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[Tonka.]

After looking through the VM web site I thought surely I could get HD for free, so...........

Bearing in mind I pay £ 24.50 for TV Size XL and they are offering TV Size XL plus HD inc box for £23.00

I got on on the 'phone to VM and had a little chat with a nice lady.

They will install HD with a set up fee of £49. She told me the set up consists of disposal of the old box (I can do that). Setting up the TV (I can do that) Having been a VM customer for 8 years I said they should waive the set up fee as I am more than capable of plugging in, setting up and activating the card.

She said the technician would have to do it as all TV's are different but she would reduce the fee to £35. I said no fee please. She said £40, no, I mean £30.

I said hang on, the fee covers something which is straight forward to do and varies with each breath you take.

What would you do people? After 8 years I am satisfied with VM and do not wish to leave them, but to try to charge me with what seems random amounts seems a little odd.  :-/

Any advice 

[ScottieMV6]

Threaten to leave and see what you can get out of them then? I know it works with Sky and most of the mobile phone companies.

Pretty sure they won't want to lose you, its a competitive market

[Varche]

It is far harder to win a new customer than keep an existing one.

Call back and negotiate with talk of Sky products.......

[tunnie]

Sky let you install newer boxes for nowt! As you say its very simple to plug it in, the excuse that all TV's are different is bull. They all use industry standard connections!

[Kevin Wood]

Sky let you install newer boxes for nowt! As you say its very simple to plug it in, the excuse that all TV's are different is bull. They all use industry standard connections!

What's the score for an existing Sky customer upgrading to a Sky+ box?

Thinking the existing setup (either set top box or LNB, haven't proved it yet) is getting a bit flaky.

Current contracts seem to come with a Sky+ box as standard. Just wondering if I am likely to be able to blag one?

Not interested in HD and they will come and install stuff over my dead body.

Kevin

[Tonka.]

Called them back. What an attitude the next woman had.
Her opening line "Hello, do you want me to disconnect you"

Me - "No, I want HD TV"

VM - " I haven't disconnected anybody today, you can be the first if you want"

Me - "Now, I don't want disconnecting but I have spoken to Sky and they seem to be happy to take me as a new customer with the same package as you (VM) including HD TV"

Me - "As you value me as a customer and you want to retain me how about sorting out HD TV without a set up fee"

VM - "No, thats £35"

Me - "As a long standing valued customer, surely you could waive the fee and set it up"

VM - "Its £35, if you won't pay it then you don't have it, tough"

Customer service 0/10

I don't want to change provider as the general service VM give is okay and I don't want the hassle and expense of changing over.

I give up, they drain me

[ScottieMV6]

Called them back. What an attitude the next woman had.
Her opening line "Hello, do you want me to disconnect you"

Me - "No, I want HD TV"

VM - " I haven't disconnected anybody today, you can be the first if you want"

Me - "Now, I don't want disconnecting but I have spoken to Sky and they seem to be happy to take me as a new customer with the same package as you (VM) including HD TV"

Me - "As you value me as a customer and you want to retain me how about sorting out HD TV without a set up fee"

VM - "No, thats £35"

Me - "As a long standing valued customer, surely you could waive the fee and set it up"

VM - "Its £35, if you won't pay it then you don't have it, tough"

Customer service 0/10

I don't want to change provider as the general service VM give is okay and I don't want the hassle and expense of changing over.

I give up, they drain me

I think this might be where you went wrong. You have to let them make that suggestion so they feel like it is their only option to keep you.

You could ring back and try again in the hope you get someone more helpful. Just tell them you are thinking about leaving because you want HD and you can get £100 cashback (effectively making the HD free) if you sign with sky today (this is true, Quidco are offering this deal but it ends at midnight tonight). This might just give them the kick up the harris they need to give you what you want. Let them suggest giving you HD for free

[duggs]

They are strange.  I phoned them about a month ago and asked "what can you do for me to prevent me going to Sky ?"

And without question they reduced my monthly bill for Broadband/Phone from £56.00 down to £35.00 ?

[tunnie]

Sky let you install newer boxes for nowt! As you say its very simple to plug it in, the excuse that all TV's are different is bull. They all use industry standard connections!

What's the score for an existing Sky customer upgrading to a Sky+ box?

Thinking the existing setup (either set top box or LNB, haven't proved it yet) is getting a bit flaky.

Current contracts seem to come with a Sky+ box as standard. Just wondering if I am likely to be able to blag one?

Not interested in HD and they will come and install stuff over my dead body.

Kevin

Yeah + box is standard, but its not always enabled as thats done on the card.

I've just rung the staff line we have (get straight through  )

If you already have a non+ box and never had one, you get one for free, its £60 install, you can install yourself (if you have duel feed to box) its just a carriage fee. Which apparently is £40!    :-/

They will enable + features for free if you provide details of the box you get, but i rekon eBay ones would be crap.

I'd be inclined to pay £40 postage as that basically gets you a new box, sort out the wiring yourself, ring them up and get it enabled on your account 

[tunnie]

oh i did ask if they could ship the box to an internal Sky address so i could collect it, but they said it had to go to the customers address 

[Mr Skrunts]

Both companies know they have you by the short and curlies.

Why on earth would anyone want to give up VM for sky, and most people that cant get VM will only go for sky if the freeview box doesnt cover what they want.

Given the chance of VM I would dump Sky tomorrow.  Plus if a 3rd company came along and un;ocked thier box to add it to a network or allow USB caddies to be added I would leave them both behind.

[tunnie]

i had VM at Uni, and would have dumped them for Sky, but the superior internet speeds kept us with VM.

[Kevin Wood]

Yeah + box is standard, but its not always enabled as thats done on the card.

I've just rung the staff line we have (get straight through  )

If you already have a non+ box and never had one, you get one for free, its £60 install, you can install yourself (if you have duel feed to box) its just a carriage fee. Which apparently is £40!    :-/

They will enable + features for free if you provide details of the box you get, but i rekon eBay ones would be crap.

I'd be inclined to pay £40 postage as that basically gets you a new box, sort out the wiring yourself, ring them up and get it enabled on your account 

Interesting. Thanks for that, Tunnie.

So, cheap dual feed LNB would eliminate a problem with that (old one is 10 years old anyway), Sky+ box would eliminate a problem with the box (10 years old) and PVR functionality added for £40.

Only fly in the ointment is running another LNB feed to the living room. Might be able to pull one down the cavity wall, I suppose.

Kevin

[tunnie]

Yeah + box is standard, but its not always enabled as thats done on the card.

I've just rung the staff line we have (get straight through  )

If you already have a non+ box and never had one, you get one for free, its £60 install, you can install yourself (if you have duel feed to box) its just a carriage fee. Which apparently is £40!    :-/

They will enable + features for free if you provide details of the box you get, but i rekon eBay ones would be crap.

I'd be inclined to pay £40 postage as that basically gets you a new box, sort out the wiring yourself, ring them up and get it enabled on your account 

Interesting. Thanks for that, Tunnie.

So, cheap dual feed LNB would eliminate a problem with that (old one is 10 years old anyway), Sky+ box would eliminate a problem with the box (10 years old) and PVR functionality added for £40.

Only fly in the ointment is running another LNB feed to the living room. Might be able to pull one down the cavity wall, I suppose.

Kevin

Sure you can do much better & neater job of running new feed yourself 

So yeah just £40 for new box and + features, must admit + is super handy, although i forget sometimes, and keep pressing FF button when its adverts, and wondering why its not work.... d'oh its live TV 

I actually PVR it even if i am there to watch it, i'll do something else and come back later when i can FF those annoying adverts 

[Del Boy]

i had VM at Uni, and would have dumped them for Sky, but the superior internet speeds kept us with VM.

VM I find are 10x better tham Sky I think to be honest.