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Price increases---no surprise there
Just got a letter from Virgin advising my package M+ TV, 30mb broadband and basic phone package is going up by £4.50 per month. Considering my package is only around £42 per month, this is a significant rise.
So much for getting all those new channels for free, Alibi, Watch etc
I have been a customer since the Telewest days but this is just an increase too far
So much for getting all those new channels for free, Alibi, Watch etc
I have been a customer since the Telewest days but this is just an increase too far
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Yep ... what a surprise. The annual price increase and the inevitable call to customer retentions. I'm just getting so weary with the whole dance.
Well worth considering your options, especially if the extra TV channels are of little interest.
Re-read your post and the original post.
You seem to have omitted something?
I just had to re-read, he's forgotten the BB
Either way, still expensive for what you get.
However BT and TalkTalk provide YouView with their broadband and phone packages
The issue is that very few people are getting a pay rise so are having to cut back and TV packages will be the easiest cut for most.
Tivo is leaps and bounds ahead of Youview imo. Let's do the maths here
30mb bb (soon to be 50mb) , phone tvm+ (includes channels such as sky1 , universal , syfy , mtv , tcm etc) = about £45p/m this is after price rise , chances are you'll get half price for 6 months anyway so it'll be about £30p/m for first 6 months.
bt youview (no sky channels , a few channels such as GOLD , Watch etc) 38mbs bb , phone = about £41p/m +£55 worth of activation fees (price befor bts price rise).
talktalk youview (sky1 , gold etc) - 38mbs bb , phone , about £40p/m (before price rises). VM somehow doesn't look that bad now does it?
This package includes a monthly discount of almost £10 for a year that I got because I cancelled .
I'm half tempted to go to Sky when it ends but Tivo is so much better than the Sky+ HD box and BB speeds appear to be far superior on Virgin but the annual hoop jumping is becoming tiresome.
A 10% increase is unacceptable although I've had no letter yet
That is what I think as well, except it will be negated by a speed increase if you have their Broadband service as well, if not you will not get any benefit from their price increase
As you don't with Sky , BT ,Talktalks price increases.
I was lucky enough to nab one of those 12 month half price deals of Sky and VM gave me a deal too so i get 60mb bb , phone , tvm+ of vm for £38p/m and i get sky ent extra with hd , sky sports and movies hd too for £31p/m. so £69p/m all in. Can't grumble at that imo both companies are giving me a great deal.
For about 3 years I only had Virgin for BB but for well over a year I had both Sky and Virgin for tv but it was once Sky started charging the £10 for HD that I decided it was time to ditch one provider .
I upgraded Virgin when they were doing the 3 for £30 deal .
After the year I had to choose and the guy at Sky readily admitted they couldn't match the prices offered by Virgin.
Once I'd cancelled I got regular bumph from Sky offering me any package at 50% off for a year .
I was really tempted but upon enquiring they wouldn't budge on the HD charge . So while they would knock 50% off any package including movies the HD charge of £10 wasn't included.
So for the sake of £5 they ended up with nothing .
Bizarre marketing strategy. ( I assume they realised it too which is why they've juggled the subs to make the HD charge less visible)
Sky have sent sales people to my house offering good deals but the last time they called it was shortly after I entered my current 12 month deal with Virgin.
My son has Sky in the next village ( because he can't get Virgin) but I have to say the Sky HD box is still not a patch on Tivo so they'll need a superb deal to make me lose that third tuner
Very true. But at the same time costs still increase whatever we do or don't get in our wages. Even if it was just an increase for inflation costs will go up. So anyone expecting not to have price increases each year are onto a loser there.
It is certainly an easier thing to cut but it also depends on what else you do to fill your time, spend your money on etc. You have to consider your options.
Going by the OP's costs an extra £4.50 a month is what? An extra 15p a day. They don't seem to mind paying the £1.40 a day so is 15p a day extra really that awful?
It's not relevant to use Mates Rates ( or indeed Retentions deals) for a valid comparison of increased prices for the majority of people who pay standard prices.
TV is M+ with a V+ box and a standard box for spare room
Phone is M
BB is M, 30mb all for £42.50, going up by £4.50.
More than 10% is a big rise by any standard.
Ok my broadband has increased but do I need 30mb, probably not for waht I do.
As someone posted, 59%rise is 4 years is excessive by most standards. VM pretty much pushing customer loyalty to the limit.
Talk Talk seem like a decent option and with just a single You view plus box with a TV package unlimited broadband added giving roughly same channels for around £17.50 plus line rental of about £11 if paid in advance like I do just now
That's what I find with Virgin their prices for broadband are high like you said many people don't need really fast broadband.
'If we and/or Virgin Media Payments:
a) increase our charges under this agreement
b) make significant changes to the services so the services you are entitled to receive in return for the charges you pay are significantly altered or reduced; or
c) make significant changes to the terms and conditions of this agreement (including the other legal stuff),
you may cancel those services affected without penalty by giving us and/or Virgin Media Payments (as applicable) at least 30 days' notice'
But still a bit cheeky. You've signed a contract and they decide to alter the terms.
Please re-read what you just wrote and you will see that what you said is far from correct.
You quoted the contract which allows you the customer to cancel if the price goes up. Hardly a contract change. More protection which benefits you and not Virgin Media.
I didn't say it was, I was just pointing out that even on mates rates the price rises have been pretty considerable.
And mates rates isn't some amazing deal, from memory I think it's £15 a month off the standard price (as long as you take out all the specified services). I'd guess that anyone that tried hard enough could get a similar deal.
yes my comment isn't a reaction to the quote, it's a reaction to the price change. The quote just points out we have a fallback.