I am getting kind of scunnered with how much Virgin is costing me and I have phoned and removed Sky Sports and got my price down a bit to "the best" they could give me. Gobsmacked to see the costs for the phone - a 2 second phone call to the neighbour across the road costs 19p +vat in the morning!!
Was looking at Sky and BT websites to see what was on offer but as is usually the case, it is difficult to compare like for like with all the special offers, deals etc that are around.
I have read that there can be problems moving from Virgin to another phone provider as Virgin may have changed the master telephone socket? Apparently this is common and can result in charges from BT to reinstate.
Also, being oldfashioned and still using Microsoft Outlook for my blueyonder email, would this still send/receive if another provider was supplying the broadband (I know I can access via webmail but I like the Outlook). When I was in rented accomodation and using a Three dongle, although I could receive email to Outlook, it would not allow me to send it.
Has anyone experienced moving from Virgin? Is it worth the hassle or is like utility companies, once you have changed you immediately see better deals elsewhere?
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Meant to say, currently have phone, broadband and TV all with Virgin.
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"a 2 second phone call"
what did you chat about?
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>> FIRE! COME QUICKLY!
>>
He/she's gone out, don't come quickly.
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Thats us leaving.
As in come over if you want a lift.
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Virgin are hard to get a deal out of, even giving it the "i'd like to cancel please" line they don't offer anything spectacular.
Internet's not as good with anyone other than Virgin :-( Telly's not as good with anyone other than Sky. I'm stuffed for getting deals out of either, neither likes pick 'n' mix customers.
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My internet was rock solid and fast with Virgin until I recently upgraded to 30mb (new router box). It now drops the connection, won't give IP addresses and is generally carp. I've alerady had one new router from them.
However, the overall package I have is reasonably priced and has been the subject of re-negotiation at every anniversary. I certainly get the package a lot cheaper than their web page would suggest.
I did go with another provider for a year (Bulldog, one of hte first to offer internet on t LLU or whatever it was) but the internet was pathetic compared to Virgin, despite having a faster headline speed. As I had previously had BT alongside Virgin, I had no socket problems. But I'd recommend thinking again about whether it's wise to move...and if you do, sign up for the minimum period only!!
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Virgin.
I had to go to OFCOM to get them off my back!
I had internet and evening/weekend calls package. They reneged on the agreed price and when I tried to cancel, they threatened me with all kind of charges. I called their bluff and told them that if they had proof of my agreeing to their contract, they'd have proof of the agreed price.
I decided then to get rid of them at the end of the contract.
One year later I got the MAC and switched. They upped their fees and tried to charge me a 'disconnection fee'.
I had to contact my bank to cancel the direct debit and re-claim the last charges. Guess what, Virgin didn't contest it?
I for one will never, ever deal with any company involved with the gap-toothed, smiley, blonde one again.
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Which is why I have TV with Sky and Phone/Internet with BT. Not the cheapest mind but the 8Mbit/s upload speed is very good for working remotely. Download is very fast too.
From experience at the old house, the 'NTL' connection bypassed the BT one. They spliced it in and bypassed the main BT box. Well they did a long time before I moved in but my wife had gone back to BT from Nynex. So when I got Cable and Wireless (so then NTL and then VM) we kept the BT line too.... to many old issues with Nynex remembered.
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What package do you have? I pay £45 this includes a loyalty discount. At present I have TV - XL, Phone - Talk unlimited and Broadband - 10 meg.
I have been with NTL/Virginmedia for about 10 years and to get discount from them you sometimes have to go through with cancellation process. Twice I have given them my months notice and they have accepted only to have a phone call a couple of weeks later to renegotiate my contract. Make sure you are speaking to customer service department as they have the powers to renegotiate.
If you cancel and they do not phone then I know nothing ;0)
Last edited by: bhoywonder on Wed 25 May 11 at 09:32
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The house we moved into last November was on Virgin, so we didn't have to cancel anything ourselves, but we did have to get our new provider (O2) to put in a BT line. That took longer than we would have liked due to a shortage of BT OpenReach engineers, and cost £80 IIRC (cheaper than what BT were charging), and we had to buy a 3G mobile dongle to give us some connection for a few weeks.
But now it's all set up it's fine.
Last edited by: Focus on Wed 25 May 11 at 09:10
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>> 2 second phone call to the neighbour across the road costs 19p +vat in the
>> morning!!
>>
>Virgin - all inclusive calls 24x7 (excludes mobiles & premium lines) is £8.00 per month>>
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>>Virgin - all inclusive calls 24x7 (excludes mobiles & premium lines) is £8.00 per month>>
We don't make enough phone calls a month to justify that extra £8 per month!
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Don't swap. Use GCI Com (aka Edge Telecom) for your calls. They'll provide you with a clever little box that will route your calls through them. My brother does that - I'm with BT but have Carrier pre-select so my calls automatically go via GCI. A 40 second local call costs me less than a penny - and NO connection fee.
I can't recommend them highly enough. If anyone wants a contact email or telephone number I'm happy to provide it.
Oh - I've no other connection with the company.
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>> Don't swap. Use GCI Com (aka Edge Telecom) for your calls. They'll provide you with
>> a clever little box that will route your calls through them.
Not if you are on a Virgin cable it wont.
Also a lot of us on openreach copper dont pay for phone calls, or a connect fee, so those call routers are dying out.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 25 May 11 at 13:37
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>> Not if you are on a Virgin cable it wont.
Yes it will, my brother does it on Virgin. They have a stock of routers left, so it's still available from them. Honest.
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Alas not always, as Virgin may not hit the exchange to reroute.
The cable network is not the same as the BT one.
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Scratches head in bewilderment.
Is this the sort of conversation that goes on in British pubs these days?
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I think the message here is not to bother switching but just keep a keen eye on costs?
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Like you Bobby, I have been watching my Virgin bill ratchet gradually upwards, but I don't want to cancel for several reasons:
1. The BT mastersocket will need to be reactivated - tho' £80 is less than I thought.
2. I like Virgin internet and don't want to lose my email address.
3. There isn't any easy way to stick a dish on my flat, and freeview needs a 20 foot ariel, at least in the valley I live in.
The answer seems to be reduce the tv package. Now I need to decide if the kids really need Nicktoons. Youngest is a big Spongebob fan...
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>> 1. The BT mastersocket will need to be reactivated - tho' £80 is less than
>> I thought.
I don't know if you got that figure from my post, but that's what I paid O2 - BT were charging ~£120 IIRC.
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Switching from Virgin to other provider - BobbyG
