General : £3 TV increase but BT Sport Europe is "free"

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Just got the letter; unbelievable cheek another price rise. Like may others not interested in footy on TV. Watching local non-league football I will go to. Overpaid pointless premiership fodder watched and played by those with no connections to the cities involved is a pointless waste of time and money.

Is it just the XL package increasing ? i.e. if i downgraded i'd get no price rise plus a discount ?

Looking at the channel line up (https://my.virginmedia.com/content/d...annelGuide.pdf) there's not much I'd miss from L either, so M+ might be the way to go. HD seems to be the main loss on some channels but unless you've a 50 foot tv a small price to pay.

I got the letter this morning too. I can fully understand those not into footy being angry as the letter clearly states the increase is so they can provide the new BT Sports channel in the XL pack. As a footy fan I`m quite happy I`m getting BT Europe and cheaper than Sky customers!

[denphone]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

I got the letter this morning too. I can fully understand those not into footy being angry as the letter clearly states the increase is so they can provide the new BT Sports channel in the XL pack. As a footy fan I`m quite happy I`m getting BT Europe and cheaper than Sky customers!

This.

[steveh]

In the small print of https://my.virginmedia.com/content/d...annelGuide.pdf it states "Non-TV XL customers can add channels to their package for an additional monthly charge." Does that mean you could downgrade to M and just add a few HD channels that you wanted? Anyone tried this?

[theone2k10]

Originally Posted by steveh

In the small print of https://my.virginmedia.com/content/d...annelGuide.pdf it states "Non-TV XL customers can add channels to their package for an additional monthly charge." Does that mean you could downgrade to M and just add a few HD channels that you wanted? Anyone tried this?

No it just means you can add channels such as btsport, sky sports/movies or upgrade to other channel packs.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

I got the letter this morning too. I can fully understand those not into footy being angry as the letter clearly states the increase is so they can provide the new BT Sports channel in the XL pack. As a footy fan I`m quite happy I`m getting BT Europe and cheaper than Sky customers!

Of course you're happy: they're sharing the cost between everyone on XL TV whether they want the channel or not.

For those of us who think footy can GITFS and aren't fans of having to pay more for TV / broadband / line rental so that Sky and BT can hand over billions for rights it's not a great situation.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Of course you're happy: they're sharing the cost between everyone on XL TV whether they want the channel or not.

For those of us who think footy can GITFS and aren't fans of having to pay more for TV / broadband / line rental so that Sky and BT can hand over billions for rights it's not a great situation.

It's because of Sky's attitude to sport "we will pay whatever it takes as it's the subscribers who will pay anyway" is exactly the reason I will never move to Sky.

And now VM are playing the same game. I may withdraw my financial support.

[tassiekev]

Originally Posted by steveh

In the small print of https://my.virginmedia.com/content/d...annelGuide.pdf it states "Non-TV XL customers can add channels to their package for an additional monthly charge." Does that mean you could downgrade to M and just add a few HD channels that you wanted? Anyone tried this?

I rang to cancel this morning and without going into lengthy details, I was asked what I wanted - said I was only interested in sport and signed up with BT for BB, 'phone & TV for £46pm because I particularly wanted BT sport. I was then offered 50Mb BB, 'phone with weekend calls & Tivo with M package plus BT Sport for just under £54. He made the valid point that BT's BB is not as good in my area (35Mb) - I'm not particularly bothered about speed as there is only me using it and its used mainly to download Sky boxsets to the Sky+ overnight. BTW, the BT price includes a mobile sim with (think) 200 mins pm. So that's a long-winded way of saying you can add BT sport to the M package - don't know if its of help to you but maybe to someone .

[roseandjim]

Oh they will bend over backwards for you if do want sport its just tough luck if like me and thousands of others you don't. For us its just shut up and pay up. That's also why I will never go to Sky.

[Skie]

Dropped down to L, got a £7 discount for 6 months and a loyalty discount of £5 for 18 months. Retained Talk Weekends and XXL BB

From £67 (would be £70 with the increase) to £50 for 6 months then £57 for the rest. Cant say I'll miss the few channels you lose doing that.

[steveh]

Originally Posted by theone2k10

No it just means you can add channels such as btsport, sky sports/movies or upgrade to other channel packs.

Bit of a strange way of putting it then. Why the specific mention of the XL package I wonder?

[Taf]

My letter has just arrived, Phoning them ASAP to show my disgust.

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Of course you're happy: they're sharing the cost between everyone on XL TV whether they want the channel or not.

For those of us who think footy can GITFS and aren't fans of having to pay more for TV / broadband / line rental so that Sky and BT can hand over billions for rights it's not a great situation.

As I said I understand `non footy fans` being unhappy with the increase just to allow the BT sports channels into the XL pack. If I wasn`t a football fan I would downgrade my package in protest.

[japitts]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

As I said I understand `non footy fans` being unhappy with the increase just to allow the BT sports channels into the XL pack. If I wasn`t a football fan I would downgrade my package in protest.

I'm still contemplating. I follow rugby union so the Premiership being shown on the existing BT Sports channels is a plus-point of the existing-XL setup for me - there's also quite a few other XL-only channels that I would miss, so downgrading isn't an option.

But as per other posters, I can't stand football and resent the fact that it's "all or nothing" so far as the BT Sport "bundle" is concerned - obviously a tactic on BT's part.

BT broadband in my area is no good, and apart from a longstanding peak-time utilisation problem (for which I'm getting a recurrent credit) I'm quite happy with VM and not about to move.

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by japitts

I'm still contemplating. I follow rugby union so the Premiership being shown on the existing BT Sports channels is a plus-point of the existing-XL setup for me - there's also quite a few other XL-only channels that I would miss, so downgrading isn't an option.

But as per other posters, I can't stand football and resent the fact that it's "all or nothing" so far as the BT Sport "bundle" is concerned - obviously a tactic on BT's part.

BT broadband in my area is no good, and apart from a longstanding peak-time utilisation problem (for which I'm getting a recurrent credit) I'm quite happy with VM and not about to move.

I see your problem mate. I have no interest in any other sport so if it weren`t for the football I`d downgrade. I`d miss the HD a little bit but from what I can see there`s no channels I`d miss. Would be intersting to see what Virgin did if all customers who don`t like football downgraded and told them why they were doing so,wouldn`t it?

[djstevie]

I phoned them and ended up cancelling the tv and going BB and phone only. The lassie on the phone didn't even bother to try and offer downgrade options for the tv.

Doubt i'll miss it but if I do I can always take it again at a later date.