# Virgin Media offers an existing customer €30 per month discount out of the blue



## Duke of Marmalade (27 Feb 2018)

Virgin Media phoned me today out of the blue.  As a long term customer they want to give me €30 a month discount for next 12 months without changing anything.  Where's the catch?


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## SparkRite (27 Feb 2018)

Oh you are SO cynical..........
I would say at the very least you will be tied into a contract of 12 months, maybe more.


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## RedOnion (27 Feb 2018)

Yes, to tie you into a contract.
See how what they've offered compares to what's available to new customers. If a new customer can get better, then ask fir the same if you're willing to be tied to a contract.


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## elcato (27 Feb 2018)

I saw a new ad yesterday offering BB and lots of goodies from the TV for 50 euro a month so I'm guessing you are paying about 80 or 90 now and they want to see if they can entice you.


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## Duke of Marmalade (27 Feb 2018)

Thanks guys.  They did mention the 12 months contract.  The new customer deal is €36 per month discount.

I phoned them up and was told that to get the new customer deal I would need to send in a written cancellation and reapply, whole process would take about 4 months.  Not worth the hassle.

But the real revelation is that I am languishing on a 120Mb broadband when the current offer is 360Mb.  The new modem is now in the post.

A bit of an eye opener.  Folk should phone up as soon as 12 month contract is up to get the latest discount.

I reckon I have lost a couple of grand over the years by being a sleeping customer, as well as having under performing broadband.


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## Duke of Marmalade (27 Feb 2018)

elcato said:


> I saw a new ad yesterday offering BB and lots of goodies from the TV for 50 euro a month so I'm guessing you are paying about 80 or 90 now and they want to see if they can entice you.


I'm paying €164  It includes TV, Phone and Broadband also a couple of rooms for the TV.


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## SparkRite (27 Feb 2018)

Probably too late now, but you should have attempted to cancel altogether and then you would have got a way better deal.


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## Duke of Marmalade (27 Feb 2018)

SparkRite said:


> Probably too late now, but you should have attempted to cancel altogether and then you would have got a way better deal.


I'm not sure.  The discount for new customers on the  website is €36 per month.  I'm getting €30 and the process of cancellation and re-entry seemed a bit of a hassle.


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## RedOnion (27 Feb 2018)

Ah, the discount is 36. I thought you meant new price! 

I call their loyalty team every year on behalf of my aunt (a pensioner) and get a get deal when I say she can't afford it, but she's seen an offer with another supplier. Last year they threw in multi room for free to keep her, as well as getting new customer rate.

You have to call the team in Limerick though to get anywhere! And you have to be willing to cancel.


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## elcato (27 Feb 2018)

RedOnion said:


> ou have to call the team in Limerick though to get anywhere!


Fully agree but is there a way of ensuring you get through here rather than the usual Caribbean ?


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## RedOnion (27 Feb 2018)

elcato said:


> Fully agree but is there a way of ensuring you get through here rather than the usual Caribbean ?



I've managed a few times using the Limerick number and calling during 'normal' hours mid week. 
061 272190

Or just say you want to cancel, and ask someone to call you back.

I must actually check when their contract is up and I have to call again.


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## stobear (27 Feb 2018)

Duke of Marmalade said:


> Thanks guys.  They did mention the 12 months contract.  The new customer deal is €36 per month discount.
> 
> I phoned them up and was told that to get the new customer deal I would need to send in a written cancellation and reapply, whole process would take about 4 months.  Not worth the hassle.
> 
> ...


I think you will find most laptops using a wireless connection will be gated to approx 100MB speed (at best) of the device inside the laptop, it has nothing to do with the advertised speed. when i had 240MB, the technician showed me his laptop could get 240MB on a wired connection only with only a basic operating system running.


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## Duke of Marmalade (27 Feb 2018)

stobear said:


> I think you will find most laptops using a wireless connection will be gated to approx 100MB speed (at best) of the device inside the laptop, it has nothing to do with the advertised speed. when i had 240MB, the technician showed me his laptop could get 240MB on a wired connection only with only a basic operating system running.


A problem I have is that the Wifi does not reach all rooms.  They told me the increased speed could fix that.


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## MrEarl (27 Feb 2018)

Duke of Marmalade said:


> A problem I have is that the Wifi does not reach all rooms.  They told me the increased speed could fix that.



Hello Duke,

If you are still having a problem after you get the new modem and increased speed, then have a look  here  to see if it helps you to resolve the issue.

Assuming that you are satisfied with the Virgin service, and that they are not at fault, then I'd suggest that you look into getting one of these.

Finally, if you don't mind me saying so, €164 pm looks very expensive.  I would ask them straight out to reduce it, without any reduction in service or the need to jump through hoops.  There is a reasonably good Virgin Media team working on Boards.ie (see [broken link removed]) who may be more helpful than whoever you have spoken to by telephone.

Usually, brief mention of having looked at offers from Sky and Eir, and having concluded that you are paying too much, is enough to get them around to your way of thinking.

Also, for info. here are the offers that they have for new customers, if they sign up via the Boards.ie offers page.


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## Duke of Marmalade (28 Feb 2018)

Thanks Mr Earl. Very helpful.  Yes the €164 was a rip off, which they recognized themselves.  Ok it’s not Tracker Mortgage country but just coz I’m a mug they have been getting away with overcharging me at least €30 a month for ever.

New modem expected today.  Let’s see if it works before getting boosters.


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## DeclanDublin (28 Feb 2018)

Duke of Marmalade said:


> A problem I have is that the Wifi does not reach all rooms.  They told me the increased speed could fix that.


I  phone Virgin Media EVERY year at renewal and argue the price. Before I do that, I do a check for deals on bonkers.ie so I know what's on offer from the market. I like VM, so I'd prefer to stay with them, but I have to argue right up the line saying I'm going to cancel it. The first person I'd talk to offers a deal up to a limit, to go beyond that you need to talk to the 'loyalty team.' 

Regarding problems with wireless connections, I had a problem with the Samsung Smart TV receiving the WI-FI signal. I got a TP-Link connector that uses ur power lines as ethernet connections and it works like a dream. The two way connections between router and TV cost me €33 from Currys and its 'plug and play.'


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## Brendan Burgess (28 Feb 2018)

Hi Duke

I owe you a pint.

Inspired by your posts, I called Virgin today

I was paying  €97.50 for "Limitless 240 mg Horizon Max and mobile calls" + €4.50 for an analogue point.

They have scrapped the analogue point charge.

They have reduced the monthly charge to €94 - and renamed the package to

https://www.virginmedia.ie/bundles/broadband-tv-phone/anytime-world-horizon-max-tv/

They initially offered me €15 per month off that for 6 months which would have been €79. This was for my "loyalty". 

I told them that this was a funny interpretation of loyalty, as they were giving new customers €30 per month discount for 12 months and  could they give me €30 off  for 6 months.

She checked with her manager and has given me €47 per month for 6 months and €94 after that.

I have also switched back to paper billing as that is much more likely to prompt me to review it next year.

Brendan


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## Duke of Marmalade (28 Feb 2018)

DeclanDublin said:


> I  phone Virgin Media EVERY year at renewal and argue the price. Before I do that, I do a check for deals on bonkers.ie so I know what's on offer from the market. I like VM, so I'd prefer to stay with them, but I have to argue right up the line saying I'm going to cancel it. The first person I'd talk to offers a deal up to a limit, to go beyond that you need to talk to the 'loyalty team.'


I got on to VM this morning.  I asked for a straight comparison with what a new customer would pay and what I would pay with my loyalty discount.  The difference is €25 per month.  I asked her why that was.  She said I was once a new customer and got those discounts, I was now an existing customer.  I said that I could become a new customer.  She said they would then remove the boxes from me and I would have to sign up with someone else.  Ok, she wasn't quite so blunt but that was the gist.  I told her that people in blogoland seem to be able to get the new customer offer if they squeaked loud enough.  She said absolutely  not.  In the end she wore me down.  Bad taste in my mouth but I'm stuck with the loyalty offer.


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## MrEarl (28 Feb 2018)

Hello Duke,

Have a look at the offers from Sky and Eir (particularly for TV and landline).

If you reduced your services from Virgin to just broadband, and signed up as a new customer with one of the others for the other services, would you get a better deal ?

If the answer is yes, or it's even breakeven, then I would move, or at least be prepared to move.  Then call Virgin and tell them you want to cancel most of the package you are on (and just keep broadband, subject to satisfactory service).  Virgin might claim that you have just agreed a new 12 month contract subject to the €30 discount, but I think the answer to that one is that there's an implied cooling off period, just as there's a specified cooling off period when we sign up to these contracts as new customers.

My bet is that Virgin will improve their offer to keep all services.  However, if they don't, then do move some of your services for the better deal.

Best of luck with it.


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## Sue Ellen (28 Feb 2018)

Pity that you missed this thread some years ago.  I have phoned every six months for the past few years and got half price for 6 months each year:
https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threads/summary-of-discounts-negotiated-with-upc-in-2015.191750/

At least you know now to diary note and ring them each year.


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## Sue Ellen (28 Feb 2018)

MrEarl said:


> Hello Duke,
> 
> Have a look at the offers from Sky and *Eir* (particularly for TV and landline).



With the call centre service that Eir are *not* providing these days anyone who moves to them wants their head examined.  My OAP neighbours have been to hell and back with them hence their move to elsewhere.


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## DeclanDublin (28 Feb 2018)

Duke of Marmalade said:


> I got on to VM this morning.  I asked for a straight comparison with what a new customer would pay and what I would pay with my loyalty discount.  The difference is €25 per month.  I asked her why that was.  She said I was once a new customer and got those discounts, I was now an existing customer.  I said that I could become a new customer.  She said they would then remove the boxes from me and I would have to sign up with someone else.  Ok, she wasn't quite so blunt but that was the gist.  I told her that people in blogoland seem to be able to get the new customer offer if they squeaked loud enough.  She said absolutely  not.  In the end she wore me down.  Bad taste in my mouth but I'm stuck with the loyalty offer.


I had to tell em I would change and to cancel...and finally.... after discussing with a supervisor, they relented.  It probably helped that I had my mobile with them as well.  It really is bad public relations on their behalf treat existing customers as less valuable.   Truth is, existing customers are CHEAPER to service and EASIER to hold onto. New customers necessarily involve more costs. This penny never seems to drop with service providers.


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## ant dee (28 Feb 2018)

I was on simple broadband €56 per month, best I could get is €5 'loyalty discount'.
I went with that but mentioned to the support agent that I could easily cancel and get my wife to sign up and get €40 per month rates. They would have to collect my old equipment, and post me a new one. They are fast too, I would get new equipment next day. Or can drive to a VM shop and pick it up there. Such waste...

Funnily the agent said , 'that would be fraud'. I might do it next year 
It would be entertaining to see how they would present a case!


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## Duke of Marmalade (28 Feb 2018)

Sue Ellen said:


> With the call centre service that Eir are *not* providing these days anyone who moves to them wants their head examined.  My OAP neighbours have been to hell and back with them hence their move to elsewhere.


yeah, I’m happy enuff with VM service. I just wish they hadn’t rattled my cage.  I hate feeling like a mug.


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## shweeney (28 Feb 2018)

nobody really needs 360mb/s at home - even if everyone in the house was streaming 4k netflix you wouldn't go much over 100. We had the 360mb service and I downgraded to 240 to save a few quid.


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## Brendan Burgess (28 Feb 2018)

DeclanDublin said:


> Truth is, existing customers are CHEAPER to service and EASIER to hold onto. New customers necessarily involve more costs. This penny never seems to drop with service providers.



Hi Declan 

The sad reality is that most people don't switch and don't care about overpaying. 

Although it's expensive for them to get a new customer, that customer will probably end up paying a lot more. 

Brendan


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## DeclanDublin (28 Feb 2018)

Brendan Burgess said:


> Hi Declan
> 
> The sad reality is that most people don't switch and don't care about overpaying.
> 
> ...



Don't I know Brendan. And companies rely on inertia to make money. And Duke, stay in  the long grass for VM . Don't get me wrong, I like their service. It's streets ahead of some I know. But I keep them on their toes and earning every buck they get from me.

On principle, I keep a note of the date I change suppliers so I always know when contracts are due. I have zilch loyalty to any supplier coz I know they view me in the same light. Every year, around now, I get onto bonkers.ie & switcher.ie and do an analysis of what's on offer.  I estimate this year I'll save €200 on gas and lecky bills. That's me car tax sorted!


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## lukegriffen (28 Feb 2018)

I was a VM cust for 15 years, price had gone from 48 to 70 in 2 years for legacy 50mb bb & Basic tv, their best offer was to reduce it by 10e for 6 months, then increase it by 20e to 79 after that on higher speed, so i left & went to vodafone for 25e for first 6 months, then 60 after that.  I was a bit surprised they didnt do more to keep me, i didnt particularly want to move as their product is so reliable.


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## DeclanDublin (28 Feb 2018)

lukegriffen said:


> I was a VM cust for 15 years, price had gone from 48 to 70 in 2 years for legacy 50mb bb & Basic tv, their best offer was to reduce it by 10e for 6 months, then increase it by 20e to 79 after that on higher speed, so i left & went to vodafone for 25e for first 6 months, then 60 after that.  I was a bit surprised they didnt do more to keep me, i didnt particularly want to move as their product is so reliable.


As a matter of interest, how are Vodafone? I've heard mixed reviews.


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## qwerty5 (28 Feb 2018)

shweeney said:


> nobody really needs 360mb/s at home - even if everyone in the house was streaming 4k netflix you wouldn't go much over 100. We had the 360mb service and I downgraded to 240 to save a few quid.


Absolutely. I've got a pc on permanently as a server,  stream to 2 tvs (Netflix and "other" methods) , my missus and myself use laptops,  phones and tablets (not all simultaneously) and we've never had an issue with 240mb per second. It's the first thing they try to get us off whenever I ring. I just did a test now . My missus is watching Netflix downstairs and my tablet is reporting 210mb/sec here.


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## gnf_ireland (1 Mar 2018)

DeclanDublin said:


> It really is bad public relations on their behalf treat existing customers as less valuable.   Truth is, existing customers are CHEAPER to service and EASIER to hold onto. New customers necessarily involve more costs. This penny never seems to drop with service providers.


The answer to this is simple - the vast majority of customers simply do not switch providers. They will complain about it but do nothing about it. Same applies to banks, mobile companies, utilities etc - although utilities are probably the easier and most frequently switched as there is no downtime or customer impact.
Yes existing customers are cheaper to maintain, but less likely to leave.

I read somewhere in the UK that people who switch utilities save 300 pounds a year, but if everyone switched the savings would be around 70 pounds. Its those on 'standard rates' that subsidise the margins for the others !


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## gnf_ireland (1 Mar 2018)

shweeney said:


> even if everyone in the house was streaming 4k netflix you wouldn't go much over 100.


4K is about 25-30MB on a single stream ....
I agree, the chances of anyone needing >100MB is low enough. The new eir 1GB FTTH will be interesting to see what the take-up is. It is probably too fast & expensive for most people.


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## gnf_ireland (1 Mar 2018)

DeclanDublin said:


> But I keep them on their toes and earning every buck they get from me.


The only challenge there is the more times you avail of loyalty discounts, the harder it is to get them off them. I managed to get another half price one for 6 months off them, but it was hard fought



DeclanDublin said:


> And companies rely on inertia to make money.


Absolutely agree here - but those who pay the higher fees by not moving allow the rest of us to get discounts when we contact them


One big advantage of being on the openeir network as opposed to VM is that you can switch between eir, voda and others with no impact on internal wiring etc. If you move away from VM there is someone out to go drilling in the house etc !


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## SparkRite (1 Mar 2018)

gnf_ireland said:


> 4K is about 25-30MB on a single stream ....
> I agree, the chances of anyone needing >100MB is low enough. The new eir 1GB FTTH will be interesting to see what the take-up is. It is probably too fast & expensive for most people.



You are making a common mistake between MB and Mb, with MB being approx. 10 time more data than Mb inc. of stop bits and error checking etc. 4K streaming does not need anwhere near 25-30 MBs and is also dependant on compression system utilised. I have seen 12Mbs DSL streaming 4K movies perfectly. As long as the BB is stable and does not suffer from high pings or latency then lower speeds are generally perfectly OK.

MB = Mega Bytes
Mb = Mega Bits


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## Leo (1 Mar 2018)

8 bits = 1 Byte


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## SparkRite (1 Mar 2018)

Leo said:


> 8 bits = 1 Byte



Couldn't agree more @Leo, always was and I suppose always will be..........

But I said "data" which includes, relevant information (usually 7bits, but doesn't have to be), sync bits, error checking, stop bits, redundancy checks, etc..


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## Leo (1 Mar 2018)

SparkRite said:


> Couldn't agree more @Leo, always was and I suppose always will be..........
> 
> But I said "data" which includes, relevant information (usually 7bits, but doesn't have to be), sync bits, error checking, stop bits, redundancy checks, etc..



Now you talking my language    Next, kilobytes Vs kibibytes


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## MrEarl (1 Mar 2018)

Ah here,

Can we not just keep it simple for the likes of me, and have "slow" and "fast", or "big" and "small" please ?

....well, we might also need "crazy fast" (to cater for Virgin's 360mbs service) ? 




As an aside, I hope you all like the way I got the thread back on topic again too 


.


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## gnf_ireland (4 Mar 2018)

SparkRite said:


> You are making a common mistake between MB and Mb


Apologies - on the phone at the time and stubby fingers. 
Yes agree fundamental difference between the two



SparkRite said:


> I have seen 12Mbs DSL streaming 4K movies perfectly.


As long as it is stable it is probably ok to stream this, but depends on the line really.
If you look at various service providers for streaming they will give recommendations. Most will quote around the 15Mbs for 4K, but some go a little higher. 

My point (at a very high level) was 360Mb BB is more than 99% of the population needs. 6 people streaming 4K at a point in time is likely to require 100Mbs line - 150Mbs pushing it.. 

Apologies for any confusion caused.


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## Duke of Marmalade (5 Mar 2018)

Got my new box today. Seems to have fixed my coverage problems.  Still a bit sore about paying €25 a month more than a new customer, but I have been worn down by the bitcoin debate and haven't the stamina to fight for justice from VM.  Thanks for the many helpful contributions.


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## MrEarl (7 Mar 2018)

Hi Duke, 

Good to hear that your coverage problem is sorted out, that plus a small monthly saving still goes down as a win my friend.

Don't forget to put a note in your diary, or a reminder in the calendar on your phone, to call them again this time next year.

.. now, on to your various other household bills to see what else you can save some money on


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## HollyBud (7 Mar 2018)

I was paying €94 for TV including SKY Sports and multiroom - i just rang and they offered it to me for €52.50 for 6 months and €84 for the final 6 months of a 1 year contract.


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## tallpaul (7 Mar 2018)

HollyBud said:


> I was paying €94 for TV including SKY Sports and multiroom - i just rang and they offered it to me for €52.50 for 6 months and €84 for the final 6 months of a 1 year contract.


Might be a bit late now, but the better plan with Sky is to threaten to cancel and let them offer you a deal - it is usually for 6 months. Then in six months time rinse and repeat!! You will almost certainly keep only paying the €52.50 price all year long.


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## DeclanDublin (7 Mar 2018)

tallpaul said:


> Might be a bit late now, but the better plan with Sky is to threaten to cancel and let them offer you a deal - it is usually for 6 months. Then in six months time rinse and repeat!! You will almost certainly keep only paying the €52.50 price all year long.


Agreed. It really is a case of cat and mouse with service providers. You have to be prepared to play s bit of hardball and put in a bit of time.


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## Duke of Marmalade (22 Mar 2018)

Today I phoned Airtricity.  I am out of contract since September.  They immediately gave me a 20%/16% discount on my electricity/gas  plus some free climote thing which will allow me control the heating remotely.  I have myself to blame for not being on top of these things.  All the same these guys probably have in their charter that they act in the best interests of the customer.


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## MrEarl (23 Mar 2018)

Duke,

Great to see you've kept the momentum going.

Dare I suggest that you hop onto one of the price comparison websites, then start working your way through the various service providers ? 

...this is something that absolutely everyone should be doing btw, and on an annual basis !


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## Up Rovers (23 Apr 2018)

Had a quick read over the thread and hope that I didn't miss the answer to my question 

Rang them about my mother's account this morning (nominated contact) and they would not allow the 50% discount that they normally sanction.  They said that the 50% is no longer allowed two years in a row which is a new company policy and would only allow €10 off the television.  Has anyone else come across this recently or do I just ring back a few times to see if I get somebody sympathetic to an OAP?


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## MrEarl (25 Apr 2018)

Hello,

From a tactical point of view, I would put my mother on the phone for the first moment or two, then have her ask them to speak with you and hand over the phone for you to continue the conversation.  You may find that the "nice old lady" on the phone, may draw more sympathy from them.


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## Gordon Gekko (25 Apr 2018)

Having been with both Virgin and Sky, I could never leave the latter. Sky Q just blows Virgin’s product out of the water.


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