[lbphillips]

By broadband has been crap for weeks. No service, slow service, ping pong service....

The offshore support is a total joke.

e.g. Telling me to disconnect the coax from the modem, then stating they can't see my modem on the network...acting surprised when I remind them they told me to disconnect...

They then resort to sending out engineers.

I have to take a day off work to wait for a puzzled engineer to turn up (since during most daytimes everything is fine).

Customer services have now said this is due to the upgrades taking place and will continue like this for several weeks.

They were not interested in the fact I also pay for other streaming services that are a waste while this is going on.

I asked for compensation and was told that only when the problems stopped could I get any (??!)

I also noted that At £49 a month for 50meg BB and XL phone I was paying slightly too much.

According to their website, 60meg and full phone should only be about £36 (after introductory price)

I asked to move to this, and they said no. it was not available in my area...when pushed ( I pointed out the website would offer it to me if I used my neighbors address), I was told it is not available to me, only new connections.

So, I told the retention guy I would like to leave. I was told if I dropped to 30meg he could do a deal...

He did not understand that in my mind, if I was only getting 1meg most nights with 50meg, what would I get on 30meg?

I then mentioned that BT infinity was available in my area, offering about 68meg speeds, and this would only cost me £25 a month ( I already have a BT line)

He argued that virgin would soon upgrade me to 100meg which would be faster. I replied that I only needed 50, but 50 that worked!

He did not try to offer anything else, so disconnection is set for early June.

BT are installing next weekend.

I want to keep the phone number I have with Virgin though so have to decide in the next couple of weeks, to just keep the phone with them, or migrate the number to another provider.

[Fmrl]

Originally Posted by lbphillips

I asked for compensation and was told that only when the problems stopped could I get any (??!)

I did manage to get a bit of credit added to my account when my area was hit with a major problem a couple of months back, I had to ask for this though (understandable I suppose).

Originally Posted by lbphillips

I asked to move to this, and they said no. it was not available in my area...when pushed ( I pointed out the website would offer it to me if I used my neighbors address), I was told it is not available to me, only new connections.

did you change your speed or options at any point? Seems like VM have a policy of making it easy for their customers to upgrade but then sneakily increasing the price, and then they don't let you go back to your old tariff once you find out you're paying more. I was told that anything advertised on the Internet is basically just to pull in new customers and they can't (or won't) offer the same deals for existing.

Originally Posted by lbphillips

I want to keep the phone number I have with Virgin though so have to decide in the next couple of weeks, to just keep the phone with them, or migrate the number to another provider.

BT should be able to move the number onto their line if you prefer. Seems to be a relatively straightforward process. If it were me I'd keep the phone and broadband with just one the one supplier.

It's a pity VM don't do a "basic" phone line (with no inclusive calls or anything to reduce the monthly rental) but I guess BT don't do this either.

[lbphillips]

Both my lines used to be with virgin. I already moved one over to BT last year without a problem.

...wanted to be in a better bargaining position next time something like this happened (ta-da)

I have been on the same package for ages, have not changed anything for a long time.

The package I quoted is not a headliner to get new customers (that would be the half price for several months bit) the price is the standard on their new packages. That is all I wanted.

I can have the 'new' 30meg package, but not the new 60meg one.

I guess they realise my area is now over subscribed and want people off the higher speeds.

[Fmrl]

Originally Posted by lbphillips

I can have the 'new' 30meg package, but not the new 60meg one.

This is what they said to me too - I was on 30XL so I complained about the fact that VM were advertising the new 60XL on their website for the same price and this was unfair. I think possibly their customer services staff are just as confused as their customers!

VM said they couldn't supply 60XL in my area so they offered me 100XXL for "the same price" (except it wasn't). When I noticed this and complained again they said that 60XL was actually available now due to my area being "upgraded" (except it wasn't) for "the same price" (except it wasn't). And apparently, once you've upgraded you can't go back.

I'm considering switching to 30L once the double speed upgrade has been completed in my area (or possibly sooner) - no doubt VM will be sneaky with this too but I'll hopefully get what I signed up for and for less money.

I still don't regret moving from Orange BTWBC to Virgin though - the broadband service was far, far worse. I don't think I'd consider going back to BT any time soon.