Virgin Media Community

[Malkyffc]

Hi.  I was on the phone to retentions for over an hour last night trying to sort out our package. We are now starting to struggle with paying what we have so when we got the letter telling us our price would increase by £21 I was straight on the phone to try get a different package or take services off. I am on an older package that doesn’t exist anymore, confirmed by the person I was talking to, I am paying £103 for everything including sky sports and movies. We also have only M350 broadband. Was told I can’t change to another package as they are for new customers only. So I tried to take sky movies off , was told my bill would decrease to £100.  So I said keep movies but take off the sports , again was told £100. So you’re telling me sky sports package and sky movies package each costs £3 extra???  When we took out the sky movies and sports package it cost us an extra £35 so this has now confused me. What I want to know is 1. Why are we stuck on a package that doesn’t exist anymore? 2. Why have I been paying way over the odds for an inferior package when m500 and even the 1gig internet is a lot cheaper? 3. Why are they not allowing us to change package even tho it says clearly on the letter to phone up to change or cancel? I am at my wits end cause we cannot afford this and and feel virgin media are not being very helpful at all

[Robert_P]

Hello Malkyffc

We understand the frustration in regards to your package, the price rise and your recent conversation with the team. We appreciate you taking the time to raise your questions via the forums and we will address each below.

In regards to your current package, if this is now a legacy package this wouldn't stop you from changing this to a newer deal but as an existing customer you would only be eligible for an existing customer package, you can view these here.

In regards to the cost of the package, each month we send a bill to all customers which advises of the cost, discounts and date these are due to expire. With a large number of customers it isn't always possible to contact them in regards to their package but notifications of contract ends are sent. You would need to speak to the team to check what is available.

We aren't able to make any changes to packages via the forums, If you can give the team a call on 150 from a Virgin Media landline or 0345 454 1111 option 1, option 4 then option 4 this will get you through to the contracts team who will be able to look into this further for you.

We also have these contact methods available or you can send your query to 07533016422 and we’ll text you back. We’re here 8am-11pm Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm on Saturday and Sunday. 

Rob

[Malkyffc]

I’ve had a look at the packages on that link u posted.  I like the look of these packages.   Can I just confirm that I will get them at these prices stated on there?

[Robert_P]

If you contact the team using any of the methods advised they will be happy to help, if they are available on the website they should be an option for you or maybe better ones depending on the daily offers available.

Rob

[unisoft]

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@Malkyffc wrote:

Hi.  I was on the phone to retentions for over an hour last night trying to sort out our package. We are now starting to struggle with paying what we have so when we got the letter telling us our price would increase by £21 I was straight on the phone to try get a different package or take services off. I am on an older package that doesn’t exist anymore, confirmed by the person I was talking to, I am paying £103 for everything including sky sports and movies. We also have only M350 broadband. Was told I can’t change to another package as they are for new customers only. So I tried to take sky movies off , was told my bill would decrease to £100.  So I said keep movies but take off the sports , again was told £100. So you’re telling me sky sports package and sky movies package each costs £3 extra???  When we took out the sky movies and sports package it cost us an extra £35 so this has now confused me. What I want to know is 1. Why are we stuck on a package that doesn’t exist anymore? 2. Why have I been paying way over the odds for an inferior package when m500 and even the 1gig internet is a lot cheaper? 3. Why are they not allowing us to change package even tho it says clearly on the letter to phone up to change or cancel? I am at my wits end cause we cannot afford this and and feel virgin media are not being very helpful at all

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Some of the points below may help. If you cancel, you have 30 days to cancel the cancel and you may get a call to negotiate further. If you don't other people on this forum have signed up the next day as a new customer in their partners name or waited 2-3 months and come back as one in their own name again. Hopefully can can resolve by ringing retentions back and speaking to a more helpful agent BUT do NOT use standard customer services use the option on the phone for Leaving Virgin under package changes.

You should get new customer pricing or near or sometimes even better. Be polite to VM retentions and explain what you are not happy about and the changes you want to make (you may decide your current BB speed isn't being utilised for example or want to reduce TV channels or reduce one service and add to another).

• Existing customers are cheaper than new as no free gifts (TV's Xbox Cashback as examples depending on the marketing for any given month), no need for VM to pay return postage for kit, no need to refurbish kit, no need to pay cashback to referral sites like quidco/topcashback.
• There has to be a benefit to a customer like a discount because they are being locked into an 18 month contract again
• Know your market prices for other providers Broadband, for example FTTC on NOWTV is 12 month or monthly only contact at £22. If you just want broadband only its going to easier than someone who wants landline and TV
• Consider whether you need a lock in contract for TV services. Does VM's STREAM box offer the channels you want (its Freeview part is free) and can you go without recording facility and just use catch up players or have another device that does recording off Freeview (aerial) for example? Stream's Sky subscriptions channels is only £8 per month and a 30 day notice contract. You also get 10% back on many subscriptions like Netflix, Disney etc.
• Ofcom rules mean you can currently exit your contract without penalty, as long as you do this within 30 days of being notified by VM; wait 3 months and be classed as a new customer and get new customer offers. Alternatively, many people on here sign up the next day in their partner's name.
• Be prepared to give 30 days notice if the result isn't what you want, this gives you time to arrange BB installation by someone else and you can ring back in to cancel the cancel if you change your mind. During this time you **may** get a call from 2nd level retentions with a better offer. It's not guaranteed and they won't if you have marketing disabled in My Virgin Media under My Profile.
• Despite annual price rises at ridiculous rates, new customer offers have been static for years (like Ultimate package hovers around £79-£85 often and sometimes with cashback or free gifts like a TV as just one example)

[Cawsie · Accepted solution]

Don't faff around. Ring Virgin and tell them you want to cancel. Be insistent and there's a good chance they'll offer you a better deal than you're on now. Haggling and brinkmanship are the keys with Virgin.

[Malkyffc]

Thank you for your help after 2 phone calls lasting an hour each I eventually got put on the ultimate volt package for 18 months and won’t be affected by the price rise in April.  Alls good 👍 

[Andrew-G]

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@Malkyffc wrote:

Thank you for your help after 2 phone calls lasting an hour each I eventually got put on the ultimate volt package for 18 months and won’t be affected by the price rise in April.  Alls good 👍 

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All's good this year.  I'll wager that you will be affected by April 2024's price rise, and because of changes to the T&Cs that you've just agreed to, come next April you won't be able to cancel or renegotiate before the end of the 18 month minimum term.  And due to the mendacious way VM calculate and apply price rises* the better the deal you've just agreed, the greater the increase you'll be stuffed with next April. 

Next April, VM will likely state "Ooh look, RPI to February was 6.1%, you agreed to our terms that we can put prices up by RPI + 3.9%, so that's a 10% increase.  But that's to our undiscounted prices, you've got a fixed discount, not a fixed price, and that means that as a customer taking out a Big Bundle package with a 50% discount** you're going to see an increase of 20% in your monthly charge.  And because it's in our T&Cs, you can't renegotiate or cancel.  Hahhahahahahahaaa!  Hahahhaaahaaa!"

* The maths here is that next April each customer's raised price will be the result of their current discounted price multiplied by (1 + (RPI+3.9%)) divided by (100-XX), where XX is the percentage discount of the customer's package to original full price.  Hope I've got my brackets right.  For mathophobics, the point is, if you're on a decently discounted package, then even if you renegotiate now, it's going up a lot come April 2024, potentially three or four times prevailing CPI inflation and there will be nothing you can do about it with five months or so of your fixed term still to run.

** You did get this sort of deal didn't you?  If you didn't then it means you've played the Retentions Game and lost.  Maybe use your 14 day cooling off period to cancel the new contract, re-exercise your 30 day price rise bail out clause, and try again.  Or for BB or BB+phone only, consider taking your business to a smaller, customer focused ISP who offer 12 month minimum terms, and no prices rises in that fixed term.

[Andrew-G]

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@unisoft wrote:

• Despite annual price rises at ridiculous rates, new customer offers have been static for years (like Ultimate package hovers around £79-£85 often and sometimes with cashback or free gifts like a TV as just one example)

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And there we see the end game of VM's new T&Cs.  Previous price increases have not increased revenue eg last year VM put up prices by 5.5%, O2 put up prices by around 10.7%, but as per yesterday's VMO2 annual results, turnover for the year only went up by 0.1%, due to customers leaving or renegotiating, and the inability to raise new customer pricing on which they make a loss.

By changing the T&Cs, they can backload a whacking great increase averaging 20% into the last five months of a new customer 18 month contract, which unlike in previous years customers won't be able to avoid, and that will make a material difference to the company.  VMO2 are forecasting massive synergies from the merger, with savings of a further £300m+ promised, so their costs are going to go down (despite what some sad apologists are saying about inflationary cost pressures on the company), and therefore all of the 20% increase come April 2024 is pure profit.

If customers sign up for this, then you have to assume they do so as rational, intelligent customers who know what's happening.  Or they're confused and unclear on the revised T&Cs and they don't realise it's essentially a trap.

[Nialli]

"they can backload a whacking great increase averaging 20% into the last five months of a new customer 18 month contract"

Interesting, but how did you come to an average of 20%? for a 2024 increase?