Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959605)

Aren't we the hand that feeds VM ? ;)

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959605)

Indeed, seems Ed Balls couldn't get through to them the other day, wonder why ? :D
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...a-Twitter.html

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959605)

You sound more 'senior' than me OB ! ;)

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959605)

Seriously some stuff, especially sit-coms, were much better than they are now. Hence the popularity of Gold. High definitions and huge TVs aren't everything if the content's crap.

Originally Posted by denphone (Post 35959609)

Ed Balls does like to open his mouth but the problem is he is always sticking his foot in it without realising the ensuing chaos that generally unfolds from it..

Originally Posted by MatthewEastaugh (Post 35959569)

And many, many other things. Such as saying they wouldn't negotiate in public, after trying to negotiate literally in the middle of a BBC News video, which they then clipped and posted from their own corporate account. Like their various C&P statements repeated as infinitum from their own Twitter channels. Like their own comments on The Media Show, their community forum, in their press releases and elsewhere.

Come on, OB. Youre better than that. Lying isn't necessary.

I get that you're more in line with Virgin's side of things, that's fine. People are allowed different opinions. I'm slightly more on UKTVs side, but agree that both were at fault in a variety of ways. But to say that they only commented to say they wouldn't comment in public is blatantly untrue.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35959514)

Very true, maybe you should think about that when you ask for proof of things thst others post ;) Just because a link exists doesn't mean it's necessarily true and just because one isn't available it doesn't always follow that something isn't true either.

The VM stance changed depending on what suited them. They said that they wouldn't pass comment in public, yet frequently did so.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35959582)

I'm not so sure that there aren't still a lot of people leaving, there's still a lot of complaints being made about long wait times to get through to disconnections/retentions and people immediately being disconnected as soon as they get through!

One was from a former VM employee who said that this was a disciplinary offence when she worked there.

It's a good start as a damage limitation excercise to get the channels come back, but I think that the way it was handled and the fact that It has now been brought to the attention of the public that VM is the least secure of all the main platforms for channel continuity will be of detriment to VM for a very long time.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 35959618)

I don’t buy this recurring comment about the long term damage done over the UKTV issue. Most people will forget about this with a little time, and most of those thinking of leaving last week, in the end will not be bothered to do so. They now have more channels and more OD than before, so why should they?

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 35959618)

Why the hysterical response? You did see the grin emoji, didn’t you? It was meant to be a joke.

That one obviously fell flat!

---------- Post added at 09:38 ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 ----------


I think what they said is that they would not negotiate in public. From what I read VM did not say very much apart from alerting us to their reasons for not wishing to settle with UKTV (ie too expensive for channels with so much repeated old material, not enough OD, insufficient access to the BBC archives, etc.) Of course, they also had to participate in the occasional media interview, but I didn’t hear those.

From what I picked up, VM wanted to keep the details of their negotiating position close to its chest, whereas UKTV was really quite vocal about the whole thing. I’m not sure what is meant in the remark that VM kept changing position. Wasn’t the constant complaint that they just kept quoting the corporate line?

---------- Post added at 09:44 ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 ----------


I don’t buy this recurring comment about the long term damage done over the UKTV issue. Most people will forget about this with a little time, and most of those thinking of leaving last week, in the end will not be bothered to do so. They now have more channels and more OD than before, so why should they?

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35959628)

Take a look for yourself on online forums a social networking sites, they're full of comments about how VM can't be trusted to keep the channels on air that people sign up and put themselves into a contract for.

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959626)

And all the discounts/credits they have been giving out very freely over the last few weeks ?

Originally Posted by denphone (Post 35959629)

Online forums are not representative of the vast majority of people opinions and anybody who thinks they are is deluding themselves..

---------- Post added at 10:36 ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 ----------



Discounts and credits are handed out on a regular basis so that's not significant Mr K.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 35959618)

Why the hysterical response? You did see the grin emoji, didn’t you? It was meant to be a joke.

That one obviously fell flat!

Originally Posted by MatthewEastaugh (Post 35959638)

Given no one seems actively angry that they're back, I think we can probably put this whole topic to bed now, as everyone's united either in happiness or not-bothered-ness. :)

Originally Posted by MatthewEastaugh (Post 35959638)

Anyway.

OB and others weren't bothered the channels were gone, and aren't especially worried they're back.
Myself and others were annoyed they were gone, and are quite happy they're back.
Given no one seems actively angry that they're back, I think we can probably put this whole topic to bed now, as everyone's united either in happiness or not-bothered-ness. :)

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35959628)

Take a look for yourself on online forums a social networking sites, they're full of comments about how VM can't be trusted to keep the channels on air that people sign up and put themselves into a contract for.

Originally Posted by denphone (Post 35959629)

Online forums are not representative of the vast majority of people opinions and anybody who thinks they are is deluding themselves..

---------- Post added at 10:36 ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 ----------



Discounts and credits are handed out on a regular basis so that's not significant Mr K.

Originally Posted by MatthewEastaugh (Post 35959638)

Well, it's not that different to the other comments you've made throughout this thread (heck, even within that post just there), so it being a 'joke' isn't exactly obvious...

Regarding one of your follow-on points, as an example of them changing their position, you note they said they 'wouldn't negotiate in public'. This clip, from their corporate Twitter account on the first day that the channels were missing, is them quite literally 'negotiating in public':

https://twitter.com/VirginMediaCorp/...22793030807553

There was also repeated offers to 'restore the free channels immediately', and more public negotiation in the following days:

https://twitter.com/virginmedia/stat...26943116644352
'@UKTV has decided to cut off Virgin Media customers from its free channels like Dave.
We want to keep these on air. So, @UKTV – will you #saveDave?'

https://twitter.com/VirginMediaCorp/...36689031458818
'To be clear: we are ready to restore UKTV’s free channels for our customers immediately with @UKTV’s permission.'

https://twitter.com/VirginMediaCorp/...27306185838592
'@UKTV Glad you agree these channels are freely available and funded by advertising. Why not make them available to our customers through Virgin TV?'

The 'won't negotiate in public' line only surfaced after UKTV tweeted that Virgin had backed out of a deal on the 3rd August:

https://twitter.com/UKTV/status/1025418796016836613

Anyway.

OB and others weren't bothered the channels were gone, and aren't especially worried they're back.
Myself and others were annoyed they were gone, and are quite happy they're back.

Given no one seems actively angry that they're back, I think we can probably put this whole topic to bed now, as everyone's united either in happiness or not-bothered-ness. :)

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 35959626)

And all the discounts/credits they have been giving out very freely over the last few weeks ?

From MSE:-

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...youre-affected

Not complaining as I've done very well aswell , especially as the channels have come back anyway :D But this will have made a dent in VMs income and not done its image any good to potential customers. Sorry, but the 'Chief Clown' needs sacking....

Originally Posted by Mythica (Post 35959672)

I phoned in at beginning of this year to go from 200Mb to 350Mb, that was all. I didn't mention money or discount and by the end of the call was £26 pm better off. It seems VM give discounts anyway.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 35959663)

So you'd think. 'Nuff said.