Virgin Media broadband customers to be hit with price hikes from November

Kushan · 15-09-2015, 21:29

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/new...-from-november

Quote:

More than 500,000 broadband only Virgin Media customers will be hit with price hikes of up to 6% from 1 November, but you can leave penalty free.

The move will see customers who pay for Virgin Media's broadband, but get their line rental and any other packages such as home phone or TV elsewhere, pay £1.75 more each month. Prices will increase as follows:

50MB broadband will increase from £28.50/month to £30.25/month – a 6.1% increase.
100MB broadband will increase from £33.50/month to £35.25/month – a 5.2% increase.
152MB broadband will increase from £41/month to £42.75/month – a 4.3% increase.

Yawn. Didn't see that one coming.

SnoopZ · 15-09-2015, 23:19

There goes the FREE speed increase, for someone with just VM broadband....

BenMcr · 15-09-2015, 23:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

There goes the FREE speed increase, for someone with just VM broadband....

Price changes to broadband happen whether you opt for the speed increase or not. Therefore the speed increase offered has no directly related cost.

pk1 · 16-09-2015, 06:37

Will drop my speed, and wait for the speed increase.

Sephiroth · 16-09-2015, 07:41

It's an interesting game being played by VM. They want our money and we don't want to give them any more than we're already paying. So they have to judge their value proposition in knowing how far they can push their prices before customers defect - that is if they have somewhere to defect to.

As I've said before, there is no valid concept of "loyalty" on either side. It's all about value propositions and thus price positioning.

Ignitionnet · 16-09-2015, 09:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

As I've said before, there is no valid concept of "loyalty" on either side. It's all about value propositions and thus price positioning.

Some people consider themselves loyal and proclaim how loyal they are to VM pretty vociferously.

Usually at the same time they are complaining about price rises or their losing 'loyalty' discounts and paying closer to list price of course but they think of themselves as loyal.

broadbandking · 16-09-2015, 09:39

I love the way people think its cheap to maintain a network of VM size, you live to your means in this life prices will rise.

Sephiroth · 16-09-2015, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Some people consider themselves loyal and proclaim how loyal they are to VM pretty vociferously.

Usually at the same time they are complaining about price rises or their losing 'loyalty' discounts and paying closer to list price of course but they think of themselves as loyal.

Exactamundo.

Kushan · 16-09-2015, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadbandking

I love the way people think its cheap to maintain a network of VM size, you live to your means in this life prices will rise.

I don't think anyone's questioning the cost of the network, it's more that Virgin claims to give free speed boosts but also increases prices. I'd actually be less upset if Virgin just increased prices, it's the cheek to call the upgrade "Free" that's annoying.

Same with the TV. Price of TV went up but we got BT Sport for "free". Don't want BT sport, would rather the price stayed the same.

qasdfdsaq · 16-09-2015, 12:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Price changes to broadband happen whether you opt for the speed increase or not. Therefore the speed increase offered has no directly related cost.

At a time of zero inflation and decreasing technology costs, I don't see anything else one could reasonably connect this price rise with.

Sephiroth · 16-09-2015, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

At a time of zero inflation and decreasing technology costs, I don't see anything else one could reasonably connect this price rise with.

Additional CMTSs and associated works across the estate?

BenMcr · 16-09-2015, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

At a time of zero inflation and decreasing technology costs, I don't see anything else one could reasonably connect this price rise with.

Considering OFCOM have said that between the 2013 and 2014 there was a 93% increase in UK broadband data usage, then there is still need for investment which has to be paid for, even if all other factors remained the same.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...ructure-14.pdf

Quote:

Data use is increasing steadily (3.87 to 3.95). The UK is now using far more data, as users migrate to faster connections and access data-hungry applications such video streaming. All operators have seen an increase in the amount of data downloaded, with some variation between them. On average, there has been a 93% increase in the amount of data downloaded over the last year.

qasdfdsaq · 16-09-2015, 13:03

Note that "decreasing technology costs" mean the same amount of data requires less costs to provide, and similarly more usage can be accomodated for the same cost.

From a user's perspective they were already paying for "unlimited" usage anyway.

Gavin78 · 16-09-2015, 13:50

that means my average package price will be around £85.88 a month for XXL BB XL TV and weekend calls.

No doubt another price rise of about £3-£6 come February-April next year to cover inflation.

Its not like you can got somewhere else the prices are nearly the same and VM know this. I wouldn't have a phone line if it were upto me but they hike the price up so you save next to nothing.

qasdfdsaq · 16-09-2015, 14:14

Indeed. A Sky TV + BB + Phone package works out around £90 a month also.