Is Virgin Media basically telling its old customers just P off?!

[IwantToRetire]

I am not surprised by this, and know it has been an issue for some time, but talk about telling your existing customers you aren't valued!

My current contract which is due to expire is around £70pm - it was a discounted deal and has had bits added to it for free over past 2 years.

So they tell me if I want to renew with same content, it will now be £170pm

Or then can do a stripped down package for £130pm

And then at the end of the email they tell me that the stripped down package of £130 offered to me, for a new customer would be £40.

Hardly a clever sales tactic!

Talk about letting you know they dont care about you!

Thanks for letting me rant.

It's the total cheek of being so blatant!

Yes I think they are. We've been with them for 14 years and I have habitually gone through the rigmarole or phoning up every 18m/2y when contract coming up to negotiate down ridiculous amounts. This year was the first time where it didn't work and they offered me a dispcunt of £1.49 whcih meant I would still be paying £30 per month more than a new customer. I don't mind paying a but more, as I get they hea I'll discount to get new customers, but double is a piss take. I think now its all dont by AI chatbits so its harder to get sensible quotes. I left and DH signed up, switch over was very smooth.

I think they're shooting themselves in the foot as they are no longer miles better than the competition for broadband. I'll go to BT fibre as a new customer now next time if I have to.

Just to say have really appreciated those who have commentated, made suggestions, re-assured me I am not along in thinking VM is just shitty in it attitudes, and work practices.

I did make a call today saying I was following up on "offer" and as a PP said it is a pantomime.

So some poor employees are left to take phone calls where even if you remain polite, you are being very negative about their employer. They just repeat over and over this is their standard practice. I wonder how many times people shout at them.

And then eventually say just phone retention, they can make you an offer.

Talk about giving customer service a bad name.

(Just to add I never had say who I was as I used by VM landline, so big brother may not be watching but VM is!)

I am past that as I am in the last month of a 2 year contract. And dont seem interested in keeping me as a customer.

But yes as said earlier in the thread they have been fined for making it so hard for people to end a contract.

It was a huge amount of money.

I never accept their renewal offer. I’ve been with VM for about 15 years. I have super fast broadband, a tv 360 recordable box, a landline and their entry level tv package( which is more than enough for me)

I had been paying £40 a month. Earlier this year they wanted me to renew at £58. I made my usual 18 monthly phone call and said I couldn’t afford it and if they couldn’t match the advert I’d just seen for £35 for my package I was leaving. My call was then transferred to the retentions team and I very politely told them the same. The person I spoke to added on her “special discounts” and renewed my contract at £35 instead of their proposed renewal offer of £58. The retentions team have the authority to add discounts and if your preference is to stay with VM it’s definitely worth speaking to them.

They were awful when my MIL died

So sorry. What a terrible thing to do.

My user name on one of the review sites is something like NEVERUSEVIRGINMEDIA.

They got fined millions but they DGAF because they made more by preventing people from leaving. I literally could not cancel despite being out of fixed contract period. Even cancelling DD bought threats of court action and CCJs.

Never ever use this company. Wasted many £ and many hours of my life and they openly don’t care. It’s their business model.

When I tried calling - to cancel - I waited 5 minutes before hanging up.

Eventually I did it all by webchat in about 10 minutes. About 2 hours later someone (illegally) called my mobile and tried to get me to change my mind. I was less than impressed when they opened with

"Before I speak to you, I'll have to ask you some security details"

Apparently no one has ever complained about that before. Who knew ?

On one level what is so gross is that most people, while asking obvious questions when signing up wont think I also need to ask can I trust you to keep your word, what have you NOT told me ...

Off topic!

I always used to wonder why the group Women's Rights Network has this on their home page

Please don't use a Virgin Media, Blue Yonder or NTL World email address as our emails will not reach you.

Are they saying VM is blocking them?!

"Before I speak to you, I'll have to ask you some security details"

Apparently no one has ever complained about that before. Who knew?

Do none of the people who work at, though I suspect run VM live in the real world?

I couldn't give a shiny shit about their ethics. I just don't want to change my email every time I change my service provider.

Any company can go under of course but I've had the same email for 20 years. I change service providers every 2 years. You may have the time and patience for updating every account you've ever held every 2 years but I do not.

are you out of contract? I was and when I called to put it to broadband only they could offer me that for £70 or broadband with freeview and comedy channels for £35. I don’t use the tv but obviously don’t make sense to do broadband only and pay more. Worth giving them a call

But that's exactly what I am complaining about.

Admittedly at the start of the thread it was just about the ridiculous, blatant rip off of "loyal" customers.

But then when I saw the new announcement of them discontinuing their email provision I was really put out.

I had planned to just keep VM broadband because like you I have email addresses dating back decades ie blueyonder. And in fact why I stuck with them for so long because the renewing games are just so tedious.

So the idea, not of creating a different email, but having to go to just about every part of my life where part of my signing on to the NHS, my Bank, online services, etc., etc., to my log in email is just horrendous.

So not sure why you would think I did have the time.

Was very explicit that this to me very recent development, ie during the lifetime of this thread has totally change how I am now looking at the issue.

They must be treating you as a new customer.

And in fact they will even let someone living at the same address as an existing contract ending customer take out a "new contract" at those discounted rates.

Sadly my cat doesn't have a bank account otherwise I would sign her up for the £30 cheap as chips offer.

I suppose what it means is that "loyal" customers are subsidising new customers for their first 24 months.

Can you imagine a block of flats were those who had had leases for a while kept having their rent put up so that new tenants could have 24 months of subsidised rents!!!!!

theyvfef didn’t treat as new as there was some amazing Black Friday deals that I’d asked about and wasn’t entitled. I was well out of contract though. I’m also the only adult on the household so couldn’t transfer. Maybe wait til Black Friday when you’ll e free of contract and there might be a decent deal. I really didn’t want the tv but was obviously ridiculous ti pay double the price to not have. IIRC it wasn’t even the retention team that gave me the deal

Well in fact that really supports that it just seems to be ad hoc.

Anybody can decide anything!

We left Sky moved to Zen because there’s no mid contract price hikes we just now cycle through various streaming platforms when there’s something to watch. On principle I’ll never go back to Sky or Virgin.

Play them at their own game, then. Terminate the contract then sign up as a new customer. The arrogant fuckwits deserve it.

Unfortunately it’s not possible to do that . A specific length of time( I can’t remember how many months) needs to pass before you can rejoin after terminating your contract. They have that loophole covered otherwise everyone would just terminate at the end of their contract and rejoin with a new customer offer.

Trying to leave Virgin Media was trying to check out of Hotel California. In the end I said I was moving house and even then they wanted my new address so I made something up and finally got rid of them.

I found this with Sky when we tried to leave (after getting a Freesat box.) Had to tell them I was moving overseas!

Didn't have a problem with Virgin, as they don't come out into the sticks where we live - and they said they never will when DH asked them. Too few people for them to bother bringing the infrastructure out. So they had to let us leave.

@IwantToRetire I take it back about £70 a month being a rip off sorry. I didn't notice that you had the TV package as well as the phone with unlimited calls and the internet. That price is OK. £170 is laughable though.

As a pp suggested, would leaving and rejoining a few weeks later be an option?

Here is a VM training video.

I have seen contracts that require new customers to be at least 12 months after any previous termination.

As with most things it's probably not lawful, but that doesn't stop them.

Once again thanks. It really is eye opening. I have had problems with VM but have stuck with them for the continuity of the email address x 3.

And was going to dump all the tv bit, and go with option others have mentioned.

But then half way through this thread found out about the email being discontinued.

From local area forums, no one seems to have totally reliable internet connection. As I work from home, the idea that I might end up at the local library is daunting (also this access has now been reduced - a sign of the times).

So it gone from just getting a flashy smart tv with freely, and opting to pay ITV and C4 for ad free streaming something a bit more of an upheaval.

After my frustrating call yesterday I am giving my brain a break from this.

So much for technology etc., making our lives easier!

Another tech bro con. Just easier for them to make money out of us.

Same, they were awful when my father died. Refused to allow my mother to keep the same phone number, she "had" to be a new customer (fine) but it wasn't possible to keep the landline number they'd had for over 30 years (and was registered everywhere).

We were holding out for FTTP before switching as it's being laid round here, but it turns out our street is one of the last to be done (if it ever does). My new plan is to just move for the next contract regardless.