I really don't agree with this "free service engineers" line - lets face it, you should be getting free service engineers regardless. We shouldn't be slapping Virgin on the back and saying "well done" for this.
The customer is paying a subscription to watch a TV service - if the equipment Virgin
insist you use to receive this subscription doesn't work, I'd expect it was repaired without charge! Otherwise you would be paying for something you couldn't access.
The £200 upfront charge is buying the equipment in for Virgin for them to then rent to you, plain and simple. When you rent a TV, or lease a car, your not paying the company up front for it for them to buy it and then paying the rental on it as well. They buy their asset, and then you pay the rental to them.
So Virgin seem to want it both ways. Good luck to them - best of both worlds for them and their business model
PS we all know Sky try to con you out of ~£60 to send a service engineer out - doesn't mean people pay it. I know people who have had multiple service visits free of charge.