Forum Discussion

holebqu2's avatar
holebqu2
Joining in
17 days ago

Cancellation and new customer deals

Hello,

Virgin media as expected have hiked our prices up by more than double and after some negotiations on their live chat service, they can’t meet me at a good price.

If we were to sign up my partner as a new customer, how does it work with switching accounts? Will we need to send back our current equipment?

I won’t be signing up till a few days before the cut off date and will be waiting for retentions to call but, just preparing as their new customer deals are very good right now.

  • newapollo's avatar
    newapollo
    Very Insightful Person

    If signing up under a different name at the same address then there is likely to be downtime as the new order won't be accepted until the original contract is completely cancelled and disconnected.

    You need to be aware that if you currrently have a VM landline then you will lose your VM phone number when cancelling.

    Also in the unlikely event that there are capacity problems in your area then VM may not be taking on any new connections, or they may be unable to supply speeds above M350.

    New equipment will be supplied so that will be a main 360 box and if a second TV box is needed it will either be a 360 mini box which doesn't have a hard drive, or a Fles (Stream) box which works over the internet. Tivo and V6 boxes are no longer supplied to new customers.

    TNT Sports has been removed from all packages and is only available as a standalone premium extra for all new customers and anyone recontracting or changing package.

    If netflix is included in your package then it will be netflix with ads.

    If you have an email account with VM then you’ll lose access to any emails on your Virgin Media account after 90 days once you’ve been disconnected

    • Cardiffman282's avatar
      Cardiffman282
      Trouble shooter

      Would Volt benefits be at risk too? Asking for a friend. 

  • I've just come off the phone from Virgin Media after they were about to double my bill and the guy said that once I cancel my contract, NOBODY in my household at all can apply for a new service from VM for the next 60 days.

    In the past I've cancelled and my partner then taken up the service as a new customer, but without even mentioning anything like that, the guy stated nobody in the household can have new service for two months. Is this some new policy or just the guy talking BS to try and stop me cancelling?

    I resisted cancelling as he said to use the One Touch Switch service with a new supplier, but now I'm thinking nobody from retentions will call me back as I haven't given any formal notice of leaving. I don't particularly want the hassle of switching (but wasn't happy with what I was just offered on the phone now compared to what new customers are being offered).

    • goslow's avatar
      goslow
      Alessandro Volta

      Sounds like a canny telephone agent threatening you with a roadblock to stop you cancelling. Don't think you'll be getting any call back from VM unless you have actually put in a cancellation.

      AIUI, you can't have two VM contracts running at the same address so you have to coincide the end of one contract with the start of another. If you have switched with your partner before, you will know the drill of having to return existing equipment, get new equipment on the new service, loss of any VM email addresses and VM landline number if any of that has any relevance for you.

      I would guess that VM has a record of names/service at your address so the agent may possibly have been able to see past contract switches between you/your partner.

      Not too much point in comparing your renewal prices with new customer prices as new customer prices are for, well, ... new customers. Find out what the prices are for the alternative(s) you might switch to and use those to compare against any VM offer.

      There are some advantages to the OTS process and also some possible disadvantages, mentioned below

      https://community.virginmedia.com/discussions/chatter/switching-supplier/5613428/replies/5613447

      Topics on here in the past few months have routinely described VM coming up with ridiculous first-time renewal offers. VM does not really seem to care too much whether customers stay or go and relies heavily on the fact that many customers will find the renewal process too annoying and difficult so will sign up again with VM with a sub-par renewal offer rather than having to endure the unhappy experience of trying to continue negotiations with VM or cancel and leave altogether.

    • Cardiffman282's avatar
      Cardiffman282
      Trouble shooter

      I'm not aware of such a 60 day provision in the current Ts and Cs. 

      • Winelist's avatar
        Winelist
        Tuning in

        I wonder if there has been a degree of ‘confusion’ with the policy whereby if a customer leaves, they can’t rejoin as a ‘new customer’ within 60 days (maybe 90 or 180, depending  on who you ask - VM not exactly being renown for consistency)?

        But, yes, most likely as ‘goslow’ suggests above, it’s more likely a CS agent ‘making stuff up' on the fly to discourage / punish leaving.