A VIRGIN Media customer has saved £210 on their broadband bill after haggling to drive their costs down.
The savvy saver claims they are now paying less for their package compared to what new customers signing up are.
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It comes as Virgin Media announced last week that it was hiking prices by £56 a year for millions of customers.
Broadband, TV and phone customers are set to pay almost £5 extra per month for the service – but customers have the right to cancel their contract if they are unhappy with the increase.
Following the price increases announcement, one thrifty customer revealed on Reddit under the username @minieggs321 how they beat the hike.
After receiving an email about the increases to their bill, the customer checked how much the package they are on costs for new shoppers looking to sign up.
“[A] quick check online and found my package listed at 40% under what they were trying to increase my price to,” they said.
After a “quick polite email” to Virgin Media’s complaints department, the customer received a call and haggled their bill down to less than what the same package is advertised to new shoppers as, they claimed.
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The simple trick means they have saved hundreds of pounds.
“Saved myself £210 over the next 18 months now,” they said.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We’re committed to providing brilliant services and excellent overall value, and consistently give our customers more for their money than anyone else.
“We’re always happy to talk to customers about their package and have advisors ready to help.”
Virgin Media isn’t the only company to have hiked prices recently.
EE, Vodafone and Three are planning to bring back roaming charges this year too.
And millions of Brits could see their energy bills rise up to £3,700 a year in just a matter of weeks.
How to haggle
If you’re unhappy with what you’re paying for your bills, the first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
This rate can be used as a bargaining tool to get a better offer.
Then, ring up or email your provider to discuss driving down what you’re forking out on your bills.
Martin Lewis has previously advised those haggling should be polite and charming, which will most likely boost your chances of getting cash off.
You might also want to think about combining your broadband and digital TV contracts to save money.
If you want to have a go at haggling, you should call Virgin Media’s customer service team to discuss a better deal on 0345 454 1111.
Another Virgin Media customer recently got £264 a year knocked off their bill just by asking for a discount.
You could even haggle when buying a house – one couple saved £11,000.
We spoke to a serial haggler who saves thousands of pounds a year haggling.
Viewer haggles to save £740 on their Virgin Media bill
