Virgin media price increase

[taxman 12]

It wouldn't be so bad if our virgin catch-up worked properly but it seems to be broke half the time. Also some the extra channels we get with our £4.50 per month increase only apply to those on the premium package.

 

Mind you Sky were rubbish when we had them a couple of years ago.

 

It just proves all the old economic and right wing theories wrong, price rises are not the result of increased wages, they are the result of a desire for increased profits.

[BoroB 10]

It wouldn't be so bad if our virgin catch-up worked properly but it seems to be broke half the time. Also some the extra channels we get with our £4.50 per month increase only apply to those on the premium package.

 

Mind you Sky were rubbish when we had them a couple of years ago.

 

It just proves all the old economic and right wing theories wrong, price rises are not the result of increased wages, they are the result of a desire for increased profits.

 

I know prices are rising but this is the third rise above inflation in three years.

 

Not sure if the near 10% increase is anything to do with Virgin now being owned by American giant Liberty.

 

Will go to SKY in the knowledge that I can always comeback to Virgin and get the best deals that seem to be available to new customers.

[Twitcher 10]

Just gave them a call, spent ages trying to reduce the package, they wanted me to have a TIVO box to hike UP the price at a discounted rate of £5 off, I said I'm trying to cut the bill not add to it after I explained we hardly watch all the channels anyway.

Their best offer was £5 off for 6 months, in other words they will still increase in 6 but effectively 4 as you pay so far in advance, for example it's next month the price hike kicks in as that's when you pay for February. Oh and I get a whopping £10 discount for 22 years of loyalty otherwise it would be much more!

 

---------- Post added 28-11-2013 at 18:14 ----------

 

I know prices are rising but this is the third rise above inflation in three years.

 

Not sure if the near 10% increase is anything to do with Virgin now being owned by American giant Liberty.

 

Will go to SKY in the knowledge that I can always comeback to Virgin and get the best deals that seem to be available to new customers.

 

Good point, I pointed out it was a 10% hike when I have effectively had a pay but for the last 5 years....

 

---------- Post added 28-11-2013 at 18:19 ----------

 

I got the £5.50 letter today & having only signed a new contract with them 6 weeks ago called to see if there was any way to avoid the increase.

 

The first person I spoke to said there was nothing she could do. I phoned again an hour later to cancel and was told that the increase would not apply to people such as myself who had recently signed a contract in good faith and that the first person I spoke to was wrong in what she told me.

 

I asked for a manager to call me and explain why two different people had told me different things. The manager called and agreed with the first person I had spoke to, the increase would still apply but as a gesture of goodwill he would apply a credit of £5.50 a month. It seems that no one knows what they are doing and contradict each other.

 

The manager told me that when you phone to cancel each representative has a daily pot of discounts that they can apply at their discretion. He also likened the communication business to the insurance once which is notorious for chasing new customers at the expense of existing ones.

 

After having spent 80 minutes speaking to Virgin's three not-wise men and women I've decided to decamp to SKY who have an offer on their website today of 25% off their TV/Broadband packages for disgruntled Virgin Media customers.

 

They're all as bad as each other read look at the small print

**Sky Line Rental costs £15.40pm. Selected network areas only. Selected fibre areas only. Speeds vary significantly. Set-up cots may apply. £2.19 router delivery charge applies

[muddycoffee 10]

I've got a broadband only package.

 

What stops you just cancelling the parts you don't want? I used to have phone and BB, but found their phone was more expensive than my mobile so I just removed it. It wasn't a problem.

 

 

I've tried but they won't let me, they keep saying my package is cheaper because it is a combination. But I've got no use for the TV or Phone parts. They keep telling me there is no Broadband only option because I am on cable.

[Twitcher 10]

I've tried but they won't let me, they keep saying my package is cheaper because it is a combination. But I've got no use for the TV or Phone parts. They keep telling me there is no Broadband only option because I am on cable.

 

They know this, it's so unfair when people are trying to budget, it's hard enough with energy bills but when people can't afford to go out you need TV and broadband!

 

---------- Post added 28-11-2013 at 22:53 ----------

 

I think you have defiantly jumped the gun, since BT, Talk Talk, Sky and all other major providers have all had or are also increasing there prices between Sept - Feb.

Your also losing out by going to freeview when virgin themselves offer a free view service but with no signal issues due to bad weather and also still gives you catch up TV & On Demand for free.

As for finding a new broadband provider, well you'll have to take a telephone line with any other UK provider which all of which are having an increase on line rental so you will pay the same if not more as VM's LR for this, and of course your broadband will be at least 6x slower than it was before due to it being an ADSL line that would be providing it compared the full fibre line VM use. Ooo and don't forget you don't even need a telephone line for Virgin Media's Broadband!

I'd suggest getting back on the phone to VM and cancelling your disconnection. Where else gives you the super fast broadband and instant TV that Virgin Media does? Answer? Nowhere.

Call 150 from your landline and then option 5 option 3 for Customer Relations they will help you cancel your disconnection.

 

---------- Post added 27-11-2013 at 16:16 ----------

 

Did you also see the part in your "changes" letter about your broadband speeds being increased again for free? Did you notice they give you BT Sport & ESPN in HD for FREE compared to the £15 of Sky TV? Did you notice they have integrated Netflix into TiVo boxes so you don't have to pay lots of money watching On Demand Movies (Which may I addd start instantly not 45 mins later once the Sky+ box has downloaded it), although the one demand feature is still there and has movies released on there same day as DVD release?

Did you notice the Free App's Smart Call and Virgin TV Anywhere that they have developed for you?

The FREE HD content?

 

Time for a phone call I think now my friend.....

 

Do you work for them? Don't be so naive thinking they actually give you FREE things, nothing is for free that's why they're whacking on the 10%

[paulo n 10]

they just rang back,free TiVo,super hub, and no increase for a year.job done:hihi:

[alchresearch 214]

Have you gone onto a new 18 month contract though?

[paulo n 10]

just a year!

[Nagel 10]

I've tried but they won't let me, they keep saying my package is cheaper because it is a combination. But I've got no use for the TV or Phone parts. They keep telling me there is no Broadband only option because I am on cable.

 

Why not get broadband down a phone line? Talk Talk offer it for £2.50 a month and then there's £15.40 phone line rental. It's got to be cheaper than Virgin.

 

It can be fast too. At our holiday house we are within 100m of the BT exchange, so even though it's in a rural village the broadband speed is faster than what we get through fibre on Virgin in Sheffield. It's a steady 24MB/s whilst in Sheffield I'm lucky to get 20MB/s on a good day and it's very variable.

[paulo n 10]

don't want to get in to any discussion over providers but im just saying make them sweat and you can get a better deal:)

[Twitcher 10]

don't want to get in to any discussion over providers but im just saying make them sweat and you can get a better deal:)

 

Even when I spoke to retentions they didn't seem too bothered!

[scousemouse 10]

I have had an increase of just over £5 a month. I also now get some of the BT sport footy matches. For an extra £1 week I get phone, tv. broadband,and XL I have never had a problem with Virgin.