Virgin Media - Above Inflation Rises from 1st February

[trickytree]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Currently Virgin Media will want back the following kit

SH 2 / 2ac / Hub 3.0

All TiVo STBs

V HD and Samsung V+ HD

All other kit is not collected or requested. It can be recycled.

Interesting that I have a SH2 and 2AC (due to being on trials) and they have said recycle both.
I guess there is a cost in retrieving that kit and reconditioning for further use off me but both been told to bin them basically.

[Dr Gonzo]

They have told me that they will be sending me some packaging to send back the TiVo and SH2 when my cancellation goes through.

On that note, apart from one call two days after I cancelled my service I have not heard from Virgin.
I did call them back that evening, was told by a customer service rep that it was Outbound retentions trying to get hold of me, and I let suitable times to contact.
I've not heard anything since.

[MrB]

What is the best approach when what you have agreed does not match what has been applied to your account please? Who is best to contact please? Loyalty phoned me and made me an offer to stay with a certain mix of services for a new price, yet what is showing on my account now does not match what we agreed (other services have been downgraded which is not what I understood I had agreed to). Many thanks

[MalteseFalcon]

Call thinking of leaving us or whatever it is called now. They should be able to help.

[MrB]

Thank you - I thought it may be a good idea to try to understand what is now on my account first. I have been speaking to online chat just to get an idea what has been applied to my account as it will not be clear until the next bill - interested to note that my "free" upgrade has been removed as a result of the changes made (now showing the final speed will be 100MB not 100Mb being upgraded to 150Mb - the message has gone and it said I had now received my upgrade to 100Mb?)and my package price is less than I understood it would be, but the services have been downgraded too (phone package down from XL to M, Talk Unlimited 2 and Talk Mobile 2 removed, BB now 100Mb not 100Mb going to 150Mb - £5 less than I understood was agreed but always frustrating when what you understood you had agreed to is not what happens).

I know I will get little sympathy as I stilll have Mates Rates and still have 100Mb, XL TV, M Phone and 2xTivo - £32 per month for 12 months (plus I had already paid £164 line rental saver). What I had was 100Mb (going to) 150Mb, XL TV, XL Phone (plus Talk Unlimited 2 and Talk Mobile 2), 2 x Tivo, 1xV+ (plus £164 line rental saver). What I believed I agreed to was £37 per month (plus line rental saver already paid £164) for 100Mb (going to) 150Mb, XL TV, XL Phone (plus Talk Unlimited 2 and Talk Mobile 2), 2 x Tivo (plus £164 line rental saver).

[horseman]

Originally Posted by MrB

I understood was agreed but always frustrating when what you understood you had agreed to is not what happens).

I know I will get little sympathy as I stilll have Mates Rates .

Sheesh - if you're naive enough to admit you ever worked for VM publicly - then you deserve all you get!

Seriously "eventus stultorum magister":

1. Always record all calls (advise agent), always ask for Agent ID, ask them to confirm they've noted your Customer Notes, and always state you don't acknowledge agree to the offer untill you see it in writing.

2. Treat any offer/information from offshore with extreme prejudice and alway ring Retentions and confirm what was written on customer notes from previous call.

3. Any dispute then ring Retentions, give them 7 days to acknowlege your complaint in writing or you will start CISAS/IPSA adjudication proceedings, requiring a solution or deadlock letter and settlement in 8weeks.

Meantime email Tom Mockeridge (or if you're near Hook and your Freemason's Rotary/golf club fees are upto date then he's normally on the 19th Tee)... include your MP, The Register, and your EuroMP....
OK let's be realistic - forget the MP's just email the Register and Watchdog...

[Kushan]

Mates rates isn't just for employees, employees get "My rates". Mates Rates is for friends (Which is what employees drop down to when they leave, true enough...).

On the call recording front, if the agent is ok with you recording the call then go for it, but keep in mind they're legally allowed to refuse in much the same way you're legally allowed to refuse when you hear the automated message telling them the same. And as Horseman states, you absolutely must tell them you're recording the call - and at the very beginning, not half-way through.

[Taf]

Anything for ex NTL/VM pensioners?

[MrB]

Originally Posted by horseman

Sheesh - if you're naive enough to admit you ever worked for VM publicly - then you deserve all you get!

Don't hold back ... . I haven't ever worked for Virgin Media, a friend referred me quite some years ago. The conversation was with the UK team. Otherwise, yes I should have kept a recording, though I had no reason to hear otherwise to what I thought I had agreed to. I was open to stay but this time have even ordered Sky (that I am now contracted to), so it was not just an idle threat to bring the price down this time (I could have lived with just the phone line, as I have paid for it for a year anyway, and hopefully got a good deal on broadband with them, but given some of the offers elsewhere could have taken the hit on these too and switched all services and still saved money even paying for the phone line twice.

After exploring various options which didn't save much money, I understood a loyalty discount was being added and a V+ being removed to bring the cost down further and that was the only change I agreed to.

I can live with losing the XL phone and the other two phone add ons as this has brought the price down further by £5 more than I thought was possible, it would have been nice to have discussed it and agreed to it first though - it is, however, annoying that the "free" speed upgrade is not going to materialise though, as there was no mention of this changing in the call. The 100Mb going to 150 has been replaced by 100Mb going forward - so I assume somewhere it was downgraded to a lower plan and then upgraded to the new 100Mb level? It would be nice to have the "free" upgrade and leave the phone/price etc as it now stands, if that were possible with the changes made to the phone plan and removal of V+? The loyalty discount was offered without any changes (but 12 month contract).

[horseman]

Originally Posted by Kushan

Mates rates isn't just for employees, employees get "My rates". Mates Rates is for friends (Which is what employees drop down to when they leave, true enough...).

On the call recording front, if the agent is ok with you recording the call then go for it, but keep in mind they're legally allowed to refuse in much the same way you're legally allowed to refuse when you hear the automated message telling them the same. And as Horseman states, you absolutely must tell them you're recording the call - and at the very beginning, not half-way through.

Tut tut... I did it again (omitted the smilies replying to the OP)!

Interesting conclusion though wrt "recording" as in last 6 years it always been offshore that "dithered" when advised, 1 had to refer to her supervisor, and 1 refused and had to transfer me to Retentions! Curiously all UK agents have never had to think about it and never phased with the request!

At least to me that tells its own story?

Anyway irrelevant (as is my quips about VM Mates) but appears that a few users have been burnt after the 25Sept "cut-off" by "downgrading" or "tweaking" parts of their bundle and CS not advising them that this drops them out of the free SpeedBoost? I'd expect that of offshore but a tad unfriendly for UK agent to do it, especially to a Mate!

[Kushan]

Tut tut... I did it again (omitted the smilies replying to the OP)!

It's all right, it was more just general advice and emphasis because it's a legal thing, you don't want to get caught out with that

Interesting conclusion though wrt "recording" as in last 6 years it always been offshore that "dithered" when advised, 1 had to refer to her supervisor, and 1 refused and had to transfer me to Retentions! Curiously all UK agents have never had to think about it and never phased with the request!

At least to me that tells its own story?

Come to think of it, I am not sure how the rules affect offshore. Technically, they're not under jurisdiction of OFCOM, but they are representing a company that is?

Anyway irrelevant (as is my quips about VM Mates) but appears that a few users have been burnt after the 25Sept "cut-off" by "downgrading" or "tweaking" parts of their bundle and CS not advising them that this drops them out of the free SpeedBoost? I'd expect that of offshore but a tad unfriendly for UK agent to do it, especially to a Mate!

I did not know about this! Though I suspect it's less down to malice/incompetence and more down to the agents themselves not being aware of this.

[MrB]

Out of interest, if you drop Talk International 2, Talk Mobile 2 and from XL to M phone, what price difference should there be please? This is what has changed on my package (plus the not getting the "free" 100 to 10Mb BB upgrade ) with a reduction of £5 - I know, I am on mates rates and package prices are not the same as individual elements, but is £5 about right for this or should it be more?

Many thanks

[ileikcaek]

After the bill shock last month it looks like VM are cutting the payment handling charge from £5 to just 45p a month for non Direct Debit payments, dunno if it's for everyone but this change is long overdue. I just got an email saying this will be on our next bill.

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by ileikcaek

After the bill shock last month it looks like VM are cutting the payment handling charge from £5 to just 45p a month for non Direct Debit payments, dunno if it's for everyone but this change is long overdue. I just got an email saying this will be on our next bill.

That would be a welcome development. We're out of contract and don't pay by DD so as to chose when the payment is made. A variable income tends to force this.

[MrB]

An update - my new contract has arrived and I am still not clear - there is no longer mention of Mates rates anymore (which is fine if that means a better deal). It says I bought Big Kahuna Bundle:

Virgin Phone
12 months line rental saver
Talk Weekends
Telephone Line Rental
Wifi Tracking Code

Virgin Broadband
VIVID 100 Optical Fibre

Virgin RV
0001 Additional V Box
TV Size:XL
TiVo Monthly Fee

Your monthly service charge £39

The above contract price(s) do not include the credit of £7 a month for 12 months.

So for the contract is it £39-£7 minus what I have already paid for Line Rental Saver or £39-£7 plus what I have already paid for the phone line please? It may become clearer when I get my next bill but that is beyond the 14 day cancellation and he contract arrived a week after the phone call, so already against the clock if I want to change anything. To recap I have XL TV, 100MB Bb/M Phone plus 2xTivo.

According to the website Big Kahuna includes VIVID 200 but mine stares 100 (and no longer getting the "free" speed upgrade). Depending on answers I can probably live with the phone downgrade but also removing my "free" speed upgrade without notice is a little cheeky - and actually, changing my package to something different to what we discussed and agreed is also not really the best approach.

Any help appreciated please.

Many thanks