I have a broadband-only service from Virgin. It was originally taken out
with NTL. When they first started their broadband, it was not available as
a separate option. After a while, they got the idea that it would be
better to sell just broadband to people that wanted it that way, rather
than not have them as any kind of customer. Over the years, I have been
pretty happy with the level of service and automatic speed upgrades -
which are *way* beyond anything that competing technologies can offer -
and have stuck with them.

When Virgin took over, it all changed. The prices for a broadband-only
service have crept up, and it is now possible to get a deal including TV
and phone, for less than I am paying for my fast broadband service. They
are forever writing to me and calling me to try to get me to convert.
Thing is, I don't want their TV or phone. If I had, I would have taken
them, or upgraded to a package with them, on my own.

I like the broadband service that I have with them, and don't want to
downgrade to a BT-level one. I suppose that I could convert to a package,
and just not use the additional services, but it is annoying that to get a
decent price, without having to get on the phone to their cancellations
department and have a rant and 'negotiate' a deal of dubious long-term
validity, I would have to change the simple service that I have, and have
always had ...

Arfa


We also had broadband only, then one day I had a call from Virgin offering a
phone line, "no thanks - got one from BT".

Well he insisted if I had a phone line I would save money each month, fair
enough, chap turned up, installed socket where i asked, next bill came and
indeed had a discount of IIRC £7 now well over a year later I am still
saving money, and I have never even plugged a phone into the socket!