Haggle with Virgin Media

Why haggling works - and some inspiration!

Many stick with the same provider for years, fearful of losing services by switching or not wanting the hassle. But if you're out of contract and any promotional deal you had has now ended, it's likely you're now paying top whack for your services.

Yet if you're willing to take the haggle challenge, you could get a better price without switching. With a little charm, you could save £100s on your TV and broadband package in just one phone call.

Here's the key thing to understand:

Companies make their best deals only available for newbies, and they LOVE loyal customers as they stay with the firm through thick 'n' thin, paying full price and never looking for a better deal.

This lets big firms rake in easy, guaranteed profit. So ask yourself a question: do you want to be a customer whose business is fought for. Unless you want to be taken for granted, take the haggle challenge.

In a nutshell, call up and ask for a better deal. Say you're paying too much or rivals' deals are cheaper. If that doesn't work, say you're leaving.

You'll usually get put through to companies' super-powerful hidden deals departments.

Check new deals too – remember, switching may be best

Haggling can be mega powerful, but think of it as just one part of your battle to get the best deal. Sometimes 'new customer' offers from alternative providers are simply unbeatable. So by all means haggle, but always check the price you secure against the top deals you'd get by switching – compare broadband, phone and TV deals.

This really does work – people who've tried it have saved £100s!

Our most recent poll, conducted in December 2023, found 89% of Virgin customers who tried to haggle were successful in negotiating a better deal, showing what's possible.

To see who else this works well on, see the Top 10 Firms To Haggle With, but here are some examples of MoneySavers who've managed to slash their Virgin bills by haggling:

Some MoneySavers have told us of being offered an automatic discount while they're on hold. Yet you can usually get a better deal if you stay on hold and talk to a human. They're likely to be able to offer you a better deal, as Julie's email show...

Please let us know how you get on by sharing your success stories - and otherwise - via the MSE Forum, by emailing successes@moneysavingexpert.com or tweeting @MoneySavingExp.

Eight top Virgin haggling tips

Haggling may sound straightforward, but perfecting it is an art. Here are our top tips for haggling with Virgin – for more, see our full guide on Haggling with Service Providers.

1. Tell 'em you're happy with Freeview (most of Virgin's basic channels are there too)

   

   Freeview costs nothing for many people, comes with loads of channels, and if you mention it, it shows Virgin you know what you're talking about. 
   
   It's a useful opening gambit to start your haggle with as mentioning it tells Virgin your opening offer for that element of your package is £0.

   You can then take it from there, and hopefully you'll have a little more wiggle room to get a top deal.

2. Do a channel audit and ditch anything you don't watch

   If you have TV, work out what you really watch on Virgin and ditch the rest. There's no point in paying for channel packages you don't watch. Virgin has a selection of packages to choose from, including Virgin Media broadband only (no landline) deals, and you could always opt for a more basic one to cut costs, so also consider if you really need superfast fibre broadband.

3. Timing is crucial – if you're out-of-contract, or close to the end, it's easier to leave without penalty

   Haggling works best when you're nearing the end of your monthly contract or are beyond it. There's no harm in giving it a try earlier though – if you struggle, note in your diary when you'll be nearing the end of your contract and call back then (you can give Virgin notice of leaving 30 days beforehand).

   Even if you do forget, don't panic as telecoms and pay-TV companies are now forced to tell you that your contract is ending. This can be via a letter, email or text between 10 and 40 days before it ends.

   Furthermore, if Virgin hikes its broadband service or line rental prices (or even TV prices depending on the type of contract you have) mid-contract you may be able to leave penalty-free even if you're still in the minimum term. This can also be the case if it puts up the prices of additional services you regularly use, leading to "material detriment".

   If you're able to leave penalty-free, you'll have one month from receiving notification of the price rise to tell Virgin you want to switch provider, putting you at a distinct advantage if you want to negotiate.

4. Benchmark 'new customer' deals, so you've a price to aim for

   It's important to have the factual arsenal at your fingertips before you pick up the phone, so do your homework on the top Virgin Media deals. 
   
   Research the prices and discounts Virgin and its competitors offer to new customers, as a basis for negotiation. Compare broadband, phone and TV deals and sign up to our weekly email to see the latest offers.

5. Check your account for existing customer offers

   With Virgin Media existing customers have access to 'exclusive deals' if you stay with them (you can often find info on these by signing into your Virgin Media account). It's actively encouraging you to haggle, so it would be rude not to take advantage.

   Of course, if you're not satisfied with what you're offered online, you can call Virgin Media and try to haggle via another avenue – see point 6 below for how to contact its retentions department.

   Are you also an O2 customer? 

   If you have an O2 mobile contract and also Virgin Media broadband at home, you could boost your service for no extra cost by signing up for Volt benefits – launched as part of the merger between Virgin and O2. 

   Volt benefits allow you to double your broadband speed and mobile data, plus add up to three free Wi-Fi boosters for no extra charge.

6. To haggle, get put through to cancellations/retentions

   

   Remember, if you're coming to the end of your contract, or you're already out of it, you're wielding a powerhouse weapon – customer loyalty. It's simple to use too – just tell 'em you're going to leave. 

   If you don't have any luck via the advertised ways of getting in touch, then it may be worth trying another route to the 'customer retentions' department – aka the Holy Grail of haggling – instead. (Note: This department might be called 'disconnections' externally, but make no mistake, customer retention's their job.)

   You'll need to call Virgin on 0345 454 1111 to cancel but even the cancellation section of its site suggests it could offer you a better deal - providers are used to this so if you're feeling a little nervous, don't be. It's asking you to haggle and remember, it wants your custom.

   Use charm, chutzpah, cheek... and a smile

   Aggression or anger will just put their back up and won't get you anywhere. You're asking for a discount, and they're just as much within their right not to give it as you are to leave. Aim for polite, friendly, non-combative yet firm.

   Use the phrases that pay

   You may find that your Virgin customer service rep will only offer a small discount at first, but if you don't agree with the price, try phrases like: 
   
   - "I've worked out my budget, and my absolute max is £[insert price here]/mth."
   - "[BT/Plusnet/TalkTalk] can do it for less."
   - "I need to think about it."
   - "I think my other half will go bonkers if I pay that."
   - "It's still a lot of money."
   - "What's the very best you can do?"

   Don't panic if they call your bluff and say they'll disconnect you

   Some people worry and get nervous to try this in case they're disconnected. Martin's easy 'get out of jail free' card on this is the phrase: "Hold on, I'll call you back on that. I'd like to check with my wife/husband/dog/goldfish first."

   Problems mean discounts

   If you've had issues with Virgin in the past, such as problems with broadband speed or long customer service call waiting times, politely tell them when you haggle. It's useful ammunition – they should want to try and make it up to you.

   Don't say yes to the first offer they give

   You should never go with the first offer. Chances are, it's not the best deal they can do. Remember, be firm.

   Don't fill the silence

   They may push you to agree because it's a "limited-time offer", but don't feel pressured into agreeing to the new price or deal unless you're certain. 

   As negotiations come to a close, a classic sales technique is to stay silent. They want you to feel awkward and fill the silence. Make them fill it with a cheaper offer.

   Ask if they can throw in extras

   If they won't slash the price, ask them if they can at least include any extras, such as a faster connection. free calls or extra channels.

7. If you fail – try, try and try again

   While they're unconfirmed, we hear rumours that staff members at some providers have different quotas of deals they can offer – for more info, see our Insider MoneySaving tips.
   

   Even if that's not true across the board, it's certainly worth bearing in mind  that you may have called the wrong person at the wrong time – calling back a few days later and speaking to someone else could pay dividends.

8. If it won't play ball, vote with your feet, and leave

   If you don't get what you want, you should seriously consider leaving. Remember, new customers normally have the pick of the best TV, fibre broadband and home phone or landline deals and there are other providers out there. Compare broadband, phone and TV deals to find the best one for you.

   Once they've given notice, we've heard of users getting a call from Virgin within the 30-day notice period offering a deal to entice them back. At that point the ball is in your court.

   Or, see our other broadband & haggling guides...
   Broadband haggling | Compare Broadband, Phone and TV
   Do you need a landline for broadband? | Haggle with BT | Haggle with Sky | Compare packages