PROFITEERING/ROBBERY ON A DISGRACEFUL SCALE Having been a loyal (and on time payment paying) customer I was somewhat surprised to receive an email from Virgin Media regarding next month's bill. For 18 months I'd enjoyed 264 Mbps speeds @ £28.00 per month. Virgin's new price was a BREATHTAKING.. **whopping increase of 103.5% to £57.00 per month!** I sent an email of complaint and received a call that failed to answer the single question posed 'Please give a valid reason to your 103.5% increase?' Having listened to pathetic corporate-cackled references to global cost increases, costs to companies and 'woe is me, Richard's new spaceship is delayed by a day waffle', I asked what discounts were available. They were applied and a reduction from £57.00 to £45.00 was offered. i disputed the available question and asked another valuable (saving) question viz 'Are your available discounts the same as those available to your colleagues in cancellation department?'. More waffle upon waffle but eventually put through to cancellations. Couldn't hear the person very well so I freely offered some headset/communication/volume/settings advice to the person that was employed by the Global Communications Company Virgin. More waffle waded through but we eventually arrived at the 'Decreasing Discount Database' that further tests the patience, resolve and determination of the genuine consumer whose next port of call should be Victim Support or Action Fraud! The system then reverts to one whereby the customer refuses the claim that 'This is the best discount/deal I can apply I'm afraid'. The same amount of trust in the aforementioned statement(s) should be applied to that of a trader in a Turkish bazaar, when trying to purchase a counterfeit wallet or t-shirt! 'KEEP GOING' was my response 'YOU ARE INSULTING MY INTELLIGENCE' was the cry! The process is best tested by repeated refusal, digital head shaking and assurances that contracts should end immediately, whereupon the modern day masked marauder surrenders to the ACTUAL best discount available and offers the monthly price of £32.00 inc vat. The final question raised was the inconsistency in discounts available between the calls and Virgin employees. 'Oh it's quite simple' stated the associate, 'there are different grades/tiers! I am a Grade 2 and my colleague you spoke to earlier is just a Grade 1. The discounts available are WORLDS APART !' I thanked the young man, Adam, for his assistance, his grade, his discounts and my future subsequent savings. In conclusion I suggested that Virgin might consider a new approach that would assist consumers in assessing the level of extortion they were at the hands of. How about 'Hi there Mrs/Mr/Ms ......... STAND AND DELIVER - I'm a Grade 1 profit making agent but if you threaten to cancel, I can transfer you to a grade 2 - I'll eventually listen to you, wearing a lighter shade of black mask and bigger eye holes to see the bigger picture through'. DISGRACEFUL !!!!!!!!! Date of experience: July 22, 2023