Virgin Media Cancellation deals

2RockMountain

bk wrote: »

There has been no news or rumours on this yet and it may well be years before they decide to do it. It all depends on how badly they need extra space for Digital TV and Broadband.

Going by what happened in other Liberty Global markets, there would likely inform customers at least a year in advance and would likely have an alternative service for customers like yourself.

For instance in the other LGI markets, they left decrypted the top 50 or so digital TV channels, so you could tune them in on multiroom TV's either with the TV's built in DVB-C tuner (more common in Europe then Ireland) or a separate set top box that you bought yourself, all for free (for existing customers).

So the switch over ended up being great news for most people, they ended up going from 20 or so "free" analogue channels, to 50 or so "free" digital channels with superior picture quality.

Not saying that will happen in Ireland, we just don't know, but I suspect they might do something similiar given the direction that the market is going.

Thanks for the clarification. It's really a wiring issue for us, with the analogue wired to two other points. So I'd have to go lifting floorboards and skirtings to replace it, which I'd prefer not to do tbh. Unless there is some wireless Chromecast type device that I could use to broadcast wirelessly to a TV?

colm_mcm

2RockMountain wrote: »

Are they informing customers or doing this in a planned way? The analogue service to the rest of the house is the main reason I haven't switched and put in a Freesat box or similar. Can I expect advance notice if they take it away?

If you're actually paying for analogue extra points or a main point, they would contact you in advance of it engine, but If you're just "stealing" it, like a lot of people, they probably wouldn't be writing to you.

bk

2RockMountain wrote: »

Thanks for the clarification. It's really a wiring issue for us, with the analogue wired to two other points. So I'd have to go lifting floorboards and skirtings to replace it, which I'd prefer not to do tbh. Unless there is some wireless Chromecast type device that I could use to broadcast wirelessly to a TV?

Well worst case scenario you could get digital multiroom from Virgin in each of those rooms, you wouldn't need to replace the cables, it works fine with existing cabling, however I agree it is very expensive at €11 for multiroom!

If they were to decrypt some of the digital channels like they did in other markets, then you could continue to use those cables, you would just need to get a cheap DVB-C tuner box for each TV.

As for wireless type devices, Sky's new Sky Q service is pretty much built around this concept. You have one wired main box (usually on the main TV) and then "mini" boxes that stream the TV wirelessly from the main box. Seems to work well.

Virign's Horizon box actually has the same ability (streaming to mini boxes), they sell it in other European countries, though for some reason they haven't launched it in Ireland yet. With Sky Q recently launching, I expect they will introduce it soon in order to remain competitive.

The_Conductor

Are none of the DVB-C streams decrypted here at all?
How would the move to C2 which they're supposed to be deploying here- impact on this? Are there C2 streams decrypted in other markets?
Sorry about all the questions.
I currently only take internet and phone- and use a Humax freesat box for everything else. If I could decode a basic array of channels- without taking out a subscription- it would be a nice bonus.

bk

The_Conductor wrote: »

Are none of the DVB-C streams decrypted here at all?

No, they are all encrypted at the moment, quite different to most other EU cable markets.

The_Conductor wrote: »

How would the move to C2 which they're supposed to be deploying here- impact on this? Are there C2 streams decrypted in other markets?

I haven't heard any rumours of Virgin or Liberty Global moving to C2. In fact quite the opposite, in the past they have said they have no plans to move to C2 at all.

I think C2 is largely dead, despite being standardised back in 2009, I know of no cable companies rolling it out beyond trials.

It makes sense, moving to C2 would require them replacing all their digital set top boxes at great expense, for very little gain. They would save far more space by simply switching off the analogue TV service, then they would gain from switching to C2.

Instead I think most cable companies are going to skip right over DVB-C2 and instead move to a hybrid DVB-C/IPTV platform. Basically transmit the top 25 or so channels via DVB-C while "transmitting" all the other less popular channels via IPTV, but doing so in a way that is completely transparent to the customer (both DVB-C and IPTV channels mixed in the EPG).

Eventually they will likely go full IPTV.

The_Conductor wrote: »

Sorry about all the questions.
I currently only take internet and phone- and use a Humax freesat box for everything else. If I could decode a basic array of channels- without taking out a subscription- it would be a nice bonus.

I've a similar setup, but with a Linux FTA satellite box instead. The Humax is a great box and setup, you are just missing the Irish channels.

cookie1977

I think we're moving completely to IPTV. If you look at some of the deals being done in the US and of course the success of netflix that's were people want it to go.:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/hulu-is-developing-a-cable-style-online-tv-service-1462150982

If analogue goes for me I'm getting a small PC and using a VPN to access tv from around the world.

2RockMountain

colm_mcm wrote: »

If you're actually paying for analogue extra points or a main point, they would contact you in advance of it engine, but If you're just "stealing" it, like a lot of people, they probably wouldn't be writing to you.

I'm pretty sure that there was no concept of charging for multi-room when we got wired up initially, 20 years ago or more. Cablelink, as it was then, delivered the cable to the wall, and you did what you like with it inside the house. I've probably never told them that I use analogue in other rooms, but I've certainly never told them that I don't use analogue either.

bk wrote: »

Well worst case scenario you could get digital multiroom from Virgin in each of those rooms, you wouldn't need to replace the cables, it works fine with existing cabling, however I agree it is very expensive at €11 for multiroom!

As for wireless type devices, Sky's new Sky Q service is pretty much built around this concept. You have one wired main box (usually on the main TV) and then "mini" boxes that stream the TV wirelessly from the main box. Seems to work well.

Virign's Horizon box actually has the same ability (streaming to mini boxes), they sell it in other European countries, though for some reason they haven't launched it in Ireland yet. With Sky Q recently launching, I expect they will introduce it soon in order to remain competitive.

It's not the distributor to the set-top-box that I need to be wireless. I need the set-top-box to the TV to be wireless. We have two TVs really nicely wired into the wall, with the analogue cable feeds and the power lead running behind the walls. Call me fussy, but I really, really don't want to have an ugly lead hanging out of the wall.

shnaek

colm_mcm wrote: »

different deal. what you had was a promotional price for 6/9/12 months on an 18 month contract but what the other poster has is a very rare package that was only sold for a week or so back in 2013 where it was €27 a month for unlimited. no tv. not for a few months, thats just hiw much it was. no idea why they did that but they pulled it almost instantly.
the price crept up over the years with the annual price increases but it's still quite cheap at €35

Nope, we had it 9 years.

shnaek

cookie1977 wrote: »

This is correct. I had threatened to leave back then and i was put through to a girl in retentions. She offered me a deal for 25 euro on a one year contract and stated the discount was permanent and not linked to the contract. Once the contract finished we stayed on the 25 euro plan but through the standard increases it has crept up from 25 to 27.99 then to 29.99 and now earlier this year to 34.99. I kept a recording of the call just in case.

Yeah, they did that with us too on the 8th year. Said the discount was permanent too. I should have recorded the call myself. They completely denied it when they sent the 90 bill, said they'd never offer a permanent discount. So I cancelled, but I still had to pay the 90 bill, and another 90 the next month because of the 30 day notice. They refunded the days in the next month that I didn't use. I finished up with them then and have just tethered my phone since. I was never a really heavy user.

bk

2RockMountain wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that there was no concept of charging for multi-room when we got wired up initially, 20 years ago or more. Cablelink, as it was then, delivered the cable to the wall, and you did what you like with it inside the house. I've probably never told them that I use analogue in other rooms, but I've certainly never told them that I don't use analogue either.

True and you can be sure that Virgin knows that this "free" multiroom is the reason why many people stay with them for their TV service which is otherwise inferior to Sky and an added bonus and differentiator to their broadband customers.

I think they know very well that they will lose an awful lot of TV and broadband subs if this "free" multiroom TV goes away. I think this is why they have kept it around for so long and why they will likely do something like decrypt some of the digital channels when it eventually goes away.

2RockMountain wrote: »

It's not the distributor to the set-top-box that I need to be wireless. I need the set-top-box to the TV to be wireless. We have two TVs really nicely wired into the wall, with the analogue cable feeds and the power lead running behind the walls. Call me fussy, but I really, really don't want to have an ugly lead hanging out of the wall.

Ah, I see.

I believe the current Virgin multiroom boxes still have a Scart out connection, which you can then get adaptor that converts the SCART out signal into an RF signal that you could thus send up the existing coax cable to your TV. Your TV would then display whatever channel is showing on the digital STB (though in lower SD picture quality).

If Virgin do end up decrypting some of the digital channels, then it will be easy to find a DVB-C tuner box with rf out, many already exist.

Alternatively if you change to Sky or FTA sat or Freesat, they all have RF out that would work too.

Another option might be wireless HDMI adaptors might be an option. Or alternatively you could stick a step top box to the back of the TV, though power to it might be an issue.

Could you pull the existing cable out and replace it with a HDMI cable, sometimes it is possible to do this without opening the wall?

I suspect some day Sky and Virgin will shrink their multiroom mini boxes to some sort of chromecast type stick eventually, but it might take a few years.

To be honest, it might just be cheaper and easier to open your wall and put a HDMI cable in their, it actually isn't that big of a job and you will benefit from getting HD. If you do decide to do this, make sure to put conduit with pull strings in the wall, so that you can easily change the cables in future without opening the wall again, good general advice.

Having said all that, I wouldn't worry about it for now, unless you want to go HD today, it might be years before they turn off analogue.

Glenbhoy

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Well interesting stuff. Rang up the loyalty department, told them I wanted to keep broadband and phone but drop the TV. Was asked why, said I'd never tried Sky and wanted to as I was out of contract. OK then they said. No attempt to keep me onboard which I found interesting.

Sky it is so.

Made the call the other day, I have TV, broadband and phone (never been used), was offered 4 months at 50% discount and €5 for the last 2 months - bizarre amount. Haven't decided what to do yet, horizon box is pretty ****ty it must be said, broadband is much better than the competition, tv is much worse, hmm, decisions, decisions....
If they'd offered me the 50% for 6 months, I'd probably have taken it.

Esel

Glenbhoy wrote: »

Made the call the other day, I have TV, broadband and phone (never been used), was offered 4 months at 50% discount and €5 for the last 2 months - bizarre amount. Haven't decided what to do yet, horizon box is pretty ****ty it must be said, broadband is much better than the competition, tv is much worse, hmm, decisions, decisions....
If they'd offered me the 50% for 6 months, I'd probably have taken it.

Do you mean €5 discount for the last 2 months?

dee1983

Hi, not sure if this is the right thread to post this but I'm wondering if anyone has a direct number to the Virgin Media Limerick team. I've sent in my cancellation, mainly through the really, really bad customer service I've received ever since the customer service team was moved to the Philippines. I had, so I thought, got a deal with Sky but now they are denying the offer and I didn't record the phone call, so not holding much faith if I did move to Sky for broadband and phone. I wouldn't mind staying with Virgin Media if I got a good deal but only if I had a number for the Limerick team as I really couldn't face staying another year and having to deal with the customer service team as it is, it is just not worth it. Apologies, if this isn't the right place for this post.

cgc5483

dee1983 wrote: »

Hi, not sure if this is the right thread to post this but I'm wondering if anyone has a direct number to the Virgin Media Limerick team. I've sent in my cancellation, mainly through the really, really bad customer service I've received ever since the customer service team was moved to the Philippines. I had, so I thought, got a deal with Sky but now they are denying the offer and I didn't record the phone call, so not holding much faith if I did move to Sky for broadband and phone. I wouldn't mind staying with Virgin Media if I got a good deal but only if I had a number for the Limerick team as I really couldn't face staying another year and having to deal with the customer service team as it is, it is just not worth it. Apologies, if this isn't the right place for this post.

I'd a similar experience trying to deal with customer service. Wasted 25 mins and couldn't get a straight answer from the guy in the Philippines. When I got an email a customer service feedback email after the call I filled it in with my complaints. I got a call back the next day from an Irish agent and was much easier to deal with.

On another note. I just wanted to cancel TV only. They seem to be peddling a 15 channel package now which the Saorview Channels and a few BBCs and ITVs and calling it PLAY TV? Is this just the analogue TV?

cookie1977

cgc5483 wrote: »

I'd a similar experience trying to deal with customer service. Wasted 25 mins and couldn't get a straight answer from the guy in the Philippines. When I got an email a customer service feedback email after the call I filled it in with my complaints. I got a call back the next day from an Irish agent and was much easier to deal with.

On another note. I just wanted to cancel TV only. They seem to be peddling a 15 channel package now which the Saorview Channels and a few BBCs and ITVs and calling it PLAY TV? Is this just the analogue TV?

Quite possibly it is analogue as i have 16 channels on it. Just lost setanta/eir there last week.

LeChienMefiant

I'm six days from end of my cancellation period. Will they call with a new offer or do I need to call?

kooga

LeChienMefiant wrote: »

I'm six days from end of my cancellation period. Will they call with a new offer or do I need to call?

may I suggest you ring 1890 940 251 which is customer loyalty, say you are ringing just to confirm they got your cancellation email and what is the exact date your service will cease also ask them for the contact number for the company that will arrange the equipment collection.

I rang them on Friday as due to be cut off on the 17/8/16. The person I spoke to wanted to know why was I cancelling and I said it was a combination of tv price, the loss of the eir pack and I can get my tv platform cheaper else where.

I was offered a new 12 month tv contract of €20 pm instead of €33.50pm.

Glenbhoy

Esel wrote: »

Do you mean €5 discount for the last 2 months?

Yes, 50% for the next 4 months and then €5 each for months 5 and 6.

2RockMountain

bk wrote: »

True and you can be sure that Virgin knows that this "free" multiroom is the reason why many people stay with them for their TV service which is otherwise inferior to Sky and an added bonus and differentiator to their broadband customers.

I think they know very well that they will lose an awful lot of TV and broadband subs if this "free" multiroom TV goes away. I think this is why they have kept it around for so long and why they will likely do something like decrypt some of the digital channels when it eventually goes away.



Ah, I see.

I believe the current Virgin multiroom boxes still have a Scart out connection, which you can then get adaptor that converts the SCART out signal into an RF signal that you could thus send up the existing coax cable to your TV. Your TV would then display whatever channel is showing on the digital STB (though in lower SD picture quality).

If Virgin do end up decrypting some of the digital channels, then it will be easy to find a DVB-C tuner box with rf out, many already exist.

Alternatively if you change to Sky or FTA sat or Freesat, they all have RF out that would work too.

Another option might be wireless HDMI adaptors might be an option. Or alternatively you could stick a step top box to the back of the TV, though power to it might be an issue.

Could you pull the existing cable out and replace it with a HDMI cable, sometimes it is possible to do this without opening the wall?

I suspect some day Sky and Virgin will shrink their multiroom mini boxes to some sort of chromecast type stick eventually, but it might take a few years.

To be honest, it might just be cheaper and easier to open your wall and put a HDMI cable in their, it actually isn't that big of a job and you will benefit from getting HD. If you do decide to do this, make sure to put conduit with pull strings in the wall, so that you can easily change the cables in future without opening the wall again, good general advice.

Having said all that, I wouldn't worry about it for now, unless you want to go HD today, it might be years before they turn off analogue.

Thanks, good advice there - I'll probably sit tight for a while yet, depending on how the next set of contract negotiations go.

kooga

Query re analogue

are ye saying if I connect my tv to the virgin media outlet I will have a limited number of channels. does the tv have to have a DVB-c tuner?

Trimm Trabb

Just rang and got tv and broadband (240mb) for €45 for 4 months, €65 for the next 2 months and €70 for the last 6 months.

It works out as €61 per month for the year. It was the first thing they offered and I never have the heart to squeeze them for more. I had had half price for the first 6 months last year (€40 p/m) and then full price for the last 6 months (€80 p/m) so my yearly works out the same. I actually prefer the way this discount is staggered as it means I don't have the pain of the big jump half way through.

I made the mistake of saying I wasn't happy about having no access to Eir Sport and had to listen to him read his long script on what is available on sky and the reductions they are offering on the sky sports mix - half price for 3 months or 20% off for the year was his opening offer.

WayneEnterprise

Out of contract at the end of this month.

Currently on 240 meg BB, Horizon max TV and phone and coming off a one year contract of 37.50 for 9 months, then 80 for 3 months.

Rang up and said i wanted to cancel because Sky were offering me a better deal (40 a month for 12 months - unlimited BB, standard tv pack and phone, 18 month contract)

Was offered 3 months at 40, new 12 month contract. Obviously refused that.

They checked with supervisor, came back with 6 months half price; refused that also.

Put me on hold again, came back with 9 months half price. Refused again, said I wanted to cancel. The girl said she would email me the cancellation details.

2 hours later got a call back - 12 months at 40 euro, 12 month contract

Needless to say i snapped it up. Got a confirmation email from them and all, so all looks good.

bk

kooga wrote: »

Query re analogue

are ye saying if I connect my tv to the virgin media outlet I will have a limited number of channels. does the tv have to have a DVB-c tuner?

In most VM areas (including Dublin, but not Cork), if you connect to an active VM outlet to your TV, you will get 16 analogue TV channels.

Your TV needs a standard analogue tuner, like the old aerial ones TV's have had for decades, it uses the same technology. It doesn't need a DVB-C tuner.

At the moment, all Digital DVB-C channels are encrypted, so you need a Virgin Media digital box or Horizon box to watch them.

Glenbhoy

WayneEnterprise wrote: »

Out of contract at the end of this month.

Currently on 240 meg BB, Horizon max TV and phone and coming off a one year contract of 37.50 for 9 months, then 80 for 3 months.

Rang up and said i wanted to cancel because Sky were offering me a better deal (40 a month for 12 months - unlimited BB, standard tv pack and phone, 18 month contract)

Was offered 3 months at 40, new 12 month contract. Obviously refused that.

They checked with supervisor, came back with 6 months half price; refused that also.

Put me on hold again, came back with 9 months half price. Refused again, said I wanted to cancel. The girl said she would email me the cancellation details.

2 hours later got a call back - 12 months at 40 euro, 12 month contract

Needless to say i snapped it up. Got a confirmation email from them and all, so all looks good.

Great deal, I tried playing hardball, but they knew!! I voiced my unhappiness re losing setanta etc, but they came back with "you're a heavy broadband user, do you really want to drop our 240mb to a contended eir/sky line with max 100mb" and so on.

The_Conductor

Glenbhoy wrote: »

Great deal, I tried playing hardball, but they knew!! I voiced my unhappiness re losing setanta etc, but they came back with "you're a heavy broadband user, do you really want to drop our 240mb to a contended eir/sky line with max 100mb" and so on.

Obviously some of them are reading this thread.
If you're serious about bargaining with them- do your research and do it properly.
E.g. I have a written offer from Sky and Eir which offer 100Mb/20Mb fibre for 22 Euro (Sky) and 25 Euro (EIR) for 6 months. In both cases the offer is unlimited.

You don't get these offers on their websites- they have stands in shopping centres who are authorised to offer these type discounts valid for 14 days.

If you don't need 240/360Mb connections (come-on- who among us actually needs this amount- and is happy to pay for it- versus a 100Mb connection)- then perhaps the Sky or Eir offers may actually be vastly superior (I'd suggest keeping away from EIR- but the Sky offer seems quite reasonable).

Re: Contention and none on UPC/Virgin- it may technically not be contention- however, run speedtest.net at various times during the day- and tell me its not contended- the engineer I was talking to said 'its not contended- its more congestion'. I have one word to say to that- bollocks.

Shop around- there are deals to be gotten- Eir aren't as competitive as they have been in attracting new customers- but Sky certainly are.

tharmor

The_Conductor wrote:

Obviously some of them are reading this thread. If you're serious about bargaining with them- do your research and do it properly. E.g. I have a written offer from Sky and Eir which offer 100Mb/20Mb fibre for 22 Euro (Sky) and 25 Euro (EIR) for 6 months. In both cases the offer is unlimited.

And its a 24 month contract !! With rest of the months at full high price...

The_Conductor

tharmor wrote: »

And its a 24 month contract !! With rest of the months at full high price...

Not necessarily- the stands in the shopping centres are quite happy to offer 12 month contracts- and the remainder of the contract (i.e. the last 6 months) at a discounted price- just not the discount offered for the first 6 months).

You have to negotiate hard with them- and get the offer in writing from them- inform them you are going to compare it with the best offers from their competitors- and will make your decision within the 14 days- if they don't hear back from you- it means their offer wasn't good enough.

Have a few broad ideas of what you can get from competitors at the outset- but then do your research and do it properly.

I do this every year with every contract I have- Car insurance, home insurance, gas, electricity, mobile phones etc etc. I have yet to end a call without a reasonable offer- even from companies who were intransigent as hell at the outset.

delta214

Are there any offers after you send the cancellation email or is that the end of it when you hit send? I got offered 9 months half price but I'm looking for a better offer.

The_Conductor

delta214 wrote: »

Are there any offers after you send the cancellation email or is that the end of it when you hit send? I got offered 9 months half price but I'm looking for a better offer.

One person on this thread- the entire thread- got an offer better than 9 months half price. I would be most surprised if you got an equivalent or better offer than they. They're not handing out 9 months half price to anyone anymore without a battle. Its highly unlikely you'll get a better offer.

clancger

I spoke to cust loyalty yesterday, and was offered 6 mths half price and told no way whatsover to do anything better, or longer than that. I went ahead and cancelled after that.

Today I called back to "clarify" some details around termination procedure, and the girl said "you were offered 6 mths 1/2 price yest, thats the best going, your cancellation is confirmed, anything else I can help with.."