Virgin media making it impossible to downgrade my package

[Hannah89]

I’m currently on hold for the FOURTH time, been on the phone to virgin media for 1 hour and 45 minutes as I want to downgrade my package to broadband only. I’m being offered various different packages that include tv and landline (which I don’t want and explicitly told that to the very first person I spoke to). After speaking to a THIRD person I’ve been put on hold AGAIN. Being passed from pillar to post as nobody wants to deal with the request or take responsibility. Improve your customer service please virgin media!! I’m on the verge of cancelling my contract completely after this experience. So unprofessional and unhelpful. Still on hold as i am typing this. 

[Hannah89]

Never got a chance to speak to a fourth person as I got hung up on!! After 2 hours of being messed around!

so starting the whole process again - currently on hold. 

[goslow]

VM will make it as difficult as possible for you to downgrade as reported in topics on here.

Realistically you are likely to get much better (new customer) pricing with a new supplier for broadband only (if you have some reasonable alternative choices and/or speed is not an overriding factor).

Putting in your notice to cancel might generate a call from VM retentions to you with a much-improved offer but there are no guarantees it will happen. It is advised to have marketing options turned on to allow such a call to take place.

Doing some research on pricing and options with other providers will help determine if any deal VM comes up with is any good or not.

[Hannah89]

At this point I want nothing to do with them. I have been a virgin media customer for 15 years and this is the service I get? 

[goslow]

One of the methods which seems to be more successful, as reported on here, is simply sending them a letter to give your 30 days notice to cancel

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/cancel-virgin-media

Use a first-class signed-for delivery service for proof of delivery.

A written instruction giving 30 days notice to cancel your services carries a certain legal weight and the proof of delivery provides an evidence trail which is hard for VM to wriggle out of.

No guarantees VM won't mess it up, of course, but if you don't want any further dealings with VM then it does not involve hanging on the phone/chat/SMS for hours on end.

[Hannah89]

Thanks for your help, i will do that, and I’ll make a complaint at the same time. 

I’ve been looking at other posts and I can see virgin media has responded to other customers with similar experiences to mine by saying ‘contact 0345 454 1111 to speak to someone directly’ - before they get a chance to reply to my post with the same BS, I’ve been contacting that number the WHOLE night and getting absolutely nowhere. 

[Bbandonly]

My contract was up for renewal and the previous package required me to take TV and phone in order to get 500MB broadband - I was paying £120 per month. VM have an offer of 1GB broadband only for £50 so I tried to get that through the online renewal - however downgrading my package was not an option online. The chat was hopeless so called the retention team. The £50 offer is for new customers only which is not great, but ok. The guy on the phone kept trying to keep me on my current package. If I had not really pushed him he would not have volunteered that I can get 1GB for £70 per month. It was the fact I had to push and that downgrading online is not an option that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. A really poor customer experience and if I had more time I would ditch VM altogether

[Hannah89]

I left VM. Now with sky where I only pay £25 a month for broadband. Even the whole process of returning the equipment to VM was handled very poorly. Won’t be going back!