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Original poster

Virgin Media - 13% increase

14 replies

userno777 · 02/02/2023 13:59

We've had Virgin for about 8 years & the prices keep going up. We're paying £95 for Fibre broadband and Full House TV and talk weekends (we never use the land line).
Is it possible to have one broadband provider (for broadband only) and buy (rent) the TV channels elsewhere?
We use catch up a lot. Suppose we'd like live news. A streaming service too.
Any suggestions appreciated.

OP posts:
ChicCroissant · 02/02/2023 14:07

You can get a hard drive recorder/freeview box, or a Firestick for the catch up channels. We dumped Virgin Media a few years ago because of the constant price rises - we are now with Plusnet for broadband/phone and have a set price for the term of the contract which is much better for us.

Original poster
userno777 · 02/02/2023 14:14

Thanks...I've just googled freeview box and it says freeview is stopping in the UK

OP posts:
ChicCroissant · 02/02/2023 14:25

It's not stopping as far as I know - there were changes last year. Maybe they are not manufacturing the branded hard drive units? We use Freesat mainly.

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Cost of living
emmathedilemma · 02/02/2023 14:43

Try ringing them. Mine kept going up because I was out of my original package contract. I didn't even have to threaten to leave and they reduced it by £14 per month and increased my broadband speed. I'm now paying £48 per month for 250MB broadband, land line and basic TV package with Tivo box. I stick with them because their broadband works really well for me compared to my previous provider.

Original poster
userno777 · 02/02/2023 14:51

emmathedilemma · 02/02/2023 14:43

Try ringing them. Mine kept going up because I was out of my original package contract. I didn't even have to threaten to leave and they reduced it by £14 per month and increased my broadband speed. I'm now paying £48 per month for 250MB broadband, land line and basic TV package with Tivo box. I stick with them because their broadband works really well for me compared to my previous provider.

There customer service is shite though isn't it. Can never get through to anyone and then when you do it's overseas and they don't understand what the complaint is. I can't bear the thought of phoning them.

OP posts:
ChicCroissant · 02/02/2023 14:53

Agree about Virgin customer service, it's dreadful. I also only used to phone them as a last resort!

MadeForThis · 02/02/2023 15:12

Just get a BB only contract with someone who gives decent speed.

I use a Roku box. You can download whatever apps you want. Bbc iplayer, ITVX etc and watch live Tv through them.

You can also use Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney plus if you have a subscription.

The Roku box is about £25

Greblegable · 02/02/2023 15:14

tell them you’re leaving and they will call you and make you a better offer.

we pay £30pm for broadband, tv and a sim only mobile contract

BarbaraofSeville · 02/02/2023 15:22

We had VM for broadband until a year or two ago and at the end of the contract I just phoned and asked for a deal to stay, which I got. Then the quality of the broadband deteriorated and I no longer wanted to stay at any price, so now we have BT Fibre.

We have Freesat in our TV and rotate round Now TV, Netflix, Disney, Paramount, just have one for a few months until we get bored of it or there's something on one of the other streaming services we want and sign up to that instead. Costs around £40-50 pm including a landline and some free calls, but now we both have phones that can do wifi calling, I'm thinking of giving it up as we probably don't need it any more (previously mobile signal wasn't good enough for phone calls).

emmathedilemma · 02/02/2023 15:38

I must have got lucky, I rang one lunchtime, got through fairly quickly and spoke to someone who definitely in the UK!

Bluebellbike · 02/02/2023 16:00

My Virgin Media contract was going up from £28 to £48 per month last December. I only have Broadband and a telephone line with free weekend calls. I called Virgin and said I was leaving; and am now paying £18 per month for the same package. On an 18 month contract.

I dumped Virgin TV 5 years ago and just use Freeview TV with a Manhattan PVR box. I can record programmes as well as fast forward and rewind live TV with the PVR box.
I also use Netflix, Amazon Prime and an Amazon Fire Stick. Of course I had the initial cost of the PVR box but it was well worth it rather than continuing paying for a TIVO box and having regular price increases on it.

Doje · 02/02/2023 16:13

Grit your teeth and phone them. We got the same letter, going up from 65 to 73. After a call we'll now be paying £46.....

Ilovetocrochet · 02/02/2023 23:45

I’ll be phoning VM tomorrow - not only is the cost increasing again but I’ve just realised that I have the old TiVo box rather than the improved new one!

Redebs · 02/02/2023 23:55

I was with Virgin for years, then the prices shot up and the sales people were terrible. They kept offering me deals, but not honouring them when it came to billing. One sales guy lied outright and signed me up for a deal I had said no to.
I went to NowTV instead.
I only wanted broadband and Virgin tried to charge £60 a month.
I now pay £20.

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