Virgin media impossible

Millyfish

I have been a virgin media customer for years now. In that time I have moved 3 times and always stayed with them. I am paying £87 a month for my tv, phone and broadband and have been paying that for a long time now, even though I knew I was paying more than I should. I’ve always been too lazy/loyal to change. However, today I contacted them and asked them how much it would be to ditch the tv and phone and just keep the broadband. After 4 hours of chat bots and phone conversations I still don’t know the answer. The person on the phone and the other person on the live chat tried to imply that I could not have broadband without the other stuff and then admitted they couldn’t tell me and didn’t know who could. They both tried to sell me bigger packages with more tv etc. I am so frustrated. Has anyone else had this problem or does anyone know who to contact at virgin media to REDUCE my package to broadband only? Any help…please? 

Neil_Jones

Millyfish said:

I have been a virgin media customer for years now. In that time I have moved 3 times and always stayed with them. I am paying £87 a month for my tv, phone and broadband and have been paying that for a long time now, even though I knew I was paying more than I should. I’ve always been too lazy/loyal to change. However, today I contacted them and asked them how much it would be to ditch the tv and phone and just keep the broadband. After 4 hours of chat bots and phone conversations I still don’t know the answer. The person on the phone and the other person on the live chat tried to imply that I could not have broadband without the other stuff and then admitted they couldn’t tell me and didn’t know who could. They both tried to sell me bigger packages with more tv etc. I am so frustrated. Has anyone else had this problem or does anyone know who to contact at virgin media to REDUCE my package to broadband only? Any help…please? 

You can have any combination of broadband, TV, phone/internet with Virgin AFAIK.  Certainly the only provider to allow you to have broadband on its own without a required phone line.

If you don't need TV just cancel the lot and get a quote for internet over a landline phone.  You can use Freeview and top it up with some streaming service.  Note that speeds over a landline may not match what you could get from Virgin.

Millyfish

Thing is, I would have been happy to stay with virgin for broadband only, but they are making it impossible for me to do this. They keep saying I need a package. I know this isn’t true but they can’t tell me who to talk to to sort it out. 

webjaved

Just say you want to cancel the contract and stick to your guns - just tell them you don't want to be interrogated and would like to cancel. When does your existing contract run out? 

Just make sure you aren't tied in or you would end up paying an early exit fee. 

Millyfish

Finally got an answer from them. I was connected to their live chat from 2:30pm for 6 and a half hours talking to various people. One of them said she could help, but then said she was leaving her desk for an hour so would speak to me when she got back. Unbelievable ! How long does it take to say a price? After rejecting their numerous offers of bigger packages at cheaper prices for hours and hours and literally pleading with the last person I spoke to to pleeeease tell me how much broadband on its own would be for an existing customer, I got a price at 9pm and accepted it. It shouldn’t be that hard, but it was. Virgin media customer service nil points. It seems the service is swift and efficient if you want to upgrade, but a test of your mettle and resolve if you want to downgrade from one of their packages.  I’m now dreading the time my contract runs out and I have to renegotiate with them. I will set aside a couple of days for that, I think. 

webjaved

The customer service is shocking. You have to rant for them to listen, that's what I did after being sent around in circles. 

zzzt

Virgin Media customer service is abysmal and their website is barely functional.

Their packages are truculent and designed to be a rip off if you stay with them, and will keep increasing in price. For no apparent reason, it will be cheaper to have a phone line than not.

The only people with good deals are people who call up to cancel, at which point they will magically discover that they can offer you half price if you fix for another 18 months.