Virginmedia - We make ripping you off an art.

[Charliedontsurf]

Just canceled my phoneline quoting the August Price increase as the reason.

The woman on the phone then says

"At the moment you pay £37 for 50Mb and phoneline, when you cancel your phoneline the price will go up to £45 for 50Mb on its own.

I actually had to direct her to the website to prove my point that 50Mb is £35. How many people get told this and actually believe it? SERIOUSLY How do they get away with it?

[Kymmy]

Duplicate thread junked

[RobboEdin]

Originally Posted by Charliedontsurf

Just canceled my phoneline quoting the August Price increase as the reason.

The woman on the phone then says

"At the moment you pay £37 for 50Mb and phoneline, when you cancel your phoneline the price will go up to £45 for 50Mb on its own.

I actually had to direct her to the website to prove my point that 50Mb is £35. How many people get told this and actually believe it? SERIOUSLY How do they get away with it?

If you were within a minimum contract period, Virgin Media have the perfect right to charge you the full, non-discounted price for the rest of the minimum period - it is in their 'Legal Stuff'.

Here is a quote from 'Legal Stuff':

"Payment: If you prefer not to pay by Direct Debit, you will incur a monthly £5 payment handling fee payable to Virgin Media Payments Ltd. If you would like paper bills, the fee is £1.50 a month. Mobile paper bill charge of £1.25 may also apply. You must, at a minimum, take all services included in your bundle for your minimum contract term. If you change any part of your bundle, standard prices apply. "

If you are not within a contract then you can negotiate to get the latest bundle price but this will start a new minimum period.

You have obviously negotiated the current bundle price for standalone BB XXL which is £35 and has a £10 discount over the £45 'list' price. You should expect to have started a new 12 month contract.

[Dave9946]

So what is the "list price" thats spoke of?. To my knowledge everyone gets charged to going rate as per website quoted minus any offer?. In this case the advertised rate for 50mb bb is £35 on it's own is it not?.

If anyone phoned up for an advertised price only to then be told or were charged £10 per month more then they would have no cutomers at all. So is this "list price" a myth as I've heard it mentioned before even though advertised prices and even just for single services are always less than any list price mentioned.

As anyone getting internet and just that for the first time would not have to pay more than the advertised price. I think virgin use this phrase when people complain about issues or alter there package?.

However, in this case if the op is in the minimum period then downgrading would result in a single charge being made by downgrading in a minimim period and not an increased monthly charge?. I'm sure I've read that to be the case in the vm terms somewhere?.

[Charliedontsurf]

Originally Posted by RobboEdin

If you were within a minimum contract period, Virgin Media have the perfect right to charge you the full, non-discounted price for the rest of the minimum period - it is in their 'Legal Stuff'.

Here is a quote from 'Legal Stuff':

"Payment: If you prefer not to pay by Direct Debit, you will incur a monthly £5 payment handling fee payable to Virgin Media Payments Ltd. If you would like paper bills, the fee is £1.50 a month. Mobile paper bill charge of £1.25 may also apply. You must, at a minimum, take all services included in your bundle for your minimum contract term. If you change any part of your bundle, standard prices apply. "

If you are not within a contract then you can negotiate to get the latest bundle price but this will start a new minimum period.

You have obviously negotiated the current bundle price for standalone BB XXL which is £35 and has a £10 discount over the £45 'list' price. You should expect to have started a new 12 month contract.

Well when I joined Virginmedia 50Mb was "listed" online and in the national press as £35. Please link to anywhere you can find that says the actual price for 50Mb is £45.

It seems some VM customers actually want to be over charged.

I am happy to be paying the nationaly advertised none discounted price of £35 for my 50Mb.

---------- Post added at 10:31 ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 ----------

Originally Posted by Dave9946

So what is the "list price" thats spoke of?. To my knowledge everyone gets charged to going rate as per website quoted minus any offer?. In this case the advertised rate for 50mb bb is £35 on it's own is it not?.

If anyone phoned up for an advertised price only to then be told or were charged £10 per month more then they would have no cutomers at all. So is this "list price" a myth as I've heard it mentioned before even though advertised prices and even just for single services are always less than any list price mentioned.

As anyone getting internet and just that for the first time would not have to pay more than the advertised price. I think virgin use this phrase when people complain about issues or alter there package?.

However, in this case if the op is in the minimum period then downgrading would result in a single charge being made by downgrading in a minimim period and not an increased monthly charge?. I'm sure I've read that to be the case in the vm terms somewhere?.

You can downgrade or disconnect for free if they increase the price of any of your services.

---------- Post added at 10:39 ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 ----------

An incase anyone is wondering

50Mb is £35 on its own or £25 is bundled with a phoneline hence £37 for 50mb and phoneline.

Or as VM want you to think its

£45 on its own
£35 on its own
£25 with a phoneline.

Maybe BenMcr casn sort all this out. as the website clearly states 50mb is £35 on its own.

[Dave9946]

What it sounds like they are doing is taking the difference between the bundle price when you take the both services in what you were saving a month and adding that difference to the single service price.

As the 50mb bb is £35pm & the phone line is £12.99 pm the single price would be £48pm of cause. But your getting the both in a bundle and saving what £11pm?.

So what it looks like they are doing is adding the saving to the basic 50mb bb and tryinh to charge you £10pm more than the standard price that everyone pays for it?. Looks like another case of poorly trained customer services staff to me.

[Kymmy]

Thread also moved to Billing

[RobboEdin]

This has been discussed ad nauseam before.

Virgin Media's billing is overly complicated and it has been stated by Virgin Media employees that its simplification is being looked at.

The 'list' prices are not published on the Virgin Media website but every customer has access to them on their bill for their products.

Every new customer gets the total price as described on the website but the billing is a bit convoluted.

To explain, the £35 standalone BB XXL which is quoted on the website is the price the customer pays but it is billed as follows

BB XXL £45
discount -£10
Total £35

You're promised a £35 price, you get a £35 price!

[tridens]

Hi i had the same problem
I wanted to cancel the phone to save money i had
TV L
BB L
Phone M
paid £38.99

I was told if i remove phone i will pay £40 i said on the website TV L and BB L costs £33 virgin said that's a cost to new customers i will pay £40 as i was out of contract i cancelled TV & Phone kept BB virgin told me BBL will cost me £25 on website its £21
Im keeping the BB till August when my contract is up and then i will cancel virgin seam to want to rip off their loyal customers they charge different prices to whats advertised on their website
joined Sky 12 months any TV package at half price virgin said sky wownt give you this and that Im lieying had sky in stalled Thursday Bie Bie virgin

PS don't have to pay £5 for the recording feature on Sky + Virgin Take Note

[Charliedontsurf]

Originally Posted by RobboEdin

This has been discussed ad nauseam before.

Virgin Media's billing is overly complicated and it has been stated by Virgin Media employees that its simplification is being looked at.

The 'list' prices are not published on the Virgin Media website but every customer has access to them on their bill for their products.

Every new customer gets the total price as described on the website but the billing is a bit convoluted.

To explain, the £35 standalone BB XXL which is quoted on the website is the price the customer pays but it is billed as follows

BB XXL £45
discount -£10
Total £35

You're promised a £35 price, you get a £35 price!

I don't really care how the billing works at virginmedia. The nationally advertised price online and in the newspapers is £35 for 50Mb. That is the price that trading standards would force VM to charge me.

Virginmedia are not some kind of law enforcement lol. They are just a phone/bb/tv provider and they have LAWS they have to follow no matter what they think.

They seem to operate in a similar vien to a second hand car dealer.

Infact I'm ring up right now to 100% clarify.

[Stephen]

But the prices advertised are for new customers that are signing up for VM.

[Charliedontsurf]

Originally Posted by Stephen

But the prices advertised are for new customers that are signing up for VM.

Yes and when I joined in December they were the prices advertised. I never even new that VM once charged £45 for 50Mb.


I pay what is the current price an the current price for 50Mb standalone is £35 as advertised on VM's website and a flyer I have in my home right now.Unless you have any evidence to the contrary?

£45 Gets you 100Mb and 100Mb has only ever been priced at £45. Unless you think both 50Mb and 100Mb are £45?

[Dave9946]

But Virgin Media cant circumnavigate the laws they have to follow that allow them to trade. They often might think they have a free licence to make up the rules of opperating laws as they go along and many of the employees probably think they are correct and can have a seperate price they can charge that is above whats advertised.

The main part is that if customers choose to alter there package for whatever reason in the minimun period than they pay a charge against them. I have never seen any part of the terms that state you will pay a higher rate for the services you receive if a customer downgrades.

If I took up just the 50mb BB I would be charged £35 pm. If I later added the phone that would be what £37\38 pm. If I then downgraded and took the phone off is anyone seriously saying the original service would go upto £45 per month?. Is there not laws that either dictate they cant do that of if they did the customer has a right to cancell all services without penalty because thats not the price they signed for.

[BeafSalad]

When I signed up for 50Mb narrow band it was advertised as £38 per month. When the contract came it was like on one of the posts above £48 plus -£10 discount. What that says to me is that they can discontinue the discount at any time and charge you the full price which is not advertised anywhere. Anyway I contacted trading standards to ask their advise, they only told me to ring back if they do start charging you the full price. I never signed the contract or sent it back.

[Dave9946]

I've looked and simply cant find anything on the Virgin Media website that mentions a so called list price or even states a different price.

If I were to go and buy a car for £8000 saying thats the advertised price and thats what it would be sold for and signed a credit aggrement for £8000 over 18 months. If that aggrement stated the price is £10000 but it's discounted to £8000 etc. Then if they tried to enforce the £10000 list price either the aggrement is void and invalid or the car can be returned and the buyer free to choose another car for an advertised price.

I dont see this virgin advertised & list price issue really being any different, but simply trying to put it another way . And I dont think the new customer only price argument would really work in there favour to much, but I could be wrong of cause as I'm still looking at things on the virgin site.

If like the post\case above they then add in confusing detail possably designed not to really be noticed or understood properly (as is certainly the case from bill enquiry posts\threads) then thats to draw up an agreement you both agree to and add a few hard to understand and confusing details to that contract when handed to you to sign. Is that then not deception if they never detail a different price in the original agreement and add it in a confusting way upon asking for a signature?.

In fact upon checking I notice the following:

Broadband and Phone Bundle offer: 18 month minimum term contract applies, Cable areas only. Offer ends 29 June 2011. May not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media. New customers only (subject to status and credit checks): To get bundle discount applied for 3 months to you must take a bundle containing either Broadband L, XL or XXL with a phone line. A discount of £8.50/month will be applied with a Broadband L and phone bundle and a discount of £10/month will be applied with a Broadband XL or XXL and phone bundle. Standard prices apply after first 3 months (Broadband L and phone bundle currently starts at £13.50/month from 1 April). Offer can be used in conjunction with Free Install offer. Free installation offer: Offer available to new or existing customers taking Broadband XL or XXL with a phone line; or Broadband L, XL or XXL and M+TV at a minimum (taken with VHD or V+HD box) with a phone line. May not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media. Offer can be used in conjunction with Broadband and Phone Bundle offer in which case 18-month minimum term contract applies. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend discount if you change any part of your offer package. Headline bundle prices (i.e. prices before discount is applied) may vary during this offer. Broadband: A one-off £30 activation fee and a new 12-month contract may apply for 30Mb, 50Mb and 100Mb Broadband.

The first part suggests it's the 3\6 month discount that aplies to the new customers not the package price itself?.

Standard prices apply after first 3 months (Broadband L and phone bundle currently starts at £13.50/month from 1 April).

This pretty much states the advertised prices ARE the standard prices and that section does not mention for new customers only.

Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend discount if you change any part of your offer package. Headline bundle prices (i.e. prices before discount is applied) may vary during this offer.

That seems to relate to the discount new customers get fot the first 3\6 months and they may amend that or withdraw it and then charge the standard prices. Headline bundle prices refers to the budles price as in subject to standard price rises as like the phone line rental going up by £1. None of that relates to anything other than advertised prices and makes it fairly clear the discount if the 3\6 month thing?.