Virgin Media (pricing strategy)

[Gary L]

Just glancing at an ad for 30MB with Virgin Media. clicked on it and you get the

£8.50 a month for 3 months
then £18.50 a month*
*Plus a Virgin Phone line for £12.99/month
18 month contract

question is, have they ever sold a product for the full price clearly stated. or has it always been 'for the first 2/3 months' offer thing so they are able to show the lower price all the time?

does it annoy you, or is it a good marketing strategy?

[Chrysalis]

it annoys me, people are obviously falling for it tho because if it didnt work they wouidnt persist with it. The 3 months price isnt so bad but the practice of deliberatly excluding line rental I hate a lot.

[Gary L]

That's a good point. I don't think you can have anything off them without having the compulsory phone line. so really it should be included with the before and after price.

so it would read

£21.49 a month for 3 months
then £31.49 a month*
*Plus a Virgin Phone line for £12.99/month
18 month contract


already it's lost it's appeal.

then you think why do I need a phone line if cable doesn't come through the phone like ADSL does.
should I be looking at keeping my original phone and find another ADSL provider instead?

[Chrysalis]

well you can say no to the phone but then the price for the broadband shoots up.

[Peter_]

I am happy with what I pay for 30Mb even though it has doubled in price for me and the £30 activation and delivery fee was no hardship for the increase in performance I receive.

[Gary L]

well you can say no to the phone but then the price for the broadband shoots up.

So you can!

£23.50 a month
for 3 months
then £28.50 a month*

What's the * for?

[Chrysalis]

the * is to tell you add the cost of phone to that price. so you will actually pay £40.49 not £28.50.

[Gary L]

No, the 23.50 / 28.50 was under the 'Or without a Virgin Phone line'

I think it's just an oversight. they're that used to using * next to prices that they put one in automatically :)

[Ignitionnet]

I am happy with what I pay for 30Mb even though it has doubled in price for me and the £30 activation and delivery fee was no hardship for the increase in performance I receive.

Happy that you're happy but nothing to do with the actual thread though Masque.

---------- Post added at 20:19 ---------- Previous post was at 20:15 ----------

Just glancing at an ad for 30MB with Virgin Media. clicked on it and you get the

£8.50 a month for 3 months
then £18.50 a month*
*Plus a Virgin Phone line for £12.99/month
18 month contract

question is, have they ever sold a product for the full price clearly stated. or has it always been 'for the first 2/3 months' offer thing so they are able to show the lower price all the time?

does it annoy you, or is it a good marketing strategy?

It's the only marketing strategy, pretty much everyone else does it so VM not doing so would make them look bad.

It's annoying but there we go.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayPnSHub.do?common_selectedPrimaryNavIndex=2
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633

For example.

[Gary L]

Happy that you're happy but nothing to do with the actual thread though Masque.

There's always one. we'll let him off :)

It's the only marketing strategy, pretty much everyone else does it so VM not doing so would make them look bad.

I was going to mention that in the first post. but I was going to say that others should do it to make their prices look as cheap as VMs.

also, I think BT have only recently started doing the same. maybe because VM are doing it? where VM have been doing it as long as I can remember.

[Peter_]

There's always one. we'll let him off :)



I was going to mention that in the first post. but I was going to say that others should do it to make their prices look as cheap as VMs.

also, I think BT have only recently started doing the same. maybe because VM are doing it? where VM have been doing it as long as I can remember.
Just thought I would follow Gary's lead and pop an odd comment into a thread.

The webpage is priced to lean you towards a phoneline but remember you do not have to use the line even if it gets you a better discount.

[Ignitionnet]

There's always one. we'll let him off :)



I was going to mention that in the first post. but I was going to say that others should do it to make their prices look as cheap as VMs.

also, I think BT have only recently started doing the same. maybe because VM are doing it? where VM have been doing it as long as I can remember.

Others do do it - remember that every ADSL ISP, bar none, quotes their own price and puts a little note mentioning that you need a phone line.

Worst for this are BT and Talk Talk as you must take a phone line from them, specifically them, to use their broadband service.

---------- Post added at 21:31 ---------- Previous post was at 21:30 ----------

Just thought I would follow Gary's lead and pop an odd comment into a thread.

Given the regularity it seems more like a reflex response to most criticisms of VM now.

[martyh]

There's always one. we'll let him off :)



I was going to mention that in the first post. but I was going to say that others should do it to make their prices look as cheap as VMs.

also, I think BT have only recently started doing the same. maybe because VM are doing it? where VM have been doing it as long as I can remember.

doesn't that make VM better at marketing than BT ,or does it make BT arrogant ?

I personally think that BT have been slow off the mark since they were privatised and opened up to competition ,they were so used to being the only phone supplier that they assumed that everyone would have to go through them for any digital service ,although they are still a business force to be reckoned with ,they are not unassailable as they are finding out

[Skie]

I do love how everything VM have is filled with asterisks*, crucifix's☨ and little numbers⁸. Sometimes the explanation on a flyer can be 15 lines worth of tiny text just to clarify the 3 lines of 30point bold text at the top. This from the company that claimed to be doing away with hidden T&C's and coming up with plainer and fairer deals☢



*and obelisks ☨ I like cake ⁸ what happened to 1-7? ☢ Lets put our differences aside. For science. You monster.

[Zing]

I do not like being pressured into having a land line. I do not like the pricing on the website comes after discounts. IMO the price advertised should be the price charged none of the messing about,

I got 50 meg a phone line I do not just and as good as freeview with M tv free when all I want is 50 meg

With ADSL you need a phoneline to run the broadband down with cable you do not so I do not see a fair reason why customers are penalised if you do not take a phone line

[Skie]

I do wonder how long it will be until VM ditch landlines altogether. I guess while they continue to increase the cost and bundle them with packages they are a decent money earner, but eventually people will want more from their home phone and they will have to consider offering a voip service. I'd certainly like to tie my home number to a device rather than a fixed line. Perhaps this is why the superhub is being pushed heavily, if it isn't for the public wifi.

[pip08456]

I do not like being pressured into having a land line. I do not like the pricing on the website comes after discounts. IMO the price advertised should be the price charged none of the messing about,

I got 50 meg a phone line I do not just and as good as freeview with M tv free when all I want is 50 meg

With ADSL you need a phoneline to run the broadband down with cable you do not so I do not see a fair reason why customers are penalised if you do not take a phone line

You made the point as why they do it in your post.

They do it because if you want ADSL (or Infinity) you have to have a phone line.

It follows that VM will slightly discount if you have a phone line from them. It takes another sevice away from BT their main competition ATM.

[Peter_]

I do wonder how long it will be until VM ditch landlines altogether. I guess while they continue to increase the cost and bundle them with packages they are a decent money earner, but eventually people will want more from their home phone and they will have to consider offering a voip service. I'd certainly like to tie my home number to a device rather than a fixed line. Perhaps this is why the superhub is being pushed heavily, if it isn't for the public wifi.
As thy have millions of customers they will never have the need to ditch landlines.

[Ignitionnet]

Eventually VM will ditch them and run with telco delivered over the cable network, PacketCable and EMTAs as CPE. It would allow the retirement of the telco muxes in the field along with termination of the Openreach maintenance contract on the (obsolete) switches.

However until you see VM offering EMTAs as CPE don't hold your breath :)

[Nopanic]

Is this not the same for all companies ?

[Gary L]

Is this not the same for all companies ?

No.

[Hugh]

No.
What do you base that assertion on?

[Nopanic]

No.

Good argument thanks.

[Gary L]

What do you base that assertion on?

On the fact that not all companies do it.

---------- Post added at 10:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 ----------

Good argument thanks.

Sorry, No, it's not the same for all companies, I should have said.

your go now.

[Nopanic]

On the fact that not all companies do it.

---------- Post added at 10:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 ----------



Sorry, No, it's not the same for all companies, I should have said.

your go now.

Ok .. Sky does it ..

[Ignitionnet]

Is this not the same for all companies ?

Oddly Sky seem to state their prices quite transparently with no initial discount or asterisk - they actually display the full price of their broadband package and only provide the lower price if you take their calls.

They are the only ones who do this though, so yes it is pretty much everyone else, the exception happens to be the main competitor.

[Gary L]

Ok .. Sky does it ..

Be doesn't.

[Nopanic]

Oddly Sky seem to state their prices quite transparently with no initial discount or asterisk - they actually display the full price of their broadband package and only provide the lower price if you take their calls.

They are the only ones who do this though, so yes it is pretty much everyone else, the exception happens to be the main competitor.

http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/?DCMP=KNC-

er .. what ?

---------- Post added at 11:04 ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 ----------

Be doesn't.

but everyone knows Be is perfect.

[Ignitionnet]

Haha my mistake, didn't get that advert flash up when I was browsing the site.

I stand corrected!

Yes Gary Be do - they give a price for their service only while a land line is required to use them so not comparable with cable.

Be et al are precisely why VM list their pricing as they do.

[Gary L]

but everyone knows Be is perfect.

True.