Morning. Hoping for facts here.
We want to cancel our Virgin Broadband and TV Contract when it runs out. And go with another Provider.
Checking online people say it is hard to do. As we are Oldies we want the correct way to do it. Without hastle.
Our contract runs out 2nd March 2026. Can you advise us please.
When you sign up to another provider, they usually offer to manage your migration from old provider to them. There is usually a tick box on the sign up form. Its called the One Touch Switching Service. If you are out of minimum term contract with VM, you can use this to avoid contacting VM.
Make sure you use uswitch.com to look at best deals for your area, this mostly focuses on Openreach providers using BT's network and these ISP's mostly have yearly price increases.
You may live in an area where there are new providers offering the most reliable broadband delivered by FTTP which is fibre all the way to the house. These are known as ALTNETS. These usually offer no price increases during contract, and you upload speeds match your download speeds (unlike a BT/Openreach provider)and usually cheaper than Openreach based providers. You can do the OTS within 30 days of your contract expiring. In some areas, the uswitch.com comparison web site does list ALTNET providers such as YouFibre which uses Netomnia's infrastructure and gives the fastest speed residential broadband packages in the UK. For example 150mbps down and up is £19.99 per month right now with them using full fibre and no in contract price increases.
An install of fibre is around 2-4 hours. A small ONT box is fitted to the wall that needs a power and the incoming fibre is plugged into this small unit, and an ethernet network cable is connected to either your own router or a router supplied by your new provider.
Put your post code into this web site and it will detail the current operators at your address, with any work being done right now by operators. This is listed under "Service Providers". When you click a provider that is listed it will show you live post codes on the map of where that provider is. For precise detail, you can then visit the provider's web site where they will have a Coverage Checker. To find the provider's web site, you can google the name of the service provider.
The Live TV part is more difficult as some ISP's offer a TV service whilst others don't. There are also new services like Freely which are free of subscription and will be the eventual replacement for Freeview which currently uses aerials for reception. Freely is intended to use your broadband connection for TV. Freely is on some new TV's, or a new puck device from Netgem called PLEIO which retails for £99, but Amazon are currently out of stock.
You could go to Sky.com directly to subscribe to a TV box called "Stream", and this would use your broadband. You do NOT have to have Sky's broadband to do this, but they often have bundled deals of both TV and Broadband. This is the replacement for traditional satellite from Sky.
If you have a Smart Tv with apps, you could also subscribe to Now TV which is an app on your TV giving extra Sky TV channels and on demand content via your broadband and is cheaper than Sky Stream, but it has a limited range of channels on it. Sky Cinema and Sky Sports is also available on Now TV. By default, Sky Stream has the better picture quality, as you don't need to subscribe to a BOOST pack like you do on Now TV to improve the picture and sound (if you wanted FULL HD or UHD pictures).
Wow such a lot of info ive learnt!
I've left VM twice and both times I've sent a letter, yes old fashioned, but it works. You can send your cancellation request by post to: Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA
Send all details of you contract, end date, name, address, etc. Use a Signed For, Recorded Delivery service. You need to allow 30 days of a cancellation period, and VM will send you a final bill.
Once you have confirmation of the cease date, you can decide where to go from there. Just look around for alternatives that suit your wallet, as do I. Don't forget VM will want all the kit back, so VM should send suitable packaging for this. Get receipts for everything and hold onto them, it's important.
The other thing is, if you have a VM mailbox, this will be deleted after 90 days, so make sure you archive off, and set a forwarder to another mailbox, e.g. Gmail.
As for the OTS, I've never used it, and I'm not sure if it covers the cancellation of the TV services? But if you read these forums, that system seems not to work 100% of the time.
One Touch Switching seems perfect. Easier than trying to phone virgin ! But don't think it covers tv as well?
Why is virgin being so hard on people that want to leave. All I read is they don't answer phones and ignore you. We have been with them for 10 years!
May go the mailing them route. It sounds best as phoning if I get through i can never understand what they say!
So if indi that and contract finishes 2nd March.. what date do I post the letter exactly?
Don't want to pay after the end date!
And do they confirm receiving it?
Mostly I have read to order your new providers package first before sending letter?
As VM use it's own cable infrastructure, there is nothing stopping you from a new provider before you leave. If you are in an area services by Openreach, there will be many suppliers to choose from. Of course, you will have to pay for two providers during any overlap.
The choice is ultimately up to you, can you do without Internet for a week or two, or do you need continuity ?
Plenty of good info already provided in this topic. You could also consider ...
Whatever method you use to leave you need to complete your minimum term period before you disconnect from VM otherwise you will get charged early disconnection fees. If you use the OTS process, this can truncate the 30 day notice period but you still need to complete the minimum term with VM before you disconnect.
You are correct that OTS does not include the TV service so you would still need to cancel that with VM. OTS relies on everything working 100% smoothly so that your VM disconnection happens immediately after your new service goes live. We have seen plenty of topics on here where a spanner in the works means that the customer can be cut off with no service if the old service goes off before the new service goes live.
Usual recommendation from many regulars on here (if it is feasible/affordable to do so) would be overlap the two services. Keep the VM service running until you are happy the new service is up and running as you want it. This also gives you a 14 day cooling off period on the new service to try it out while still having VM fully operational as a fall back in case the new service does not live up to expectation. Overlapping does, however, mean paying two providers for a period of time.
Cancelling by post seems to be the most reliable method if you simply wish to leave VM with no further discussion. You may not get any acknowledgement from VM so use a postal service which gives you a guaranteed proof of delivery (my own experience of using Royal Mail 'signed for' these days is that is pretty much worthless as no signature is guaranteed).
It is highly unlikely you will be able to stop all payments to VM exactly on/after your minimum term end date. VM bills your right up until the day of disconnection and then produces a final bill. You also have to factor in billing periods and when your direct debit goes out. Once you are disconnected you should get a final bill a few days after. If you are in debit you pay the final bill and leave. If you are in credit VM refunds you (although not necessarily quickly). You also have to return any equipment which VM wants back and charges may apply on certain items if not returned.
Hi I need it every day.
So can you just make it easy for an oldie?
Contract end date 2nd March.....
1. Before then I contact new provider? 30 days before?
2. Then also 30 days before, I mail letter to virgin? Or earlier?
Never done anything ike this before so need to it be exact. As don't wat to incur fees.😫
Will one finish and the other one start the same day that way?
Thanks for the help here
Forum TeamHello MRM3,
We're sorry to hear you're planning to leave at the end of your current contract, we appreciate you taking the time to post in regard to leaving and the steps needed to ensure this is done successfully.
We have help here in regard to leaving and the different ways you can do this, the methods advised are calling 150 or 0345 454 1111 option 1, option 4 then option 4 to speak to our contracts team, web chat or writing in to the address in the link.
Social media can also help in relation to disconnections as well. As with all customers, we require 30 days' notice for all disconnections but if you have another provider in place, you can use the OTS (One Touch Switch) option with details here on how this works.
But cannot use OTS for tv only broadband surely?
