I was offered 152mb upgrade from 50mb too. With nothing else offered for my current package. £7 credit a month (my current one is £11) if I upgraded.

I haven't decided yet, and this is the first time I haven't taken up a retentions deal.
I'm thinking of keeping 50mb dropping everything else, £26.50 a month with NowTV, Netflix and Spotify, Total £49.97 saving me around £70 a month.
I just need to get a recordable Freeview or Freesat box sorted, will use the Rental Saver money to get one.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That's at £80 per month, which is £20 or so less than advertised. It's also £15 more than the Sky offer for their equivalent package. Perhaps I've been a little unfair in saying they didn't work hard to keep me, but they didn't work hard enough.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

It's a shame that you feel they didn't do more to keep you Andy. I think you are right too with the broadband speeds as for a lot of homes, the bottom tier 50Mb will be more than sufficient. I hope you therefore get the right deal for you, whichever the provider.

Also, quick question for any of the more experienced users on here but on reading back through this thread, I noticed a thumbs down icon in the title of my earlier post (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35742892-post81.html). Not seen this before, is this some sort of negative rating for my post? :confused:

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Maybe you selected it from "Post Icons" when posting? (See mine has a lightbulb)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Ahh, thanks spiderplant. Must have clicked it accidentally when posting, d'oh! ;)

A rise of £4.64 for me, no break down available.

Called again today:

I can have the Big Kahuna (152mb)
free weekend calls
with Line Renral Saver
Keep my 3 Tivos
£65.79
Including prise rise.

I currently pay £75.00

I would be dropping XL call plan to weekends only

And BB up from 50MB.

Haven't got the faintest idea how they got to the new price?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

If and when I get the letter.. that's going to be my thrust of complaint. Perhaps I'm doing the networks guys a disservice, but trying to get some dates out of CS for when the peak-time-issues will be cleared in my area - is fast becoming as frustrating as the issues themselves.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I don't think it really matters how they calculate these things, I think it's more a case of is the package and price right? Faster broadband is all well and good but do you really need it? What else could you do with that money? Netflix? A weekend away?

Only other offer was 100MB for 11p, yes 11p cheaper than £65.79. No offers for keeping 50MB. Which is more than enough already.

I am undecided on whether to sign up for another year, just gone through my Series Links, I only have 6 which I would lose if I ditched the TV the rest are on Freeview and we only used the landline for 31 mins in October.

Hmm.... I've got some thinking to do. Lol

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Is there any reason why the £ figures you right come out as gibberish on my computer. I can't tell what you paid or pay!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Sorry about that, I'm not sure why, but I posted on my mobile, £ signs show fine on there but not on laptop?

I'm my on laptop now.

I currently pay £75 amonth
New offer with increased BB to 152Mb and downgrading phone to M (weekends) is £65.79

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Now I see. Thanks!
Is that really a good deal? I've seen £33 on av forums for the same in the last few days!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

We only have 152 meg broadband and the telephone on M we have been hit with a 7.5% price increase ridiculous

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

My increase is £4.50

I got a call back from retentions after thinking about it and took up the offer of

My NEW deal is:

Big Kahuna:
152Mb
XL TV
XL Phone Plan

3 Tivo's
SuperHub 2ac
Free Netfilx for 6 months
Caller ID
Anonymous Caller Rejection

Total £69

That's with £140 Line Rental Saver paid. (£4 off)

I currently pay £75
with 50Mb
and Line Rental Saver at £120 (expired yesterday)

Signed up for another year

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

My increase is £4.89

VIP package.
No TIVO, got the V+HD and an old non HD box in another room, line rental saver, caller ID. Normal bill is £109.26 a month. No loyalty discount, never had one.

My Grandad's bill is going up £1.35

He has M+ TV and M phone.
So M+ is going up 3rd for him

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I rung up and they would give me a loyalty discount on my Big Kahuna bundle saving me 50p over what I am paying now. However I decided to just go down to broadband and get Now TV.

If they had just reduced my package by 50p upfront, without me having to go through Retentions. I would probably never have thought of cancelling my other services.

M+ going up 35p (stoopid auto correct)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just for completeness sake could you list what channels aren't on TV M that are on Freeview?

I've looked at the VM site but i think all i'm seeing is TV M+ which looks the same.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I've never bothered to see what's missing on TV M compared to Freeview, but one channel that TV M has, that I believe Freeview still doesn't have, is 5 HD.

---------- Post added at 23:47 ---------- Previous post was at 23:39 ----------

This pack includes TV M

http://store.virginmedia.com/big-bundles/big-easy.html

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Ah, just remembered TruTV is one, as is MotorsTV, although you need a data connection for that.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Well with TVM on VM you get
5HD and TiVo

On Freeview
no 5HD and you take your pick with the box you get (youview would be the nearest to TiVo)!
and S4C nationally.

you do get:
Aljazeera HD
Community HD
4HD+1
4/7HD
Movie Mix
Motors
movies 4 men
True entertainment
Trutv

But I don't think the freeview list will excite you enough to them!

Freesat is missing the UK TV channels, but does have:

you get the freetime box!

BET
all the CBS channels
more movies
the True entertainment/movie channels
RTHD
NHK HD
IrishTv
more music/children's channels than the other free tv options

So its swings and roundabouts.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Motors TV is now available through a normal Freeview channel, channel 71. But because it is compressed, you need an HD or YouView box to get it. Alternatively, it is still available for longer hours via Freeview's IPTV channel 240 courtesy of the rather niche Arqiva Connect TV service.

---------- Post added at 09:42 ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 ----------

The retail YouView box has better on-demand service with access to Now TV (on-demand films all-you-can-eat only at present), Sky Box office (PPV film rental), Netflix, and UKTV. Boxes connected up to TalkTalk or BT have more on-demand services and also additional pay tv channels.
Freesat does not offer Now TV, Sky Box Office, Netflix or UKTV. It does offer CurzonOnDemand. BT YouView also offers this.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Yes the novtv on youview is very cut down and isn't really nowtv its ppv. you don't get access to live channels or the series stack.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Yes, it's because only live IPTV channels sent from BT or TalkTalk to their respective customers can be deciphered by the boxes. This also rules out the Arqiva Connect channels too. Hopefully, it should change in 2015; it's not that Sky does not want to market them this way.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just received my £3.99 a month extra. So it will now cost £16.99 a month for the privilege of cold callers trying to scam me every day? Nice!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

For those interested I'm back! Had a phone call today from Virgin having given thirty days notice on Monday. Offered me my current package (TV XL, TiVo, V+HD, Sky Sports HD, anytime phone, 50mb broadband) at £64 per month, and it's protected from the February increase, for a new 12 month contract.

That's 40p cheaper than the Sky half price offer (Sky+HD, Family HD pack, Sky Sports HD, unlimited fibre broadband, anytime calls, but no second stb).

It also means I keep the channels I would have lost by going to TalkTalk (BT Sport and the HD channels being the only real concern).

And it leaves me with multi-room for upstairs which I was something I still hadn't decided how to resolve.

So I signed back up! Until this time next year...!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

:waving:

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That gives me encouragment because i am practically the same minus TIVO and have sky movies as well with slower broadband and they want to charge me with Feb increase £107!!!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Not received anything on price rise so how are you receiving the details - by letter? I'm actually on a fixed discount retentions deal now to run out next July. From the intial information at the start of this thread on what is rising, it actually only seems the line rental will affect me which is going up right now but I happen to pay the £144 line rental saver last Sunday so have avoided the new higher £164 price until next December. So thinking I may be OK until until next July?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just got a letter showing £4.98 a month increase. That's a good 7-8% rise on what we currently pay. :(

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

The cable companies always seem to lose their bottle sooner or later. I have fond memories of them losing their bottle on pretty much everything.

Anyone remember their trying to insist that people give up retention discounts in return for broadband upgrades and ending up both upgrading people gratis and giving them deeper discounts?

This ignoring upgrading people's tiers in areas that hadn't had the necessary network upgrades for much the same reasons - they have no confidence in the product and rely on discounting for retention.

You have to feel for the poor suckers who pay full price.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That's blooming good!

I have a Tivo and VHD box, XL TV, M phone and 120mb BB and i'm paying over £70!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Great news Andy, glad they worked to keep you after all ;)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Interesting! Glad you got it sorted. I wonder if there's a change of tactics at VM, seems a lot of people didn't exactly get blown over by retentions this time whereas in the past, they hand out discounts like candy. Is it possible that Virgin made a mistake with how they've briefed the agents to handle this price rise and not given them enough leeway? Or they're forcing people to actually go through with the disconnect so that they don't give away the best discounts until the 30days are going.



And in an unrelated note, I've not had a letter through or anything but I'm on mates rates. Fingers crossed we're not getting a rise to balance off the silly rises others are getting!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

It signals a definite change in practice as far as my experience is concerned. I've always approached retentions in the past saying I don't want to go, but am prepared to leave, only to be hit with a really good offer and happily stay. This year they were more interested in reducing the tv or increasing the broadband. The lady who eventually rang me and persuaded me to stay was candid enough to admit that she was phoning because there'd been a MAC request for the phone number from another provider, and said "we don't want to lose you as a customer". She even thanked me for staying once it had all been sorted.

To be fair, it does make sense to only offer last resort deals when it is actually the last resort, and whilst I had to put things in motion to achieve it, I'm really pleased with how it's turned out.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Still no communication through here yet.

Weirdly, the My Virgin Media section of the website shows my services wrong, saying I don't have any TV services. Hopefully that isn't an ominous sign of coming problems :/

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

that's standard the tv is removed!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Mine shows it correctly :confused:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...2&d=1417080674

Attachment 25852

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That's weird, I'm also missing the TV but I definitely have a 500GB Tivo on XL (And another box upstairs that isn't used):

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2014/11/11.png

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

As was said earlier, lots of people having this 'No TV', myself now included!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I believe their systems are down again....

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Corrected that for you :)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Well after 6 calls from VM, a pending sky MAC request for my telephone number, me playing ultra hard ball, and being complimented on it:

£37 p/m for big kahuna
- £4.50 p/m cover price increase
- credit £144 to cover line rental saver
- credit £50 good will gesture
- netflix code (6 months)
- new super hub 3
- new tivo remote

=£32.83 p/m

Naturally I'm staying with VM:D

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Talk about making the pips squeak. Well blagged. :tu:

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Received letter today, a few days after the Line Rental Saver deadline and I'd paid £144, oddly enough.

I was paying £22.93, excluding LR, for 30mb, Talk Unlimited and the basic freeview HD TV box. That's going up 20% by £4.64. The max increase when I pay nowhere near what others are.

In the past when I've phoned them, they've just stonewalled me and said "it's up to you if you leave", basically, so looking like I'll need to switch. And get £144 refunded. Wonderful.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Nice work!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Great deal, well done fella! :)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

l phoned up Virgin this morning and amicably said that our bill each month was going up and up and stated that we would cut our package to which she replied with you have been very loyal and if you stay on your package Sir will give you a £15 monthly discount for 12 months plus we will give you a Netflix code for 6 free months , Naturally after a little think l agreed to a new 12 month contract and its a little lighter on our pocket now.:D

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That's pretty good if you're happy with it, was it the retentions number you phoned?

I've been thinking about these price rises, it doesn't seem that long ago that i was paying about £55. I realise they've upped the BB speed and included BT Sport but it still creeps up every year.

I haven't taken the 'free' upgrade to 152Mb that was offered months ago in case it entered me into a new contract and i couldn't be bothered to call India to find out

I haven't had any notice of any price increase yet but i'm going to phone and cancel next week so it doesn't go off until the new year.
Let's see how 'loyal' they consider me after 25 years ;)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

l phoned up and just calmly said we were hacked off with what we were currently paying and that we were considering our options and in that we were going to highly likely downsize our package as it was becoming very expensive to which she replied , Well you have been very loyal Sir and she then said would you consider a discount if you stayed on the same package to which l replied well it or depends on what you are offering me and thus the rest is history after a little thought process to which l am even capable of.:)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

That seems incredible :shocked:

In your breakdown, are they giving you the phone line for nothing or did you pay the £144?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

:D

have you had discounts in the past?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

they added the phone line saver then credit the £144

---------- Post added at 17:24 ---------- Previous post was at 17:23 ----------

not saying

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

....great deal - I think you've inspired me to call them because it's getting a bit ridiculous now these price rises. Do you know the overall saving you got from downgrading from 100MB to 50MB broadband. I'm currently on 100MB and it's way overkill for my needs. Also I have Sky Sports but not the HD Channels and pay £29.25 alone for this. Is that your new price for Sky Sports HD?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I didn't downgrade, I was already on 50. In my initial conversations with them they asked me if I wanted to accept the price rise but have a faster broadband speed. I told them I'd have been happy if they left it at 20 and they gave up with that!

The price quoted includes the Sky hd premium. They effectively price matched the half price offer for Virgin customers switching to Sky that was posted on page one or two of this thread, so check that's still available and then you've got a good position to bargain from.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Mine was £5.89, a 9% increase:mad:

---------- Post added at 14:00 ---------- Previous post was at 13:51 ----------

what number did you ring and which option?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

l rang 150 and option 4 and stated that l was cancelling some of our services as it was becoming a bit expensive.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I just got through and said I was complaining about the the increase being too high. I didn't want to lose any services, just asked for a reduction as I have been a customre since the ntl days, but she reminded me of my loyalty discount of £22, which I would lose if I wanted a reduction, so it's back to square one.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

What services have you got and how much is your current bill?.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

2 V+ boxes
50meg bb
Free Anytime calls
XL TV

Just over £65 before the increase.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I've not had a letter, yet. Think I'll get one? (Yes, I am a VM customer!!)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I got an email, going up by £4.89 a month :(

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I don't think 22 on top of that is a very good reduction. I'd say I'm prepared to lose it, what can you offer me.
That's if your bill should be 87! Which seems way to high.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just off the phone to retentions after getting my email for £4.89 increase.
Present set up is;
Vip package with 152mb
1tb tivo in living room and V+ in bedroom
XXL phone package
Existing price £114.44 with £8 loyalty discount which = £122.44
£4.89 increase will bring it to £127.33 from February
Nice lady played around with the package and changed it to Big Kahuna and changed the XXL phone to 1000 minutes a month to mobiles and international which is more than enough for us.
Came up with a price of £109.99 for exactly the same package we are on now albeit a name change and thats including the price rise in Feb.
I`m happy with that deal.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I still haven't had notification of any price rises yet although i've been meaning to phone and cancel so it gets switched off after christmas.

Phoned just now and cancelled TV and phone line, downgraded BB to 50Mb and it gets switched off 1st January.

I was looking around at the weekend for other BB providers. Checked BT's site and entered my postcode, it said for a more accurate speed enter my house number. I thought here we go so did it.
Got cold-called by BT yesterday offering me infinity :) It would be £26.50 for LL and Infinity 1 with a free install.

VM did what i was hoping they would and offered me the 50Mb BB for £19.50 even before i mentioned BT had phoned me. I'm happy with that, she also said if i wanted to move before the year was up i could cancel without penalty, i don't intend to though.

All in all a good phone call with a very pleasant lady who didn't try and convince me to stay with TV and LL.

Maybe they'll phone me later in the month, maybe they won't, not bothered either way TBH.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I paid for my telephone up front for 12 months in September and changed my package to big kahuna with evening and weekend calls and an extra vhd box. Already had a Tivo since day 1.
If I phone up to cancel because of the letter sent today saying the are raising my bill by £4-50 can I cancel the telephone too and get a refund on the outstanding 9 months left?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Line Rental Saver is non-refundable.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

All in all, it's just crazy pricing all round from both VM and Sky.

Last time I priced it up, moving to Sky and keeping VM BB and phone, it was about £7 cheaper which was wiped out by having 2 VM sims only in the house which of course were cheaper.

I'll have to price it up soon and see what I can be saving by mixing and matching. I doubt it will be much cheaper as I if went to Sky and kept VM BB, I'd have to pay for BT Sport anyway. I think with the increase (£4 -odd / not had confirmation yet) it's going to be nearer to £130 a month which isn't good.

Surely there's going to come a time when the people say enough is enough?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I've had enough now at £73 without the price rise, Freeview/Netflix/Prime and possibly NowTV beckons.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Called retentions and negotiated a reduction in my monthly bill from £90 to £61 (including Feb price rise) - I go down from 100MB to 50MB B/band but I'll hardly notice that, the only cyber revolution I felt was from dial-up to broadband all those years ago - everything ever since as been a numbers game to me - as I had to agree a 12 month contract I decided to stump up for Line Rental saver. Seems a lot to pay off £144 in one go but in the long run it saves £4 per month of your bill. The ladies I spoke to were very nice and I don't mean this bad but it was nice to talk to staff based in the UK. I'm good to go for another 12 months.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Got letter stating £4.50 price increase from Feb 1st.

Looked back at last 2 price increases which were £5.75 earlier this year and £6.34 the previous year, astonishing how much it has went up.

I usually phone them up and re-negotiate a deal to keep me, so called them up today.

What we have is

• XL TV
• M Phone
• 152MB Broadband
• 1TB TiVo
• 500GB TiVo

We were currently paying £72.49, due to go up £4.50 in Feb to £76.99

Got a £7 p/m discount so now it is £65.49, going up to £69.99 on 1st Feb.

Also got free 6 months Netflix code, so saving us in total around £135 over the next 12 months.

Happy enough to sign up for another 12 months based on that :)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Long time lurker seldom poster here.
I too have received a price rise letter. £6.14 increase from February, almost 10%. Decided to phone them up,first lady I spoke to wasn`t very helpful, as my package was a very old one her system would not allow any changes without increasing my bill.
She put me through to retentions where the operative was very helpful.My old package was:
xl tv
talk unlimited phone
talk mobile
2 v+ boxes
20 mb broadband
Total cost £73.24

After going through a few options I settled on:
xl tv
talk unlimited
TiVo [self install]
v+ box
152mb broadband
Total cost £61.99

A saving of £11.25 per month for an improved package.
However they do not want their v+ box back and said that I can keep it or recycle it.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Well rang retentions tonight


Long term customer and only previously had one minor reduction

I was bolshy as possible but the lady was very polite
Currently pay 122.44 and seeing others had some success, I was hopeful

Rise to come is 4.89

Was offered nothing

Reduction to 50mb from 100mb was best they could do


117.44


Very disappointed and considering my options

didn't even get offered 6 months Netflix which I have never had

Time to take the plunge and move to sky


Regards ian

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I think I'll be in that boat too as that's what I'm paying at the moment not including mobiles. It's basically the old VIP pack but with 152Mb and a Tivo.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I am a bit confused as on my virgin media it offers me upgrade to Big Daddy
which increases my broadband speed to 152mb and includes everything I already have for 115.99

Someone else paying 122.44 was offered it for 109.99 with no reductions

Plus 6 months Netflix

Feel i've been done

Regards Ian

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just had a call from 0131 538 8024 which after googling appears to be VM routed through Edinburgh. Maybe from abroard as the person defo wasn't Scottish.

There was a lot of background music and was difficult to hear. The said they were from VM and were phoning to 'get the most' out of your package. They asked for me by my full name and asked for the first 2 letters of my password, which i gave.

She asked me how many people watched TV, i asked if she knew i'd cancelled, she asked me the same question and i gave the same answer.

She hung up which was a relief really and it was a terrible line and i presume coming from Pune or something.

Anyone know if this was a genuine call? If it was it was bloody shoddy VM!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I would draw a link between "I was as bolshy as possible" and " was offered nothing". Try again. Be nice. Good luck.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Yeah I was polite and the girl was very understanding and agreed with myself.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I believe the tool Retentions use has a tick box for 'is the customer being bolshy?'. If ticked, the best deals are immediately removed from offer and a note made on the account for future reference.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Yes it's definitely a case of 'I'm thinking of switching to (whoever) and was wondering if there was anything you could offer me to stay' 'alleviate the financial burden'...etc.. than 'I'm am going to cancel, unless you give me this and that'....not saying that anybody would adopt the latter stance, but just something to bear in mind.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Well i had another phone call from 0800 408 9341 offering me a great deal, so she said.

We did the same security check, first 2 letters of my password, and she couldn't access the database or my account and wanted to phone back in a couple of hours.

'What's the great deal?' i asked, 'discounted Sky Sports', she said.

I declined. I've had SS once in 20 years so why she thought she could upsell it i don't know.
Not sure she was even aware i've put my cancellation in.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Just off the phone to them. They were going to put my price up by another£4-50 a month.
I presently pay £44-50 a month for Big Kahuna bundle with 1Tb Tivo, an extra VHD box, and evening and weekend calls. Paid line rental upfront 3 months ago.
First guy offered me a £3-00 reduction which I refused so he put me on to retentions. The girl there offered me to stay on the price I was paying just now but I would need to enter another 18 month contract. I said I did nt want to sign up for another 18 months. She said do you want to cancel then, and I said yes.
Then she said wait and I ll see what I can do. She came back with £39-60 for 6 months and then the remaning time of my present contract at my £44-50 and 6 months Netflix.
No new contract, so happy with that.
So its worth phoning to save your self some money.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Got my price increase letter yesterday - they want another £9.09 - current bill is £74.50 (excluding my wife's VM mobile which never seems to show up on our main bill. More than 12% increase... Was too late to get through to retentions last night when i saw the letter but I'll be ringing them tomorrow. Glad i checked my bill as i see they still haven't credited me for the appalling broadband speeds weve had recently (complained last week as the speed has been dropping steadily and went to single figure speeds last week - was promised a refund which there's no sign of).
As others have said i wish i could drop my phone line the only incoming callls are spam and we only use it ourselves for ordering the occasional takeaway or 'phoning abroad.

Will update with their reply

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I'm considering ditching all but my broadband with VM and investing in a freesat receiver from Humax. I currently have the Big Kahoona bundle along with sky sports and movies in HD and 2 additional boxes but enough is enough. Netflix and Amazon instant video seem to be the way forward. Haven't had a letter just yet. But I'm not paying these prices any longer.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Wow that's shocking

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I am on a Mates Rates deal which was a good deal when I signed up - is there any chance of renegotiating with retentions on Mates Rates or do I just have to accept any price rises (or leave)?

I understood that you cannot change anything in the package without losing Mates Rates, but see that Mates Rates itself has changed a number of times so what people refer to as Mates Rates may be different depending on when they signed up?

Current package is what was XL TV/XLBB (now 100MB)/XLPhone, 2x Tivo and 1xV+ with Superhub 2, Line Rental £144 paid in advance, plus currently paying £40 a month on top (so about £52 per month before the rises) - when we signed up it was £36.

This is the third £4+ rise in less than 2 years (this time £4.75). It is annoying that you are not even sure what in your package is going up - I pay in advance for Line Rental so does the £4.75 include line rental (if I were paying normally) or exclude Line Rental (so will be another £20+ rise if/when I renew that too)?

I appreciate that this is still a reasonable deal compared to some, but there is no point just accepting the rise if there is any way to get the price reduced again - happy to drop the Talk International 2 and Talk Mobile 2 as we don't even use them and could probably do without the Talk XL too if the price came down enough to warrant it (as plenty of calls on mobiles anyway and rarely use the landline).

Sky have recently been in touch offering 50% off for the year which is an option but generally happy with VM apart from their price rises so better/less hassle to stay if possible.

Many thanks

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

Perhaps you should address your questions to the Virgin Media Mate that got you the Rates in the first place?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

OK spoke to retentions they''re upping my broadband to 152 from 60, sending me a SH2 (dunno if it's the ac model), giving me 6 months Netflix and reducing my bill by £10 (so I'll still be paying almost £5 less when the increase happens - its a new contract though (12 months with price held for 18),

So got to say Im pretty happy overall - though why on Earth they didnt just offer me a good deal in the first place... One thing that was very interesting was that the CS person i spoke to didn't understand why these large increases are being sent out...

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

The vast majority won't query them, so they're still quids in.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I already had, thank you for the suggestion. They didn't know (as I am sure most VM staff wouldn't either, as the base Mates Rates has changed a number of times since I signed up years ago), therefore perhaps someone on here who has been on Mates Rates will have experience and I will be in a better position to know if it is worth contacting them or not, and what is possible (in the same way that many other posts on here are showing what retentions deals are possible).

Thank you.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

It's always worth contacting them. What's the worst that can happen?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I'm not suggesting that an individual Virgin Media employee would know the ins and outs of Mates Rates but this is an employee benefit and I would expect them to be able, perhaps through their HR department, to be able to get the contact information for someone who does understand.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I *think* I know the rules for changing your package with Mates Rates, but no matter what anyone here tells you, at the end of the day it's Customer Services you have to deal with. So as andy_m says...

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

20mb broadband and M phone up by £3.64 for me. I think I might ditch phone and broadband if I can find an alternative broadband cheaper and use my mobile.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

BT phoned me and offered Infinity with a LL for £26.50 and free install.

Just had a new contract letter from VM with a price of BB for £26.50 :sigh:

Phoned them and said the letter doesn't match what i agreed on the phone.
The girl checked and apparently one of the codes was entered incorrectly, she said it's sorted this time and it's going to be £19.50 and no new contract.

I've also put my cancellation date back to the 8th January as the bargeboard where the aerial is going to be mounted is coming away and i need to get that fixed first.

Still, all these things are sent to try us :)

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

I have yet to receive a note of my increase but my line rental saver has expired (Virgin didn't tell me but a charge is shown on my latest bill) so I will have to try to contact them tonight so I might as well start the negotiations now!

Do the current bundles shown on their web page include the new charges? I am assuming so as they show a line rental of £16.99. I am currently on the "Premiere Collection" plus Sky Sports and excluding the line rental am paying £81.25 (includes a Tivo and one V-HD box). The "Big Kahuna" bundle plus Sky Sports now shows (after new customer discount) £75 plus a V-HD box would be £81.50 - an increase of 25p!

This makes no sense (but whenever has Virgin pricing made sense) so what am I missing?

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

My increase is 4.3% but I do have call saver. Will work out the increase effectively when CS finishes and how this compares against other packages on the market. I will post when I have done!

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

New punters get a deal for £40-£50+++??? Long-time loyal serving clients already paying £80+++??? for the same package, then one phones up and has to haggle for a better deal!!! which will still equal less then the new punters deal. So in essence the old punters are paying for the new punters deal.

When will the long-time loyal punters get rewarded I wonder.

Time to consider moving to another supplier me thinks.

Re: Virgin Media to raise broadband and phone prices in Feb 2015
 

The argument is that you would have had a new customers only deal when you first signed up.

(And before you say it, no, I didn't either!)