Current Virgin media package = £49.40 which includes XL TV package, 10MB broadband and evenings & weekend calls. To add Sky Sports package is another £25.75 per month. No thank you Virgin.
However, if I take my TV package down to the M+ (as I don't watch anything really other than terrestial channels) and add the ESPN and SS separately it works out at £61.90, so only an additional £12.50 over what I am currently paying. ! Oh and because you are upgrading, we will send you out, free of charge, a new router hub and increase your broadband speed from 10MB to 30MB! (which will allow me to watch live football on the computer easier when I drop the Sky Sports after Champions League) - and this is separate from Virgin's doubling your speed offer which will eventually take me up to 60MB.
Its amazing what you can get when you threaten to leave!
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What have I missed Bobby? Your payment has gone from up £49.40 to £61.90? They probably rang the bell ;-)
I am deeply anti Virgin since they put up their already high broadband only price from £18 to £20 in order to "improve customer service" or some such cobblers. I asked them to terminate my service, which they did, and confirmed, and switched it to TT without drama. Except Virgin carried on charging me.
Not only would they not refund my overpayment, they wanted notice to terminate the contract. I sent them a copy of their email to me confirming my disconnection. They said that did not terminate the contract which was separate to the service that the contract was actually for. I never got the money back, I am content to tell anyone who will listen what a vile shower they are and to avoid them like anthrax.
They did the same to my aunt and uncle, but did actually concede to them in the end.
For £4 more to TT I also get my line rental and free landline calls 24/7.
I get my TV from Freeview.
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Been with Virgin for years, always been an avid participant of their "loyalty bonus" (i.e. money off!) and service has nearly always been good. TiVo is marvellous compared to Sky+ (or so my daughter tells me - she's just moved out to her own place and finds Sky+ very lacking in catch up services, and regularly seems to miss planned recordings).
Earlier this year I thought I'd found a suitable replacement set of services but the actual saving was not as much as it first appeared, and service wouldn't have been anywhere close (esp internet speed). So I stayed with them for the time being.
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Hmm, interesting I am summoning up the enthusiasm to 'search the market' as I am fed up with VM.
For me the broadband was always the main thing that kept me on board, but recently my service has been up and down more than it has in the last ten years..... across the board speed upgrade perhaps ??
Now they have sent me a new Super Hub, which has already had to be replaced, however neither will retain changes I make to the SSID and the router admin page password and revert to factory settings after a couple of days. Plus it has to be switched off/on everyday for it to work with my mobile devices eg phone, laptops, wireless printer. At least one of these devices is not able to access the internet/network (even though a wireless signal is present) until the Super Hub is re-booted.
I tried to complain the other day but this did not seem to match the script the dear lady in the sub-continent was working too.
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When we had a need for 3 STB then Virgin was the only option. At the time Sky didn't even do multi-room. Then we got cable broadband long before you'd get decent ADSL.... stuck with them until we sold the house.
I had of course taken advantage of the discounts which meant I eventually paid a lot less and got a lot more. I think in the end I was paying about £70-80pm but for that had three STBs, TV XL, Phone M, Broadband L, phone line and Sky Sports. When we didn't really need a third box it was going to cost me less to get rid of it!
But I went BT for phone/Internet in this house and Sky for TV. Too much time had elapsed to carry over my loyalty discount with Virgin and the higher speed upload speed on BT Infinity was going to be very useful for working from home.
Smokie you mention a lack of catch up TV. That is coming/improving. The Anytime+ service (via the Internet) was made available to you via any ISP. Soon there will be ITV, 4OD, Channel5 on demand. Later this year we will have iPlayer. You just need to enable Anytime+ (which is being renamed OnDemand I think) and plug the Ethernet port into your network - probably using a powerline adapter or a Ethernet to WiFi bridge (Sky sell one of those that matches the Sky HD box).
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Virgin superhub not at all good as a wireless device.
In the end I turned off wireless on it entirely and it works just fine, rock solid in wired only mode. Runs for weeks without needing a reboot.
So I bought an Apple Airport Express for the wireless bit. Then complained to Virgin head office that I'd had to do so and they refunded half the Apple cost, after a little back and forth.
I thought that was okayish, especially as the Apple kit is way better for my needs.
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Oh no, so you are telling me the superhub thingy is no good??
Purely coincidental, but I got a new laptop a couple of weeks ago, connected to the home broadband via the password as you do. It dawned on me at that time that I would have no idea what to do if , for whatever reason, the router needed resetting or anything.
I remember early in its days that you accessed it via an ip address or some such thing but that was about 4 pc's ago - have never had to do a thing to it since then!
I hope the instructions for the new hub are meant for thickos like me!!
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>> I hope the instructions for the new hub are meant for thickos like me!!
Thats so brain the size of a planet people like me can fleece you for every IT support cent you have.
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If you have any problems, Bobby, switch it off and switch it on again ;-)
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To be fair, I had two of them, and the first one was just fine for months. But then it went into meltdown for no apparent reason and they just sent another, which was a hopeless one. So if you have a good one then hurrah. If not, they'll keep sending them out like sweeties anyway until you get bored and do something else, as I did.
For all I know they've had nineteen revisions of software since I dealt with mine (about a year or more ago now) and they might be wonderful now. Panic not.
Easy to reset/get at password and all settings via web browser. Just go to 192.168.0.1 and throw in the user name admin and the password, by default, is changeme, which you perhaps could take as a hint if you care.
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Well the password is written on the back of the SuperHub so not a problem other than anyone with a SuperHub or knowledge of them will know the standard password especially if it keeps defaulting back to factory settings and could then (maliciously) fiddle around with it.
Yes the instructions are at the 'thicko' level :-)
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I have always been put off Virgin Media because of their adverts. Any company which so cynically tries to lure customers with attractive headline prices linked to compulsory additional charges in small print at the bottom which render the headline price a complete falsehood is never going to get my business.
The ad tells me I can get Bundle x for £45 a month. In big 20 point bold, colour font. Then the small asterisk at the end refers me to a paragraph of 8 point small print at the bottom telling me to get this price I must take a Virgin phone line at an additional £13.90 a month.
So it isn't £45 a month. It's £58.90.
If they are hiding significant additional charges in small print before I even start, it is not the kind of company I want to deal with.
Quote me the price you are actually going to charge me, or sling your hook.
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I had them for a while. They quoted me a price and then tried to charge me more. I backed out, but they said they had a verbal contract. I merely pointed out their verbal contract included the agreed price. They charged me the higher price and gave me a refund of the difference.
My current contract ends soon. They'll have to be very much cheaper than anyone else for me to use them again!
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>> Any company which
>> so cynically tries to lure customers with attractive headline prices linked to compulsory additional charges
>> in small print at the bottom which render the headline price a complete falsehood is
>> never going to get my business.
>>
So who are you giving your business to?
.....
>> Quote me the price you are actually going to charge me, or sling your hook.
>>
AFAIK, the four major players in this market are BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin. Can you name any one of them who doesn't do what you are complaining of?
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>> AFAIK, the four major players in this market are BT, TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin. Can
>> you name any one of them who doesn't do what you are complaining of?
>>
When we signed up with TalkTalk 4 years ago we were quoted a total, all-in monthly price. When we switched to Sky after a well timed cold call, we were quoted a total, all-in monthly price.
The Virgin advertising is, in my opinion, misleading. They are quoting a price that is unobtainable.
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None of them include the line rental in the headline price in their advertising - It's always in the small print.
TT for example
sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/broadband/essentials/?portalId=GOO_BRA&WT.mc_id=GOO_BRA
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>> None of them include the line rental in the headline price in their advertising -
>> It's always in the small print.
>>
+1 entirely.
I have followed the offering of the main four competitors for a few years, and their printed and TV advertising has always had a headline figure followed by a small print of additional compulsory figure for line rental.
DP's experience on the phone to them will have been different, as on the phone most if not all sales are recorded, and the suppliers have to make sure the full cost is quoted.
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>> Quote me the price you are actually going to charge me, or sling your hook.
>>
Never book Ryanair either, I guess? :-)
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So far I'm happy with TT fibre optic service.
www.speedtest.net/result/2185104164.png
Reasonable costs: all -in phone line & all calls, inc. to Europe for around thirty five squids a month.
TV: Freesat & Freeview, no TV licence - I'm cheap!
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I have been with Virgin for years. Their technical problems appear far past and the service good but prices keep rising.
I phoned 150on my Virgin phone and threatened to leave to TT. They promptly cut my monthly bill to match TT's (without initial discount).
Happy to stay.. (I pay by credit card so cancellation and reclaiming overcharges is easy)
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>> Never book Ryanair either, I guess? :-)
>>
Never have, never will. Although their pricing structure is only the tip of the iceberg ;-)
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No idea what talk talk are like, but just noticed that they give a discount to 9.50 for line rental if you pay up front for 12 months
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>> No idea what talk talk are like,
All much of a muchness.
>> but just noticed that they give a discount
>> to 9.50 for line rental if you pay up front for 12 months
>>
BT also gives a discount for line rental if you pay up front for 12 months.
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£9.49 with Plusnet - paid yearly in advance.
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I have been with TT/Aol 7+yrs.
Paying 12 mths rental in advance is a nono...........the reason?
When TT's system runs it's good but when you have issues you are dealing with India and even when dealing with Eire call centre they are reluctant to call in BT engineers as it costs them.£120+ if the problem is TT's network or in the user's home.......weeks can go by with problems unresolved.
Next time there are issues I can walk...paying 12 mths up front ties you in to a new contract which restricts your freedom to walk.
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>> Next time there are issues I can walk...paying 12 mths up front ties you in
>> to a new contract which restricts your freedom to walk.
>>
>>
So cost of your "insurance" against a problem you have not had in 7 years = £60 a year.
Certainly worth having if you can afford to you believe that dealing with TT call centre in India is that bad.
However, I wouldn't pay £60 a year for that sort of peace of mind.
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TT's call centre is terrible. The first line support have no authority to do anything.
The members' broadband support forum on the other hand is good. They have their own people on there. My speed went down when I joined TT, as a result of Dynamic Line Management trading off sync speed for stability. I asked them via the forum progressively to drop my SNR target from 12dB which they did. It has been stable at 6dB pretty much all the time since then, with a higher speed than before. They were very happy to do that following a simple request. I know I would have got nowhere with the call centre.
All providers are reluctant to involve BT, even BT. If it does come to that, it's probably easier via the support forum as they will take you through the necessary steps and the history is there.
www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/index.php
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>> TT's call centre is terrible. The first line support have no authority to do anything.
>>
That is the same with the BT call centre in India. I have no idea, but all the bad reports of Virgin Media service probably means their overseas[*] call centre is in India too with the same level of "autonomy" to solve problems.
[*] refers to Pezzer above "I tried to complain the other day but this did not seem to match the script the dear lady in the sub-continent was working too."
As I said, they are all much of a muchness - differentiated just a little by price.
Last edited by: John H on Mon 17 Sep 12 at 20:17
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VM certainly used to have an Indian call centre for first line support. And frustratingly are the usual script followers. They have to follow a script.
Many years ago had a lightning strike in the area and the Internet went off (via STB back then). Checked the status of the broadband provision via the STB - it was set to none. Called up and they kept asking me to open Internet Explorer. Well the STB didn't have Internet anymore so why bother.
Eventually got through to 2nd/3rd line support and they moved Internet to a different STB in the house after some diagnostics. Result.
Maybe VM did move it all back to the UK?
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Plusnet's support/help/tech is in a foreign country too ~ Yorkshire!
:-D
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No - its still in India.
However if you phone up and go through the option of thinking of leaving, you will always be put to a British call centre. Then you can ask them to direct your query to somewhere in this country!
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I spoke to VM India a few weeks ago on two occasions. I had to give up both times due to neither of us speaking the same language. Rats sorted me out in the end.
I once rang and got a nice English woman who told me if I ever got an Indian voice just to ring off and keep trying for a British one. They have a call centre in Swansea.....that can be as bad !
Ted
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>> No - its still in India.
>>
>> However if you phone up and go through the option of thinking of leaving, you
>> will always be put to a British call centre. Then you can ask them to
>> direct your query to somewhere in this country!
>>
With BT and Talktalk, just politely ask for your "problem" to be escalated to a UK office. As with most consumer issues, if you know how to get around the first line of defence of BROPHBOLYCCC (Big Rip Off Profit Hungry Bent On Losing Your Custom Capitalist Companies), you will in most cases get your complaint resolved pretty quickly.
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I have been with VM for 9 years. Definitely prefer TIVO to Sky+, and the broadband has been dead reliable.
Whenever I want to change package/talk about service/upgrade my mobile I pop down to their shop in the Merseyway and sort it out face to face - much better than phoning a call centre.
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Good tip about going to a VM shop. Not sure you could do that when I still had VM.
The amusing thing is the Indian call centre staff have to follow script which can be frustrating. And they won't easily transfer you to a 2nd or 3rd line support staff person. But they would in the end.
I once had issues and realised the VM DNS servers were not working. But the Internet itself was hence me diagnosing the DNS servers. If you changed to use say OpenDNS it was fine. So I did my duty and called up.... getting fobbed off with they know there's a problem etc. and I pointed out I knew what the problem was at their end.... got transferred straight to 3rd line support. They knew about the problem and said it would sort out when DHCP leases (and therefore DNS server details renewed).... I pointed out the leases were for 24 hours. Doh! (for them)...
... the problem was they used to have one set of DNS for dialup and another for broadband. They merged them and turned one set off. Updated the DHCP scope details and thought the job was done. But they should have updated DHCP before turning off the unwanted servers!
Some good people at VM and some not so good.
So far I am happy with BT Infinity plus Sky. I keep checking if I can get as good a deal with just VM but I can't. And I'd get into trouble getting a Tivo box when my wife likes the Sky interface now.
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>> The members' broadband support forum on the other hand is good.
>>
>> www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/index.php
I second that opinion as to the TT staff on the members' forum.
They are very helpful.
I had a terrible job actually getting the fibre optic service installed: calls to India & South Africa had no effect at all as the installation request was unilaterally cancelled by TT on two occasions, with both installation dates not kept.
Eventually one the forum staff, Emma, sorted it out.
The only benefit of the experience was that TT kept to a call centre promise for a discount to atone for their mess-up.
I have a free "international call boost"!
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Virgin media - it pays to threaten to leave - Manatee
