Free Tech Support Is Back

[tweetypie/8]

Originally Posted by darthlinux

From the 1st june virgin media are changing the prem number back to the free number it was released today no more prem number 151 free form a virgin line or 0845 from a non virgin line

thank god !!.

[r00t]

Expect the wait time for the phone to be answered to go up.
TSC will once again be inundated with questions about: 3rd party routers, printers, mobile phones, firefox, opera all manner of 3 party software, "what time is is" ( because the speaking clock is 50p per min)

This the email that all customers will be receiving telling them about doing away with the premium line to Tech Support.

================================================== ========================

Hi there,

We always try to listen to what our customers tell us and because you didn't
think the premium rate call charge for our technical support helpline was
right, we decided to do something about it!

That's why we're dropping the 25p per minute charge to call our broadband
technical support line. From 1st June, we're replacing it with a number
that's free to call from your Virgin Media phone, plus a separate, local
rate number if you call from any other phone. That means that now you can
get the help and support you need, totally free, just like you asked.

To call our new broadband technical support number from 1st June, just dial
151 for free from your Virgin Phone or 0845 454 1111* from any other phone.

Get £50 off your bill!

And we're not stopping there. Tell your friends about Virgin Media and, when
they sign up to our cable services, we'll give both of you £50 off your
bill.

All they'll need is this phone number 0800 052 1412 and your account
number. And the best bit is there's no limit to the
amount of friends you bring!

The Virgin Media team


*Calls to 0845 numbers cost 7p per minute with a 7p connection charge from a Virgin phone. Calls from other networks may vary.

Connect a Friend: For eligibility criteria and Terms and Conditions click here.

[moaningmags]

Is that a valid account number in that link Peter?

[ceedee]

Is there any truth in the rumour that the 'price' to be paid for free tech support calls will be unmanned support newsgroups?

Can't express how much I hope it's not true...

[moaningmags]

Half the people I work with have never heard of newsgroups nevermind any rumours about them. To me personally, it seems a bit daft to make all new servers, get into a contract with a company for them then do away with the newsgroup support. But apparently NTL used to have support groups and they went, we all know who's in charge at VM so maybe it is true. Hope not though.

Originally Posted by ceedee

Is there any truth in the rumour that the 'price' to be paid for free tech support calls will be unmanned support newsgroups?

Can't express how much I hope it's not true...

same here, if my recent experience has anything to go by

- basically I had a problem with an upgrade to XL broadband not being properly provisioned on the modem & phoned customer service, they said to phone technical support - who then told me to phone customer service...

- That call to customer service resulted in a chap saying he had 'sent a signal to my modem' & I could expect it to be active in ' 2 to 3 hours' - over 3 hours later no change - a further call to customer service met with someone insisting I phone technical support....all this was over a 24 hour period.

So I posted in the support newsgroup - and the problem was resolved within an hour.

- my point being, that no matter whether the calls are going to be free, if the people on the end of the phone can't deal with the problem, it isn't worth contacting them at all....