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Price increases---no surprise there

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    dids858dids858 Posts: 3,979
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    £4.50 for me going to make it over £50 for V+L, Broadband M and Phone M. I might knock the phone off and go down to M tv package. Unless they can do a deal. I would move elsewhere but we have no landline phone only cable phone.
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    Ernie_CErnie_C Posts: 2,841
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    dids858 wrote: »
    £4.50 for me going to make it over £50 for V+L, Broadband M and Phone M. I might knock the phone off and go down to M tv package. Unless they can do a deal. I would move elsewhere but we have no landline phone only cable phone.

    What you suggested is a non-starter.

    You will not get the free TV M without a phone line.

    Best you would do would be the Starter Collection, which is Phone M, BB L and TV M, for the current pre-increase price of £32.99 per month.

    To give you a price comparison, standalone BB L is curently £22.50 per month, so for another £10.49 a month, the Starter Collection gives you a landline and a TV service extra.
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    Sirius CSirius C Posts: 612
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    Well... The £75m p/a to fund "free" BT Sport in XL has to come from somewhere.
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    carl.waringcarl.waring Posts: 35,705
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    I'm guessing there'd've been a price increase whatever happened.
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    owl61ukowl61uk Posts: 3,008
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    I'm guessing there'd've been a price increase whatever happened.

    Maybe so but around 12% is a bit steep. Over the past 3 years I reckon my costs have increased around 27%.

    How much has your pay gone up in this time? How much has inflation increased in past 3 years, certainly not 27%
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    Sirius CSirius C Posts: 612
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    owl61uk wrote: »
    Maybe so but around 12% is a bit steep. Over the past 3 years I reckon my costs have increased around 27%.

    How much has your pay gone up in this time? How much has inflation increased in past 3 years, certainly not 27%

    How much is a package like the old 3 for 30 now? £41?
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    Ernie_CErnie_C Posts: 2,841
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    Sirius C wrote: »
    How much is a package like the old 3 for 30 now? £41?

    The Starter Collection is £32.99 per month.
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    owl61ukowl61uk Posts: 3,008
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    Ah the good old days, 3 for £30

    I spoke with complaints dept today and they confirmed that they have had a reaction to the price increases and obviously there has been a negative reaction

    There are deals to be had, so I would suggest that if you are not happy to make your views known
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    Sirius CSirius C Posts: 612
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    Ernie_C wrote: »
    The Starter Collection is £32.99 per month.

    Correct, but doesn't have Sky One or Sky Sports News, which 3 for 30 did so the two packages are not comparable.

    While it suits Virgin staff to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone some of us can see through it.
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    bottleofbestbottleofbest Posts: 8,026
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    I re-negotiated during the BT Sport saga and got a good deal and was told my price wouldn't increase for two years.
    If it does, I will be on the phone claiming a miss-sell of contract.
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    carl.waringcarl.waring Posts: 35,705
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    owl61uk wrote: »
    I spoke with complaints dept today and they confirmed that they have had a reaction to the price increases and obviously there has been a negative reaction.
    Not exactly a shock, that :D
    There are deals to be had, so I would suggest that if you are not happy to make your views known
    Absolutely. My problem is that I am on about the best deal I can possibly get; in that they couldn't offer me anything to 'sweeten the deal' as it were because the only thing I don't have XL of is broadband and I don't need the extra speed! No use for an extra VHD box either.
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    DBSpurDBSpur Posts: 27
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    I'm currently paying just under £50 a month for 30Mb BB + free weekend calls and XLtv+Tivo x 2.
    This package includes a monthly discount of almost £10 for a year that I got because I cancelled .
    gother wrote: »
    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.


    I'm getting TV XL with Skysports (not HD), medium Broadband, one extra (very old) box (adds £10 per month) and 'phone with free calls after 7pm...around £90 total. Am I getting a REALLY bad deal?
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    gothergother Posts: 14,705
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    DBSpur wrote: »
    I'm getting TV XL with Skysports (not HD), medium Broadband, one extra (very old) box (adds £10 per month) and 'phone with free calls after 7pm...around £90 total. Am I getting a REALLY bad deal?

    Keep in mind my deal is a 12 month offer from Sky which i've combined with my VM services.
    There are loads of half price Sky tv deals out there you just need to look for them :)
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    steven123steven123 Posts: 3,245
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    I got the dreaded letter today with an increase of £5.50 per month which is bordering on excessive IMHO. Will definitely be calling retentions on Monday to discuss this and will want to either have the increase reduced substantially or be getting some sort of notable improvement to my services for all that extra money.

    I think the fact I'm not in contract should help, so in theory I could leave at any time but though I will certainly seriously consider it if they are unwilling to help, TBH I don't actually want to leave as I am very happy with the services and just renewed my line rental saver in September so would lose the majority of that if I did leave (the letter states it isn't refundable).

    The only issue I might have is that I am already on a retentions deal (though this expires before May 14) so they may well say I'm already on the very best deal they can offer. Still a £5.50 pm increase is just too much and I will even go through to disconnection dept if necessary (never done this before) to get it reduced/removed.
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    sps1013sps1013 Posts: 700
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    steven123 wrote: »
    I got the dreaded letter today with an increase of £5.50 per month which is bordering on excessive IMHO. Will definitely be calling retentions on Monday to discuss this and will want to either have the increase reduced substantially or be getting some sort of notable improvement to my services for all that extra money.

    I think the fact I'm not in contract should help, so in theory I could leave at any time but though I will certainly seriously consider it if they are unwilling to help, TBH I don't actually want to leave as I am very happy with the services and just renewed my line rental saver in September so would lose the majority of that if I did leave (the letter states it isn't refundable).

    The only issue I might have is that I am already on a retentions deal (though this expires before May 14) so they may well say I'm already on the very best deal they can offer. Still a £5.50 pm increase is just too much and I will even go through to disconnection dept if necessary (never done this before) to get it reduced/removed.

    What services do you have?
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    steven123steven123 Posts: 3,245
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    sps1013 wrote: »
    What services do you have?

    I have XL TV with a Tivo and V+, XL Phone with caller display, L broadband 30mb (had just pre registered for the 'free' bump to 50mb). I pay £42 excluding line rental and any calls. It would be £54 but I get a £12 credit every month as a loyalty bonus, though this ends in April 2014.

    I know people will be thinking "what's he moaning about, that's a good deal" and to be fair it is still a good deal right now, though with the £5.50 added on it will be £47.50 pm and once the £12 goes that will be the best part of £60 pm, which is a lot for me as I don't have any income at the moment either and have to think about what I can manage in the long term.

    As I have been finding lately I'm just not watching that much TV, I am seriously thinking of cutting down the TV service or losing it altogether but the way VM structures packages having two out of three services is rarely good value so in the long run I might well have to change provider and just get a 'no frills' phone and (ADSL) Internet service.
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    JimothyDJimothyD Posts: 8,868
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    I've just spoken to customer services to express my dismay at what I think is an unreasonable price increase (11% for me). I said that I am considering leaving VM altogether because of the increase and they didn't offer anything to change my mind. Do they have a specific complaints department or is it just their general customer services?

    Also, the guy told me I am currently in a contract because I upgraded my TV to XL in August. Should that be the case? Changing your TV package puts you in to a new contract? I only kept XL for a month because I didn't think it was of any value.
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    steven123steven123 Posts: 3,245
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    JimothyD wrote: »
    Do they have a specific complaints department or is it just their general customer services?

    You need to speak to retentions. When you get the main menu (after dialling 150 from Virgin line) you select option 5 "moving house", then option 3 "thinking of leaving". This always connects you to retentions. I have found retentions are by far the best department to speak to and are especially responsive and helpful with regards to complaints as it is (basically) their job to keep your custom, so it is in their best interests that you don't leave where as the other departments seem less interested as they are not directly responsible for retaining your custom.

    Another plus is you ALWAYS get through to someone local i.e. in the UK and never a call centre in e.g. India.
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    FusionFuryFusionFury Posts: 14,121
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    JimothyD wrote: »
    I've just spoken to customer services to express my dismay at what I think is an unreasonable price increase (11% for me). I said that I am considering leaving VM altogether because of the increase and they didn't offer anything to change my mind. Do they have a specific complaints department or is it just their general customer services?

    Also, the guy told me I am currently in a contract because I upgraded my TV to XL in August. Should that be the case? Changing your TV package puts you in to a new contract? I only kept XL for a month because I didn't think it was of any value.

    Good job you didn't ask to leave expecting for them to offer you a deal and then you are worried about leaving if they offer you no deal. I found these companies don't offer deals so much now because of Martin Lewis telling everyone to do it.
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    Sirius CSirius C Posts: 612
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    FusionFury wrote: »
    Good job you didn't ask to leave expecting for them to offer you a deal and then you are worried about leaving if they offer you no deal. I found these companies don't offer deals so much now because of Martin Lewis telling everyone to do it.

    Sky are good if you actually go through with it. Sometimes you get a letter after a couple of days but the 50% offers are there to be had.
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    Ernie_CErnie_C Posts: 2,841
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    JimothyD wrote: »
    I've just spoken to customer services to express my dismay at what I think is an unreasonable price increase (11% for me). I said that I am considering leaving VM altogether because of the increase and they didn't offer anything to change my mind. Do they have a specific complaints department or is it just their general customer services?

    Also, the guy told me I am currently in a contract because I upgraded my TV to XL in August. Should that be the case? Changing your TV package puts you in to a new contract? I only kept XL for a month because I didn't think it was of any value.

    Your price increase probably looks so high because you have such a good price, re-contracted when you upgraded in August.

    Percentages don't tell the story. Say what your current price and services are and what the price increase is and then people will be better able to comment.
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    mersey70mersey70 Posts: 5,049
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    My colleague has M+ TV with Tivo, 30mb BB and phone line and she said it costs £41 a month, she has no offers and that is the standard price. She has been advised of a £4.50 per month price rise so by my reckoning that's around 11%.

    She said the letter mentioned she recently got extra UKTV channels added at no extra cost! :D
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    sps1013sps1013 Posts: 700
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    Does anybody know what the increase is on the collections, no retention discounts etc?
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    mersey70mersey70 Posts: 5,049
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    sps1013 wrote: »
    Does anybody know what the increase is on the collections, no retention discounts etc?

    My earlier post mentioning the £4.50 rise was for the Essential Collection without any discounts, I don't know about the other collections though.
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    Gary_LandyFanGary_LandyFan Posts: 3,824
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    Anyone know what the price of the lowest broadband package is rising too?
    Just the Broadband on its own, no TV or landline?
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