Problems renewing Virgin Media contract

[davidmint]

Hi,

If I have put this in the wrong section, grateful if the site team could correct it.

It’s so easy to look at our problems subjectively, so I am after some good objective advice on just when to let things go and whether I am being unreasonable.

Case in point. I have an 18 month contract with Virgin Media for:

1Gig Broadband

Telephone line including all non-premium calls

2 x 4k Virgin 360 Ultra boxes

Sky Movies and Sports in HD

Sky Entertainment & Cinema Ultra HD

TNT Sports (formerly BT Sports)

Netflix Standard  

Virgin TV Go for 5 devices (PCs/pads/mobiles)

All for £60 a month and this comes to an end next month so I phoned them on 2 August, to give me enough time to shop around if they couldn’t offer a good deal.

I spoke to Pedro who came up with a price of £80.75 (around 36% increase but ok), so I agreed to go for another 18 months. Pedro was having system problems at the time and couldn’t process the order and promised to call me back by 2 September. I had proof he was offering exactly what I have now and I was happy to wait.

Virgin still offer a similar package as the one I have, still £60 for 18 months (you have to take out an o2 5g SIM only package for £25 as well, as I did), but now it comes with 500Mb broadband, only 1 TV 360 box, and no TNT Sports). To bring it up to the same would be £94.

Any Sky subscribers tempted to jump ship should realise the Virgin service is very patchy compared to what they are enjoying. A call to Virgin normally entails a wait of 30 to 45 minutes, they refuse to give out any email addresses and I contacted them on WhatsApp at 7.02am yesterday and received no contact from humans the FULL DAY despite constantly reminding them I was there.

Anyway, the call I was meant to get on 2 September never happened and the contract was running out, so last Saturday I decided to wait until somebody actually answered the phone and finally got through to someone I will refer to as Dodgy Boy, who when he checked what I was getting told me that TNT Sports was no longer included and this now added £18 a month, but he would see what he could do for EXACTLY what I have now. I know he said this because I have learned to record all calls to companies like Virgin, as sometimes what their staff may promise you bears little resemblance to reality.

Dodgy Boy came back with a price of £94, and I assumed the August price of £80.75 had excluded the TNT Sport, so I agreed it.  There was something very dodgy about Dodgy Boy and something made me ask if Netflix was included. When he answered “No”, I thought “screw this, I will sort this out when I can get to speak to a grown up” and ended the call. I’d been on the phone for 90 minutes and I think Virgin staff are encouraged to wear you down.

Then I checked the three sets of figures showing:

1.       What services we currently receive for £60pm.

2.       What services were included in Pedro’s Contract Information of 2 August for £80.75pm

3.       What services were included in Dodgy Boy’s Contract Information of 16 September for £94pm

I could see Pedro had been fair and was offering the same as I had – it included the TNT Sports.  I was furious at Dodgy Boy who had totally scammed me.

Anyway, I spoke to someone else today for 75 minutes, and they listened patiently to me and

said the “problem is you agreed the contract.” I said it was under pressure to get off the phone, but he said they couldn’t move and at best he would try to get his manager to issue a £13.25 credit each month for the term of the contract, but I got the feeling he was telling me not to hold breath.

£94 per month for what I am getting is still very good. £170+ via other means. Contrary to what Dodgy Boy said, the guy I spoke to today tells me Netflix is included in the new deal.  I’m not going to stamp my feet and move for the sake of £13.25.

With their emailed order confirmations and recorded calls do I have any grounds to insist they stick to their initial offer.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

Dave

 

 

[unclebulgaria67]

£94 per month for what is included seems very cheap. 

I am on Virgin Media and pay more, but receive less.

Whenever I have had contact with Virgin Media, their pricing system does not seem very consistent and they appear to come up with a number, which includes a level of discount for the 18 months.

Recently VM have announced an increase in broadband charges.

[davidmint]

Thanks, I agree £94 is a good price.

That aside, I am really trying to see whether a distance selling company can give me one price as Pedro did in August by word and confirmed by email and I agreed to it, he promised to verify it later and when he failed to do so and I chase it and the new salesman refuses to honour that price?

Edited September 20, 2023 by davidmint

[AndyOrch]

I suppose the following announcement is what causing the confusion of what they can offer.

Virgin Media Drops TNT Sports From All Its TV Bundles | Cord Busters

WWW.CORDBUSTERS.CO.UK

---

Virgin Media has removed TNT Sports from all its new TV bundles. Learn about the financial implications and what this means for sports enthusiasts

 

 

 

.

[davidmint]

Hmmm, I guessed this was why Pedro couldn't process the order on 2 August when I thought about it last weekend - this was obvious already in place, if not known to general staff at the time.

OK Virgin obviously couldn't get TNT's owners anywhere near the deal they had with BT, but with 30 years running my own IT support company I have always taken anything like this on the chin when third parties costs have increased. 

I am sure they are still making money from me at £80.75 per month.

From a legal perspective can they just flatly refuse to honour their original offer where I have emailed confirmation and a recording of the call?

Edited September 20, 2023 by davidmint

[AndyOrch]

Well TNT Sports is now Warner and they are putting it out on Amazon Prime also ...the days for Virgin/Sky are numbered.

[davidmint]

All good. After raising a complaint, Virgin agreed to give me another 18 months on the same package I have for £80.75 per month.

[AndyOrch]

[davidmint]

Hi, I have been emailed by Virgin's resolution team to make sure I am happy.

All, but one thing and I would ask your advice on this?

I believe whenever I have renewed a contract by anyone, the new contract starts when the old one ends? 

I recently discovered Virgin started the new contract when the new contract was agreed with a month still outstanding on the old one and without the price increase and the fact they invoice a month in advance it's added £60 to the bill. The salesman did not tell me he was doing this. 

I have ran this past a few friends and they agree this isn't on, but maybe they felt this is just what I wanted to hear?

I spoke to Virgin and they said I should have made it clear that I wanted to wait until the old contract expired, I said I took this for granted and they said you shouldn't!!