MSE News: Virgin Media customers to be hit with 5.9% price rise from February

PJD · 5 January 2015 at 8:59PM

I was paying £33 pm for:

TV - "M" package
LL - (free landline calls 24/7, and 150 mins to mobiles and 0845
33Mb BB

Going up to £38.64 in Feb.

Just spoke to retentions who offered me for £42 pm:

Upgrade my tv from "M" to "M+"
Downgrade my landline to just free weeekend calls
Free 6 months netflix.
One month free.
With the landline saver, and minus the one month free that will work out to be:

£33 per month for M+ TV, 33mb BB, landline with free weekend calls

Do you think I could do better if I get a freeview box (not sure i am fussed about the extra M+ channels)?

Do you think they'll offer anything else if I say that i want to disconnect anyway?

Skintski · 5 January 2015 at 11:05PM

I called Virgin today regarding our £32.49 (incl price increase) M line rental and fibreoptic package and told them that we had been offered a better deal by Sky as we already have our TV with them (the husband wont leave Sky, dont get me started).

I didn't even get as far as telling her what the deal was, she offered to upgrade us from 30mb to 50mb and the bill drops to £24.49 on a 12 month contract but the deal stays live for 18 months.

I work from home so a good connection is important to me which is why we have not jumped ship elsewhere but it was nice to get a reduction.

djtezz · 6 January 2015 at 9:47AM

Currently on: £43.99 going up to £47.98
M+ TV
50Mb
Unlimited Phone
Tivo

They could offer nothing better than what i am currently on other than a discount for 6 months but then the price will go up as my discount drops off in July.

Not sure what to do

btm123 · 6 January 2015 at 3:33PM

So, I became a VM customer in November.
Paid their line rental saver in December.
Was happy enough.

Then got the letter about the increase 1 month into a contract, which takes the Michael.

Decided to move to BT, ordered BT, rang to cancel Virgin as it says I can do.

Sure enough, they will cancel the contract, but are treating the line rental saver (£144) separately and saying that is non refundable.

Have even spoken to the directors office and they aren't budging.

So now I have to decide whether to stick to my principles, move to BT and lose the £144, or give in and stay with these thieves for the rest of the contract.

I'm pretty disgusted at how I've been treated so early into a contract, and how they can get away with moving the goalposts.

I genuinely thought when I spoke to the directors office I would get it refunded.

cduance · 6 January 2015 at 5:11PM

Its not for broadband only customers and I need to cancel as I have to move flat due to the landlord preferring his daughter wanting to live there over me. Am I really going to have to pay a load of fees to leave when its not my fault I have to move and not my fault they don't supply the new address?

haz25a · 6 January 2015 at 11:53PM

I cancelled all three of my virgin services the other day. I had already phoned them twice to complain I wasn't happy and they offered nothing both times.

Got a good deal from Sky through the website link that offers 50% off to virgin media customers wanting to switch.

Ironically, I'm supposedly on "mates rates" yet Sky could offer a deal which is £10 a month cheaper AND that's factoring in the line rental that I have already paid Virgin in advance until October 2015. The line rental is non refundable so had to be written off but I'll still be saving £120 a year by moving to Sky.:T

Bye bye Virgin

lagib · 7 January 2015 at 10:19PM

I have been paying £431.16 per year to Virgin Media for 20mb broadband 'M'/TV 'M'/line rental with talk unlimited but was faced with an increase to £489.24 after 1.2.15.
After some hassle phoning on free telephone numbers (0880 and 150),I agreed to pay £330 per year which equates to an £159.24 reduction on the package after 1.2.15. I will be moved to 50mb bb too although where I live it is unlikely that I will actually realise that speed. Virgin is the only provider in my area that can supply such speed due to fibre but other providers lack this facility so far.
How I arrived at this deal would take too much print to explain but the story is that it pays (sometimes) to haggle.
I could have got a much better deal with the likes of Plusnet or EE but they could only supply 17mb (not fibre) with local speed typically 2mb.
I am happy with the deal for the next year after which I will seek an even better one.
I hope readers will be encouraged to haggle.

d70cw6 · 8 January 2015 at 5:31PM

So finally got round to renegotiating contract with Virgin. Here's what i got:

Prepaid:
£144 line saver = £12/month equiv

Monthly charge:
1TB Tivo box (to replace the 500MB one we had)
50MB broadband
M TV
Phone gubbins
£15/m

So all in all: BB, 1TB Tivo, homephone (meh) all for £27/month - not too bad.

oh and 6 months free netflix too

lukewaztaken · 8 January 2015 at 8:47PM

So we cancelled our Virgin contract with the clause last week as wanted to get the phone call from Outbound retentions full well knowing they have the power to negotiate.

Got the phone call this evening from a lovely chap.

Current deal:
100MB line
TV - M
Talk Weekends
TIVO
Sky Sports (Special 3 month offer)
Line Rental

Total = £59.61 but we have been paying near enough to £100 month due to phone calls during the day from working from home and other charges which didn't help.

New deal:
Netflix 6 Months free
BT Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Movies [Now replaces the NOW Tv subscription so saving money]
Extra Virgin box for the bedroom
Upgrade to 152MB Broadband
Unlimited/Anytime calls
£144 Credit for line rental upfront
XL Channels
HD Channels

Price £50.00 Month on 12 month contract

We have a Netflix and Nowtv subscription so they can also be cancelled saving the extra cash on top.

All i can say it pays to wait for outbound to call you and negotiate with them on the call!

AndyPK · 8 January 2015 at 8:52PM

d70cw6 wrote: »

So finally got round to renegotiating contract with Virgin. Here's what i got:

Prepaid:
£144 line saver = £12/month equiv

Monthly charge:
1TB Tivo box (to replace the 500MB one we had)
50MB broadband
M TV
Phone gubbins
£15/m

So all in all: BB, 1TB Tivo, homephone (meh) all for £27/month - not too bad.

oh and 6 months free netflix too

Were you still under contract or not ?

Had you paid the line rental at the time the deal was done? or was that part of it ?

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MSE News: Virgin Media customers to be hit with 5.9% price rise from February

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