Telewest bought by Virgin

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 01 Mar 2007, 08:38

Poppy wrote:Just heard on R2 news - through half-shut ears - that Virgin customers have lost their Sky channels.................

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 01 Mar 2007, 10:16

your up early popster!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 01 Mar 2007, 10:19

Sandra wrote:your up early popster!

The joy of flexi-time - avoid the 'rush hour' - not that there's much 'rush' about it!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 01 Mar 2007, 10:42

Poppy wrote:Just heard through half-shut ears that Virgin customers have lost their Sky channels.................

"Lost" is the word for it - it was on Sky One!!!

Gosh. Must phone Virgin and get some money off my bill.

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 01 Mar 2007, 11:47

You probably won't get anything off your bill if you just phone up and say you want money off, they will probably try and reduce your services to save you money.

What you want to do is find a pretty similar package on Sky/BT to what you have got just now and work out the prices then phone up customer services and give them the figures and say you are considering moving and then mention the Sky One thing, you will probably get money off this way. When you are working out your figures, be sure to include special offer prices so you get the cheapest comparrison figure possible, they won't match it but should drop your bill down a bit.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 01 Mar 2007, 12:18

ifstar wrote:You probably won't get anything off your bill if you just phone up and say you want money off, they will probably try and reduce your services to save you money.

What you want to do is find a pretty similar package on Sky/BT to what you have got just now and work out the prices then phone up customer services and give them the figures and say you are considering moving and then mention the Sky One thing, you will probably get money off this way. When you are working out your figures, be sure to include special offer prices so you get the cheapest comparrison figure possible, they won't match it but should drop your bill down a bit.

Understood. What I was factoring in though was the fact that other people had got money off, plus today was a bad PR day - so all I did was phone up and ask for money off!

The nice lady in disconnections must have had a pre-prepared deal in mind - there were some aspects I didn't even ask for that she threw in unprompted - but when I tried to cadge the next internet speed up, she wasn't authorised.

I got my bill cut down almost by half, tv package moved up a notch, and free evening and weekend calls.

Took 20 minutes on hold but I got through. As soon as I started talking about the next episode of "Lost", which was about 2 minutes into the call, she offered me the package.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 01 Mar 2007, 22:00

Thanks folks.

Getting an upgraded package at lower monthly rate!
Hard drive thingy, quicker broadband.
Just phoned up and said the kids moaning about Simpsons, I'll miss Stargate, threw in Lost looking at Sky package... and wahay.

All this and I dont have to watch endless Simpsons.
Win / win

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 01 Mar 2007, 22:14

Whoah! You got a hard drive thingy and quicker broadbean????

I think I'm going to have to phone them again!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 01 Mar 2007, 22:24

We were already on the package that includes sports and movies( wrestlemania fans in the household) and talkunlimited phone package so they didn't have much to offer there. Broadband was M size.
We'll see how long this lasts and if the bills look different. Will they creep the prices up again if they resolve the Sky issue.
See ch 602 now called sky snooze

Sent text to sis down in England as she's also with them so we'll see what they offer her

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 01 Mar 2007, 23:39

You will be amazed at how quickly you realise the V+ system is fantastic.
It's also worth having a look about the VOD content through the home menu, there are loads of decent shows on there.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 02 Mar 2007, 00:16

ifstar wrote:You will be amazed at how quickly you realise the V+ system is fantastic.

Don't think we could be without it now, even the technophobe that is our S thinks it's great.

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 02 Mar 2007, 11:07

Result!

Called and explained how much we love Lost/24/Simpsons, quoted a Sky price at the guy and was instantly offered 10 extra tv channels, the same broadband package and a better phone package for HALF OF OUR EXISTING MONTHLY COSTS! PLUS A REBATE OF £30.91!

FANTASTIC

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 11:12

Nice one IV.

Does anyone know anything about the package Virgin are offering to existing tv/land line/internet customers with respect to mobile phones?

The best I have heard is that for £10 a month extra on your bill you get a sim card and a bunch of minutes & texts - wot no handset?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 02 Mar 2007, 11:32

I just got a deal with O2 for a new phone, the Motorola V3 Razr has finally gone, even although its only 2 or 3 months old since the lat washing machine incident.

Anyway, I got a Blackberry Pearl, which has a QWERTY keypad, its driving me nuts at the moment. I'm sure it will be better in the long run. For example the chances of predictive text being correct are significantly improved. I had to take an 18 month contract, which I'm not best pleased about but for £28 a month I get 2600 minutes and 1100 texts. Unlimited internet and email is £10, which I'm paying for but can't figure out how to use yet.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:01

Has anyone got the virgin phone number, please please please? I want to phone them today from work, but they've taken the number down from their website (wonder why).

Post by **wangi** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:02

Argh Dingleberry!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:37

The phone nos are 150 from a Vigin line and 0845 142 0000 from any other line accprding to my bill.
They're coming to change us to V+ box next week. Been telling friends and relatives to try phoning and saying they're going to switch to Sky. We'll see what happens.
My dilema now is, Clanger 2 pays toward the Sky Sports package should I reduce what he pays or just pocket it?

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:11

Thank you very much Soupy.

23 minutes and still holding...

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:13

Good luck.
They still playing that Melua woman?

I was on hold for ages, must be a few folks trying the same thing.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:14

Nelson Hatstand wrote:Thank you very much Soupy.

23 minutes and still holding...

Keep holding.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:18

Your call is important to them.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:28

One of their team will be with you shortly.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:36

Got through. 24 and a half minutes. No idea what the music was, you'd think they'd have Tubular Bells on - it's long enough.

I thought she wasn't going to budge at first - kept going on about how everything would be ok in the end, and that sky wouldn't have Lost soon, so to be patient. I found myself saying, "But I'm addicted to The Simpsons" (I saw half an episode, about 4 years ago), and when I asked "So is there anything you can you do for me?", she said "Of course!" It was like I'd got the correct password. And she upgraded me to an extra 60 (can there even be that many?) TV channels, about £25 off the bill every month, and a rebate of £38.70.

Feeling quite perky now. Might watch some telly tonight.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:39

I hate the Virgin website, and its false friendliness.

When you click on "Existing Customer' the headline on the page is 'Hello You'.

'Hello you?' Fuck off more like, you over-familiar cunts!

(Sorry Skeely)

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:42

Thank you for calling Virgin Media.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:55

Well done , Nelson.
Glad you got a deal.
They must be getting weary of folk wanting money off now.
I went in at the start by saying I was wanting to change to Sky, cited kids and Simpsons, they apologised etc, I countered with I 'd been a customer for so long but was going to miss Stargate which I was in the middle of watching and then Lost, they caved and upped the deal.
No supervisor to ok it I noticed.
Think they've a script of how to react to each caller?
How persistent and serious about moving?

If they can do this for us that phone why didn't they just offer in the 1st place? Or are they counting on us being complacent about it?

ali · Post by **ali** » 02 Mar 2007, 15:04

Just called and had to wait 8 minutes - gave her a sob story about my wife and kids giving me hell about Lost/Simpsons etc and she offered a £10.50 a month discount for the same package plus a rebate.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 02 Mar 2007, 15:21

ali wrote:Just called and had to wait 8 minutes - gave her a sob story about my wife and kids giving me hell about Lost/Simpsons etc and she offered a £10.50 a month discount for the same package plus a rebate.

You are an SNP natural

Well done on the negotiation.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 15:27

Let's see if we can up the ante. I want flowers, chocolates and a card signed by Richard Branson.

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 02 Mar 2007, 15:51

SoupDragon wrote:
If they can do this for us that phone why didn't they just offer in the 1st place? Or are they counting on us being complacent about it?

Doesn't make any business sense to just offer people the discount, that way 100% of people will be paying less (or getting more services) this way if even only 75% of people moan, they are still getting 25% who don't pay any less and don't get extra services.

If you really want to save money then it's well worth investing in this book
http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/7089 ... oduct.html
or visit his website where you can search about for most of the articles www.moneysavingexpert.com

It's quite interesting and gives you ways to cut down what you pay for virtually everything. It's also really good to help you budget your money properly and has a cracking spreadsheet in the book and online http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bi ... 6742,17582,

and no I'm not on comission :p

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Mar 2007, 16:06

That guy (money saving expert) has built up quite a reputation. It's a great site by all accounts.

He was the one who found the £10 dvd player or something?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 02 Mar 2007, 16:09

It is a good site. He is a big of an exaggerator, in the Nicky campbell and Watchdog stylee but on the face of it he is doing good. No corporate sponsoship on the site eithet, as far as I can see.

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 02 Mar 2007, 16:13

Yeah the site is superb and some of the tales in the book are excellent.
He has been personally responsible for quite a few banks being shafted with not very well thought out offers.

One that springs to mind was one that gave you £25 when you opened an account (think it was with HSBC) - so he opened one with £1 then closed it once he got the £25 quid. Loads of other people did the same and the bank lost a fair bit of money. They re-thought their offer and changed it so you needed to deposit £100 to get the £25, so again he opened an account, got the free money and closed it as well as advising loads of others to do the same!

Some of the other things he mentions you probably wouldn't think of but they are really good, like max'ing out a 0% credit card and sticking the money in a high interest account, then at the end of the 0% offer switching it to another 0% card.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 02 Mar 2007, 17:20

Is he the guy who appears on the Steve Wright show on Radio 2? Some of his tips are simple enough but others involve a lot of juggling and effort for not an awful lot back.

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 02 Mar 2007, 18:00

Yep am pretty sure thats the same guy.