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the pre-discount prices which nobody pays are all part of a ruse to confuse the punter and keep as many as possible on outdated poor value deals.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]

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]

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]

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 ----------

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.

[Mick Fisher]

I take a BroadBand only service from VM.

I pay £28.50 per month for 30mbps broadband. That includes payment by direct debit and paperless billing.

I was paying £37.50 for 20mbps BB but when I upgraded to 30meg VM reduced the price without any intervention from me or retentions. I did however incur a new 12 month contract.

As I am not on any discount I believe £28.50 is the correct price for a 30mbps broadband only sevice. If this is not the case then VM are running a two tiered pricing system which I am sure must be illegal.

[Andrewcrawford23]

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.

ive never spoke ot myself so cant comment but i have heard a few people say before sometime retentions isnt all that good they can be quite bad at time and not helpful but i hear them being mroe helpful than less

but my way of doign things is the best approach you jsut say why you are wanitng to change the packeage because of costs and that you think it unfair you get charge more for less thana new customer when there is o discoutns involved, and that you rather hae no service than pay more than you have to in this climate dont try to get more than oyu can just always try to get what is fair, if yoru greedy or argonant you wont get anything

[kwikbreaks]

As I am not on any discount I believe £28.50 is the correct price for a 30mbps broadband only sevice. If this is not the case then VM are running a two tiered pricing system which I am sure must be illegal.New customer price is £27.50. VM don't make any secret of it - http://shop.virginmedia.com/broadband/up-to-30mb.html

Or without a Virgin Phone line

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

[jgrove]

I think i'll be calling to get rid of the TV and Phone Package, the TV is M and all the channels i can get via free view and in HD. The phone i am fed up of paying 135 pounds a year in rental! What a rip off!

[Milambar]

Spoke to rentions, after going over some things, he confessed that if I got rid of my tv and phone, I wouldn't be making any saving, I'd end up paying more or less the same as I am now, for less services.

He advised keeping the phone and just not using it, which means the tv package remains free, so I may as well keep that too.

Seems odd to me.

He did confirm that my bill will rise by "only" £1.50 in April, and I forgot to ask him about recontracting to qualify for spotify, while I had someone competent on the phone. (swears)

[qasdfdsaq]

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.."
Only if you actually request termination, rather than just say "I'm considering leaving". And even then you have 30 days to change your mind (believe me, they want to keep customers). There is no risk. Nada.

[kwikbreaks]

I don't see that. You said you are paying £37 and XL should cost £27.50.

[Milambar]

I don't see that. You said you are paying £37 and XL should cost £27.50.


No, Im paying £35 at the moment, plus whatever calls I make. India said it would go up to £37 if I cancelled the phone and tv.

Retentions said that I wouldn't make much of a saving if I cancelled the phone. I guess "much of a saving" does imply there would be some, just not a lot.

[qasdfdsaq]

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.
They are. Even the UK based support were point blank calling me a liar for claiming I had been offered a deal that wasn't showing on their systems. Then they refused to allow me to disconnect because I was outside my money-back guarantee period until I pointed out to them twelve days is less than 28.

Thankfully soon as I got through to retentions they dealt with everything straight away, no issues at all.

[kwikbreaks]

No, Im paying £35 at the moment, plus whatever calls I make. India said it would go up to £37 if I cancelled the phone and tv.

Retentions said that I wouldn't make much of a saving if I cancelled the phone. I guess "much of a saving" does imply there would be some, just not a lot.Well no you'd only save £7.50 a month or £90 a year so it isn't much but if you don't need to use the phone and can get the TV on Freeview then that's £90 a year in your pocket instead of theirs. It was you that started this thread off saying you only wanted the BB and now you've let somebody silver tongue you into paying for something you said you don't want.

I have a really lovely antique house brick I'm prepared to sell you for £90 - I'll even post it free - I know you don't really need it but it is a very good brick and you'll only be slightly better off if you don't buy it.

[Milambar]

Nah, Im more of a modern housebrick collector. Sorry :P

I know it was me who started it, and its true that I dont need the phoneline, though it has saved me some cash when Ive needed to report a fault.. I guess I need to call them back and tell them to remove it regardless.

[kwikbreaks]

It's your call but you will save money if you do and also ensure that you only pay the new customer price for BB.

[Mick Fisher]

Hmmm... don't they just love their old phone line scam.

When I joined what was then CableTel I just had analogue TV and it was fine. Then the digital nonsense came out, OK a few more channels so I went for it. Got told I couldn't have it unless I also took a phone line.

I told 'em to stick the phone line where the sun don't shine as I had already tried it and ended up paying a years rental for a service that never worked. OK you don't have to have a phone line they said but my ensuing Bills showed they were charging for it anyway. At the time, I was stuck with Cable due to a tree - line of sight problem so decided to, grudgingly, wear it.

On the basis that if I was paying for it then I wanted it, I tried many times to have the phone line activated but each time the agent just hung up on me. Odd but there you go??

As time went by, freeview appeared and sky, by arrangement, were prepared to send a 'special heights team' for awkward installations. I decided to dump VM TV because of the phone line issue and the quality of service I was recieving. LOL! the TV was dire with the box needing to be constantly rebooted.

I phoned retentions and cancelled the TV and when asked why, I complained about the phone line scam and the quality of the service. The agent offered a discount because of the bad service but said he could do nothing about the phone line charge "as it was company policy". So for the sake of their phone line scam they lost my TV and "phone" custom entirely.

My remaining BB service stayed at £37.00 month. As far as I know no surcharge or phoneline scam (call it what you will) was ever applied to my BB. It was only ever applied to my TV subscription.

Never having been a fan of this IMO dreadful company I have stayed simply because the ADSL is truly dire here. Nowadays apart from VM I have a choice of 2 FTTC services that with sky's contribution will shortly become 3. AFAIK all have proper unlimited options, not sure about dreadful offshored support though.

ATM I am hanging on with VM purely on a devil you know basis re the great disappointment of Be's no - show in the FTTC arena up to now. Although their was a notification of a trial nothing has been heard since which IMO does't bode well for Be's survival. :(

As I am already a sky customer I will probably wait to see what Sky can offer before making any changes.

[qasdfdsaq]

ATM I am hanging on with VM purely on a devil you know basis re the great disappointment of Be's no - show in the FTTC arena up to now. Although their was a notification of a trial nothing has been heard since which IMO does't bode well for Be's survival. :(
Agreed on the no-show so far, but there's no real reason to show. BT's Infinity service performs pretty damn well, is completely unlimited, and has virtually no shaping. I don't really see any major advantages Be could offer over BT via FTTC. On the ADSL front, sure they have/had major benefits but on FTTC quite where they could differentiate themselves isn't quite so clear.

Survival wise, they're owned by O2, which is further owned by Telefonica, a company fifteen times bigger than VM. Be's network is a big part of O2's triple-play strategy and they won't be disappearing anytime soon.

[Mick Fisher]

Agreed on the no-show so far, but there's no real reason to show. BT's Infinity service performs pretty damn well, is completely unlimited, and has virtually no shaping. I don't really see any major advantages Be could offer over BT via FTTC. On the ADSL front, sure they have/had major benefits but on FTTC quite where they could differentiate themselves isn't quite so clear.

Survival wise, they're owned by O2, which is further owned by Telefonica, a company fifteen times bigger than VM. Be's network is a big part of O2's triple-play strategy and they won't be disappearing anytime soon.
My biggest gripes against VM are the offshored support and the superhub. Both are an absolute insult to subscribers IMHO. Come to think about it, over the years, reliability along side a complete dearth of news concerning outages and problems hasn't been a high scoring factor either.

I understand their is no need to be tied into a HH3 on BT's Infinity so a plus there but my Daughter's experiences with BT support suggests much the same useless offshored rubbish as we get from VM. I also want to get away from BT's land line as the costs keeps on rising as they keep adding 'extras' whether you want them or not.

I wanted to stay with Be because of the truly excellent service I have recieved, in particular from their knowledgable offshored support for whom nothing is too much trouble. They could also take over my landline as well.

I have had nothing but good experiences with Sky as well so would have no qualms as to letting them take over my BB and Phone services should a fibre service from them appear in my area. I was hoping for a better upload than 2mbps though although it's not a biggie.

[qasdfdsaq]

Yeah, I'd just read BT's blurb about their HomeHub 3 today:

http://www.shop.bt.com/learn-more/bt-branded-products-and-services/new-bt-home-hub-3-9902.html


Smart power save

The new BT Home Hub runs on half the power of an energy-efficient lightbulb, and automatically changes to 'low power' mode when not connected. It will instantly return to full power when connected, or when it detects any internet traffic.So it uses half the power of the Superhub while active and considerably less when idle. I'll be putting those claims to the test shorty, I believe mine arrives Tuesday. And yes, it's a standard ethernet router that can just as easily be connected to my VM line should I feel like it (though I've already got 14 routers connected to that so I fail to see why I would want to). You can use any PPPoE router on BT.

Incidentally they also make similar claims to VM do about the Superhub: "Our best ever wireless signal", etc. It's optional and it's separate from the VDSL modem, I have no complaints as it's entirely my choice whether I want to use it or not. And to be fair, I do want to give it ago just for kicks. They may even be taking a dig at VM by calling it "The UK's most reliable wireless connection". Fat chance of that against my OpenWRT mesh network, but beating the Superhub? We'll see ;)

Can't say much about BT support. Last time I was with BT (for ADSL) I didn't have to call their customer services a single time during my 12-month contract. Never once. The only times I did call were a) during installation and b) to disconnect.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Yeah, I'd just read BT's blurb about their HomeHub 3 today:

http://www.shop.bt.com/learn-more/bt-branded-products-and-services/new-bt-home-hub-3-9902.html

So it uses half the power of the Superhub while active and considerably less when idle. I'll be putting those claims to the test shorty, I believe mine arrives Tuesday. And yes, it's a standard ethernet router that can just as easily be connected to my VM line should I feel like it (though I've already got 14 routers connected to that so I fail to see why I would want to). You can use any PPPoE router on BT.

Incidentally they also make similar claims to VM do about the Superhub: "Our best ever wireless signal", etc. Yet it's free, it's optional and it's separate from the VDSL modem, I have no complaints as it's entirely my choice whether I want to use it or not. And to be fair, I do want to give it ago just for kicks. They may even be taking a dig at VM by calling it "The UK's most reliable wireless connection". Fat chance of that against my OpenWRT mesh network, but beating the Superhub? We'll see ;)

Can't say much about BT support. Last time I was with BT (for ADSL) I didn't have to call their customer services a single time during my 12-month contract. Never once. The only times I did call were a) during installation and b) to disconnect.
asa ruled on that the best wirelss signal recently stating it was unfound or mislead so they had to change it wording

[qasdfdsaq]

Nice, I did think it was a bit... bold. They still claim this though:

Get the most reliable wireless connection compared to all other UK broadband providers

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25746

I feel a Superhub vs. HomeHub3 showdown coming up...

[Mick Fisher]

Nice, I did think it was a bit... bold. They still claim this though:



http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25746

I feel a Superhub vs. HomeHub3 showdown coming up...
That will make for an interesting diversion.

I can't wait. :)

[kwikbreaks]

Last time I was with BT (for ADSL) I didn't have to call their customer services a single time during my 12-month contract. Never once. The only times I did call were a) during installation and b) to disconnect.ADSL doesn't have active on-street hardware and their route from fibre to customer is a damned sight simpler than cable. So long as the joints on the phone line don't corrode (as mine had) ADSL is always going to be more reliable than cable.

[craigj2k12]

Yeah, I'd just read BT's blurb about their HomeHub 3 today:

http://www.shop.bt.com/learn-more/bt-branded-products-and-services/new-bt-home-hub-3-9902.html

So it uses half the power of the Superhub while active and considerably less when idle. I'll be putting those claims to the test shorty, I believe mine arrives Tuesday. And yes, it's a standard ethernet router that can just as easily be connected to my VM line should I feel like it (though I've already got 14 routers connected to that so I fail to see why I would want to). You can use any PPPoE router on BT.

Incidentally they also make similar claims to VM do about the Superhub: "Our best ever wireless signal", etc. It's optional and it's separate from the VDSL modem, I have no complaints as it's entirely my choice whether I want to use it or not. And to be fair, I do want to give it ago just for kicks. They may even be taking a dig at VM by calling it "The UK's most reliable wireless connection". Fat chance of that against my OpenWRT mesh network, but beating the Superhub? We'll see ;)

Can't say much about BT support. Last time I was with BT (for ADSL) I didn't have to call their customer services a single time during my 12-month contract. Never once. The only times I did call were a) during installation and b) to disconnect.

you can use your own vdsl modem as well