Virgin's flash sale means you can get 30Mb broadband, TV and free weekend calls for just £13 a month - that's half-price! But you only have a couple of days to take advantage.
May has been a pretty amazing month for broadband bundles, with juicy deals coming fast and thick.
For example, a fortnight ago, we revealed four bargain broadband offers from Plusnet, Sky, Virgin Media and Tesco. However, Virgin Media has now gone even further, launching what should prove to be a compelling deal for new customers.
Half-price broadband for nine months
In a 'flash sale' that lasts only until 28th May, Virgin has slashed the cost of broadband, halving the price of its popular broadband bundles for a full nine months. Until next Tuesday, Virgin Media's Essential, Premiere and VIP Collections are on sale at half-price, plus free installation.
Here are the details of the delicious deal for Virgin's Essential Collection, its most popular package:
Virgin Media Essential Collection (broadband, TV and landline bundle)
- Half-price for nine months, plus free installation
- Only £13 a month for the first nine months, then £26 a month (plus monthly line rental of £14.99)
- Free installation (saving £49.95)
- Up to 30Mb broadband with unlimited downloads
- 500GB TiVo box with over 90 channels, including six in High Definition
- 2,200 hours of On-Demand TV
- Includes Virgin TV Anywhere and free Virgin Media Super Hub (wireless router)
- Free weekend calls to UK landlines, Virgin Mobile and 0870 numbers (for calls lasting up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Offer open only to new customers signing an 18-month contract (sign up online)
- Must end on Tuesday 28th May
The size of the saving
As you can see, there are some substantial savings to be had by signing up during this one-week sale. You save £13 a month for nine months (£117) and get free installation, saving another £49.95. In total, this deal saves you £166.95 over the standard deal for Virgin's leading broadband bundle.
Of course, by signing an 18-month contract, you are tied to Virgin for a year and a half. Here's how much this entertainment package will cost you over that period:
Period |
Monthly fee |
Monthly line rental |
Monthly total |
Period total |
First nine months |
£13 |
£14.99 |
£27.99 |
£251.91 |
Next nine months |
£26 |
£14.99 |
£40.99 |
£368.91 |
Total |
|
|
|
£620.82 |
Over the term of the contract this Virgin Media Essential Collection package will cost a total of £620.82, which averages £34.49 a month. This may sound like a lot, but don't forget that it also includes landline rental, which is nearly £15 a month.
[SPOTLIGHT]In effect, you're getting super-fast broadband delivered via fibre-optic cable, digital television with on-demand TV and a TiVo DVR (digital video recorder), plus free weekend calls to UK numbers for just £20 a month.
Frankly, that sounds like a bargain to me. Indeed, as an existing Virgin Media customer, I pay more than this for a lesser deal. That's why I'm going to press Virgin to offer me this deal, too. Otherwise I will join the thousands of savvy savers a week switching broadband suppliers in order to get more fun for less cash!
Although the Virgin Media Essential, Premiere and VIP Collections are all half-price for nine months in this week's sale, the Starter Collection is half-price only for six months. This offers broadband, TV and landline from just £9 a month plus monthly line rental -- and is well worth considering as an entry-level package for switchers.
Hassle-free switching
To make switching broadband providers smooth and straightforward, please follow these four rules:
- Before switching ISPs (Internet Service Providers), always check your current supplier's disconnection and exit charges before cancelling your contract.
- If you're in the 'lock in' period of a fixed-term contract, then steep penalties may make switching too expensive until this fixed-term expires.
- Always check with new providers whether they charge any migration or set-up fees for moving your broadband.
- To make switching smoother, ask your existing ISP for your MAC (Migration Authorisation Code). This request often spurs current providers to come up with better deals for existing customers, making this a win-win tactic!
Compare the latest broadband deals at broadbandchoices.co.uk
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