Virgins "MASSIVE SAVINGS" booklet

Today I had my postman deposit another gem from Virgin media through my door. So on seeing I could get 30mb unlimited Broadband on its own (with no phone or tv) for £11.25 a month for 6 months then £22.50 a month after that, I decided to give them a ring.

After finally getting through to the helpful John and waiting 15 minutes on hold for him to find out about the offer I get told that "this offer is only available to new customers" and to get it "you would have to leave virgin media for 6 months, then rejoin us".

What is it with virgin media's lack of interest in current customers? Once they've got you signed up they simply are not interested.

As fairly long time Virgin customers, a friend and I both recently decided we were paying too much for our (different) packages. We separately called the Customer Relations number (call 150 and Option 2 I think, but whoever you get ask to be put through to the Customer relations team) and reduced our monthly bills to less than half, and in both cases for better packages.

thanks for that, I'll give it a go and report back.

I'm currently on a broadband and phone package as its more expensive to just have broadband on its own thanks to virgins pricing models.

Yep, all providers are like that.

If you take broadband alone, virgin still have to install the line, maintain the line and provide the broadband. The cost to provide the phone package on the existing infrastructure is marginal.

Customers with a phone package are likely to use that phone package at some point. This means the average profit from somebody on broadband + phone service is far higher than a broadband only subscriber.

To compensate for a loss in profits on broadband only, the price is initially slightly higher. There's no chance of them making extra revenue on a BB only line you see.

Hence why providers give broadband for free or £2/£3 a month. They make all their profit on the calls package which they force you to take along side. TalkTalk have been big on this in the past.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Thu 01-Aug-13 12:00:09)

We're the same here. Been on cable for 15 years, ever since Yorkshire Cable dug the street up. Back then it was the best offer for Internet and phone calls. Over the years it's got to the point where the only use the phone line gets is for PPI claims companies to call us. We have a great mobile package, NOT Virgin, that makes it cheaper and easier to use mobiles for all calls. I have Skype and VOIP too.
Called Virgin, said we wanted the phone line taking off but we would stay with them for TV and Internet. They quoted a new monthly rate that was £2 MORE than before. I asked why, they just said that was the price for the new package and I would have to take a new 12 month contract to get it.
I compared the cost to what they were quoting in the papers, and even on their own site, and was told that was for new customers only.
Needless to say, I did not accept their sparkling offer and told them to keep it as it was.
I then called their retentions team and told them I was looking to move to BT or even Digital Region as they could offer me a better deal. They somehow managed to drop my current package price and throw in a small TV upgrade, we were on a very old M package, just the basic channels, to M+
The main sales team don't seem to care about old customers, they won't make any commission out of them. On the other hand, the Retentions team will do all they can to keep you as a customer. For anyone who has been with them for some time, with no changes, it could be worth re-negotiating your package price

Well, spoke to the retention team and they've agreed to remove my phone line so i just have 30mb unlimited broadband for £22.50 a month.

Couldn't wrangle the 6 months for half that, but at £22.50 a month it still beats BT infinity's unlimited deal which is £35 (inc line rental you don't really need)