Virgin v. Sky - Help!! What Should I Do?
Mar 9 2007 02:21
Hello peeps
Well another useless corporate takeover has just taken place - Virgin have bought ntl and cos of this and the fact that they have had a spat with Sky i no longer have Sky One, Sky Two or Sky News all of which i look at regularly. They were all just suddenly taken off the air. Would do the angry emoticon but they have not appeared as an option for some reason. You realise what this means for me gentle posters?
It means i have lost Lost. And Battlestar Galactica!!!! In the middle of their seasons!!
What should i do? If i switch to Sky i will get back the channels i had before but will have to go through the hassle, inconvenience and probable expense of switching. As there is bound to be a fuck up by one or both companies i will prolly end up being billed twice for the same time period and lose the entire service for a while..Also i will lose the fact i have been with ntl for eons - this tends to give me a bit of latitude when it comes to occasionally having to pay late etc. But if i DON'T switch i lose Lost, BG, some L&0 re-runs...and of course needless to say Virgin are not lowering their prices now they are providing less channels - ha! They of course blame it all on Sky. Who blame it all on Virgin. Christ!! it is like breaking up a playground fight between two six year olds.
Advice friends??
Love
LW X
Mar 9 2007 04:26
#2
Thanks Asher - a rad. suggestion -bit scary for me tho as i am not at all techy -also my pc is a bit rubbish but my TV is quite good..and it might seem a bit odd to invite a friend to watch a film and then be hunched over the pc instead of lounging on my nice sofa.. do other peeps like JDMF and Joseph who seem to do all their viewing on the pc see my point here or are all your friends like you??? 
Help - will have to pm one of the BG posters to find out what is happening soon.. Whatever option i choose it will take a few days to sort out and i am away most of next week somewhere where there is no telly.. 
Love
LW X
Mar 9 2007 07:05
#3
At my gaff we usually watch films on the pc and lounge about on the sofa as we do. :biggrin:
I think I've managed to catch up with the states now with BG, god I'm a geek. 
Mar 9 2007 09:13
#4
What season of BG are you on now on the PC Welshboy? The site we are using seems to run out at the end of season 3 but there are more aren't there?
LW, if you get a good monitor then watching your fav tv programmes & movies is actually quite pleasant on a PC. And I am absolutely no techie but the PC is very manageable. The other good thing is that once your prog has finished you don't actually need to make any effort to turn the machine off to avoid some sub-standard shite that might instantly suck your brain out; there's just a black screen!
Mar 9 2007 09:29
#5
Lone Wolf wrote:
Thanks Asher - a rad. suggestion -bit scary for me tho as i am not at all techy -also my pc is a bit rubbish but my TV is quite good..and it might seem a bit odd to invite a friend to watch a film and then be hunched over the pc instead of lounging on my nice sofa.. do other peeps like JDMF and Joseph who seem to do all their viewing on the pc see my point here or are all your friends like you???Help - will have to pm one of the BG posters to find out what is happening soon.. Whatever option i choose it will take a few days to sort out and i am away most of next week somewhere where there is no telly..
Love
LW X
i'm not a big TV person, so the internet's fine cos i'm happy to wait a bit. if you get bittorrent set up, you're away, and i think there's a £20 cable you can buy to run your computer into the TV, though it's in a different room isn't it? 
i dunno then, basically. i mean in contract terms, it isn't your problem that two multinationals/six year olds are having a playground spat, you've paid for a service and they owe you that service, so might have to make do with downloading Lost etc for now, then when they sort out the spat, get harassing them for an extra free month or two's subscription for the inconvenience.
Mar 9 2007 09:40
#6
I just watched episode 17 last night, I'm using pirate bay which seems to be the most up to date that I've found. The next episode is on Sunday night(US) so the torrent should be up on Monday.
btw has anyone checked out Heroes yet? It's basically the x-men by the same guy who created Lost.
Mar 9 2007 09:40
#7
Sky Virgins? This sounds like a really awesome dream I had once.
Mar 9 2007 09:41
#8
Why would anyone watch sky news?
Mar 9 2007 12:57
#9
John. wrote:
Why would anyone watch sky news?
Just pure convenience - and i only watch a bit of it occasionally - really it is the loss of BG I am upset about in case you didn't work that out... ; its just another channel i have lost to the spat and am still paying for so that is what is pissing me off.
JK - don't think the six year olds are gonna resolve the spat - it is the parting of the ways and that is that. 
Mar 9 2007 13:38
#10
I dunno i would've thought they'd sort it out, and virgin just buy the channels off sky to keep their customers happy.
how is watching the shittest news channel more convient than one of the marginally less shit ones, like the bbc?
Mar 9 2007 14:35
#11
if they don't sort it out, they owe you, since you're still paying, and thus you'd be able to get some form of compensation i.e. at least your money back, if not something free for the trouble. i think John.'s right that they'll probably cut some deal, it's just branson/murdoch playing hardball.
Mar 9 2007 23:26
#12
Heroes is awesome, I'm obsessed with it. Next episode is the last one for season 1, then a 5 week break...
Mar 10 2007 02:38
#13
Asher wrote:
Heroes is awesome, I'm obsessed with it. Next episode is the last one for season 1, then a 5 week break...
Hey yeah it does sound pretty good - have to catch up with it... 
Mar 10 2007 02:48
#14
John. wrote:
I dunno i would've thought they'd sort it out,you'd think..
and virgin just buy the channels off sky to keep their customers happy.
yeah they just refused to negotiate with Sky by the sounds. Trouble is companies of this magnitude have moved on from their previous stance of pretending they cared about the happiness of their customers to this new one of refusing to engage with their customers whatsoever. Virgins pitch is to say their rates are the best for what they say is the most comprehensive package around. (by which they mean a lot of channels relatively few peeps want or need as opposed to the few they want that Virgin are too tight to pay for.. ) They are just ignoring the Sky channels question. Totally. The choice is to lump it or leave it. (Great quote from a business book of mine .. large companies are rich enough to survive their mistakes..)
how is watching the shittest news channel more convient than one of the marginally less shit ones, like the bbc?
There is a bit of a personal and nostalgic reason also tbh J - best leave this one if you don't mind..
Love
LW X
Mar 10 2007 02:59
#15
Joseph K. wrote:
if they don't sort it out, they owe you, since you're still paying, and thus you'd be able to get some form of compensation i.e. at least your money back, if not something free for the trouble. i think John.'s right that they'll probably cut some deal, it's just branson/murdoch playing hardball.
Hey JK thanks for caring but see my response to John above - the multis have moved way beyond any pretence of apologising, offering vfm, offering refunds etc - they won't even admit the loss to the customers of these channels - to do so would imply - rightly! - that this loss should be compensated for. Nah a company this large will already have "done the maths" and calculated that the cost of buying the channels would be less than the fiscal cost of losing a percentage of customers. It is a risk tho - they are relying on the fact that only a minority of peeps will leave - but of course peeps are tied into 12 month contracts by which time they hope the inertia factor will have kicked in and peeps will no longer be so wound up by the loss of the channels and so won't bother to move.. That is how large companies survive.. i have heard that for this month only you can leave without having to see out the whole 12 months .. (Christ it sounds like a prison sentence doesn't it? ) Gym memberships are the same - that Friends episode when Chandler tries to leave the gym and Ross goes to support him and ends up joining is not that much of an exaggeration tbh..
Love
LW X
Mar 10 2007 07:33
#16
Quote:
Asher wrote:Heroes is awesome, I'm obsessed with it. Next episode is the last one for season 1, then a 5 week break...
I thought Heroes was already on its break?
Can anyone recommend any torrent sites apart from Pirate Bay. PB is great for mainstream films but I've been trying to find a decent torrent for wind that shakes the barley and the bay just doesn't seem to have it.
Mar 10 2007 09:30
#17
Lone Wolf wrote:
Nah a company this large will already have "done the maths" and calculated that the cost of buying the channels would be less than the fiscal cost of losing a percentage of customers. It is a risk tho - they are relying on the fact that only a minority of peeps will leave - but of course peeps are tied into 12 month contracts by which time they hope the inertia factor will have kicked in and peeps will no longer be so wound up by the loss of the channels and so won't bother to move.
well i hate to come over all ralph nader, but they're in breach of contract, they owe you that service, if they haven't announced that the terms of the contract have changed (i.e. no sky), then they cannot impose a one month window to quit the contract. i'm pretty sure they have to give you written notice of a change of terms which then gives you 28 days (i think) to leave or not. of course if there isn't an alternative product (i.e. if sky's more expensive), then they've kinda got ya, but you could probably then demand a discount for the new contract because it includes less.
Mar 10 2007 15:43
#18
Yeah, and big companies give out refunds and shit all the time, especially the high profile brand ones. See ITV, channel 5, etc. giving all those phone in show refunds over and above what's required, etc.
Mar 10 2007 16:36
#19
Virgin have started giving other channels for free now. And improving their packages - we just went two packages up and are paying £4.50 less a month, which is good.
Mar 10 2007 19:38
#20
Joseph K. wrote:
i think there's a £20 cable you can buy to run your computer into the TV, though it's in a different room isn't it?
My geeky housemates have figured out how to stream music and video onto the TV via the Xbox 360. I don't really understand it, but it means I can listen to Springsteen while cooking. Which is weighty.
Don't really understand this Virgin/Sky shit. I've lost Malcolm in the Middle, which pisses me off a little bit but hey. As long as I still have Home Improvement I'm happy.
Mar 10 2007 20:01
#21
John
Yeah the business about the phone-in refunds thing was quite funny i think... that got a lot of publicity so they had to act...
Bob S
Sounds like you work for Virgin there.. I better talk to them - tho really they should have written to us about the Sky thing immediately and sorted something out - reckon the reason they haven't is the inertia thing i mentioned.. my new bill from them is the same as before... I will see what i can get out of them...and i will look into Sky prices and also getting this torrent thing sorted when i have a bit of ker-ching to give a tech person.
Joseph
Yeah i will challenge Virgin - just all a big pain in the butt as i shouldn't have to do all the running and have all the inconvenience and the fact that they haven't even apologised for losing us these channels just really gets to me, y'know??
Alan
Those tech peeps in your life sound really useful. My ex used to have that skillset also. So are you with Virgin atm then?
Love
LW X
Mar 10 2007 22:24
#22
Nah it's just that Branson's sooooo much suaver than Murdoch, my crush is just coming out a little is all
edit - i've noticed a flaw with these smilies.
Mar 11 2007 01:57
#23
Bob Savage wrote:
Nah it's just that Branson's sooooo much suaver than Murdoch, my crush is just coming out a little is alledit - i've noticed a flaw with these smilies.
Yeah but that is not hard!! Murdoch is hideous in every conceivable way!!!
You like hairy blokes wearing bad jumpers then?? Never been quite my bag tbh.
Love
LW X
Mar 11 2007 10:02
#24
Downloading isn´t as hard as you might think LW, RKN explained how to do it on the technical thread in libcommunity, it won´t take much.
If you have a TV out socket on your comp you can get the cables and stuff for about 7 quid from maplin.
I´m not sure about the contract thing, I think your contract will be written in such a way that you are not paying for specific channels and therefore changing or removing some is probably not breach of contract. Ringing them up and complaining will probablz get you somewhere, just keep your temper and keep arguing.
Mar 11 2007 19:17
#25
Lone Wolf wrote:
You like hairy blokes wearing bad jumpers then?? Never been quite my bag tbh.
Oh sorry, for a second there I thought I was on a left-wing website. MY MISTAKE!
Mar 11 2007 20:32
#26
Lone Wolf wrote:
AlanThose tech peeps in your life sound really useful. My ex used to have that skillset also. So are you with Virgin atm then?
Yeah I actually live with people who enjoy fixing the internet, chairs, hammering nails etc. It's fuckin sweet. It's the next best thing to living with The Toolman.
We're with neither yet. I think there's discussion afoot about needing to get a PIN number or something? I don't get it.
Mar 12 2007 14:31
#27
Alan wrote:
Lone Wolf wrote:
AlanThose tech peeps in your life sound really useful. My ex used to have that skillset also. So are you with Virgin atm then?
Yeah I actually live with people who enjoy fixing the internet, chairs, hammering nails etc. It's fuckin sweet. It's the next best thing to living with The Toolman.
These peeps all sound like Catch. You are living with a lot of Catches!!! Nowt wrong with that. 
Quote:
We're with neither yet. I think there's discussion afoot about needing to get a PIN number or something? I don't get it.
Ha yeah! Think i know what they are all about there. Best you don't get it Alan . 
. y'know.. just leave em to it.
Can i borrow them sometime???
Love
LW X
Mar 13 2007 00:19
#28
Allegedly I can get some sorta discount cos I'm with Virgin Mobile. Anyone know anything about this?
Mar 13 2007 00:30
#29
Alan wrote:
Allegedly I can get some sorta discount cos I'm with Virgin Mobile. Anyone know anything about this?
Yeah..
Fecking V. 
Currently V. are offering an inclusive deal if you have 2 of their 4 prods for £20 pcm, 3 for £30 and 4 for £40...(the prods being broadband, cable, moby and landline. You get quite a lot of calls and texts for that AFAIK but couldn't t tell ya more cos i hardly use my moby and hate V. atm with their glossy self-aggrandising promos and lack of customer service etc etc... *mumbles*
Mar 13 2007 17:49
#30
check the small print. Orange (and vodafone I think) do inclusive packages but the download limit is shite.
ditch 'em both, use the cash to get decent broadband instead and download the programs you want.