[Closed] Alternative to Virgin Media?

We're in the process of getting out of our contract with Virgin Media, due to them being rubbish, and it looks like we're moving to BT.
Don't fancy Sky much and not really any other options.

I've got a similar issue with Sky, they've pretty much doubled in price in the last 5 years for us, and I don't really see any improvement in service - they won't offer us new hardware even though ours plays up, they can't improve the bandwidth (which I know is out of their control) and TV content is okay, but nothing has massively improved in recent years.

We're moving to a fibre area in a few weeks, Sky is going saving us £83 a month, going to get Fibre from Vodafone for £28 inc the line for 76meg - and NowTV which is a Sky product and includes of their decent output - Sky Atlantic, Fox etc for £6 a month. It's streaming only, but with unlimited fibre it's hardly a barrier - I'll get the new Apple TV to manage it all for the sake of my Wife and it'll tie-in our Netflix and the iPlayer, 4OD etc.

I'm a little nervous about cancelling and seeing what they offer as I don't want to be without internet for too long (needed for work) and I'll need to have alternative broadband ready to go before I cancel, so is there any way I can get virgin to offer a better deal and what alternatives should I look at?

legend has it that if you cancel they will phone you back the next day with a much improved offer to try and make you stay.

I'll be cancelling Virgin shortly just because they don't get anywhere near their 20Mbit 'promised' speed, and is often loitering around 0.1-0.2Mbit. It also is very inconsistent - it's all over the place. They don't seem capable to do anything about it.

We're looking at PlusNet fibre or an EE 4G data SIM in an old phone using wifi hotspot, testing seems to suggest that works rather well.

In Bristol and on cable VM here.

Speed/reliability seems all over the place at the moment and for the last month. They won't send anyone out unless you can prove it is unreliable (which is pretty impossible) and won't accept any evidence unless it is on a wired (not WiFi) connection which is tricky these days.

We're thinking of dropping the TV/phone with VM and going broadband only with them as when it works (and it usually does) it is very good. But as you said, costs keep creeping up which is bloody annoying.

We have the same problem made worse by not having many choices. Despite living in the suburbs its over 1 mile to the exchange so any provider who uses the BT copper network cant supply us anything more than dialup speed. As a result we are tied to the fibre network that virgin use unless anyone knows of an alternative provider who uses their network

Also on a side note it really pisses me off that they don't include the line rental in the prices!

Anyway, I follow with interest as I have just had the 'your contract is going up' email so of course that triggers the automatic right to cancel services despite still being in contract for another 10 months.

legend has it that if you cancel they will phone you back the next day with a much improved offer to try and make you stay.

So I just did this very thing. Like the OP, I felt the price for broadband, phone and Internet (we are cable) was too expensive and we had Amazon prime etc. So I cancelled the TV....I was waiting for them to beg me to stay with a new price, but they just said 'ok'! Which was a it disconcerting.

I waited 3 weeks (?) or so and was just about to ring up and cancel my disconnection (you have 30 days) as we do use it, when they rang back and gave us the same packaged but quite a bit cheaper - locked in for another 12 months.

We were paying £90 per month seemingly after calls and now we pay £52 per month.

Not life changing but worth it, I guess 🙂

I'll be ditching Sky come November as the offer I got last year has ended so my bills have jumped from £48 to £83 ( going up to £91 next month).
The only things I really watch on Sky are Game of Thrones, john Oliver and Liverpool football games so I'll be moving to Fibre broadband with Freeview and a NowTV box.

the only problem for us is as Virgin is already here with cable BT is dragging it's feet with openreach 😈 so were still on slow bt 🙁

seriously considering moving from Virgin having put the price up again, i also tend to get a fair bit of stuttering which means streaming can be very hit and miss at times.

BT have recently put fibre in so it becomes an option

Only question is BT fibre reasonably quick? Am i going to notice coming down in headline speed?

Sadly, I'm yet to hear of a realistic alternative to Virgin, although I am considering sacking the telly and phone as these days I almost never watch tell that isn't on a streamed service. I agree the prices are starting to look a bit monopolistic.

It's the internet that does it for me though - relative to BT. BT in Sheffield around these parts sucks serious balls. I used to get quicker broadband in a tiny village on the North Yorks Moors. Plus, the BT customer experience is not great, and due to networks and BT wholesale, basically anything that isn't Virgin or actual satellite internet (Not Sky... 😉 ) is hamstrung by BT involvement. I've given them more than one chance and never again. I run a SamKnows Whitebox uploading stats on my connection for the project, and according to the independent reporting Virgin are providing the speed they have sold me in both directions. This has never ever been the case with any BT based service I've had at home.

We've always had good service from Virgin, especially when I phone them up to moan about network speed or price/ deal. Usually get a change without issue.