back to article Virgin Media admits broadband upgrade 'confusion'

Virgin Media has denied claims from broadband customers that it is cheekily charging them more to upgrade their cable broadband packages than it asks new punters to pay up. One customer who contacted Reg Hardware told us that punters on Virgin Media's 20Mb/s XL tariff who log on to the account management section of the VM …

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  1. Gareth.
    Thumb Up

    I was confused by this too... but so were Vermin

    I couldn't use their website to upgrade my boradband to 50mbit so I gave them a call and did it over the phone... the sales person I spoke to told me it would cost £50-odd per month, which I questioned as I'd seen it at £38. He then backed down and said that they'd offer it to me for £38... something about goodwill as I was a long-standing customer.

    Anyway, I didn't order it during that call but phoned them back another time, as I needed to check my or the wife's availability for the installation date, and when I called back the person I spoke to said that the upgrade would just cost me £38.... no mention of the £50-odd price the first guy had talked about.

    Seems us punters aren't the only ones confused by Virgin Media's pricing strategy.

  2. dct
    Go

    its good to talk

    I called them up last year to ask why my current package was £20 a month more than they were advertising. I said I was thinking of leaving, and immedialty got £20 a month knocked of my bill.

    Giving VM a phone call every now and then can be very worthwhile.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Even More confusing...

    that screenshot shows no Price for the middle option with phone.. yes its free for 2 months then????obscured! by another 'Free' banner which is a lie as its not free you have to pay for the phone line at £11 a month. (yes theres a star on one of the 'free' words but shouldn't it be on them all?)

    Just more cons, from worse than sky VM.

    Im sticking with £24 a month unlimited 24MB (yes truely and none of those reduction filters) with 11ms ping! from Be* Although using annex M I only get 20MB down but I do get 2.3MB up! bargin!

    * no hidden extras.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Been there, got the T-Shirt

    Virgin Media seems to run itself on the basis of obfuscation and confusion. Many customers find they are being charged the same as new customers who get a whole lot more and will continue to do so until they realise and complain.

    Most of Virgin Media's publicity and advertising fails to mention the cheaper options and suggest they are not available. It is hard to get any changes done through customer services without them requiring a subscription upgrade with more cost and a minimum term of contract. Telephone support from overseas is particularly atrocious with some customers being told services which are available are not and told they must take higher cost services.

    You only need to read the Virgin Media support newsgroups to see considerable levels of dissatisfaction and complaint (particularly over the migration of email to Google services). Perhaps that is why Virgin Media has plans to shut them down?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Not an "anomaly" no matter what VM's web team say.

    "However, potential customers checking prices on the main VM website will see that XXL costs £38 pounds per month when similarly ordered without a phone or cable TV package.

    "

    chris it's not Not an "anomaly" no matter what VM's web team say or tell the press, hence how you should NEVER trust their PR innovation, and Always ask about upload rates, hidden £50 charges for buying the required 11n wireless router you dont need but cant have the package without it..... one extra month IN ADVANCE pre payment etc befor your even send the DIY docsis3 cable modem.

    remember kids, you cant go to full 50Mbit/1.75 ratio's Without that docsis3 modem update as your old ds1.1 or ds 2 cm cant go above 22 at best...dp an online auto upgrade gets you even less that you though after reading chris;s story, something else to kee in mind anyway ;)

    .

    and on yet another page your same £38 will get you the same 50Mb/1.75 AND and include the £11 phone charge.

    http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/broadband/50Mb-difference.html

    "Choose your broadband package

    Comparison of Virgin Media Broadband only packages

    "

    "Size: L - up to 10Mb

    Free

    for 2 months*,

    £12.50 after that

    + Unlimited

    "

    "Size: XL - up to 20Mb

    Free

    for 2 months*,

    £20 after that

    + Unlimited weekend UK landline calls

    *Plus a Virgin Phone line for £11 a month.

    These offers require you to pay by Direct Debit and use eBilling. Other options shown below.

    "

    "Size: XXL - up to 50Mb

    Free

    for 2 months*,

    £28 after that

    + Unlimited weekend UK landline calls

    *Plus a Virgin Phone line for £11 a month.

    These offers require you to pay by Direct Debit and use eBilling. Other options shown below.

    "

  6. John Sykes
    WTF?

    Virgin Broadband Upgrade

    I just ordered the upgrade from XL BB to XXL BB and subsequently received a letter which listed all of the services I take. This included the new XXL BB showing at £45 per month. Since my current XL BB is charged at £37.00 per month, this is an increase of £8.00, which I thought was reasonable. The actual net charge is unclear because my package also includes a monthly "Phone, TV and Broadband Saving" of £34.95 which remains the same after the BB upgrade. Wonder if I should call them!

  7. rich_a
    WTF?

    woooooooah

    Virgin's billing is so complex you need to be a chartered accountant to figure it out. Our bill shows outrageous service prices followed by a large smattering of various "discounts" that supposedly even out the outrageous service prices. When I enquired about moving from 20 to 50mbit broadband I was told the difference to my current bill would be "minus one pounds per month". None of the prices quoted by the CS matched up with the prices on the website. Then when I enquired how much it would cost to upgrade if I removed the cable TV package I was told by the rep. that they could only advise me of the new monthly cost five days after disconnecting the TV package..... Luckily a call to retentions sorted out the upgrade and billing :-)

  8. davefb

    hmm

    this is similar to the experience my mate has just had trying to change his tarrif. He wanted to upgrade BB and downgrade phone, the first CS said 'you must do this online , i cannot'. So he tried, but at no point did it show him a price even though he had to click dialogues saying 'i agree to this'.

    It then sent out an email saying 'we need to phone you, we will phone in 48hrs'. Obviously they didn't phone , so he rang back CS. Who now said 'oh yes, i can fix that for you'..

    The poor CS got a long 'dialogue' about 'well why did the other person say this was impossible then?'..

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