SD : TV price rises

[GrimUpNorth]

Don't know why I didn't give a bit more info earlier. My increase is £2.84. My services are:
XL TV
1 No. Tivo
1 No. V+
XL Phone
Caller display (but have never paid for it - and had it since telewest days)
Talk 08 £2
And 100Mb internet (though my bill says XXL and the front page of my virginmedia says 100 - which is the one I'm on).

So if the Tivo fee is increasing by £1.00 and line rental by £1.09 where's the other £0.75 coming from

Cheers

Grim

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Mark C

Just received my increase email - £4.59p a month.

That's on top of £5.25p last April and £3.25p in August for the Sky increase.

Total increase in 10 months is £13.09p !!

I'm on the 'old' VIP50 package (V+HD and VHD) - no Tivo.

Seriously thinking of cancelling as that's a ridiculous increase in less than 12 months.

Have you had a look at the VIP Collection as it'll probably be cheaper than you are paying

[Mark C]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Have you had a look at the VIP Collection as it'll probably be cheaper than you are paying

Yes I have, but the installation charge has put me off.

[carlwaring]

You sometimes have to spend money to save money. (Like Line Rental Saver, for example!)

[Mark C]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

You sometimes have to spend money to save money. (Like Line Rental Saver, for example!)

True enough, but forking out £50 for installation to save a couple of quid a month seems like false economy to me.

Each to their own I guess.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Mark C

True enough, but forking out £50 for installation to save a couple of quid a month seems like false economy to me.

Each to their own I guess.

You'll also get 100Mbit broadband, TiVo and Talk Unlimited Extra

[jobbie8]

Got my letter today, a £2.59 increase.

I understand that £1.09 is for the landline rental, but dont know what the other £1.50 consists of.

I read in an earlier post that CS suggested the Tivo fee increased by £1. I have three Tivos, so cant be the case?

[paultrademark]

Originally Posted by paultrademark

Well so much for him telling me it would be £4.09, just got an email confirming it would be £6.34 per month!! £76.08 per year, that's more than we pay per month!!

Back on the phone me thinks

Phoned them up yesterday afternoon, and it was a long call.
The lady on the phone had just come back from holiday and was not really clued up on the price increases so kept needing to check with colleagues.

Anyway the basics of the call were she managed to break down the £6.34 increase as per our email and it was as follows -


1.09 Phone Line Rental
1.75 60MB BB
1.50 XL TV
1.00 TiVo Box
1.00 TiVo Box
----
6.34

She couldn't work out why the last agent quoted me £4.09 but agreed that I was on a version of Premier Collection but had an additional box. I think the confusion is around the add-ons and then the discounts VM give for loyalty/promotions etc. Plus the fact that some customers are on different pricing for TiVo plus some get a free extra box, some pay for it.

So what we get from VM is -

M Phone
60MB Broadband
XL TV
1 x 1TB TiVo
1 x 500GB TiVo
1 x V+ HD

= £67.90 p/m

The person I spoke to the other day has indeed given us more discount, but obviously something went wrong when he was calculating it out, so it turns out our new bill from now is £62.40 p/m (£5.50 cheaper), though I won't hold my breath on that being right till my next bill is due...

But here is where am confused even more...

The price increase email states an increase of £6.34, though the lady says this is what it would have been as the email was prepared before I called, and that now my increase will be £5.09 p/m according to her.. which doesn't make sense to me.

So in theory, come 1st Feb I should be paying if these agents are correct, £67.49 .. 41p cheaper than what it was

We shall see

---------- Post added at 06:50 ---------- Previous post was at 06:19 ----------

Just priced our 'bundle' as a new customer and comes in at £63.90 without the extra V+ HD box as only allows you 2 boxes. Even adding £5 for the V+ HD it comes to £68.90 so seems we are only getting £1.00 discount. Unless you have to pay £6.50 for another multiroom additional box?

[montehampster]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

I got through straight away


Nice to see you're not judgemental or prejudiced or anything


The "standard CS Reps" are there for new customers only, really.

---------- Post added at 15:40 ---------- Previous post was at 15:38 ----------


Seriously?

I owe you and VM an apology! I've still not had my letter but I rang up last night and got through immediately to the most helpful person I have ever spoken to since I joined in the old Telewest days!

Have paid the line rental up front, kept the broadband at 60Mg and cancelled the TV.

I then went online and moved the TV to Sky with a 12 months half price offer. The only direct one off cost being a pair of Homeplugs for the second box c £30. I estimate an annual saving over the next 12 months of c £300 depending on what my increase in February would have been. Oh and of course the £25 M&S voucher will do for my Mother in Law's Xmas present!

All in all not a bad evening's work!

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by montehampster

I owe you and VM an apology!

No problem. My tone was probably a little harsh too

I've still not had my letter but I rang up last night and got through immediately to the most helpful person I have ever spoken to since I joined in the old Telewest days!

I always seem to get the really helpful ones. Perhaps my own attitude helps; I don't know!

All in all not a bad evening's work!

If you're happy then I'm happy

[greeninferno]

Originally Posted by Mark C

Just received my increase email - £4.59p a month.

That's on top of £5.25p last April and £3.25p in August for the Sky increase.

Total increase in 10 months is £13.09p !!

I'm on the 'old' VIP50 package (V+HD and VHD) - no Tivo.

Seriously thinking of cancelling as that's a ridiculous increase in less than 12 months.

That is simply ridiculous.

phone up disconnections and explain that situation is not acceptable and see what they say.

Just received the email saying an increase of £5.34 a month.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

phone up disconnections and explain that situation is not acceptable and see what they say.

I'm sure they'll be able to help.

My parent's only have Phone + BB but, after I had a chat with retentions on their behalf yesterday, they are now getting more and paying less!!

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I would be very careful when going for deals with VM at the moment. I fell for a similar trick many years ago with them.

VM offered us a deal to change over from Sky, we took the deal as we felt it was cheaper, how wrong we were. We found that the price with Sky stayed for a year, BUT with VM it went up twice in that time similar with what is happening now, we were given promises that we would get more channels and that the service would get better. we are still waiting.

VM are putting up prices and members are blaming the greed from Sky, How can that be, when VM went in for the deals with Sky, this is a set deal, yet VM have increased there prices three times this year.

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I would be very careful when going for deals with VM at the moment. I fell for a similar trick many years ago with them.

VM offered us a deal to change over from Sky, we took the deal as we felt it was cheaper, how wrong we were. We found that the price with Sky stayed for a year, BUT with VM it went up twice in that time similar with what is happening now, we were given promises that we would get more channels and that the service would get better. we are still waiting.

VM are putting up prices and members are blaming the greed from Sky, How can that be, when VM went in for the deals with Sky, this is a set deal, yet VM have increased there prices three times this year.

2 from VM 1 from sky for sky sports Arthur

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Last year Sky froze the subs for 12 months and then only increased this year by £1.00.

I dont believe VM froze there prices, but then increased three fold.

I feel the main problem with VM, is that to me they cannot justify the increase, whereas Sky can justify any increase.

At the present time Sky have more channels and a better quality of CS and the technology is better than VM.

What can VM justify, we had a promise from them that we would have better HD channels, more HD channels from ITV, this has been proved on this forum has false.

Members are getting frustrated at the lack of more HD channels, the promises from VM at more channels joining the network. So therefore VM cannot justify the increase.

As a consumer, l have to choose what is right at the right price for myself, finances are tight and therefore, you go to the best supplier. The prices and comments l have read on here is quite staggering, considering the prices that l have seen.