Broadband rip off
Discussion
it had to be.
Good old ripoff Virgin broadband.
All I have in my flat is broadband, no phone, no tv, nothing. No phone line, or line rental, should be cheap right?
Its decent speed fibre, 70mb Old cost was about 35 quid a month.
They put the price up as they now seem to every single year for EVERY damn customer, so I said I was leaving, usual story, ring up get better deal, dropped to 26.
Got the expected letter today, is going up by the maximum amount, 4.50. Meaning for nothing they get an extra 56 quid a year, for absolutely nothing, I have a 4 year old router, no better service, but for some reason it's OK to whack the price up by a massive amount for a service that offers me nothing extra.
I don't get why they are allowed to do this.
I cannot get the same service with any other provider, which I'm sure they know, without paying out almost 100 quid on installations and charges, so you are utterly bound to this thing that now increases by 2 or 5 quid a year EVERY f
kING YEAR out of nowhere.
When did broadband become a bill that just increases year on year like AA cover? Especially when you can't get like for like coverage or products as you can with say recovery, gas, electric, car insurance.
I just don't get why these companies can do this when they are all selling different products at different prices and installation costs.
Is it me or is this another utterly unregulated industry exploiting anyone they can? Surely not.
Obviously I will ring and cancel and see what they do.
Good old ripoff Virgin broadband.
All I have in my flat is broadband, no phone, no tv, nothing. No phone line, or line rental, should be cheap right?
Its decent speed fibre, 70mb Old cost was about 35 quid a month.
They put the price up as they now seem to every single year for EVERY damn customer, so I said I was leaving, usual story, ring up get better deal, dropped to 26.
Got the expected letter today, is going up by the maximum amount, 4.50. Meaning for nothing they get an extra 56 quid a year, for absolutely nothing, I have a 4 year old router, no better service, but for some reason it's OK to whack the price up by a massive amount for a service that offers me nothing extra.
I don't get why they are allowed to do this.
I cannot get the same service with any other provider, which I'm sure they know, without paying out almost 100 quid on installations and charges, so you are utterly bound to this thing that now increases by 2 or 5 quid a year EVERY f
kING YEAR out of nowhere.When did broadband become a bill that just increases year on year like AA cover? Especially when you can't get like for like coverage or products as you can with say recovery, gas, electric, car insurance.
I just don't get why these companies can do this when they are all selling different products at different prices and installation costs.
Is it me or is this another utterly unregulated industry exploiting anyone they can? Surely not.
Obviously I will ring and cancel and see what they do.
I'm in a similar boat, I actually have all 3 services as we get awful mobile phone signal in our house so a LAN line phone is a must (I think my walls are lead lined or something). I did look at just having Broadband from them and then using a VOIP service like vonage and having freeview, by the time you go that route though it's cheaper to get all 3 services from Virgin as they charge so much for just having broadband on its own. I am on the cheapest package they do and it's still eye wateringly high and they just seem to keep putting the prices up!
4G unlimited mobile broadband. Up to 45-60 mb/s down, £22 a month from Three.
External or window mount antennas for marginal areas.
Free VOIP 'landline' numbers from Sipgate Basic, once you've got the broadband working.
See lengthy 4G broadband thread in this section for details.
Say goodbye to Virgin woes.
External or window mount antennas for marginal areas.
Free VOIP 'landline' numbers from Sipgate Basic, once you've got the broadband working.
See lengthy 4G broadband thread in this section for details.
Say goodbye to Virgin woes.
chunder27 said:
Can anyone tell me why Virgin charge SO much for broadband on its own?
Why on earth would you penalise people who do not NEED the other stuff.
or is it simply that the more you have the ore you pay them the more they will accept you
Because the broadband subsidises the other stuff. Why on earth would you penalise people who do not NEED the other stuff.
or is it simply that the more you have the ore you pay them the more they will accept you
Do you have no other options but Virgin? Companies put their prices up each year because no-one will drop them over it.
Couple of months ago I sacked VM mobile due to ever increasing costs. Only 2 gb data 2500 mins & 1k texts.
Switched to Three, much better with unlimited mins & texts & 8 gb data not much more than VM wantedOn the strength of this very soon we are moving house & if the Three home wifi signal is good I will sack VM broadband & landline & switch th Three. Why pay for a landline when I have unlimited mins on my mobile ?
Hopefully it will be good bye VM. The only reason they keep increasing their prices is because they get away with it. If you let them !
Switched to Three, much better with unlimited mins & texts & 8 gb data not much more than VM wantedOn the strength of this very soon we are moving house & if the Three home wifi signal is good I will sack VM broadband & landline & switch th Three. Why pay for a landline when I have unlimited mins on my mobile ?
Hopefully it will be good bye VM. The only reason they keep increasing their prices is because they get away with it. If you let them !
chunder27 said:
it had to be.
Good old ripoff Virgin broadband.
All I have in my flat is broadband, no phone, no tv, nothing. No phone line, or line rental, should be cheap right?
Its decent speed fibre, 70mb Old cost was about 35 quid a month.
They put the price up as they now seem to every single year for EVERY damn customer, so I said I was leaving, usual story, ring up get better deal, dropped to 26.
Got the expected letter today, is going up by the maximum amount, 4.50. Meaning for nothing they get an extra 56 quid a year, for absolutely nothing, I have a 4 year old router, no better service, but for some reason it's OK to whack the price up by a massive amount for a service that offers me nothing extra.
I don't get why they are allowed to do this.
I cannot get the same service with any other provider, which I'm sure they know, without paying out almost 100 quid on installations and charges, so you are utterly bound to this thing that now increases by 2 or 5 quid a year EVERY fkING YEAR out of nowhere.
When did broadband become a bill that just increases year on year like AA cover? Especially when you can't get like for like coverage or products as you can with say recovery, gas, electric, car insurance.
I just don't get why these companies can do this when they are all selling different products at different prices and installation costs.
Is it me or is this another utterly unregulated industry exploiting anyone they can? Surely not.
Obviously I will ring and cancel and see what they do.
Price increases are everywhere not just broadband, Phone contracts, trains, gas, electricity the lot and most of them are mid contract. Good old ripoff Virgin broadband.
All I have in my flat is broadband, no phone, no tv, nothing. No phone line, or line rental, should be cheap right?
Its decent speed fibre, 70mb Old cost was about 35 quid a month.
They put the price up as they now seem to every single year for EVERY damn customer, so I said I was leaving, usual story, ring up get better deal, dropped to 26.
Got the expected letter today, is going up by the maximum amount, 4.50. Meaning for nothing they get an extra 56 quid a year, for absolutely nothing, I have a 4 year old router, no better service, but for some reason it's OK to whack the price up by a massive amount for a service that offers me nothing extra.
I don't get why they are allowed to do this.
I cannot get the same service with any other provider, which I'm sure they know, without paying out almost 100 quid on installations and charges, so you are utterly bound to this thing that now increases by 2 or 5 quid a year EVERY f
kING YEAR out of nowhere.When did broadband become a bill that just increases year on year like AA cover? Especially when you can't get like for like coverage or products as you can with say recovery, gas, electric, car insurance.
I just don't get why these companies can do this when they are all selling different products at different prices and installation costs.
Is it me or is this another utterly unregulated industry exploiting anyone they can? Surely not.
Obviously I will ring and cancel and see what they do.
The blame for your broadband increase needs to be added to the increase into the usage of Netflix, Amazon, Youtube etc. We all demand these. 5 to 10 years ago we just browsed the internet, file shared, played online gaming and we would have all been happy with a few Mb but today a hell of lot of our viewing comes from streamed services. ISP'S need to keep up with the demand which costs billions, whilst streaming services get rich from additional monthlies with no cost to them, other then local servers, ISP's in the USA is challenging this through congress but if they win then your Netflix etc will cost a dam site more. They also need to pay their staff more every year, just like as we all expect yearly wage rises.
How about we don't get pay rises each year and everything in life stays the same cost? Its not going to happen. You also have the right to cancel your contract.
I paid 80p for a can of Pepsi max today, how on earth does a 30p product many years ago now cost 80p? The same as above.
Very true, I worked out if I had not renegotiated a couple of times I would now be paying well over 45 quid a month JUST for broadband.
it is now just another crappy thing, like gas, leccy, car/house insurance, recovery, etc etc that you have to look into every year as every damn year they will utterly rape you if you do not.
Quite how this is legal is beyond me, but I guess this is the new world we live in, utter exploitation.
it is now just another crappy thing, like gas, leccy, car/house insurance, recovery, etc etc that you have to look into every year as every damn year they will utterly rape you if you do not.
Quite how this is legal is beyond me, but I guess this is the new world we live in, utter exploitation.
It's ISA providers and gas/electric suppliers who are the most annoying. You get to the end of the period and the bank will move your money to an account paying practically zero interest, and the electric supplier will put you on a "standard" tariff which is significantly more expensive than the best priced tariff they could put you on.
Like car insurance renewals they rely on you being complaisant. If they were more reasonable we wouldn't have to go through the tedium of changing suppliers every year.
Like car insurance renewals they rely on you being complaisant. If they were more reasonable we wouldn't have to go through the tedium of changing suppliers every year.
I recently went through this with Virgin with a broadband only package. I did cancel and went with Sky for fibre - didn't last long because BT Openreach couldn't install the cable due to needing a tree surgeon, someone had erroneously cancelled the switch, and getting it set-up would involve another engineer appointment, as well as remedial work in my house.
Unknown cost and timescales led me to cancelling the Sky installation, and cancelling the termination with Virgin. £29.00 per month for 18 months inc of price increase.
Sadly, the retention dance is required for every service every single year. Virgin do take the proverbial for price hikes outside of the initial offer.
Unknown cost and timescales led me to cancelling the Sky installation, and cancelling the termination with Virgin. £29.00 per month for 18 months inc of price increase.
Sadly, the retention dance is required for every service every single year. Virgin do take the proverbial for price hikes outside of the initial offer.
I simply recall for many years my broadband with the same supplier did not increase in price, it stayed the same for many years as I was using the same service.
Even before that with normal modem internet, the price was the price. For years on end.
I could understand it if there was more offered, but everything is the same, yet they increase by a few quid a month every year now, not even when your contract is up.
It just seems to be a new way of extracting more from consumers from nowhere, as it is now treated like a utility bill I suppose.
But it goes up like train tickets, by the max it seems every year.
I will just ring, try and get them down and quit, it is likely I am moving anyway, so my 5 old router (another bum deal,) gets binned
Even before that with normal modem internet, the price was the price. For years on end.
I could understand it if there was more offered, but everything is the same, yet they increase by a few quid a month every year now, not even when your contract is up.
It just seems to be a new way of extracting more from consumers from nowhere, as it is now treated like a utility bill I suppose.
But it goes up like train tickets, by the max it seems every year.
I will just ring, try and get them down and quit, it is likely I am moving anyway, so my 5 old router (another bum deal,) gets binned
A word of well meant warning with regards to Virgin Media
Their retentions policy is much stricter now and they play hardball better
But the real point of this is to explain something that those retention people hide away.
Rounded up and exaggerated example for explanation
It is September You have a deal that costs you say £35.We will refer to this as OD It goes up to £45 and you contact them. They arrange to keep you by whacking on 2 discounts such as loyalty this loyalty that which will last 12 months those 2 discounts are worth £9 so you now pay £36. you are quite happy with this. We will call those discounts OD 1+2. You even see that the amount they were due to debit actually coms out a bit less the first next payment.
But in February you get a notice that your bill is going up by £5 so you contact them again. they umm and ahh but eventually manage to find a way to give you a reduction of £5 so your bill stays the same. It involves a new 12 month contract but your happy your bills going to be the same. You don't get a copy of the new contract
Then come July you see your bill is up again. By a random amount you think what did I do did I spend too long on the phone to Aunty Betty did the kids order a movie without mentioning it. Only when you study your bill do you see a core amount has increased by an odd amount
So you contact them and they explain that it's because your loyalty discount you negotiated last year OD 1&2 are due to expire next month and your bill has increased by the pro rata rate and its will be going up again next month when the full amount of OD 1&2 you lose is applied to the account.
So you complain and say well I will leave they say you can but you will have to pay the remaining months of the contract or leave when the contract has expired.
This is what has happened on one of my friends accounts and he is fuming. It is sly and devious and it is happening because their retentions team must be under pressure to give less away. No doubt salespeople there are targeted.
What the person is doing after getting nowhere by phone is requesting a copy of the call and has raised a formal complaint. It will be 2 weeks on Saturday that Virgin received and signed for his complaint letter and no reply as at yet.
Just check that any new negotiated amount doesn't include an existing reduction or loyalty amount and push push for a copy of any new contract
I am not great at explaining things but hope that the above makes sense
Their retentions policy is much stricter now and they play hardball better
But the real point of this is to explain something that those retention people hide away.
Rounded up and exaggerated example for explanation
It is September You have a deal that costs you say £35.We will refer to this as OD It goes up to £45 and you contact them. They arrange to keep you by whacking on 2 discounts such as loyalty this loyalty that which will last 12 months those 2 discounts are worth £9 so you now pay £36. you are quite happy with this. We will call those discounts OD 1+2. You even see that the amount they were due to debit actually coms out a bit less the first next payment.
But in February you get a notice that your bill is going up by £5 so you contact them again. they umm and ahh but eventually manage to find a way to give you a reduction of £5 so your bill stays the same. It involves a new 12 month contract but your happy your bills going to be the same. You don't get a copy of the new contract
Then come July you see your bill is up again. By a random amount you think what did I do did I spend too long on the phone to Aunty Betty did the kids order a movie without mentioning it. Only when you study your bill do you see a core amount has increased by an odd amount
So you contact them and they explain that it's because your loyalty discount you negotiated last year OD 1&2 are due to expire next month and your bill has increased by the pro rata rate and its will be going up again next month when the full amount of OD 1&2 you lose is applied to the account.
So you complain and say well I will leave they say you can but you will have to pay the remaining months of the contract or leave when the contract has expired.
This is what has happened on one of my friends accounts and he is fuming. It is sly and devious and it is happening because their retentions team must be under pressure to give less away. No doubt salespeople there are targeted.
What the person is doing after getting nowhere by phone is requesting a copy of the call and has raised a formal complaint. It will be 2 weeks on Saturday that Virgin received and signed for his complaint letter and no reply as at yet.
Just check that any new negotiated amount doesn't include an existing reduction or loyalty amount and push push for a copy of any new contract
I am not great at explaining things but hope that the above makes sense
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 11th July 10:12
Phil. said:
It’s a pricing scam. I have 150mbps up/download at my place in Spain, no contract, for £20 per month. The UK is being ripped off by these companies.
But as alluded to above, it’s more about how much the service is used rather than the bandwidth they give to single user. There is an assumed oversubscription which means they can lower prices if people dont use what they pay for and conversely increase if those pesky customers use what they paid for. If all their customers smash the 150mbs 24x7 they would have to increase prices. With 4k streaming pulling 22Mb/s - you only need a few in a household to really chug on the bandwidth
eliot said:
But as alluded to above, it’s more about how much the service is used rather than the bandwidth they give to single user. There is an assumed oversubscription which means they can lower prices if people dont use what they pay for and conversely increase if those pesky customers use what they paid for.
If all their customers smash the 150mbs 24x7 they would have to increase prices. With 4k streaming pulling 22Mb/s - you only need a few in a household to really chug on the bandwidth
The fact remains that broadband pricing and pricing policies in the UK are a rip off compared to many other countries. Combine that with the poor quality service in many areas and the UK is not only restricting its GDP growth potential it’s also seen as technically backward. The government needs to intervene and get this broadband mess sorted for the long term benefit of the UK economy. If all their customers smash the 150mbs 24x7 they would have to increase prices. With 4k streaming pulling 22Mb/s - you only need a few in a household to really chug on the bandwidth
It (govt)simply needs to put as much pressure on the companies offering it as has been allegedly put on energy companies doing the same.
It now seems de rigeur to have 18 month contracts, obviously so this can encompass a yearly price rise and the subsequent need to pay up the rest of the contract as an earlier poser says if you choose ot leave. I think I had to agree to a new 12 month deal last time I got a cheaper deal after saying I was leaving.
In the past I have received speed upgrades that I can see with speedtest, that is offering a better service.
This time, nothing, just backslapping themselves and telling me I have to pay them 56 quid a year for nothing new.
It now seems de rigeur to have 18 month contracts, obviously so this can encompass a yearly price rise and the subsequent need to pay up the rest of the contract as an earlier poser says if you choose ot leave. I think I had to agree to a new 12 month deal last time I got a cheaper deal after saying I was leaving.
In the past I have received speed upgrades that I can see with speedtest, that is offering a better service.
This time, nothing, just backslapping themselves and telling me I have to pay them 56 quid a year for nothing new.
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