M250 and Phone Package at £65.50. No Discount Offered

[Richie1972]

Hi,

I've been helping my mother-in-law with some of her finances and see that she is paying £65.50 a month just for 250mb broadband and talk anytime phone package. I thought that was horrendous, considering how long she's been with Virginmedia.

I've spoken to someone in the call centre and all they were prepared to offer was M500 broadband at a similar price, which she doesn't need. 256mb is fast enough for her, so was hoping for a better deal on that package.

They offered me the M500 and phone package for £53 pm last year, so can't see why they can't offer a discount on the M250.

I didn't want to have to move her to another provider, as the service has been great, but what options are available?

Thanks,

Richie

[Ayisha_B]

Hi @Richie1972 👋

A warm welcome to our Community Forums and thanks for your post. 

We offer a variety of deals to suit individual needs and budgets but whilst we can not assist with package changes here, the team on 0345 454 1111 can go through them with you.

You can also view what offers we have available here 👉 https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/existing-customer-deals
 

[sayekm]

This is a official Virgin media forum. If you need independant guidance how to save money then go on Reddit and you will get tips.

But yes its typical of company to upsell a product making you feel its better value for money when you don't need the upgrade.

[nodrogd]

It is the way discounting works. Upgrades always attract more discount for the initial period they are taken. You are also not immune from yearly price rises, as only the discount is fixed for the period, not the base price.

VM are not a profitable company. They will offer “loss leader” pricing to get new custom, but beyond that it is not commercially viable to continue offering huge discounts for obvious reasons.

Some of VMs competitors do offer new customer pricing to existing customers, but the new customer deals are not as generous as they were.

[unisoft]

Leave and go elsewhere like I am doing. If you wanted, you can always come back as new customer and get the best priced deals with potential free gifts (example are TVs, speakers and depends on package deals that week) or bill credit along with cashback from sites like topcashback.co.uk or quidco.com. Go 4G for a while or monthly NOW TV Broadband. Its 60-90 days days to be a new customer again (depends on who you speak to), but certainly  NOT within 60 days. OR put into someone else's name as the bill payer. The latter can work very soon after the old services terminated with no wait other than at most a few days.

[unisoft]

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@sayekm wrote:

This is a official Virgin media forum. If you need independant guidance how to save money then go on Reddit and you will get tips.

But yes its typical of company to upsell a product making you feel its better value for money when you don't need the upgrade.

---

because the yearly price increase amount works out to more on the newer upsold package deal 😉

So they make you feel you NEED that speed upgrade or that you get a bargain. In some cases, if a customer really did want the speed boost, it may be a good deal.

[Richie1972]

Hmm, typed a reply and it didn't appear 🤔 

My mother-in-law has been a virginmedia customer right back to when it was Nynex in Blackburn. It seems there's no reward for loyalty, which is sad.

I'm now, reluctantly, looking for an alternative provider - possibly EE or Vodafone, as they seem to be the only ones other than VM still offering landline/digital home phone packages - she uses her phone often.

Similar packages to VM seem around £40 per month, but with internet speeds only around 40-50mb (enough for her and us, when we are round at her place).

Thanks,

Richie

[unisoft]

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@Richie1972 wrote:

Hmm, typed a reply and it didn't appear 🤔 

My mother-in-law has been a virginmedia customer right back to when it was Nynex in Blackburn. It seems there's no reward for loyalty, which is sad.

I'm now, reluctantly, looking for an alternative provider - possibly EE or Vodafone, as they seem to be the only ones other than VM still offering landline/digital home phone packages - she uses her phone often.

Similar packages to VM seem around £40 per month, but with internet speeds only around 40-50mb (enough for her and us, when we are round at her place).

Thanks,

Richie

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NOW Broadband do monthly contract or yearly with a phone included and one of the cheapest for FTTC £23 per month without a call package and £76-£86 cashback via topcashback.co.uk

[FlockWallpaper]

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@Richie1972 wrote:

Hmm, typed a reply and it didn't appear 🤔 

My mother-in-law has been a virginmedia customer right back to when it was Nynex in Blackburn. It seems there's no reward for loyalty, which is sad.

I'm now, reluctantly, looking for an alternative provider - possibly EE or Vodafone, as they seem to be the only ones other than VM still offering landline/digital home phone packages - she uses her phone often.

Similar packages to VM seem around £40 per month, but with internet speeds only around 40-50mb (enough for her and us, when we are round at her place).

Thanks,

Richie

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No there is absolutely no reward for 'loyalty', basically because there is no real concept of 'loyalty'.

Look you believe that staying with a provider (ie VM) for years, shows that you are loyal to them, alas VM see that as 'mug' who hasn't been bothered to change supplier, is statistically unlikely to change supplier, because it's a bit of an effort, and hence will charge you more, safe in the knowledge that you are likely to just pay up!

And in a way, that's absolutely fine, VM are a commercial entity which exists purely to make money. They aren't a charity, and, to be blunt, what they intend to do is to screw every last penny they can from your MiL, nothing personal, it's business!

Unless you actually leave, or put in a notification to leave, then nothing will change. Please there is no loyalty, VM owe your MiL absolutely nothing and that's exactly what she will get - similarly she owes VM nothing in return.

[japitts]

Equally, just going to VM and saying - in effect - "please give me a discount" is likely to elicit a different response to "I've researched my alternatives, here's the facts & figures, please make a gesture that makes it worth my while not giving 30days notice here and now".

The latter does require some legwork on your behalf.