Renewing Contract

[PaulyP]

Hi All,

My contract has just come to an end. While some in the family want to go to Sky, I very much prefer Virgin based on current package.

I have been looking to see what packages are available on Virgin and my question is, if we stayed with Virgin and signed on to a new contract would we be able to stay on the "TIVO" v6 as I don't want to downgrade to TV 360 - particularly as we have two V6's and I don't want to mix up all my recordings with others in the house (this is the main issue); half our total storage; or half the number of tuners.

Currently I'm on the ultimate bundle with 650MB, all TV and sports and movies but given the package is jumping up by £60 a month now out of contract I need to consider options. 

I also notice on the Virgin bundles page that the majority of broadbands speeds is M100 or M200, even an M50. What is this? Have we gone back in time 6 years?

I expected things to see the bundles with M200 minimum, with 400, 600 and GB options but it seems everything is downgrading. 

Humm getting a bit of track there. TV is the main thing and not having to sign up for TV 360.

Any thoughts much appreciated. 

[newapollo · Accepted solution]

Hi @PaulyP 

Regrading to a 360 is still optional.

A sales agent may try to "sell" it to you as the best thing since sliced bread but you aren't forced to switch from a V6.

There isn't and hasn't been an M650 bundle in the UK.

I'm on the Ultimate Oomph bundle which gives me M600, however the Ultimate Oomph bundle has now been replaced by the Ultimate Volt bundle.

If you switched to the Ultimate Volt bundle you would loose your current Virgin sim from the Oomph package, but it would be replaced by a O2 sim instead.

On the Volt packages you are charged separately by VM and O2.

You should be able to view the Ultimate Volt bundle https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-media-o2 

On the Ultimate Volt bundle your broadband spped would be increased to 1G, it also includes free standard netflix, and doubles the wifi allowance on other O2 sims at your address

[PaulyP]

Hi newaploo,

Thanks for the advice. My mistake, I'm on the same package as you with the Ultimate Oomph. I just get between 650 and 660Mb which is why I assumed it was 650 but I'm sure you're right and that it's actually 600MB.

If negotiating a new deal with retentions, is it still possible to get a decent deal while retaining the same sort of package as the oomph with the virgin sim?

Pleased I don't have to accept the TV 360.

Thanks again.

Paul.

[newapollo]

Hi again Paul

Yes, and Retentions are the best team to contact for it - dial 150 then options 1,1,4 and 4

VM's actual prices can vary on a day to day basis, so if you are happy with the price quoted then accept it as it may not be available again. 

Also, you have a 14 day distance selling window should you change your mind and decide you want to reject that offer and go back to your original pricing and package.

However if you aren't happy with the initial discounted price offered then phone again.

[Travis_M]

Hi @PaulyP

Thanks for posting on our community forum

It would be great to see you stay with ourselves! If you give our team a call on 150 or 0345 454 1111 they'll be more than happy to look into this with you and get a new package / discounts sorted. 

Regards

[PaulyP]

Hi again

Thanks for the advice. I spoke with VM retentions today and personally I think the offer sucked. £20 off a £150 a month Ultimate Oomph package for signing up to a new contract is not a good deal for some someone who has been with VM for probably over 20 years now - back to NTL days (for broadband anyway - TV was moved over from sky about 7 years ago).

I know you don't get as good an offer as new customers but the Ultimate Volt bundle is £40 a month cheaper than their best offer and also £200 off the bill as well. Now I dont expect to get that sort of deal but this VM person tells me £125 is the best offer possible which is nearly a £1000 more expensive than for a new customer and a new customer gets even more services for that amount with Netflix included and 1GB broadband vs the Ultimate Oomph I'm currently on.

I've got people in the family desperate for me to switch to sky for Atlantic and Paramount + and more UHD content which is £25 a month cheaper than Virgin's best offer, but I quite like the V6.  

Is it really worth calling back to try someone else, do different people really give different offers because at the moment I think I'm better off going to sky, even though broad band would be much slower.

What do you think?

[newapollo]

Hi again @PaulyP 

As I said in my previous reply, VM's actual prices can vary on a day to day basis, so yes it's definitely worth calling in again. I suggest emphasisng that you want to cancel which will ensure you are passed to the correct team. It's possible that you only spoke to a frontline agent and they can't offer the same discounts as retentions (thinking of leaving us)

I'm a little confused by you being offered the Ultimate Oomph package with £20 off bringing it down to £130 a month. 

Possibly it was a front line agent that wasn't fully up to speed on the packages and processes available.

The Ultimate Oomph package is now obsolete, you should have been offered the Ultimate Volt package, which now also includes Standard netflix for free, along with 1 gig broadband (if available in your area) and an O2 sim which gives added data benefits.

[PaulyP]

Hi newapollo,

It was someone based in the uk I assume based on the Scottish accent but don't know if that makes a difference in terms of the level of person I got through to. He did go away for 5 minutes to review but don't know what he was doing at that time or who he was talking to - I think he said he was discussing with someone.  

While he did say that the Ultimate Ommph was no longer available he did say that "to keey my current services" it would be £125 a month instead of 150. 

When I said it wasn't a good deal given that ultimate Volt is £1000 cheaper for a new customer and with better services, he did look at the ultimate volt and say well you can get the ultimate volt for the £125 so you might as well stay on what you are on - which I found a bit of an odd thing to say given that volt included faster broadband and netflix. 

Just out of interest, if signing up for the ultimate Volt, can you still get that package without switching to TV 360 - which is the one thing that will move me away from Virgin when I no longer have any alternative (unless TV 360 improves a lot and has an option to not have a mini box but a full box instead).

Anyway, thanks again for your guidance.

Oh and just out of interest, is it the "individual" person that can make a different deal (ie 2 different people could offer 2 different prices on "the same day") or is it different deals on different days but all agents will offer the same deal for that day?

Paul.

[newapollo]

Hi again Paul,

Switching to a 360 box is still voluntary, and currently you can't be forced to switch boxes as part of any regrade.  

The agent may try and extol the virtues of the newer 360 box compared to the older boxes (the only real difference is the voice function, but it's missing many of the Tivo/V6 functions)

I don't, and haven't worked for VM, but have worked within a call centre as a retentions agent, and would suggest that all companies follow a similair format in that individual agents are given "save targets" and can offer different deals than those offered by other agents on the same day.

I know it sounds odd, but agents are given a set amount of allowances to offer at varying price points.

If they have used up their quota of lowest prices for the day or week then they couldn't offer say the Ultimate Volt bundle for £100, but if the next agent hadn't reached their quoto then they could.  It's also possible that one of the retention teams may be "trialling" a price point not available to other teams.

[PaulyP]

Hi,

How does £117 sound for Ultimate Volt.
Not as good as the current Ultimate Oomph bundle at £100 but I am paying £11 a month for Netflix which I could cancel so bring it down to £106 equivalent which isn't much more than I'm paying now.
Do you think better deals are available for waiting longer. I don't know what other people are typically getting offered.
Thanks