Price increase - when can I cancel?

[bligh001g]

Hi,

I have got some mixed messaging about this. I would like to cancel my services due to the price increase in May. I have been told that I can do this now by one advisor but there would be a penalty fee, then another said I have to wait until April before I can cancel without a fee.

Could someone clarify this, as I would like to cancel my service without a fee as I am still in contract.

Thanks

[John_GS]

Hi @bligh001g 

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community.

I am sorry you wish to cancel. When did you join Virgin Media please? Depending how recent you joined us, you may not be affected by the upcoming price increase and thus not able to cancel.

Best wishes,

[bligh001g]

Hi John,

I have been a customer way back to the Telewest days! 🙂 

Thanks

[John_GS]

Have you left/rejoined us recently at all?

Kind regards

[japitts]

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@bligh001g wrote:

I have been a customer way back to the Telewest days! 🙂 Thanks

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And when did you last re-contract? That's the relevant thing here - unless you're still on the same bundle package as when you first joined Telewest and are thus many years out of minimum term.

[bligh001g]

I have 2 accounts in my name - the newest account is not a problem.

My older account (I’m still the account holder for my parents address), is the one that is getting a big rise. That’s the one I’d like to cancel services on.

[Dieselglider]

"Depending how recent you joined us, you may not be affected by the upcoming price increase"

How recent does this mean, within 6 months for instance?

[Steven_L]

Thanks for coming back to us bligh001g. You should be able to cancel the account free of charge in the free cancellation period shown on the letter in the 'What are my options now' section. So if you have been told otherwise please ignore that as you can cancel anytime in the free cancellation period. 

Kind Regards,

Steven_L

[unisoft]

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@bligh001g wrote:

Hi John,

I have been a customer way back to the Telewest days! 🙂 

Thanks

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Renegotiate by using the "leaving Virgin" option on the telephone not standard customer services. 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).

[bligh001g]

Thank you. How do I actually cancel? I've called the number a few times and gone to the leaving us option. I then get put on hold and every time it cuts off.