Virgin Media Community

[wolvie]

So, apparently, I have the smallest broadband/tv/phone package (about £79 without any deals in place).  My deal went to this price as my contract finished (my fault as thought it was finished a month later).  I get a letter from Virgin a couple of weeks ago, saying my payments go up by £12 in April!  This, to me seems a rather steep jump.  I ask my family members if they got a letter, they said yes, they have been told their bills will increase by £7.  yea, that is fair.  unemployed living alone and it goes up by £12, while others go up by £7.

Anyway, I have a TV package added with my deal, however I do not watch live TV AT ALL.  in fact, the box hasnt even been plugged in for over a year.  So, while I phone to get a better deal, once again I am told, they cant remove the TV package.  I am also told, if they did it would cost MORE than what I am paying for my package right now.  So, in other words, the TV package is free!  broadband/phone line payers, take heed, as apparently the TV package is free.

I managed to get a deal of £58 (more than any other member of my family pays for the same package), however I will pay that amount.  I did ask at the time, come April will this stay at £58?  She said yes, it will not change.  So it should not go up by £12 in April.  If this does in fact rise, I will definitely be leaving, even though I really do not want to leave but I feel I will be forced to leave.

All I want is a fiar deal compared to others.  I always ask people what deal they have and I am always paying more, or they have been able to get their tv package removed.  So, I am finished with Virgin Media.  I will take the package i have been given, but I think after this one, i will leave. 

I DO NOT WANT OR NEED THE TV PACKAGE.  Telling me it is far more expensive to have broadband & phone line, than to have that with the TV included, is lies.  If it isnt, then everyone should be given the TV package free of chanrge.  increasing my bill by £12, and others by £7!?  Starting to think you are no better than the scam calls people get.

you have me as a hostage right now, but next time I will be leaving.  loyal customers mean nothing to this company.

[Andrew-G]

Why are you a hostage, and why are you paying a ridiculous fifty eight quid a month if (as I read your post) you're unemployed and living alone?  There's plenty of other ISPs, offering much cheaper deals.

Phone up, exercise your 14 day cooling off rights, and issue 30 days notice of cancellation (cooling off rights and cancellation are two separate things), and find a company that gives you a better deal without messing you around.

[rob2008]

Me too. Been with them (and their predecessors) ever since they cabled the street, over 25 years.  Virgin tell me the cost will go to over £100 pcm after April, more than I pay to heat the house!  BT and Vodafone have both sent offers in the post offering 4 times the broadband speed (about 1gbit + phone and TV)  for half the price (after Virgin's April increase). I called VM to discuss disconnection, took me 40 minutes on the phone to get transferred to the relevant department having had to answer loads of questions and get first an offer to cut the cost by £6 (by reducing the phone service) and eventually, at the disconnection dept, to about £65 (by reducing TV and phone service) but still 250mbit broadband, and still subject to a price hike in April. At one point the girl made the improbable assertion that, notwithstanding the change from VM's 250 to BT's 1000mbit, the speed VM deliver would be 16 times what BT would provide.

No wonder people are quitting VM.

[Anonymous]

As per Andrew above. 

Also this might possibly be relevant https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/social-...

[Steven_L]

Hey wolvie,

Welcome back to the community and thanks for taking the time to post here on the forums.

Like all businesses and consumers, we're not immune from inflation and we are seeing rising costs across the business. While we know price changes are difficult, our customers receive excellent value for money from their services.

You will receive a personalised communication that will detail the specific change to your monthly charge. Price increases will vary as it will be specific to the service(s) you have.

Your individual price rise will be specific to the service you have. Overall, the average price rise is 13.8%. Some price changes will be lower and some customers will be excluded completely.

Kind Regards,

Steven_L

[MUFFINTAST1C]

Considering VM02 have billions in assets you really think a ridiculous price rise is worth it with millions of ordinary folk who can't afford the basics? Just excuses and making it harder next year for people to leave mid contract and more price rises. 

[Hannahman]

I’ve been with them for 25 years, possibly more, had PyTorch fight most years against the constant price rises.

we started with a package, broadband, phone and tv, as the kids grew up and moved on, I never used the TV, nor the land line and asked on several occasions could I reduce down to just broadband? Each time told the package price would  increase if I reduced and of the package, but I’ve always managed to get a reduction, untill now that is!

like yourself, it’s going up , mine by £9, then  every year by RPI plus 3.9% ( that’s almost 14% in todays price,)

I pointed out, I don’t use the landline, the digi box has been boxed up awaiting a collection sticker for 6 months, and my router is celebrating its 10th birthday, so what am I actually paying for.

Phoned up for “ thinking of leaving us?” And was directed to India, very noisy call centre, where a very polite, but hard to understand guy said he could give me free upgrades if I wished to remain, but I explained I don’t use the did I box so it was of no use, asked to be put through to disconnecting department, and was then cut off, very convenient.

I tried three other times, getting more and more annoyed, and same response, cut off.

Thinking outside the box, I chose the moving house option and was instantly put through to a uk centre, explained how **bleep** off I was, he was great, promised he’d direct my call to the retention team.

Then I was back to India again!

this lady, very polite then tells me I’m in a  contract till July, so would face a leaving fee! That’s a lie, I’m not under any contract, and I have an email in front of me saying due to price rice I could leave penalty free even if I were in a contract.

I pointed out I’d been a loyal customer for over 20 years, and yet still you offer new customers a better deal.

So sadly, I’m leaving VM and will be welcome as a new customer with someone else.

many more will follow

[Carley_S]

Hi @Hannahman 

Welcome back to the community forums

Sorry to hear that you've had a poor experience when looking to discuss your package.

The more services that are active on the account, the more discounts are available, which can sometimes mean that having more services works out cheaper, due to the available discounts at that time, sorry for any disappointment you may have had with the available deals for you. 

I can see that you have been in touch and have already discussed your account with us. Please let us know if you are having any further issues or have any questions at all. We'll be here to help on the community forums if needed :).