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VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls
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Old 04-05-2011, 16:42   #1
savvychels
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VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

This has to do with the phone part of the VIP50 TiVo packages, but because it's the TiVo version only I felt this was probably the best place to put this info. If the mods feel it needs moved then I understand.

I just got my bill today for the first month of my VIP50/TiVo package and all seemed well till I looked at my call charges. I make a lot of international calls, and in both my previous incarnations of the VIP20 and VIP50 packages I had Call International which was a £1.75 a month charge (then reduced in the discounts) and Call Mobile for the same charge. This International plan meant international calls were approx 3p/min.

Imagine my shock when I found that from the 15th of this month (when I had the TiVo installed) my international calls were TWENTY PENCE per minute!! Looking over the bill carefully it seems that when being switched to the TiVo version of the VIP50 contract that version has

Talk International 2
Talk Mobile 2

Both of those at £2 a month and both of those with calls charging MORE than the previous versions.

I don't understand it, I wasn't informed of it and I'm totally gobsmacked at it. Why would I want to pay more (yes I get it discounted) for a plan that actually charges me 10x the amount per minute than my original one.

So I've been on the phone with CS in retentions as I figure they are best placed to try to sort this out - especially as I wasn't informed of the per minute increase and made calls I expected to be around a couple of pounds which are now costing me around £20!! They have said that because it's a TiVo specific bundle they cannot change it, but are ringing the TiVo sales to see what they can do to get me the service I need and once they get that sorted they'll work on figuring out refunds for the differences...

There is a plan for £5 a month which gives 250 free minutes internationally (to Canada and US - not sure where else as I can't find any information on any of these plans on the Virgin Website anywhere - just the main Talk International for £1.75) and if you go over it's 2p a minute after that. I don't mind paying that, but I'm still ticked off about paying (yes it's then discounted) £2 a month for a plan that gives me no benefit at all.

So those of you with VIP50 and TiVo who make international calls be prepared for a HUGE shock when your bill comes in!

I'll let you know the final outcome. The lady who I've been dealing with will be ringing me back once she speaks to the other sales team

---------- Post added at 15:42 ---------- Previous post was at 14:58 ----------

Okay, she's rung me back with further information and I think I'm just about sorted.

Some info since I couldn't find it anywhere on the website. The only 'talk international' I could find on the website was this one:

http://shop.virginmedia.com/phone/ta...rnational.html

However there are 3 other plans - these can each be associated with the VIP50/TiVo account - I don't know where else they can be bundled in with - but I figured it might be helpful if you want to see the info:

This is the one that they automatically bundle in which is then part of the discount:

http://shop.virginmedia.com/phone/ph...national2.html

And here are the other two

http://shop.virginmedia.com/phone/ph...national5.html

http://shop.virginmedia.com/phone/ph...ational10.html

She then transferred me to Sales who were the ones who needed to set that up for me. For my needs (being a transplanted Canadian with friends and family all over the world) I went with the Talk International 10. They took out the 2 and put in the 10, so it's only costing me an extra £8 a month which is what I've been spending on international calls in the past anyway, but this way it gets me them for the equivalent of 1p per minute. Obviously this may be way more than most need, but I figured I'd let you know that you can swap in the best plan for you and still get the £2 discount in your bundle.

But definitely the Talk International 2 is NOT NEARLY the value of the original one - not even close! So watch your bills!

I was then sent back to customer service where I explained that I had not been informed of this difference in international plans and had made calls based on 3p a minute that had ended up costing me around £35 instead of less than £5. I said of course if I'd been advised of the difference I'd have signed up for one of the other plans immediately - I'm not the kind of person who wants something for nothing, but I do want my calls at 3p/minute if that's what I think I'm paying due to lack of information.

He said not a problem at all and has said he will go work out my refund and will ring me back shortly to confirm, but that it won't be an issue.

So - it was a lot of runaround between a few departments but everyone who was involved in the account was very helpful and looks like it'll be sorted shortly.

Apologies for the long-windedness of this. I know to a lot of people the international thing is irrelevant, but for those who DO make a lot of calls I just wanted to give a heads up.
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Old 04-05-2011, 18:05   #2
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

As it's relating to the phone service I've moved it to the correct section
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Old 05-05-2011, 16:44   #3
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

what is VIP50 TiVo packages I am on the VIP50 package
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Old 05-05-2011, 16:54   #4
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

Andrew, its easy to work out. Its the exact same package you have but with a TiVo
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Old 05-05-2011, 17:16   #5
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

ok thanks stephen
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Old 06-05-2011, 09:06   #6
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

I am having a very similar issue as the OP.

I too have VIP50 with Tivo (and have Talk International and Mobile listed as version 2) and have been charged £6.10 ex vat for a 36 minute call to a South African landline number. According to the PDF of calls from May 1st, this should be charged at 3.06p + 12.24 connection charge. By my maths the call should have cost around £1.20 ish.

How come I have been charged 5 times this amount?
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Old 07-05-2011, 21:28   #7
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

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Originally Posted by BenJSmyth View Post
I am having a very similar issue as the OP.

I too have VIP50 with Tivo (and have Talk International and Mobile listed as version 2) and have been charged £6.10 ex vat for a 36 minute call to a South African landline number. According to the PDF of calls from May 1st, this should be charged at 3.06p + 12.24 connection charge. By my maths the call should have cost around £1.20 ish.

How come I have been charged 5 times this amount?
Because the International package that comes with the new TiVo bundle is the new 'Talk Int 2' version, which obviously people haven't been advised of.

Do as I did and ring them to discuss what package does meet your needs (the 5 or the 10 versions which I've linked to above) and let them know that you were not advised of the different international plan so made your call to SA under the impression it was 3p a minute not 20. I had to go through a couple of different departments to arrange the new service (they swapped out the talk Int 2 for talk int 10) and then for the refund, but I did get the refund with no issue or hassle at all, just a lot of time on the phone.

Just be really nice about it and you shouldn't have a problem. That's why I wanted to flag this - so people know what's going on.

Hope you get it worked out.
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Old 08-05-2011, 00:25   #8
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

Thank you for the reply.

That is terrible. I was not advised of any such change to my package. I can't see how simply adding a Tivo box to the account should even affect the telephone part of the VIP package.

I had emailed them at the same time as posting my earlier post so I shall await a response, although I feel I am going to phone anyway.

Just out of interest, have they charged you an extra £10 a month for the Talk International 10 or is it still included in your VIP50/Tivo bundle price?
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Old 08-05-2011, 17:46   #9
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

They removed the Talk Int 2 and added the Talk Int 10 plan. There is still the £2 'bundle' discount for the international plan so my bill went up by £8 - which is about what I spend a month in calls anyway, but now I get 1000 minutes of free calls which is well over what I have used in the past and means I can do more calling of friends and family overseas at no extra cost (yay!).

If you don't make as many calls as I do, but still make a fair number and went for the Talk Int 5, it would be only £3 extra a month and would include 250 free minutes of international calls, and any over would only cost 2p a minute - so depending on your calling patterns could still work out cheaper for you overall than the original plan.

I'm still trying to figure out how the '2' plan is of any use to anyone... Was told that most overseas calls are around 30p/min so the '2' plan is between 10-20p/min depending on where you're calling. So if you don't call abroad at all or very little then I suppose it's still a good plan for those people.

For me I do believe I'm actually better off with the '10' than I have been previously and I think my overall bill will now be lower (now that there won't be any additional call charges), but it would have been nice to have been informed when adding the TiVo - it may be that the TiVo staff didn't realise there was a difference though and if that's the case then it's very poor communication on the part of VM to their TiVo sales team.
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Old 08-05-2011, 23:25   #10
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

It is poor communication on part of the Tivo team although I can't understand why there is even a change to the Talk International package in first place.

I don't make many international calls at all and therefore wouldn't get the value out of the 5 or 10 plan, yet if I do make a call I don't want to be getting charged between 10 and 20p.

The original Talk International package worked well for us, being pretty much 3p a minute was excellent for the odd couple of calls overseas. Are you saying that by having Tivo the original Talk International package cannot be had with VIP50?
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Old 08-05-2011, 23:31   #11
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

This is being looked into. The VIP 50 bundle did change the Talk International plan, but it should have been communicated to anyone moving bundles what was happening
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Old 09-05-2011, 00:15   #12
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

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Originally Posted by BenJSmyth View Post
Are you saying that by having Tivo the original Talk International package cannot be had with VIP50?
Yes, they tried to put me back on the original plan and the system wouldn't let them. I only had the choice of 2, 5 or 10.

Ben - glad to hear it's being looked into Thanks for that.

I still have to say it makes no sense to me that a £1.75 a month plan offers calls for 3p a minute and a £2 a month plan offers the same calls for 10-20p/min?? Unless there are plans to do away with the original Talk International plan in which case it makes sense to have the tiers.
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Old 09-05-2011, 08:56   #13
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

Thanks for the response Ben and savvychels.

I don't know which International package to opt for now! It certainly won't be the 10 as I don't make enough calls but I'm not sure whether to stick with the 2 or go for the 5, which is essentially just £3 a month more. It wouldn't take long for £3 to be billed if I stick on the 2 and make a couple of calls, but then would I make enough calls to warrant the 5.

Oh the decisions!
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Old 10-05-2011, 11:21   #14
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

Spent about 35 minutes on the phone to customer service last night about this. A very helpful chap called Martin was dealing with it.

He was perplexed by the change in the Talk International and Talk Mobile packages. He confirmed what we already know about there being a VIP Tivo package and that for some reason they have changed the Talk International and Talk Mobile add ons. He is refunding me the difference in cost for my overseas call but his manager is escalating this to see if the original Talk International/Mobile add ons can be made available for VIP Tivo packs.

They told me this was the first complaint they'd had of this and said they will do their best to get it sorted as they can forsee many calls and complaints. Personally, I think I should be put back on the original Talk International and Talk Mobile tariffs. I was not informed of this change at the time of the Tivo order and cannot understand why the change has even been made!

I shall get a call back before Friday to confirm what is happening. To be honest, if I am not put back to the original tariffs I will be most annoyed. We make calls to France and South Africa. France is fine as it would be included in the '5' tariff, but SA is not and is charged at 20p per minute. If SA was included in the '5' tariff that would present better value for me than the original Talk International package.

I can only see two reasons for the change:

1 - it is a mistake and they have coded the package incorrectly and it should still be the original.
2 - They have incorporated the £3 Tivo fee into the discount and are using the new international call rates to claw back some of that revenue.

I hope it is the first.
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Old 10-05-2011, 18:13   #15
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Re: VIP50/TiVo Packs and International calls

The VIP bundle Talk Plans have been changed. That is not a mistake. However it's got nothing to do with clawing back the £3 for TiVo, as even if you go for VIP with V+ it's now the same
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