Introducing Volt – the new supercharged service from Virgin Media O2

[Chris_K]

UPDATE: We've seem some repeat questions and common issues being raised. We've added an update here so if you're experiencing issues, please read this first and see our post-weekend update here too.

Good morning all. What a week this is going to be! This morning we have introduced Volt to the world, the new supercharged service from Virgin Media O2. Our press release was published here this morning with notes and sources, but I've copied the juicy bits below.

Whether you're an O2 customer, a VM customer, both, or none, you can check out our handy website here which will show you how you can get supercharged.

Can I get Volt benefits for everyone in my household who’s on O2?

If you have Virgin Media broadband in your name, you’ll be able to get Volt benefits for all O2 Pay Monthly plans in your name, in your household. But we’re expanding this. Soon, anyone in your household with their own O2 Pay Monthly plan will be able to get Volt benefits through the household’s Virgin Media broadband account. Keep an eye on My O2 and you’ll see the option to activate Volt benefits when it becomes available to you, and you can also stay up to date by visiting https://www.o2.co.uk/virgin-media-o2

First joint product gives customers the best of both brands, with even greater value on UK’s fastest major broadband provider and award winning mobile network

• Volt marks the first major launch since Virgin Media and O2’s £31bn merger earlier this year
• Gig 1 broadband available for the first time in a bundle, combined with an unlimited data O2 SIM and TV favourites
• Existing customers simply need to register to get their services supercharged – for free
• Volt brings faster broadband speeds, double mobile data and discounts

London, UK: Virgin Media O2 is today lifting the lid on its first ever joint product, Volt, bringing together award winning connectivity and amazing entertainment from both Virgin Media and O2, to give customers even more from their services – more speed, more data and more value.

Virgin Media and O2 customers can now supercharge their services and reap extra rewards simply by being customers of both brands. Volt offers double the broadband speed, double the mobile data and discounts on connected devices when customers have or choose to take a broadband service from Virgin Media and a Pay Monthly plan from O2. What’s more, customers with an O2 plan can access exclusive rewards, perks and experiences from Priority – one of the UK’s best loyalty initiatives.

The new joint offering comes less than 150 days since Virgin Media O2 launched, building on the company’s momentum of almost 13 million gigabit premises passed and 5G coverage from O2 expanded to 210 locations. Volt highlights Virgin Media O2’s commitment to offer more choice, convenience and innovation with seamless broadband, entertainment and mobile services all available under one roof.

Exclusive Virgin Media O2 Volt benefits include:

• A broadband speed boost to the next tier available (e.g. 100Mbps boosted to 200Mbps)
• Double mobile data on all eligible O2 Pay Monthly plans (e.g. 10GB boosted to 20GB)
• Up to £150 off a connected device such as a tablet or smartwatch when taking a new O2 Pay Monthly Custom plan
• WiFi Pods available to bolster connectivity around the home
• Roaming in 75 countries including USA, Australia and Spain with O2 Travel

Volt is available to both new and existing customers, offering exclusive benefits to account holders no matter what broadband package or eligible Pay Monthly plan they take. Those new to either Virgin Media or O2 will be able to upgrade to Volt when they add relevant services to their connectivity line-up, while existing customers of both Virgin Media and O2 simply need to enrol via MyO2 to get their services supercharged – at no additional cost.

Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2 said,

“With Volt, we’re combining the speed and reliability of Virgin Media’s broadband and O2’s mobile networks alongside a variety of incredible perks to give our customers more.

“The launch of converged services in less than 150 days as a business is a huge milestone moment and demonstrates the momentum we have behind our commitment to supercharge connectivity across the UK. This is just the start.”

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This exciting milestone for Virgin Media O2 means that consumers who do not currently take services from either brand can supercharge their package with Volt from the get-go, with new bundles containing an O2 SIM and Virgin Media broadband available on 18 month contracts. The new packages include the ‘Big Volt’ bundle, ‘Bigger Volt’ bundle and ‘Ultimate Volt’ bundle, all of which come with the exclusive Volt benefits and boosts to offer customers more. Pricing for Volt bundles start from £40 per month for 200Mbps Broadband (boosted from 100Mbps), Talk More Weekends and a 10GB O2 SIM (boosted from 5GB). The top Volt bundle (Ultimate Volt bundle) includes Gig1 broadband, an unlimited data O2 SIM, tonnes of TV favourites and two TV 360 boxes, available for £99 per month.

Supercharging small businesses

Small businesses and start-ups who take a Voom broadband service from Virgin Media Business and an eligible O2 Small Biz tariff can also supercharge their services, with 4G start-up and back-up, double mobile data and exclusive perks from Priority.

Virgin Media O2 is the leading converged challenger in the market, pairing O2’s award winning mobile network and the UK’s fastest major broadband provider to enhance connectivity for customers at home and on the go. With Virgin Media’s rapid gigabit broadband rollout and O2’s commitment to deliver 5G to half the UK population in 2023, Virgin Media O2 is just getting started.

[pgn]

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@Zionen wrote:

So, been a customer of virgin media for 5 years for the house broadband, tv and phone line and also had my mobile phone with virgin mobile.  Got a phone call from vigin media and they moved me off virgin mobileand signed me up for O2 - sounded like an AMAZING deal - faster broadband - slightly more data on my phone and even cheaper than i was paying.

Got the virgin media speed boost that night!  Was like, wow service from virgin media.  Got my sim a few days later and swapped my phone number across.  Phoned and filled in the form to activate volt benefits for the double data and got an email from virgin saying they had recieved the request and I would get the data soon.  Everything looked good.... 

Then no extra data, no contact from O2.  So next month phoned again, was told need to fill out form to get it even tho I informed them it had already been done, email from virgin, no extra data.  Repeat this for 6-7 months.  Still no extra data.  More phone calls -told it would be looked into, told by customer services they would keep an eye on it and get it sorted.  

Nope - nothing.

I'm now at the point where I am doubtful if I will EVER use O2 again and probably gonna tar virgin media with as well as they convinced me to move and even set it up.

Gone from a great experience with kudo's to Virgin and O2 to when asked by friends with virgin media if they should look at swapping to a volt like me to me saying nope steer clear.

Anyone got any ideas how to proceed?   Pretty sure calling O2 again is a pointless exercise.

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First, check you have both O2 Contract and VM Contract in the same name and address (name might not be so stringently needed now)

Visit here, go down to the relevant section for your circumstances: https://www.o2.co.uk/virgin-media-o2

And come back with what you see.  If it says you may already have applied, it will take up to (14 it says, but!) 21days in the first instance, and as your VM is already boosted, the focus is O2.

You can reach out to O2 via Social Media, the link just below has all the ways - Good luck, @Zionen 

[Zionen]

Apologies, didnt put that a few months in I double checked my address and changed both addresses to make sure they matched.  When Vigin set up the O2 account they duplicated my post code on the address - when I went to change with O2 it only allowed me to choose from a list so had to update Vigin so that both matched exactly.

The app and website says

All signed up - heres what you are getting . Strsaight after it says Heres what you could get and lists the volt benefits.

The what you get bit looks to be blank.  Its now been like this for 8 months ish.  My last phone call the customer service person said it said pending.

I will contact on social media - dont think it will be any better than customer services but they dont seem to be able to do anything.

[gmarkj]

Out of interest @Zionen , what does your account show when you log in (o2, not VM).

I have Volt, and my data shows the below when I click on it (this is on the website, but the app shows something similar):

[Zionen]

The app just gives me the data allowance, no mention of any bonus data.

As I said the app says joined but doesn't list any benefits just what I could get under that section. The last phone call I was told it was marked as pending. We tried the form many times to start and I got emails saying I was eligible from virgin.  Last few times customer services at o2 just told me they'll get sorted and nothing seems to change. 

[pgn]

Under View Your Bolt-ons in the App, I see these 2 on top of a couple of others, @Zionen - and keep pinging O2 on Social Media, it can take a couple of days for them to open a private channel to collect or share info about your account.

[gmarkj]

What happens if you touch the data allowance in the app @Zionen ?

I get a different screen showing how much I have used, any charges and then underneath it shows the bonus data and the normal data allowance...

[Zionen]

 sorry for the late reply,  so contacted through the o2 website messaging system and discussed it there. They loo to send off the form again as received another email from virgin saying I'm eligible and it'll get set up. Was told I'd need to call the customer services if this didn't work, like I haven't been contacting every month, which I had informed them of. And yeah no change. I'm gonna call once more today after work and then I'm done. Done with o2 as they are incapable of sorting this and done with virgin media as they put me onto this.  This should have been a good thing for both of them with me instead it's just made me never want to use either of them again.

Over more than half my contract term with regular phone calls to get it sorted and o2 are just incapable of sorting this out. No doubt if it works it's great but if they have some sort of issue then they are useless.  Good luck to anyone who has problems.

[Oxonian]

@Zionen 

I suggest that you try reaching out to O2 by social media if this still isn't resolved :-

Guide: How to find help & contact O2 

[Supersmooth]

i am a both a o2 and VM  customer but they are saying i am not eligible for the Supercharge package why

[madasaf1sh]

@Supersmooth 

What are you been told / seeing that makes you not eligible?

As there are very few conditions such as the social tariff on VM and being on PAYG on o2.... But without more information no one can help you... 

You can always try the 2 CS teams VM - 0345 454 1111 and o2 0344 809 0202