30M : Confirmation required

[Milambar]

Not sure if I should post this in billing or here, feel free to move it if required.

I just spoke to customer relations about dropping the telephone line and tv package, and going with just the 30MB broadband internet.

I currently get TV M, Telephone M, Broadband XL, and pay a few pennies over £35 + whatever calls I make.

I wanted to drop the telephone and tv, and have just the boardband XL, because I find the telephone price rises to be unacceptable, its actually cheaper now, for me to use my cellphone which only costs me £10 a month with inclusive minutes including 0845 numbers..

I am out of contract.

The gentleman in India told me if I drop the telephone, and tv package, my bill will rise to £37, the "standard price for internet".

That seems wrong to me, can anyone confirm that is the case?

[Tim Deegan]

I don't know all the individual prices, but knowing how VM give huge discounts for packages, then it probably is right.

On quite a few occasions VM have contacted me and offered me more for less money.

Call retentions, and they will probably give you a good deal.

[qasdfdsaq]

£34.75 is the current full, unbundled price for standalone XL for new customers, but it used to be £37 (I'm on £37 from last year)

You could always phone retentions and ask them to at least match that price or you'll cancel it all.

[kwikbreaks]

errr - that's the price for 50Mbps XXL

Or without a Virgin Phone line

£22.50 a month
for 3 months
then £27.50 a month

http://shop.virginmedia.com/broadband/up-to-30mb.html

[qasdfdsaq]

Oh, sorry. So many X's. £37 must be the "full fat" price then that's only in the billing system for masochistic reasons (same as "full price 50mb is around £45, minus an £8 discount for actually having the service, or £17 for having a phone)

[kwikbreaks]

IIRC £37 was the pre discount price I paid for XL 20Mbs when I first took cable. The price actually dropped when it moved to 30Mbps but I'd already taken 50Mbps by then.

I'm convinced that all the Xs and the pre-discount prices which nobody pays are all part of a ruse to confuse the punter and keep as many as possible on outdated poor value deals. How often have you seen posts from somebody who is still paying a price they agreed years back which is now much more than new customers pay?

Legal? Yes. Sign of a good service provider? Not in my opinion.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by kwikbreaks

Legal? Yes. Sign of a good service provider? Not in my opinion.

Entirely agree.

My mobile provider calls me incessantly several times a year to renegotiate my tariff and ensure I'm on "the best deal".

[jgrove]

I am in the same boat, i currently have 50 meg broadband unlimited phone calls and the M tv package, and i want to get rid of the tv and the phone, but it would appear that VM price it all so that its better to keep the lot.

They must make a fortune on the phones packages as we don't use ours to make calls on that often as we have mobiles.

Maybe a call the retentions is required?

Can someone tell me how to get to a UK agent rather than the call centre outside the UK?

Thanks

[Zhadnost]

Mine stopped doing that after someone I spoke to gave me more texts and minutes than I ever use ( other bits I don't use) for £5 a month.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Originally Posted by jgrove

I am in the same boat, i currently have 50 meg broadband unlimited phone calls and the M tv package, and i want to get rid of the tv and the phone, but it would appear that VM price it all so that its better to keep the lot.

They must make a fortune on the phones packages as we don't use ours to make calls on that often as we have mobiles.

Maybe a call the retentions is required?

Can someone tell me how to get to a UK agent rather than the call centre outside the UK?

Thanks

you need to seelct the option thinking of leaving us, but since you are jsut wanting the broadband unless you call there bluff that you will leave completely if you cant geta decent price ont eh broadband only you probally wont havea foot to stand on so to say

but you will be tied into a new 12-18 month contract if you do take a retention deal my suggestion if the price between what you pay for it serperate and what you paying now is very ittle ie a few pounds it probalyl not worth getting tied intoa new contract, i think removing tv anc phoen line doesnt tie you intoa a new contract but a vm staff memebr woudl need to confirm


edit: should have said ther eno garantee fora uk agent but the one i suggest above is the best option , if you dnt get one ring again

[jgrove]

Yes i see what you mean, maybe i could get a HD Box with HD channels for the price i pay at the moment?

I currently have one of the old samsung tv box's

[Milambar]

Called through again today, got told exactly the same thing, if I drop my tv and telephone, the broadband cost rises to £37.

Unfortunatly, calling retentions in order to get a more reasonable deal carries the risk that they could always turn round and counter you calling their bluff and say "OK, your termination date is.."

Knowing my luck, that's exactly what would happen, which is why I haven't called retentions. I'm wondering about emailing the head honcho to vent my fustration that as an existing custmer, dropping services means I end up paying more, instead.

[mark1234]

That Virgin charge an extra fee if you don't have their phone line sounds a bit like a penalty charge to me. Exactly the kind of thing that regulators have clamped down on banks and credit card companies charging.

I'm thinking of dropping my TV & phone as well and am also left considering this penalty charge.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Originally Posted by Milambar

Called through again today, got told exactly the same thing, if I drop my tv and telephone, the broadband cost rises to £37.

Unfortunatly, calling retentions in order to get a more reasonable deal carries the risk that they could always turn round and counter you calling their bluff and say "OK, your termination date is.."

Knowing my luck, that's exactly what would happen, which is why I haven't called retentions. I'm wondering about emailing the head honcho to vent my fustration that as an existing custmer, dropping services means I end up paying more, instead.

if you say iu am leaving yes you are cllinga bbig bluff, but what you do is go thorugh and say you are considering leaving becaue of you no longer want x and x but want to still keep x, however you think it ufnair that you have to pay x whenif you wher eto leave and rejoin int eh futer oyu get it at x, just say i rather stay withte you for the broadband sicne oyu the bes tin teh country (sweeten the deal) but if you cant get a more reasonable offer you will have to consider leaving, but you can also say if i get something mroe for wha ti am paying jsut now i am might ocnsider that to (again making yourself not soun unreasonable) stress that you are trying to cut costs and if the oush comes ot the shove oyu igth have ot leave. then when they give youa offer or offers you say well i ave to discuss this with ym partner and once we have deicded what we are doing we willg et back to oyu within the next few days

---------- Post added at 12:44 ---------- Previous post was at 12:41 ----------

Originally Posted by mark1234

That Virgin charge an extra fee if you don't have their phone line sounds a bit like a penalty charge to me. Exactly the kind of thing that regulators have clamped down on banks and credit card companies charging.

I'm thinking of dropping my TV & phone as well and am also left considering this penalty charge.

i wouldnt say it is a charge, it more thy offer a discount for having them all ie that the idea of bundles they get more money from teh bundles than invidual prices all isp charge for having a ivindual package more than the bundle regulators have looked at it and i think they foudn that teh price getting charged for invudial was reasonable and a tthe costs to the provider, but did conclude it was cheaper to have more than it was less and was unfair but wherent sure how they could deal with it, i never read the follow up on the consulation so i aint sure what they decided

[kwikbreaks]

The people in retentions are good. You don't need to threaten to leave all you need do is tell them you want to cancel the TV and phone and expect to be paying the new customer price of £27.50 for your broadband but CS keep quoting £37. They will sort it out for you.

I've done all my dealings through retentions (apart from getting a VMNG300 through CEO office) as dealing with CS is a PITA from what I've seen reported.