New VM Broadband Customer - How do I set up an email account?

[London_Calling]

Hello.  I've just switched my broadband from TalkTalk (Tiscali) to Virgin Media on an 18 month contract.  I assumed this would include a Virgin email account but I'm starting to have doubts about this.  I can't seem to be able to set up a Virgin mailbox - just keep getting an error message telling me that I "do not have an active mail account with us". So how do I set up an active mail account with Virgin? 

As a contingency I have been using an Ipad icloud account for my emails during the changeover from TalkTalk to Virgin, and this is the address that I am using to access my VM account. It is not convenient for me to do this on a permanent basis though.  If Virgin does not actually offer any email facility for its broadband customers then do I really need to pay another broadband provider just to have an email account? 

Can anyone offer any advice please?  Have I simply made a mistake in choosing Virgin Media?

[jem101 · Accepted solution]

As of earlier this year, VM stopped providing email addresses to all new customers and I suspect that the long term outlook for existing customers’ addresses doesn’t look too promising either.

To be fair, you wouldn’t want to use a VM branded address really anyway, as once you leave VM or even move to an area they don’t cover, the address would be deleted after 90 days anyway.

No need to pay for another internet provider, though, you can get a ‘free’ email account and address from Google (gmail) or Microsoft (outlook.com) and these would be yours permanently irrespective of which internet service provider you were with.

An alternative is you purchase your own domain name (the bit after the @ sign), £10 a year or so, and have a fully customised and ‘personalised’ address.

[London_Calling]

Thanks very much for such a quick and clear explanation.  It looks like it will have to be gmail then!

I've still got a remaining concern that I'm not permitted access to a Virgin Media mailbox (because I "do not have an active mail account with us").  It is worrying to think that there may be important messages there from VM that I will never be aware of.

[newapollo]

Hi @London_Calling 

All emails that VM send will be sent to the email address that  you've signed up with. (Ipad icloud account)

Once you have an active VM connection you will then be able to register for My Virgin Media (if you haven't already done so) and update your contact email address there.

I would advise using the gmail address than you are going to set up  when you create your "My Virgin Media"

There's some online help available  here >>>   My virgin-media 

[Gareth_L]

Hello London_Calling.

If you need anything else or have any issues setting up the online side of things, Please pop back on here and we can help.

Gareth_L