Switchover with talk more anytime

[girdle]

HI

Sorry for long post, I hope someone can help, my elderly 90 year old mother had TV and landline phone, because of the switchover she has had to add broadband to her package so that the new fibrephone will work for her.

Her phone is her lifeline and she uses it all the time, she also has an alarm set up through her phone to the local council if she falls.

I've had an email confirming my mothers new package, however in the email it says that they have removed the Line rental and Free Voicemail and Talk More Anytime from her account and put her up to a higher TV package, she uses her phone to keep in contact with family all the time, the talk more anytime is essential to her.

When I contacted virgin online about getting the talk anytime added to her account again, I got no where, this was my conversation, 

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Virgin: "Sorry to let you know the reason the package we changed is because we will not be able to provide phone line any more to that area.

Customer will be migrated to DOCSIS
Telco. Due to changes in service (unable to use phone in network/power outage) the customer has the right to cancel without penalty.

If you don't want to continue you can cancel any time.

Me:
yeah I know all that, thats why we got the broadband put in so she will have her phone, what is concerning me is that the new contract that starts in 10th september says that the talk more anytime has been removed I need to make sure it is on.

Virgin:

Phone line can not be provided, if you want to cancel you can cancel the service without penalty.

Reason only Tv and broadband is provided.

Me: so she cant have talkanytime with the new fibre phone?

Virgin: No its not possible, Even if we provide it will not work Or will have lot of issues.
Me:
no one told me this, I'll need to look into the situation more. thanks for your help

Virgin: Sincere apologies, really wish I could have helped you, Only 2 option left.

1st you can just keep the TV and broadband.

Or 2nd you can cancel the account in few days time.

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The technician was in today setting her her phone and making sure that her alarm works for the changover on friday, he was lovely and made sure everything is in place, I did ask him but he wasnt sure about the talk more anytime.

Can anyone clarify if the talk more anytime can be added? and what the price of calls etc will be if it cant be added.

Thanks for any help

[jb66]

Yes it can be added, you might have to wait till next day after install to change the package

[girdle]

Hi Thank you for your reply, I'll wait till next week after the changover has taken place.

Thanks again

[goslow]

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@girdle wrote:

Hi Thank you for your reply, I'll wait till next week after the changover has taken place.

Thanks again

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For my own curiosity, if you don't mind, how did you come to have to add broadband as the result of the VM phone switchover?

My understanding from past discussions on the forums was that existing TV and phone customers would get a VM hub to plug in the phone but it would have no broadband service on it (things may have changed in the meantime from those past discussions, of course).

Was your mother already in a contract and did the new arrangement end up costing more?

Did your mother have to start a new contract as well with the new set of services or was her contract ending anyway?

Just curious as to what VM's approach is to this for older customers who may not want/need the broadband service during the phone switchover process.

[girdle]

HI @goslow

Yes my mum was a previous customer, she was out of contract with them and she had a mix tv and a landline with the talk more anytime package, Ive been going back and forth for weeks with them over this, kept getting different answers, in the end I got to speak to costomer relations and I was told that in order for the fibrephone to work she had to have broadband added to her account, I told them it will never be used as she couldnt work anything like that, she now has a hub fitted and set up, waiting on the switchover tomorrow and fingers crossed it all works fine with her alert alarm.

Her monthly payment before was £40.50 she is now up to £55 that being the lowest I could get them down to with alot of phonecalls and online chats thats an 18 month contract and will rise to £77 after that, which we will negotiate with them at that time.

Thanks

[Serena_C]

Hi @girdle

Welcome to our Community Help Forum 🙂

Thank you for making your first post regarding the issues you have been experiencing with clarifying that your mother can have Talk More Anytime on her DOCSIS phone.

Just to confirm: we will be able to provide Talk More Anytime the following day after the install. I would be happy to add this for your mother once the installation has been completed.

I would like to apologise for the mixed messages you have received regarding this, please do keep us posted on how things go with the switchover tomorrow.

Kind regards,

Serena

[girdle]

Hi @Serena_C 

Thank you for that, I will let you know how it goes and get you to add it for her, will this be an extra payment again though on top of what she paying? as Ive said she elderly and money is tight shes already and extra £15 per month at the moment, but her tv and phone is all shes got.

Thanks

[goslow]

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@girdle wrote:

HI @goslow

Yes my mum was a previous customer, she was out of contract with them and she had a mix tv and a landline with the talk more anytime package, Ive been going back and forth for weeks with them over this, kept getting different answers, in the end I got to speak to costomer relations and I was told that in order for the fibrephone to work she had to have broadband added to her account, I told them it will never be used as she couldnt work anything like that, she now has a hub fitted and set up, waiting on the switchover tomorrow and fingers crossed it all works fine with her alert alarm.

Her monthly payment before was £40.50 she is now up to £55 that being the lowest I could get them down to with alot of phonecalls and online chats thats an 18 month contract and will rise to £77 after that, which we will negotiate with them at that time.

Thanks

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Thanks for responding and clarifying. I ask because, at some point, it is highly likely I shall be asked about this by elderly friends and family members with VM.

What you have described seems at odds with VM's published information (which is not too surprising in the case of phone switchover information)

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/home-phone/virginphone#compatibility

and from the above

I don’t have Virgin Media broadband so why do I need a Hub?

Our new phone service uses our fibre broadband network, so you’ll need to be connected to the Hub to make and receive calls. Don’t worry, you’ll get this at no extra cost.

So you know, you won’t be able to use our broadband service through the new Hub unless you've got one of our broadband packs.

There was also a past topic

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Tech-Chatter/Combining-phone-and-V6-line-in-one-modular-box/m-p...

where it was suggested that the hub would be provided but without broadband services. This past topic was skewed more to phone only customers.

Something does not sound very ethical about the process you have described and it does not seem to fit with other information VM has published if the 'free' switchover of the phone actually leads to (elderly) customers having to take out broadband which they will not need/use and paying a higher monthly subscription. This has the appearance of taking advantage of an opportunity for some dubious upselling of VM services IMO.

Hopefully one of the VM forum team can comment on what should have happened here for an existing TV/Phone customer during a phone switchover.

[Serena_C]

Hi @girdle

Thanks for getting back to me.

The Talk More Anytime package will cost an additional £8 per month extra.

Kind regards,

Serena

[goslow]

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@Serena_C wrote:

Hi @girdle

Thanks for getting back to me.

The Talk More Anytime package will cost an additional £8 per month extra.

Kind regards,

Serena

@Serena_C

I am reading this topic with some bewilderment! If I have understood correctly, the OP's elderly mother was happily using a VM TV/phone package at £40.50.

As a result of the phone being switched over she has had to move to a package at £55 p.m (inc. broadband, which the customer will not use) and will need to pay a further £8 p.m. for the Talk More Anytime phone package that she does make use of, with the future prospect of the package going up to £77 p.m.

Is it correct that existing TV/phone customers are being compelled to take on broadband when their time for phone migration comes and forced to start a new contract on a new package, or cancel and move to another provider?

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