50mbit pricing options?!?

[Dghoshal]

Hi,

I am currently paying about £37 per month for the 20mbit broadband, and I also have a Virgin phone line (£11 per month?).

I want to upgrade to the 50mbit service. I see that there are two prices for this, depending on whether or not you take a phone line too:

Option 1: Take a phone line for £11 per month, and get the 50mbit broadband for £35 per month.

Option 2: Take the 50mbit broadband only (no phone line) and pay £50 per month.

As an existing customer with broadband and a phone line, will they charge me as per Option 1 (£35 per month for the 50mbit broadband + whatever I currently pay for the phone line); or will they insist on Option 2 (£50 per month for the 50mbit broadband + whatever I currently pay for the phone line)?

I called the 0845 number for customer upgrades yesterday (connected to India) and was told by a rep that it would have to be Option 2.

Surely this is wrong?!? She (she gave her name as Abi) insisted that Option 1 was for new customers only and would not budge. I conveyed my dismay at being treated so poorly (as a loyal customer for more than 10 years, always paying for the fastest speed broadband). I asked to speak to a manager, she returned a few minutes later to say that all managers were in a meeting but that she would arrange a callback.

I have heard nothing thus far.

Can anyone advise if what she was saying about the pricing is correct please? I'm so utterly disgusted I'm inclined to end my contract with Virgin Media` immediately.

Many thanks,
Dogmai

[Ignitionnet]

Option 1 is for anyone, it's the standard price of the service when taken with a phoneline. The person you spoke to is a numpty who can't read her email / documents / knowledge base.

[Dghoshal]

Thanks for the response. So where do I go from here? I have no wish to call the upgrades number again and be subject to the same incredible stupidity.

Any suggestions anyone please?

Many thanks,
Dogmai

[Ignitionnet]

Thanks for the response. So where do I go from here? I have no wish to call the upgrades number again and be subject to the same incredible stupidity.

Any suggestions anyone please?

Many thanks,
Dogmai

I would actually say calling again should be fine - they can't have that many people there incapable of reading and understanding basic documents just by the law of averages. If they did most of them would have been run over / had car accidents on their way to work having been unable to understand what traffic lights mean.

[Rik]

I feel your pain Dghoshal, i have ordered the 50Mbit service and Large TV (100 channels) which equals £52 (BB) + £8 (TV) total - £60.

I rang today to ask about having a bundle instead, 50Mb/XL TV & XL Phone which in a bundle costs £68, so i would rather have the phone line and all the extra tv channels for an extra £8 per month.

I tried to explain what I wanted but unfortunately the Indian operator did not have a clue, in the end I said I have to go as im at work, becuase to be frank she was utterly useless :(

Will try again tomorrow morning and hopefully get through to a English advisor.

(Now dont get me wrong, I dont care what nationality an advisor is as long as they can deal with my enquiry smoothly professionally and efficiently, but the recent past experiences with India have been attrocious :()

[uniplan]

I feel your pain Dghoshal, i have ordered the 50Mbit service and Large TV (100 channels) which equals £52 (BB) + £8 (TV) total - £60.

I rang today to ask about having a bundle instead, 50Mb/XL TV & XL Phone which in a bundle costs £68, so i would rather have the phone line and all the extra tv channels for an extra £8 per month.

I tried to explain what I wanted but unfortunately the Indian operator did not have a clue, in the end I said I have to go as im at work, becuase to be frank she was utterly useless :(

Will try again tomorrow morning and hopefully get through to a English advisor.

(Now dont get me wrong, I dont care what nationality an advisor is as long as they can deal with my enquiry smoothly professionally and efficiently, but the recent past experiences with India have been attrocious :()

According to the website, XXL Broadband, XL TV and XL Phone come under a VIP package and costs £68 with £20 back in first bill but £80 one off to activate and install.

[Rik]

According to the website, XXL Broadband, XL TV and XL Phone come under a VIP package and costs £68 with £20 back in first bill but £80 one off to activate and install.

I dont think as an existing user just upgrading to 50Mb and adding tv and phone line I would qualify for the £20 back?

[uniplan]

I dont think as an existing user just upgrading to 50Mb and adding tv and phone line I would qualify for the £20 back?

Not sure. I am paying £58 for Sky HD plus the 50MB charge so VM VIP package is looking interesting at the minute.

[Rik]

Well just spoke to an agent in India and she couldnt help as i had an install pending and apparently on their system she cannot amend anything as there is an install pending, so she transferred me to John in Scotland, who has upgraded me to XL TV and XL Phone for about 80p more than i was paying :)

Something silly like £60.80, no idea where the price came from but Im not gonna argue :D

On a customer satisfaction note, by me getting through to John in Scotland, I feel 110% better about my contract with Virgin Media, call me a fussy git but, it makes a world of difference when you get through to a helpful/knowledgeable person with a personality such as John.

(Is there anyway I can send an email regarding the brilliant service I have received from this advisor, will he be logged on the system as the last person to talk to me, and if I send a webform will it even get forwarded on? Credit where credit is due, what is the best approach, ring back and ask to speak to a manager and say how pleased i was with the service i recieved this morning?

[Peter_]

Well just spoke to an agent in India and she couldnt help as i had an install pending and apparently on their system she cannot amend anything as there is an install pending, so she transferred me to John in Scotland, who has upgraded me to XL TV and XL Phone for about 80p more than i was paying :)

Something silly like £60.80, no idea where the price came from but Im not gonna argue :D

On a customer satisfaction note, by me getting through to John in Scotland, I feel 110% better about my contract with Virgin Media, call me a fussy git but, it makes a world of difference when you get through to a helpful/knowledgeable person with a personality such as John.

(Is there anyway I can send an email regarding the brilliant service I have received from this advisor, will he be logged on the system as the last person to talk to me, and if I send a webform will it even get forwarded on? Credit where credit is due, what is the best approach, ring back and ask to speak to a manager and say how pleased i was with the service i recieved this morning?
You can just ring back and ask to speak to a manager and tell them about the agent as they can see who you spoke to in the call notes.

[Rik]

You can just ring back and ask to speak to a manager and tell them about the agent as they can see who you spoke to in the call notes.

Thanks for that Moldova, knowing my luck I will get through to India again, and im sure they wont pass on customer satisfaction back to UK (surely they are in competition with UK Call Centres?) ;)
Plus its going to cost me £ on my mobile, there is a credit crunch you know :D

Has anyone got Neil Burketts email address?

Neil.Berkett@virginmedia.com @ a guess?

No thats not the email just recieved delivery error

[Peter_]

Thanks for that Moldova, knowing my luck I will get through to India again, and im sure they wont pass on customer satisfaction back to UK (surely they are in competition with UK Call Centres?) ;)
Plus its going to cost me £ on my mobile, there is a credit crunch you know :D

Has anyone got Neil Burketts email address?

Neil.Berkett@virginmedia.com @ a guess?

No thats not the email just recieved delivery error
Here is the feedback form link https://help2.virginmedia.com/assets/customer_zone/feedbackformCZ.html

[Ignitionnet]

Rik - VM employee email addresses are virginmedia.co.uk