I have a Virgin phone and broadband deal (formerly NTL) and the only folk who ring me are my mum and folk wanting to claim PPI for me or enquire about the accident I haven't had in the last three years.

Anyway, I rung the contact number and asked them to cancel the phone; although I do want to keep the broadband as I really don't have any connectivity issues with it. They asked for the 1st, 3rd and 5th figures of my pass code. This took me back a bit because I always thought my pass code was a four-figure number which was my employee number at work. I thought maybe that was all part of the security so I told them the 1st and 3rd and told them there wasn't a 5th. WRONG!
So, having failed the first security question, they went on to the second level; Tell us your package including broadband speed. Now, I know I have a phone and broadband (and I also know I changed the TV package in favour of Sky TV when we got into the Premier League because with Virgin TV, you had to wait for Bolton's turn to be played whereas with Sky, you got Match Choice.) I had no clue about the broadband speed. To me it either works or doesn't work. FAILURE #2
Question 3 - What is your account number? They even gave me a clue; you'll find it on your bill. I pointed out that they stopped sending bills about 15 years ago, or I could find it on www.myvirgin.com or whatever, as I'd already failed question 1 which asked for my pass code, I pointed out that I had no way of seeing my account number and besides, the only www.myvirgin.com address I'd ever visited was... then remembered Mrs D was sat across the room so we left that well alone. FAILURE #3. 
The guy told me he couldn't help me any further. "Any further?" I asked. "That gives an impression that you've done anything to help so far, but you haven't!"
He then said he was terminating the call because I was in danger of becoming irate. Cheeky fucker!

Anyway, I opened up a complaint, pointing out that none of the questions were reasonably remembered from 22 years ago when I moved into my current house.

They phoned me yesterday and apologised for the way my call had been handled and said that that customer service rep had been given further training.

He then went through my options. I could cancel the phone and keep the broadband but if I did that then the monthly cost would need to be altered. That wasn't an issue until they pointed out that phone + broadband @ £38/month would, without a two-part package deal, would go up £2 to £40/month if I only had the broadband.

REALLY??? What kind of package makes each component part dearer without the other one? I couldn't get him to understand that losing the phone line shouldn't make the remaining broadband dearer than broadband plus phone.

What the actual fuck? Anyway, I've now got a phone line that has no phone attached to it in order to save myself £24.00/year. Apparently, despite being with then 22 years (plus 3 or 4 in previous house) I'm under contract with them until April because (they say) I changed my broadband speed last April. As I said, I've never had any issues with broadband so don't recall ever needing to up the speed.

He’s hiding something under that beard.

Usually the occasional crumb or drop of gravy. 

You're in a pickle

Ironically

It seems you're being properly bummed. By a virgin.

So you've forgotten a lot of personal information since retiring...

 

Slippery slope Micky lad! 

It's a load of old tosh by Virgin. I had the same issue with them trying to cancel my phone about 3 years back. "keep your phone it's cheaper just unplug it" I was told.

Another year passed and I did tell them to FO with the phone as they were charging fees for phone packages (so called free calls).

Both BT and Virgin are know for their contract changes without really point it out to you  and tie you in for another year or sometings longer if you are not careful. Rule of thumb always ask about contract extentions when upgrading or making the slightest change.

To be honest, I had a @ntlworld email address until July 2014. I got back from USA and never saw anything again from that address. I called then and went through exactly the same thing. Can't access emails and, despite me asking, they wouldn't allow me to reset the password because I couldn't tell them the old one.

I even said, during the current complaint, that they'll see I haven't used that address since 1/7/14. They said, yes, we can see that. I asked them how I would know that if the account wasn't mine. Nothing! They wouldn't acknowledge that it could feasibly be me. 

Come April, I'll be cancelling the virgin account and their retention team will try and persuade me not to. They'll probably even say stuff like, "Oh, you should've spoken to our department, we'd have sorted it out for you.

Well, they can fuck off.

5 hours ago, MickyD said:

I have a Virgin phone and broadband deal (formerly NTL) and the only folk who ring me are my mum and folk wanting to claim PPI for me or enquire about the accident I haven't had in the last three years.

Anyway, I rung the contact number and asked them to cancel the phone; although I do want to keep the broadband as I really don't have any connectivity issues with it. They asked for the 1st, 3rd and 5th figures of my pass code. This took me back a bit because I always thought my pass code was a four-figure number which was my employee number at work. I thought maybe that was all part of the security so I told them the 1st and 3rd and told them there wasn't a 5th. WRONG!
So, having failed the first security question, they went on to the second level; Tell us your package including broadband speed. Now, I know I have a phone and broadband (and I also know I changed the TV package in favour of Sky TV when we got into the Premier League because with Virgin TV, you had to wait for Bolton's turn to be played whereas with Sky, you got Match Choice.) I had no clue about the broadband speed. To me it either works or doesn't work. FAILURE #2
Question 3 - What is your account number? They even gave me a clue; you'll find it on your bill. I pointed out that they stopped sending bills about 15 years ago, or I could find it on www.myvirgin.com or whatever, as I'd already failed question 1 which asked for my pass code, I pointed out that I had no way of seeing my account number and besides, the only www.myvirgin.com address I'd ever visited was... then remembered Mrs D was sat across the room so we left that well alone. FAILURE #3. 
The guy told me he couldn't help me any further. "Any further?" I asked. "That gives an impression that you've done anything to help so far, but you haven't!"
He then said he was terminating the call because I was in danger of becoming irate. Cheeky fucker!

Anyway, I opened up a complaint, pointing out that none of the questions were reasonably remembered from 22 years ago when I moved into my current house.

They phoned me yesterday and apologised for the way my call had been handled and said that that customer service rep had been given further training.

He then went through my options. I could cancel the phone and keep the broadband but if I did that then the monthly cost would need to be altered. That wasn't an issue until they pointed out that phone + broadband @ £38/month would, without a two-part package deal, would go up £2 to £40/month if I only had the broadband.

REALLY??? What kind of package makes each component part dearer without the other one? I couldn't get him to understand that losing the phone line shouldn't make the remaining broadband dearer than broadband plus phone.

What the actual fuck? Anyway, I've now got a phone line that has no phone attached to it in order to save myself £24.00/year. Apparently, despite being with then 22 years (plus 3 or 4 in previous house) I'm under contract with them until April because (they say) I changed my broadband speed last April. As I said, I've never had any issues with broadband so don't recall ever needing to up the speed.

They up the speed regularly for no additionally fee

They tell you they are going to doit

I don't realise it started a new contract but no doubt it's in the ts and cs 

Anyway, think yourself lucky you can get virgin

I'm stuck with BT

I am with talktalk and I can honestly say I have never had an issue with them. Im on the faster fibre deal so about £28 a month with phone that we hardly use. BT are normally dearer than TT, EE, VF, Sky, Plusnet, etc yet all use the same lines back to your local exchange and well beyond. 99% of issues with broadband are the fault of the line provider (Openreach) for us without Virgin availability so just get the best deal on offer.

Having sky q, it's a big decision not to have sky broadband

Virgin aren't connected to mine and the nearest bt box is 1100 metres away

Not the best

I swap between BT and Talk Talk every 12/18 months, saves a forturne and get a new upto receiver every 12/18 months

 

On 25/01/2019 at 20:51, Casino said:

Having sky q, it's a big decision not to have sky broadband

Virgin aren't connected to mine and the nearest bt box is 1100 metres away

Not the best

Sky broadband uses the BT Openreach infrastructure. So wherever the BT cabinet and exchange is, that is what you're getting with Sky. 

Yes, did I say otherwise?

Moved into our new house last week, had virgin booked to come on the 18th to install, £37 a month for 350mb broadband 

two guys came and said they can’t do it without digging the main road up, having to wait until March 1st

Sky are coming on Thursday to sort the TV our, called them back today to sort the broadband out as well. They can get BT out on the 8th February and it’s only £25 a month for circa 70mb. Clearly not as fast but with SKY Q the added benefit that the wi fi will be bounced around the house 

Still not sure if I should hold out for virgin or go with Sky? 

Edited January 28, 20197 yr by birch-chorley

Having skyq and having had plenty issues getting signal round the house to the point they have wired the box in the west wing, id definitely have sky broadband

If I had the choice I would've gone with virgin, but I'm sure they would've been far less interested in getting skyq reliable

My max speed is 28meg - cos of the distance from the exchange - and it's fine for all we need now that they have wired the tricky box

 

Word of warning though, til they get it running right, sky will hide behind openreach

 

Ps remember speed doesn't have owt to do with ability to get it around the house so you could have 100 meg coming in, but if you've got solid wall's, you'll be needing sky's help to get it around the house

I had router, main box, 3 minis, 2 boosters

In the end, we went for wires

 

I’m happy for them to hardwire from the off, I’ve offered up two of the boxes for hardwiring from the off but they are saying it only needs one 

it’s 10m from two of the downstairs boxes with two solid walls between them 

So long as you have boxes or boosters upstairs, they will feel they can make it work by going around the walls