Virgin Media - Price increase

[Caesi01]

Virgin media have announced a price increase from 1st of November.

Customers are given the option to accept or cancel their contracts by 31st October.

What are other's experiences with Virgin Media?

What are equivalent alternatives?

[jacks09]

I've just moved over to Sky - was super impressed by the TV set installation and set up - not so much the broadband as that was by Openreach. Fairly happy so far with the service,

[JohnL]

jacks09 Wrote:

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> I've just moved over to Sky - was super impressed

> by the TV set installation and set up - not so

> much the broadband as that was by Openreach.

> Fairly happy so far with the service,

Sky give good offers to new customers but not much

to existing. Need to leave/threaten to leave every

so often.

[Jules-and-Boo]

we have sky broadband and it's great.

SKY TV can be expensive but we have basic package and cinema - we negotiated a deal as have been customers for so long. New customers also get deals.

You could just get the broadband and then get a TV box or dongle for channels.

[mima08]

I phoned Virgin as thei broadband ccontinues tohave pproblemsso tthey'renot ggoing to increas the bill till problem fixed, plus giving me some money off for loss of service. I'd rather it worked,though...we only use broadband though

[pipsky2008]

mima08 Wrote:

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> I phoned Virgin as thei broadband ccontinues

> tohave pproblemsso tthey'renot ggoing to increas

> the bill till problem fixed, plus giving me some

> money off for loss of service. I'd rather it

> worked,though...we only use broadband though

Just out of interest how much per day did they offer you?

Could you say also which broadband package you're on?

Regards

[Salsaboy]

I got the same letter from Virgin. Going up by ?3.49 a month. Greedy bastards. Time for another supplier methinks.

[jimlad48]

We got the same letter, and had previously been paying ?47 per month, and had just negotiated a reduction to ?38 per month.

The moment I got through to cancellations and explained that either they drop the price increase or we walk, our bill was further reduced to ?33 per month. Ring them up and be firm that you will walk unless the price drops.

[red devil]

What package is that for jimlad?...

[MissDumpling]

We've just switched to YouView (BT), but we don't really use catch up or any of the BT TV features. Cut our costs from ?28 per month with Virgin to ?5 a month with BT. We already had a hub as we have BT infinity...

[mima08]

pipsky2008 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> mima08 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I phoned Virgin as thei broadband ccontinues

> > tohave pproblemsso tthey'renot ggoing to

> increas

> > the bill till problem fixed, plus giving me

> some

> > money off for loss of service. I'd rather it

> > worked,though...we only use broadband though

>

> Just out of interest how much per day did they

> offer you?

>

> Could you say also which broadband package you're

> on?

>

> Regards

We're on the basic package (now 50mgb? Rarely get that) They offered to determine increase plus ?7.10 pretty month off while the issue of over demand is not solved (I'm not holding my breath it ever will...)

[DovertheRoad]

I'm paying over ?100 per month for the XL package and access to some Sky channels. It works but generally not happy with:

- The horrible latency on the user interface. It can take 5 seconds between pushing a button on the remote and selecting a menu option and it's annoying. Anyone else suffer this?

- The promised broadband....is never at the bandwidth advertised to the extent they're almost breaching the trade descriptions act.

- The call centre experience is awful. Long waits and strong accents at speed that make their staff hard to understand. They also lack empathy....rather like talking to a droid.

- I don't need nor want a landline. Why am I still forced to pay for one?

[red devil]

I'm with you on all those MrD.

I find the TiVo box takes about 5mins to boot-up too.

I suspect the call centre experience is generic though rather than specific to Virgin.

I hardly ever use my landline too, I reckon I've had one incoming call this month, and that was from an aging landline-only user. However I'm self-employed so I think it can look a bit cowboyish if you can only contact someone via a mobile number, but maybe that's less of an issue these days.

Anyways, try this comparison site, just type in your postcode and see what it suggests...

https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/

[Jeremy]

Yes, the Tivo box is a bunch of crap. Very, very unresponsive interface/apps.

Don't really watch much broadcast TV these days anyway. I think I'd be better off with a Fire TV and a broadband-only package.

[pipsky2008]

mima08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> pipsky2008 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > mima08 Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > I phoned Virgin as thei broadband ccontinues

> > > tohave pproblemsso tthey'renot ggoing to

> > increas

> > > the bill till problem fixed, plus giving me

> > some

> > > money off for loss of service. I'd rather it

> > > worked,though...we only use broadband though

> >

> > Just out of interest how much per day did they

> > offer you?

> >

> > Could you say also which broadband package

> you're

> > on?

> >

> > Regards

>

> We're on the basic package (now 50mgb? Rarely get

> that) They offered to determine increase plus

> ?7.10 pretty month off while the issue of over

> demand is not solved (I'm not holding my breath it

> ever will...)

Sorry, how much discount per day are you being offered?

[JohnL]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes, the Tivo box is a bunch of crap. Very, very

> unresponsive interface/apps.

>

> Don't really watch much broadcast TV these days

> anyway. I think I'd be better off with a Fire TV

> and a broadband-only package.

Wow - I remember when the TIVO box was the thing.

Virgin have ruined it in the UK.

The US Tivo still looks good https://www.tivo.com/

[mima08]

> Just out of interest how much per day did they offer you?

No discount per day - they offered not to increase price, give me ?7.10 off / month for oversubscribed service and if broadband goes down completely, they pay something like ?2/day that it's off.

Only reason I'm still with virgin is because they seem (?) to be all as bad as each other regarding broadband but virgin customer service is friendly - unlike BT (bad experience) or Sky (from what I hear).

[Jeremy]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Wow - I remember when the TIVO box was the thing.

So do I... circa 2001 maybe. At the time it was a big step up from a VCR... but things have moved on a bit.

Ideally I want to turn the thing on, open Netflix/Amazon/YouTube, and start an episode of Peppa Pig before the little'un throws a tantrum.

Even browsing live TV seems cumbersome.

[JohnL]

Quick response to pressing the control shouldn't be much to ask

[pipsky2008]

mima08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > Just out of interest how much per day did they

> offer you?

>

> No discount per day - they offered not to increase

> price, give me ?7.10 off / month for

> oversubscribed service and if broadband goes down

> completely, they pay something like ?2/day that

> it's off.

> Only reason I'm still with virgin is because they

> seem (?) to be all as bad as each other regarding

> broadband but virgin customer service is friendly

> - unlike BT (bad experience) or Sky (from what I

> hear).

Thanks for your reply.

The outage rate per day I have recently been offered is 0.89p for a 12 hour period between 22.00 to 10.00

I remember though quite recently the day outage rate was ?5.

I specifically recall this because I was told by a supervisor level member of staff that a junior would be scolded for offering me ?8 per day outage discount.

It may be that the rate differs according to your package although clearly the inconvenience is the same if you have no or an unacceptable level of service

[James D]

TiVo box interface unwieldy and unresponsive. However, I have just downloaded the Virgin TV Anywhere app and it may have made my life complete. I recommend it.

[pipsky2008]

I have been given three numbers to contact Virgin Media customer services recently.

01506804297 or 08000521920 or 150

I have yet to find one that is free from a mobile, (even a virgin mobile)

Does anyone have a Freephone number?

[cella]

I always use the 150 which is free if you are a customer. You probably have to pay for the call if not.

[pipsky2008]

cella Wrote:

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> I always use the 150 which is free if you are a

> customer. You probably have to pay for the call if

> not.

Is that from a mobile or a landline?

[cella]

I use both as a customer.