I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Hi had my V+ box installed a while ago and then was offered the chance to pay £100 for it and pay less monthly rental.

My question is does the box belong to me or Virginmedia? I was under the impression it did, see this link: http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...rs/v_plus.html

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

The box remains the propery of virgin at all times.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

yes it does thats the difference between cable & satellite. with cable the cable company owns the receivers, with satellite you do.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Ask yourself why you would want to own the box?

Do you want to take responsibility for fixing it if breaks and replacing it when it can't be fixed?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

with VM i couldnt care less 2bh i find their receivers to be slow & out of date. with Sky second hand receivers are cheap, so if mine were to break down id just buy another one ;)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Thanks for the replies, but I still think the wording of the offer lead me to believe I had buoght it!

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Question I wondered but stilll not really answered is:

If it breaks, are VM still responsible for fixing it, and what would motivate them to do so when it's been paid for??

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Yes, they are still responsible for fixing it. The motivation is your ongoing rental charges.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

If you notice on the table on that page it calls the £100 payment SERVICE CHARGE hence you're not buying the box

Kymmy

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Hang on, I thought V+ was £75 to install and monthly charges free for XL and £5 for M and L. it says so here:

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...ers/vplus.html

So what's all this £100 service charge to save monthly costs all about?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

For those customers who got the V+ before June 2007, and would have either paid usually £0 or £25 for installation.

They would then be paying either £15 per month if they have M or L tv or £10 per month if they have XL tv

The £100 is to convert the V+ pricing to new prices. It would pay for itself in 10 months if you had XL tv or 6/7 months if you are on M or L tv

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

What the original poster is referring to is something that was introduced way before the £75 offer. It happened around the time Sky dropped the £10 for Sky+.

They changed the way you pay for the V+. Instead of paying £10 a month to rent the box and a £25 installation fee (free is you transferred your standard STB to another room), you pay an upfront charge of £100 (for existing customers) and never pay monthly rental again.

I think you can still choose to pay monthly if you so wish, and those who got a V+/TVDrive before this was introduced can pay the one-off fee so they don't have to pay the monthly rental charge.

^^This was the situation on the XL package - not sure about L & M but they originally had to pay £15 a month.

Those on the VIP package still pay monthly rental (hence why the installation/service fee is considerably less for them), but that is absorbed by the discount given for the package :)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

but new customers only aren't paying for installation either?

.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Yes they are, they are paying £75 for installation. Which is a special 1/2 price offer off the standard installation price of £150

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

:rolleyes: feeling left out there are we fella lol

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Nope.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

That implies £100 charge is old news - but for the record - the £100 is still being charged - but to loyal customers only :mad:

---------- Post added at 16:46 ---------- Previous post was at 16:44 ----------

£75 installation + the £75 advance service charge ???

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

I dont see what the problem with it is.

If you have the V+ on the old pricing (which you accepted at the time you took it out), you can either carry on paying £10/£15 per month forever, or pay £100 to swap to the new pricing.

---------- Post added at 16:47 ---------- Previous post was at 16:46 ----------

Eh?

All customers whether NEW OR EXISTING taking out the V+ now pay £75 for install. They then pay £5 per month if they have M or L tv or £0 per month if they have XL tv. Didn't think it was that complicated

The only exception to this for NEW OR EXISTING customers is those who are take out the XL plus or VIP bundles

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

So it does - apologies. That was not my intention. Was trying to say that the £100 charge was introduced some time ago.

I was referring to those customers on the old pricing model :)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

if the government gave extra weeks holiday to everybody except red haired people - would they feel left out ? - i supose so

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

My flatmate must feel left out. He paid £299 for his SkyHD box and it is £199 now. Do you think it can phone up Sky and say as a loyal customer he is due a £100 refund?

When you take out something, you know the price may change.

The conversion fee has been in place since June 2007. When the install fee for new V+ customers was still £150. No existing customer complained then ;).

It is only because the current offer is on for the 1/2 price V+ install that it is suddenly a bad thing

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Only if you take all three of their services otherwise it's £249 - but this is about V+ and this is off topic... ;)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

No you don't seem to see the problem - that's true - but I can't help that

but loyal customers pay £100


It wasn't until you tried to spin it by saying

implying they benefited some other way (reduced installation) - there is no, other, single, possible reason you stitched this onto the end of the sentence - it was for justification purposes only - and hence your complicating an otherwise simply fact - and it also suggests you in fact do see the problem very clearly

new customers only pay £75 and loyal customer pay £100 - now that's simple!


.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

And all customers who took out the V+ between June 2007 and November 2007 paid £150 for the V+ installation.

Virgin could have just changed the price for the V+ boxes taken out after June 2007 and not offered existing customers any option to change.

I freely admit that the conversion fee is currently higher than the special offer install fee. However as soon as that ends it will be £50 less than the standard V+ install fee

If you don't want to pay the conversion fee, don't. Either carry on paying £10/£15 per month, or disconnect.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

The wording on the website is NEW V+ customers pay £75 install...

Taken from this page (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...ers/vplus.html) in Legal Stuff:

V+: Installation fee is £75 (usually £150) for new V+ customers. V+ subscription is included with TV size: XL. There is a £5 a month charge for TV size: M and L. Half price installation offer ends 31.05.08.

If you already have Digital TV and a normal box, and decide to upgrade to V+, you are a new V+ customer so pay £75 install :)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Then maybe VM should charge them again?

In fact here's a great offer to attract new V+ customers - charge all existing ones another £75 and let all new customers have it for free

Brilliant! - hope VM chief exec is reading - it would be much more successful campaign than charging new customers

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

*sighs*

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Oh I get you now. People wanting to convert to the up front payment method...

Well you could always request that you should only pay £75 explaining your reasons?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

I can't see the problem - surely it's a brilliant policy to catch new customers

In fact can you think of a single argument against it - that doesn't already apply?

I'll answer for you - no!

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Yes there is. Because it is not fair on existing customers.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

that already applies - so it don't count - think of another one

the answer is none

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

FFS.

When any customer took out the V+ before June 2007, they agreed to the price that was being charged at the time, and it was quite clear what that was.

Now the V+ price is different.

That is all

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Other than the fact that you are going to deter any existing customers from taking up V+ (which if reading their latest results, are the people who are mainly taking up the service, and they are the people who Virgin are wanting to attract).

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

same applies to those that just paid £75 already - just charge them again and let new customers only have it for free

in either case it's

your problem is that you seem to think one is OK and one is isn't - when even a spotty school-leaver can see there is no difference

you need to stop your futile attempt to defend the indefendable and resign yourself to the simple fact that either is

Companies that have a very small existing customer base, and an even smaller grasp of how to develop business often resort to crapping on existing customers in favour of attracting new customers only - unless the policy is guaranteed to recruit more new customers than the loyal customers they are about to lose, it's short-sighted - but if they are happy and aware of the gamble, they are not afraid to acknowledge this is what they are doing is:

and you need to do the same


.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

So Sky are 'crapping' on existing customers by new customers being charged £199 for SkyHD but people who got it when it first came out paid £299

Samsung are 'crapping' on customers when my TV now costs £400 and I paid £550 for it in September last year?

Everything changes in price.

The flaw in your logic is what you propose is forcing existing customers to pay extra. Virgin are not doing that. The price for the V+ is the same that was agreed at the time.

It has changed since

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Sorry to cause such a stir, it was a honest question. Thinking about it the box is useless if not connected to a cable operator. I suppose the Hardrive would come in useful though.

Thinking back I think my logic was that I could get money back in 10 months and then be better off because I was on the XL package. If that makes sense.

Regards

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

It would pay for itsself in 10 months - but will you still want/have the box in 10 months? -rumour has it the V2+ box is on the horizon (hence the offer)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

What does the V2+ box do then?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Nothing. Because there isn't one.

The only thing that has happened is that Virgin have had engineering samples delivered from Samsung for a possible V+ from them. It has not been said that is a V+ v2. It could just be a V+ from someone else

Just like the V boxes from Samsung. They work no differently from the Pace/Scientific Atlanta boxes, just are newer and of a different design.

---------- Post added at 20:31 ---------- Previous post was at 20:31 ----------

Yes. Makes complete sense. And that is the reason why the conversion fee is there is the first place

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

If I put my cynical hat on for a minute ( I do have one, honest :) )

I might think that encouraging customers to effectively 'pay their rent in advance' would be more about cash flow, now (then?) , rather than hedging against possible future options ???

- a purely speculative comment, I admit :angel:

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Then that is the choice you make. If you don't think you are going to be with Virgin in 10 months, don't pay.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

well said ;)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more - but a small twinge says that some of the marketing has been very confusing, even leading to, as we have seen, people believing they were actually buying the box?

So I'm not disagreeing with your comments, just playing the devils advocate, a little - I am super happy with my upgrade to XL Plus pack, personally, but I can also see why all the various bundles & deals might be confusing to customers - whether new or existing ;)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

the V+ charges are a p!$$take.

I got mine installed in April 2007 (after a 2 month wait) and have been paying £10 a month for 13/14 months

I apparently have the choice of paying £10.00 a month forever or paying £100.00 "administration" for the priviledge not to pay £10.00 a month.

now frankly, in the current economical climate I do not have £100.00 spare cash, so If I want to keep my V+ box I will end up paying hundreds of pounds over what other people have to.

surely this "administration" charge would fall into the same "Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations" catagory that Bank charges have been falling fowl of?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

No, because it is not a forced charge, or a penalty charge.

virgin have not mis-sold the V+ to you or changed how they charge you for it.

If Virgin said, every existing customer has to pay £100 because we are changing the V+ pricing, THAT would be an unfair term

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

how is it not a penalty charge? it would seem I am being penalised for getting the v+ box too early.

if the charge is, as I was told for "Administration", then this "Administration" charge is disproportionate to the amount of work needed to remove the £10 a month charge.

the least Virgin should do is cancel the £10 charge for EVERYONE after another 10 months when everyone has paid their £100.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

It is not an administration charge, it is a Service Charge (as it says when it is put on the bill)

The pricing structure you are on has been around since Telewest introduced the TVDrive in 2005.

As I've said before, Virgin were/are under no obligation to offer the change the V+ pricing for existing customers. They could have said 'All existing customer remain on their current pricing, all new customer pay £150 and then have the new pricing'

They didn't. They have offered a way for customers to convert to the new pricing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Prices change.

Everyone who took out the V+ at the £10/£15 per month price agreed to it. Everyone knew that they may pay £10/£15 for as long as they had the V+, because that is what the price was. It has not been changed

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

More accurately - if you don't think you'll be using this V+ box in 10 months (because the new one is out) - then don't pay

I mean it's not like VM would credit towards the new box now is it - as if :D

---------- Post added at 16:50 ---------- Previous post was at 16:38 ----------

and i'll remind you it's not a defendable position

upsetting existing customers only is the price for new customers only

VM should be prepared to pay for it (and who says they aren't - you?) - so either don't waste your breath or be prepared to keep saying it

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

You seem to assuming that if/when a new V+ is introduced it 1) will do something different to the current one and 2) be something you can pay to upgrade to.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

until/if that happens we wont know either way for sure ;)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

errr - it will - that's guaranteed!

ugh? - i just know VM won't credit the £75 you already paid - i don't supose VM will be giving it away free - oh gotcha - new customers only policy :)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

No it's not. the Samsung V boxes do nothing different than either the Pace or Scientific Atlanta boxes

Again, you don't know that. Existing customers have been swapped out for Samsung boxes for free where appropriate when their existing Pace or Scientfic Atlanta boxes don't work any more.

Customers who had to buy their cable modems way back get swapped out for free to the latest modems if needed to support the service they subscribe to.

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Are you decribing V Box tuner, non HD, non-recording, not even remotely like V+ box here?

If you are you have gone astray

We're discussing the successor to V+ (the one VM is charging £75-£100 for)

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Yes I know. What I was trying to illustrate was that just because it is a new box from Samsung, doesn't mean it will do anything more than the current box does

---------- Post added at 19:32 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------

They could very well both have 160Gb hard disks, both have 3 tuners and both be HD ready. So what would be the advantage of the Samsung over the current V+?

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

Well lets just get back on track - rumour has it the V+ (that everyone is paying £75-£100 for) will soon be supeceded - and i can guarantee it's successor will be better - no question - and money blown towards V+ will be lost

just want that in the archive so i can say "i told you so!"

Re: I Paid £100 for V+ Box
 

And where is your proof of that?