VIP/VIP+ New and Improved VIP Package

[trickytree]

What email address are you guys all using as I was already looking up what Sky could offer me equivalent to the VIP?
Only thing delaying me was the Tivo potential and I still have mine gathering dust as I love it too much to get rid of

[TMLeafs]

Originally Posted by trickytree

What email address are you guys all using as I was already looking up what Sky could offer me equivalent to the VIP?
Only thing delaying me was the Tivo potential and I still have mine gathering dust as I love it too much to get rid of

neil.berkett@virginmedia.co.uk

[Big Red]

For the VIP customers who have already added Prem HD Channels to there VIP pack and have emailed Mr Berkett's Office.

Check your VM Billing Overview and were it states Unbilled Usage you should see something like - Partial monthly charges (provided by Virgin Media Entertainment) £0.00
This relates to the £7 charge discount - but keep checking until you get your next bill to ensure full discount has being applied.

[truffles]

Hi! I've literally just joined as I am so cross about the charges VM are making for Sky HD. I have been a customer since NTL started the service in Guildford many moons ago.

I sent the CEO an email complaing about this charge and received this reply:

"
I understand your position and we are seeing what we can do for customers like yourself. I can assure you our pricing reflects the charges we get from Sky."

Not very satisfactory, so I replied back. Will keep you posted with result.

His email a/c must be at breaking point!

Nice to meet you all!

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by truffles

Hi! I've literally just joined as I am so cross about the charges VM are making for Sky HD. I have been a customer since NTL started the service in Guildford many moons ago.

I sent the CEO an email complaing about this charge and received this reply:

"
I understand your position and we are seeing what we can do for customers like yourself. I can assure you our pricing reflects the charges we get from Sky."

Not very satisfactory, so I replied back. Will keep you posted with result.

His email a/c must be at breaking point!

Nice to meet you all!

Are you expecting VM to make a loss on these channels though? VM are a business and are making very little out of the Sky HD channels you want.

Sounds like VM are working on a better deal for VIP customers though, so wait and see what happens

[KingFry]

I find it crazy that people are saying "i have been a customer for XX years / since NTL" etc... what difference do you think that should make in relation to this £7 charge? Or any charge for VM services for that matter? Do you want your bill reduced so much that you become unprofitable, a drain on VM's finances so they can no longer invest in their product? Why should you be entitled to a discount on the £7 if you've been with VM for 10 years or 10 minutes? Should your bill still be what you were paying NTL all those years ago? If that's true maybe you should also be getting the exact same level of services and products NTL offered back then.

[JPoll]

I can echo everything said here. Got a nice phone call of a woman in the office. Well done Virgin Media, listened to what I had to say regards making VIP VIP again and gave me £7 off for 6 months. She also resolved another issue I had and gave me a few quid credit on my account... told her I'm mightily impressed with the email, now the personal phone call and her remedying my issue and that she'd just won us as customers for life! Many thanks Virgin Media!!!

[Dean Ashton]

I don't think that the £7 charge is unreasonable, but I am concerned about the eroding of the VIP tiers value. So I sent this to the usual email address..

Hi there,

I've been following discussions on www.cableforum.co.uk regarding the apparently eroding status of the VIP tier, and the new £7 per-box surcharge that Sky are forcing you to pass on to your customers. From the responses people have posted up, it sounds like your office are keen to hear views from those who are on VIP.

So, based on that I thought I'd email. To be honest, I'm not sure the £7 per month surcharge is that much of a problem - but it has highlighted a trend in that the perceived benefits of the VIP tier are significantly less now when compared to the time that the package was created. At that time, the idea was that the package contained the top level of service for broadband, phone, and TV - effectively giving those who pay the most a discount of sorts.

Since then, the 20MB broadband has been topped by the new 50MB broadband, while the reduced prices for Sky channels mandated by OFCOM findings haven't been passed on to those on the VIP tier - with the reason being that this is simply normalising prices paid for those channels between VIP and other tiers.

Regardless, if Virgin Media could do something to make VIP a more compelling package to remain subscribed to, I would be extremely grateful

Finally, well done on getting carriage rights to Sky HD channels.. I can only assume that negotiations must have been difficult. And as a customer with a high interest in HD, seeing Virgin Media go from 1 HD channel not so long ago, to the large number now (with more to come).. Well, I'm very happy indeed.

For reference, my account number is *********, with my area reference being **.

It did sound like your office were trying to phone everyone up to discuss this - you really don't need to, as I think it's clear what you are trying to do right now. But if you do insist on discussing further, I can be reached on ***** ********.

Regards,
Dean

[whitfip]

Just sent an email to keep up the VIP pressure and got the followong reply...

Read and understood and per the forum thread we will do something about the value proposition for VIP customers

Neil Berkett | Chief Executive Officer
Virgin Media

[truffles]

I agree VM needs to be profitable, but compared to SKY we do not get same service.
However, VM have just contacted me by phone ((twice) to assure me that they are offering us the £7 discount for 6 months as VIP customers. They are grateful to those of us who have taken the time to contact them about our concerns and have assured me that they are listening and aim to upgrade channels etc by end of 1st quarter next year.

I am satisfied with their response, very quick indeed. They realise we pay a lot and are responding. Well done VM!! And thanks to you all for your input and for galvanising me into action. A great forum and I am so glad I found you! (Large box of chocolates beibg handed round!)

[JPoll]

Originally Posted by KingFry

I find it crazy that people are saying "i have been a customer for XX years / since NTL" etc... what difference do you think that should make in relation to this £7 charge? Or any charge for VM services for that matter? Do you want your bill reduced so much that you become unprofitable, a drain on VM's finances so they can no longer invest in their product? Why should you be entitled to a discount on the £7 if you've been with VM for 10 years or 10 minutes? Should your bill still be what you were paying NTL all those years ago? If that's true maybe you should also be getting the exact same level of services and products NTL offered back then.

Why do you find it crazy?

It's human nature to expect loyalty and reward.

I don't think anyone (well maybe a minority) want something for nothing and I certainly don't. What I told the lady is that the VIP deal isn't really VIP if you have to top up parts and what not.

I said I'm not expecting complete and utter freebies or massive discounts but a to see a bit better value and mentioned that in comparison to sky who always was dearer are now quite comparable though you do still have the edge in regards to your 50mb broadband and on demand so I'd probably never leave anyway.

She said she agreed and they are planning to upgrade the VIP deal to reflect the new services and a competitive price to match in the 1st quarter of next year.... nothing unreasonable or unrealisitic has been asked for in my opinion.

Maybe slightly off topic but neglecting your current customers or letting your customers feel neglected drives them away that's the reason I left Sky after many years and Virgin have been getting £1,500 to £1,800 or so a year off me ever since. Been happy with Vm since I joined 7 maybe 8 years ago and went VIP I think 3 years ago, well more than 2 anyway.

[jcm193]

Is there any chance there offer non vip customers a deal on the hd channels as we pay nearly £90 a month

[masefield]

Just received my response from Diane from the CEO's office nothing stated about any discount - email response copied below:

Hi Andrew
Thanks for your recent e-mail to our CEO Neil Berkett, Neil has passed this to me to liaise with you and ensure full resolution of your issues.
We are in the process of reviewing our VIP package offering and how the new exciting HD content will be incorporated in the pack. I will be in touch with you as soon as I have any update for you.
If you would like to discuss this in the meantime please feel free to contact me on (number removed by me from this post)
Kind regards
Diane

[greeninferno]

absolutely ridiculous that the ordinary punter and in this case virginmedia's MOST valuable have to take it upon themselves to get a discount they should clearly already be receiving

£3.5 Milllion a year was it Neil?

jesus wept.

[whitfip]

I have just had the phone call from Diane at Virgin and the offer to VIP customers was 6 months free SKY SPORTS HD (Channels 1 & 2). SKY Movies HD is not part of the offer. After the 6 months free service (during qtr 1 2011), Virgin Media expect to offer alternative VIP deals. By accepting the 6 months free service for SKY SPORTS HD you will be entering a new agreement and therfore commiting youself to the VIP for a further 12 months.