on 03-07-2024 15:30
I was wondering if someone could help me, please? I recently received an e-mail saying I was Out of Contract and so obviously need to negotiate something new.
I currently have Gig1 fibre broadband and Stream (as well as Volt through having a mobile with O2). I also pay for Disney+ and Netflix through my Virgin Media bill. I’d like to be able to somehow get the cost down, especially as I’m long-term unemployed and on Universal Credit. However, I don’t want to drop to a lower broadband tier, as I need the highest/fastest available. If anything, I was wondering if I could get the very latest Hub. I currently have the Hub 4 but am repeatedly having problems with it which require regular resetting.
I very rarely use the Stream box, preferring instead to use my Apple TV 4K box to stream stuff. But, I know you don’t pay for Stream, only what you add to it.
I have tried to use the online chat feature in the My Virgin Media page to directly chat with someone. But, the button doesn’t seem to do anything. So, I need someone from Virgin to reply to me here, so I can sort everything out, please.
on 03-07-2024 16:11
Some compromise might be needed here but one for you and VM.
For purposes of the thread's wider audience VM does an Essentials range for those on Universal Credit etc https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/low-income-families
on 03-07-2024 16:18
VM will not discuss contract deals on this Forum. They would expect you to phone in and discuss. Try retentions as sometimes they give the best deal. As for the Hub 5, it's hit and miss if they give you one as the Hub 4 is also suitable for the 1Gb Tier.
I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more
Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks
on 03-07-2024 16:29
I’m not comfortable phoning, due to my Autism, so I guess I’ll have to try the Live Chat option again.
Thanks to both who have replied so far.
03-07-2024 16:42 - edited 03-07-2024 17:08
Hi @JohnWMentor
You can also text VM on 0753 305 1809 or speak to the team on WhatsApp on 0730 532 7112 but phone calls take priority and these methods can take 4 to 6 hours.
You can also try the live messenger chat on the https://www.virginmedia.com/help/leaving page. This should put you in contact with retentions (thinking of leaving) They are generally based in the UK, and have a greater degree of knowledge and flexibility, along with a larger range of discounts than the front line agents.
Make sure you have pop ups enabled for the online messenger to work.
EDIT
You might also be able to reduce the cost of your o2 sim deal by chatting with O2 (you can also check to see if any other sim is available to switch to via your online O2 account https://accounts.o2.co.uk/signin
Or look at https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/compare/sim_only_deals/o2/ as the sims are generally cheaper on there. If you do choose a less expensive sim tarif via uswitch you'll get the option to login to your O2 account, and to select that you don't want a new SIM sent. This effectively cancels your current O2 account and transfers your current sim number over to the new deal.
on 03-07-2024 19:21
Thanks for reaching out to us @JohnWMentor, and welcome back to our Community Forums.
We're sorry to hear of the difficulty faced when trying to reduce the costs of the services.
Focusing on the Hub 4 you're using, can you please confirm what issues you have been experiencing?
Thanks
David_Bn
on 03-07-2024 21:02
Thanks for all this info, which is very helpful! I don’t know whether I’ll be able to change the O2 contract or not. I’m on Pay Monthly for my iPhone but also have a separate iPad Air, which I also bought through O2. That’s on Pay Monthly too and has its own sim. I know I read somewhere that there’s some sort of deal you can get if you’re paying for two devices with O2. But, I have no idea how to get it or if I’m eligible. I have a feeling that was just within the first few months of the contract, which obviously I’m outside of now as I started both last year.
on 03-07-2024 21:10
Hi David, there’s been a few. While sometimes they’ve been a result of a wider service issue affecting my entire area, there have been others. Sometimes the connection hasn’t been as good or my HomePod has struggled to connect to the Hub. I’ve also had a lot of times where I’ve used the “Run a test on your kit” function in the “My Virgin Media” app and it’s told me there’s been some sort of issue requiring the Hub to be reset to factory settings.
I’ve noticed that sometimes, when it’s reconnecting, it’s gone through a variety of different coloured lights (red, blue, green, yellow). I’ve looked up what all the colours mean and yellow’s not even on there! So, there’s obviously something wrong somewhere. It can be frustrating and time consuming having to deal with all these, especially if I’ve got to keep changing the WiFi network name and password every time.
on 04-07-2024 08:46
Thanks for coming back to us JohnWMentor. I would be happy to take a further look into this for you but first I would need to confirm a few details via private message, please look out for my message and we can get started.
Kind Regards,
Steven_L