Virgin Media - Retention Deals?

[Oakey]

We're paying £60 a month for the Mix TV package, V6 box, 200Mbit and the phone line.

Can't remove the phone line as the price goes up.

If we reduce the TV package to the one below we're then effectively paying them about £30 a month for what amounts to the free to air channels.

They've knocked it down to £52 a month after a bit of grumbling but still in two minds as to whether to go through the whole "cancel it!" routine.

[dmsims]

tight fart said:

All in but only a weekend call package, not that anyone now uses our home phone.

Worth considering Vonage if you have keep a landline (which we do) - saved £13 per month

[nmd87]

Wish me luck. I've just given my 30 days notice in the hope of a call back with a good deal. I've paid 27.50 a month for 100mb broadband and a phone line for the past 12 months; their best offer was 37.50 a month and a 50 quid bill credit, 'reduced' from their standard price of 45.00. Let's see how this plays out. I was prepared to go to 30 but reluctant to pay more than that!

[HTP99]

Been online with them on Web chat; we are actually looking to downgrade our package from Full House to Mix bundle and the bds are offering me a monthly figure of more than they are advertising!

[HTP99]

On the phone to them now I want the Mix Bundle (replacing the next bundle up) with the TV6 box and to move the Tivo to replace the V+ Box, at first they were offering the standard advertised price of £55 + £7.50 for a second box and they waive the £20 activation fee for the TV6 box.

I was put through to cancellations, all they could offer was a £50 credit but I have to pay the £20 activation, I am fine with the credit but not the £20 activation fee, she is adamant I have to pay it and it can't be cancelled, so I confim I want to cancel, she's going through it all and I can hear murmuring in the background; oh what do we have here, her manager wants to speak to her, all of a sudden they can make the £20 activation fee disappear!

I could have probably got a better deal with cancelling and getting a phone call but I've not always got time to take a call and I can't be arsed with the charade, I'm fine with this deal as I'm saving almost £40 pm with losing a few TV channels that I don't watch and halving my broadband speed; 100 is enough.

Why do the make make it so bloody difficult though.

[nmd87]

I didn't get a call back from VM after cancelling my broadband following the end of the 12-month deal I was on. Have therefore switched to BT Infinity 1 broadband (52MB) as after quidco cashback (£80) and the BT reward card (£125) it works out considerably cheaper. Let's see how it goes.

[megaphone]

nmd87 said:

I didn't get a call back from VM after cancelling my broadband following the end of the 12-month deal I was on. Have therefore switched to BT Infinity 1 broadband (52MB) as after quidco cashback (£80) and the BT reward card (£125) it works out considerably cheaper. Let's see how it goes.

I did the same last April, BT has been fine, all went smoothly. I only get about 45mb/s but that's easily enough for me. I also have the TV. With Quidco and BT rewards it worked out around £16/m over the year. However, BT have sent me an email to say it will go up a few £ this month, same money grabbing as VM. I'll probably switch again in April for a new deal elsewhere.

[nmd87]

megaphone said:

I did the same last April, BT has been fine, all went smoothly. I only get about 45mb/s but that's easily enough for me. I also have the TV. With Quidco and BT rewards it worked out around £16/m over the year. However, BT have sent me an email to say it will go up a few £ this month, same money grabbing as VM. I'll probably switch again in April for a new deal elsewhere.

That's good to hear. We've been promised 55mb, although the plan is up to 52 which is odd. In any case, I think anything about 40 is plenty for anyone - we definitely didn't need the 100mb we've had with VM.

[mickmcpaddy]

I was on 50 meg for £18 for 12 months, then £32/month. Just before deal expired they upgraded me to 100 meg FOC, this has just renewed at £34/month. Told them no chance and they immediately offered £28 a month for 18 months on a new 12 month contract, not sure how that works. Anyway I probably could have got it down a bit more but I'd rather pay another £3 or £4 a month than spend a lifetime on the phone to them.

Dont think £28 a month for 100 meg broadband is too shabby, it really is the best internet I've had, just torrented a 2GB film in 4 minutes, that's not far of my internal network speed.

[anonymous-user]

Renewal time for us. This time prompted by the complimentary Line Rental on the phone expiring.
Rang up fobbed off just before Xmas.Basically wasn't in the disconnection period - fair enough
Rang back girl I spoke to didn't mess around. I laid cards on table explained that I knew I could get decent fibre broadband via plusnet as neighbours had it and I had seen what speeds they got what they had attached. I explained throwing TV at me wouldn't matter as everything I watch is on freeview anyway
So she agreed I didn't use their TV service it was on the basic VM version of freeview. That goes back. Put into perspective the VM box has been set on ITV 4 +1 for all of December
I had been steadily upped to 100mb broadband over the years that drops down to 50 meg I was happy before with that
My phone loses the all day "free 59 minute" phone calls thing which just switches to weekends - fine with that only used it once during day in past year
So long as the broadband drop still supports the i player and browsing use I'll be happy
All in at £19. That involves some jiggery pokery with them prepaying the line rental on the phone for another 12 months but its fine Very happy with that. Quite painless, she listened, she noted how long I had been with them she was pragmatic. One of the best "lets make a deal calls" I've had

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 4th January 22:34

[hyphen]

Dave, you do realise Virgin get commission from the big beautiful black women channels you pay for? And those premium rate phone calls They couldn't afford to lose you.

Edited by hyphen on Thursday 4th January 23:26

[nmd87]

I too was on 100mb. I was paying £28 a month on a deal but this had risen to £45 due to said deal ending, and the best offer I got from their retention team was £37 a month. Hence the decision to switch to BT infinity for £30 a month, but with the £205 in cashback/reward card. Perhaps I rang VM at the wrong time!

[Kev_Mk3]

I called Virgin as out of contact and the service the last few weeks has been shocking. 1.48mbps service!!

Explained wanted to look elsewhere as I can get normal broadband, basic tv and landline for alot less. I have never had the 200mbps fibre the max I have had was 99!

I was paying £42 a month but he reduced it to £32 a month with no other changes and its a rolling 30 day contract with that I can leave when ever and the reduced rate is on for 18 months.

He then did some checks and arranged a engineer to come tomorrow as I may have a power issue with my router.


Actually in shock as I got good service from them for once

[AlexRS2782]

Seeing as this thread's here, does anyone know which contact details / phone options to use to guarantee that you get the UK based staff?

I'm currently dealing with an ongoing pre-install / install delay issue and nearly every time I call them it forwards to the overseas call centre that basically just keep reading off their generic script telling me what the status of my order is, which obviously I already know. On the one time I did get through to the UK side I actually got some decent information / help.

ETA - Also noticed that 3 weeks on I've still not received a contract through the post (or via email as also claimed to be E-Signed) but the overseas call centre also claim this is normal and the contract is only sent once "services are connected". Surely a contract is meant to have been signed before the connection is made. Weird as the Direct Debit acceptance paperwork went through fine.

Edited by AlexRS2782 on Saturday 6th January 20:10

[Kev_Mk3]

Kev_Mk3 said:

I called Virgin as out of contact and the service the last few weeks has been shocking. 1.48mbps service!!

Explained wanted to look elsewhere as I can get normal broadband, basic tv and landline for alot less. I have never had the 200mbps fibre the max I have had was 99!

I was paying £42 a month but he reduced it to £32 a month with no other changes and its a rolling 30 day contract with that I can leave when ever and the reduced rate is on for 18 months.

He then did some checks and arranged a engineer to come tomorrow as I may have a power issue with my router.


Actually in shock as I got good service from them for once

to carry on from this.

later on saturday after the engineer went / sunday I tested the speeds.

7.44
5.41
38.1
7.9
45.1
today - 145

Thats a bit different to what the engineer said seeing as I am paying for 200mbps............... I know it can change but jesus thats alot ffs

[megaphone]

Kev_Mk3 said:

Kev_Mk3 said:

I called Virgin as out of contact and the service the last few weeks has been shocking. 1.48mbps service!!

Explained wanted to look elsewhere as I can get normal broadband, basic tv and landline for alot less. I have never had the 200mbps fibre the max I have had was 99!

I was paying £42 a month but he reduced it to £32 a month with no other changes and its a rolling 30 day contract with that I can leave when ever and the reduced rate is on for 18 months.

He then did some checks and arranged a engineer to come tomorrow as I may have a power issue with my router.


Actually in shock as I got good service from them for once

to carry on from this.

later on saturday after the engineer went / sunday I tested the speeds.

7.44
5.41
38.1
7.9
45.1
today - 145

Thats a bit different to what the engineer said seeing as I am paying for 200mbps............... I know it can change but jesus thats alot ffs

Are you testing with Wifi or with a cable plugged into the router? The later will give you accurate results.

[Kev_Mk3]

megaphone said:

Are you testing with Wifi or with a cable plugged into the router? The later will give you accurate results.

was on wifi but now its mid 100's.............


Spoke to a rude arrogant agent who said the engineer was wrong apparently the new router wont swap between signals automatically. He split them to the 2g and 5g service so i can connect manually and that was it. I give up I'll just carry on for now cant be arsed dealing with the idiots

[megaphone]

Kev_Mk3 said:

megaphone said:

Are you testing with Wifi or with a cable plugged into the router? The later will give you accurate results.

was on wifi but now its mid 100's.............


Spoke to a rude arrogant agent who said the engineer was wrong apparently the new router wont swap between signals automatically. He split them to the 2g and 5g service so i can connect manually and that was it. I give up I'll just carry on for now can't be arsed dealing with the idiots

You need to forget one of the SSIDs, 5ghz is faster, 2.4ghz usually has more range but is more congested. I'd 'forget' the 2.4ghz SSID in the settings on your devices so they are forced onto the 5Ghz.

[craigd9]

Hi I’ve been reading through and thought I’d ask for some advice. i am a new virgin customer 30 days away from my 12month contract expiring. Currently pay £55pm and will be going up to £75pm.

I have one v6 box
full house tv with bt sports etc
Talk weekends phone line included
Vivid 200 broadband

I only actually get around 30-40mb (tested using WiFi) but this is actually ok for our usage anyway we have had no problems. We don’t use the house phone in fact its probably been used once in the whole 11 months. Happy with the tv do not want to change that, but definitely don’t want to be paying £75pm. If anything I want it less than 55!

Anybody have any advice and what my boundaries are in terms of price and what I ask for to lower my bill, I’ve seen some people having the same package as me + an extra v6 box for 40-odd.

Thanks

Edited by craigd9 on Wednesday 10th January 13:27

[Kev_Mk3]

megaphone said:

You need to forget one of the SSIDs, 5ghz is faster, 2.4ghz usually has more range but is more congested. I'd 'forget' the 2.4ghz SSID in the settings on your devices so they are forced onto the 5Ghz.

TBH the 5Ghz service is up and down more than a hookers draws for me