.  Worth asking - nothing ventured nothing gained.

jrgriffin

The initial offer is in my opinion, not much above the best I could secure, without taking the risk on time and effort of having to be called back by outbound retentions, and I have to cancel to stand any chance of that happening. My initial hope was a deal between £85 and £90 for this package so it would be interesting to know if other forum members in the last few months have ever got close to this, as I'm keen on seeing a precedent set before sinking more time into getting lucky. Anyone out there know.

Neil_Jones

Precedent doesn't come into it.  Retention offers are pretty much ad-hoc and irrelevant as to what went before as they are all bespoke to that point in time.  If Fred gets an offer of £95 it doesn't automatically mean that Velma will get that £95 even if she speaks to the call handler next door to the one Fred is speaking to.  She may get £110 and no movement, she may get £97 and no movement.  She may get no discount at all.

It must be remembered that you have no right to an offer at all.  Just the right to cancel.  Any offers made are at the discretion of the provider.

Coffeekup

I suppose it depends on how tight money is... If you want to save a other £5-10 a month that can be quite a saving if your shirt on cash.

As a previous poster said maybe you can get rid of the second box, which will save you some per month. You'd also save £50-80 a year (depending on how much time it's in standby/recording/play back) on not having the box plugged in and using electricity.... Which in turn may save you more in electricity as you may need the TV plugged in. Smaller carbon footprint badge for you if you do.

mopezone

Hmmm - I'm new to this - I pay £127 rising on 1st March to £136 for Anytime calls, 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 jrgriffin who got £93 for M350 broadband and 2x TV boxes?
Any views?
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!