Discrimination Against Long Standing Customers

[Dinger2]

I hope I have chosen the most apt topic.After about 10-15 years as a "Loyal" Virgin customer on one of their larger "Bundles" (the lot- TV-broadband-landline) my average monthly bill is rarely less than £60. I am becoming increasingly fed-up with their very regular adverts in the press to hook in new victims,sorry I mean customers! advertising my package for the first 6 months for £20 pm. I want to make a case to them saying I think this is a form of DICRIMINATION/PREJUDICE against existing LOYAL customers and if they can do it for 6 months then they can do it permanently !! What do A/B ers think of this point and moreover my chances of success?? I hope Richard isn't reading this !!!

[woofgang]

chances of success? Slim and none and Slim just left town.

[Tilly2]

When your yearly contract is about to expire, ring them and tell them you are thinking of moving to Sky because they offer such and such. That worked for Mr T when he did it. They reduced the bill by £12 per month.

[sir.prize]

Ask them for a loyalty discount. That works too.

[Stephen_G]

It's not exclusively Virgin Media who do it - Sky have been doing it for years. We/I've been with Sky for close to the number of years you've been with VM, so you're not alone.

[Gizmonster]

As already said, tell them that you're leaving 'cos you can get a better deal somewhere else - you'll be surprised at what they offer.
We now do this every time our contract runs out .... we tell them we're going to Sky, or wherever and they offer us another contract at a reduced price :)

[sunny-dave]

Never, ever, pay the full 'list price' for services from Sky or Virgin.

Threaten to leave, talk to the cancellation team and (magically) discounts will become available.

I reckon to pay no more than about 55-60% of the published rate for my Sky package ...

[Hopkirk]

I rang the RAC today to upgrade my cover for the next year.

They quoted quite a bit more than the new customer price on their website.

I asked them to match it, and they actually went a tiny bit further.

If you don't ask, you won't get.

[VHG]

>>> if they can do it for 6 months then they can do it permanently !!

Not quite true.

They offer these low prices as a "loss leader", where they probably lose money on the first 6 months or whatever, but hope to make it up over the next few years if you stay a customer.

While they could probably charge a bit less they certainly could not charge everyone their "new customers" prices all the time or they would soon go bankrupt.

[dance2trance]

PlusNet do this too. I just moan until I get cheaper rates.

[Mrsspagnoli57]

Agree totally that it is annoying. We pay £63.50 pm for Sky tv and broadband. We don't have movies but we have sky sports. Our package increased by £5 in June. Sky customers are paying the price across the board for the huge amounts invested in securing Premier League Football.

[zebo]

Apparently, Virgin have stopped loyalty rates on their mobile phones. We have been with Virgin, both mobile and media, through many of its incarnations for about 18 years but when my contract is up for renewal I'll be going elsewhere unless I am offered another loyalty rate.