Topic: Virgin Media package - pros and cons?

[Lishka]

Please, any of your experiences wanted and, yep! preferably the ones where Things Went Wrong. I need to get up to speed with this before early July.

I'm talking about the package with includes TV/internet/phone and would like to know, for example, is the package price comparable/competitive with other providers? Do they alert existing customers to special offers which they offer new sign-ups, etc.. btw,as an alternative provider I only know Sky.......what else might there be around?

Me, I choose to use neither, so I'm starting from a 0 knowledge of what's what on offer.

Lots of thanks for anything you can offer.

Lishka

[manicscousers]

We have a Virgin package, Lish.tv, broadband, line rental, calls and a mobile phone. Can't give you any negatives, we used to have sky and the picture kept breaking up on the tv in bad weather  :)

[goodlife]

BT, Sky, Virgin..they some of the most 'common' companies that do package deals.
Generally they don't have that much difference with prices that I've noticed..unless you sign up while they have their 'deals' going on.
I've been with Virgin for years..but I do regularly check the competitors..but what deals I've seen I find it not worth of efford to swap the supplier.
Why not start with you current telephone supplier..ask what they can do for you.
Prices between companies are comparable..but you do need to read the small print..some give you free this and that and other something different. So you just have to think what are your requirements.
Basics line line rentals doesnt differ that much..but it is good to check.
Also with you internet..what do you use it for..do you need certain amount of speed? (downloads and games require more) or are you happy with basic lower speed for just everyday browsing.
I find Virgin Medium package adequate for my usage..basic television channels+ some extras, phone (inc. line rental), and broadband £34.

[Lishka]

Thanks both for the feedback. I'd stress this isn't for me - I'm v. happy with what I have (I don't have/want TV and am completely satisfied with my current internet/landline phone providers) - but researching for one of 'me ladies' and this has become an important issue for her, so the more I can learn, the better. I'd actually forgotten about BT - I did say I am starting from zero knowledge! :-[

Goodlife, to your point that signing up as a new customer to special offer deals could (would?) give you a preferential lower monthly price - would existing customers be alerted to this different price and would they be able to negotiate it for themselves, does anyone know?

Anyone know how easy it is to switch from Virgin to another provider, btw?

[Bruce]

I get offers from virgin every few months. have several times compared with sky. went with telewest once, but came back to sky. virgin is slightly cheaper, but not by much, when I compared tv/broadband/phone to sky for tv and talktalk for phone/broadband.

depends on what you want, but for me virgin hasn't yet been the best package.

[kt.]

I prefer Virgin to Sky. 
1.  Picture does not break up in bad weather as it is underground cables, not a dish. 
2.  Virgin customer services are free from a virgin landline
3.  With sky you get 12 month warranty on all kit then you have to pay for new stuff such as handset & setbox.  With Virgin it is free all the time.  Over the past 12 years i have had the box replaced twice but once was for upgrade.  They have sent me free handsets in the post if mine has been dodgy through kids fair wear and tear. 
4.  I find it a little cheaper than all the others available in my area.
5.  Cant fault their service at all.  They have resolved any issues over the phone or sent an engineer out within 48hrs in most cases.
6.  All their installation and equipment upgrades were free of charge.

No Virgin complaints from me :)

[grawrc]

I would agree with all that ktlawson says, however I changed from Virgin to sky a few years back when Virgin's prices went through the roof (they have subsequently changed their pricing structure). It was an absolute nightmare with them pursuing me for months and threatening court action for money I didn't owe. them. It took letters, phone calls (long waits in queues, being passed from one dept to another and the link mysteriously dying just as you thought you were getting somewhere) and counter threats before I actually got someone who looked up my record and told me I was right and they owed me money. They said they wanted their boxes back. They lay at the front door for months gathering dust and finally I was told I could dispose of them. So unless they have improved that part of their customer service it is awful!

With sky we had tv phone and broadband but the broadband kept going down so we finally changed to o2 and that has been fine. I get a reduced rate for broadband because I have an o2 mobile. We were also going to get rid of tv (I hardly ever watch it) which meant we couldn't get their phone service so I transferred to BT. I phone abroad a lot and BT have a package that cuts the price of calls to the places I call. Anyway sky then offered us the TV package half price so I've got that.

[goodlife]

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Goodlife, to your point that signing up as a new customer to special offer deals could (would?) give you a preferential lower monthly price - would existing customers be alerted to this different price and would they be able to negotiate it for themselves, does anyone know?I do get offers from Virgin as and when they do have new deals on..as for others..well..I do have Sky as well on upstairs TV,,,and I did negotiate 'special' deal with them..you just have to be brave and barter. So I'm sure if one does it they all do it..it just takes a bit of determination.. ;)

[Lishka]

Again, v. many thanks all, it's helping me build a picture..

Anne, someone I know who switched from Virgin to another provider, also went through 17 days of hassle - 17 days without landline/TV/internet? - with exactly the same scenario you experienced - seems not as easy as changing gas/electricity suppliers, once they've got you hooked?

To open up a bit on why I'm asking - this lady, who is considering moving to H.A. rented accomm. has, as part of her tenancy agreement with the H.A. (I believe, haven't seen the tenancy agreement doc. yet) to sign up to a Virgin Agreement to take their package......

Alarm bells are not just ringing, but clanging, on all-sorts of fronts here, which is why I'm asking about problems experienced and if Virgin are constantly adjusting their price to customers to stay competitive with other providers in this field without customers having to do their own individual checking and bargaining.