Virgin Media Broadband Price Rise

[Dos_Box]

In case you were not aware, Virgin Media is to raise its prices by 6.7% in February. Apparently this is to allow for faster speeds (up to 152Mbps).

More here: BBC News - Virgin Media prices and broadband speed will rise

Joy.

[teejay]

Do they still have the ridiculous 'traffic management' so your nice fast connection is pretty much crippled as soon as you try to use it to anywhere near its capacity?

[Fleetwood]

So these price hikes are happening before the new rule comes into place giving you the right to cancel..?

 

Sly sods!

 

Do they still have the ridiculous 'traffic management' so your nice fast connection is pretty much crippled as soon as you try to use it to anywhere near its capacity?

 

We've not been with VM since May due to moving, but with the 100Mbps we had with them it spent half of its time being throttled anyway. I doubt it's changed much since, absolutely pointless - you might as well just stick with the 30 and be done with it. I'm with BT Infinity now (70Mbps so a downgrade but I've hardly noticed) and although I swapped the Home Hub for my own router (HH is quite locked down and very unstable, I've never had to turn something 'off and on again' as many times as I did with that.) it's been great, and not nearly throttled as much as our VM connection was.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Fleetwood

[Jobos]

I moved to BT in April and although connection speed is lower the throughput is better and I can now watch a HD youtube video without buffering.

[foofighterjim]

With the whole BT sport deal it may not be quite as good but if like me you take Sky line rental, which is cheaper than BT line rental and you don't get stung for the low usage charges! I also have Sky Fibre which involves a BT engineer installing an Infinity connection and paying £20 for the BB. I'm getting on average 80Mbps down and 15Mbps up in an area where ADSL wasn't even close to a 2MB connection. Happy days!

[Fleetwood]

.. Low usage charges?

 

I've heard it all now.

[mac_shinobi]

Not got BT Infinity in our area but after the experience I had with virgin media I will never EVER go back to VM !! I would much rather stick with ADSL2+ on Sky until BT Infinity is available than go with VM and constantly get throttled and over charged

[sted]

.. Low usage charges?

 

I've heard it all now.

 

yup if you don't make 3 calls a month thinks like caller display cost money (I don't only have a landline for broadband)

[Guest Guest]

I moved to BT in April and although connection speed is lower the throughput is better and I can now watch a HD youtube video without buffering.

 

Me too. I've gone from a supposed 30mb line to <8mb yet actual real life throughput and more importantly latency is much better. With VM I could only play online games from 5pm-5.45pm (kids tea time?) and in the middle of the night, now it's rare that I get any lag.

[StevieM]

In case you were not aware, Virgin Media is to raise its prices by 6.7% in February.

 

What??!! Again??!! They seem to put up their prices several times a year in my experience. Only just gone up in September.

 

Two years ago, I cancelled my phone line and TV subscription and was paying £18 a month just for broadband. I'm now paying over £26 a month. Think it's time to call them and tell them I don't want to pay that much and see where it gets me (they've been pretty good like that in the past). If they don't want to budge, then I'll just cancel. Don't use the Internet that much at home anyway.

Edited November 13, 2013 by StevieM

[hardtailstar]

Ive not had any issues with VM, got 100mb broadband, yeah we don't get that fully but Ive never had a problem with internet at all,

 

Internet usage at its peak would be me playing my xbox online, surfing wb and streaming music, My mum surfing web and listening to radio, my brother streaming video and music.

 

Never had an issue at all.

[Dos_Box]

What??!! Again??!! They seem to put up their prices several times a year in my experience. Only just gone up in September.

 

Two years ago, I cancelled my phone line and TV subscription and was paying £18 a month just for broadband. I'm now paying over £26 a month. Think it's time to call them and tell them I don't want to pay that much and see where it gets me (they've been pretty good like that in the past). If they don't want to budge, then I'll just cancel. Don't use the Internet that much at home anyway.

 

Did a similar thing this summer. Took may package down to the base level (Tivo + broadband) as I was paying almost £70 per month and they agreed to limit it to £30 per month. Once more charges have come in and it has crawled up to £38 on average now).

I'm going to get rid of cable and get a HD Freeview recorder in the summer. May cancel broadband (everything) if their prices are silly by then.

[StevieM]

Ive not had any issues with VM, got 100mb broadband, yeah we don't get that fully but Ive never had a problem with internet at all

 

Nor me, to be honest. I'm happy with the service. What I'm not happy about is the fact that it has gone up in price by almost 50% in less than 2 years!

[StevieM]

For further clarification, this is how my bills have increased with no change to my services (apart from the statutory upgrade from 10MB to 30MB)

 

Nov 11 - Mar 12: £18pm

Apr 12 - Jul 12: £19.50pm

Aug 12: £19.95 (No idea where the extra 45p charge came from!)

Sep 12 - Jan 13: £19.50pm

Feb 13 - Jul 13: £20.65pm

Aug 13: £21.35

Sep 13: £23.65

Oct 13: £26.15

 

Shome mishtake, shurely?

[featured_spectre]

I left VM after the first year and switched everything to sky. I get more channels, I get faster internet (never had it throttled), and better deal for having tv/phone/broadband with them. I pay £49 a month for everything but sports, their top phone and internet deal.

[StevieM]

I've thought about switching but every other provider requires that you pay telephone line rental. I don't have, nor want, a landline phone and TV bundles are no use as I don't watch TV. I only want Internet access but I'm darned if I'm paying £26+ a month for it.

[Fleetwood]

I rang VM this May to tell them we were moving address. When they told me they couldn't provide any services to the area (6 year old area), the only option I had was to cancel. They demanded I pay a £182 cancellation fee for, and I quote, "not taking our services with you." - I can't quite understand why I'm being charged for not taking services that can't be provided. I even questioned the guy on the phone about this and asked him personally to think logically about it, and he couldn't give me an answer without changing the subject.

 

I was left very disappointed. We'd been a customer since the NTL/Blueyonder days (2001ish) with no gaps, and yet when it comes down to money you're treated no different than an outsider. There's certainly no "Valued customer" status these days is there? I can appreciate cancelling a contract isn't just something anybody can do willynilly as companies have rights as well, and maybe it would've helped if I'd checked before hand - but I don't see why I should be penalised on where I live because I can't get my TiVo or Super-Throttled 100Mbps fibre optic broadband provided there. Absolutely mad. I had the last laugh though, as I never paid the £182 or the final bill

Edited November 13, 2013 by Fleetwood

[mac_shinobi]

I left VM after the first year and switched everything to sky. I get more channels, I get faster internet (never had it throttled), and better deal for having tv/phone/broadband with them. I pay £49 a month for everything but sports, their top phone and internet deal.

 

Not sure how ya managed that but we have to call them again on or around the 10th of December to see regards to a discount etc

[featured_spectre]

Ring and ask...lol. Be polite, explain your situation, that you love their channels etc...bam...discount

[Guest Guest]

Ring and ask...lol. Be polite, explain your situation, that you love their channels etc...bam...discount

 

^ This. Don't ring up and go on the offensive straight away with statements like "my mate Dave from down the pub says he pays..."

 

Never had a problem getting discounts.

[fiendishlyclever]

Their portal tells me the speed increase from 60 to 100 should be available half way through next year. Do you think they will postpone their price increases to the same time?

 

I'm lucky I'm on their mates rates package but with My BT line offering 4meg I'm stuck with them for internet (the BT infinity speed estimate is 19meg).

 

Slightest sniff of a recovery in the economy and everyone hikes their prices

[Edu-IT]

What is it with their need to keep pumping up the speed? Do residential properties really need it? I'd rather have a slower, reliable connection, at a good price, than pay for something I'd never benefit from. Seems you don't have a choice though as all their packages are expensive.

[jinnantonnixx]

What is it with their need to keep pumping up the speed? Do residential properties really need it? I'd rather have a slower, reliable connection, at a good price, than pay for something I'd never benefit from. Seems you don't have a choice though as all their packages are expensive.

 

Simply marketing. The business model is for maximum revenue, and they can charge a premium price for a premium service. It's possible to move to a lower tariff if you ask, but the savings are small.

Edited November 14, 2013 by jinnantonnixx

[Dos_Box]

I do note that Virgin now have a broadband only package without the need for a phone line (cable only I think): Virgin Media - Compare the best broadband deals & packages from Virgin Media

[StevieM]

I do note that Virgin now have a broadband only package without the need for a phone line (cable only I think): Virgin Media - Compare the best broadband deals & packages from Virgin Media

 

Indeed they do. That's what I have on the lowest level and it was to this package I was referring in post #14.