Virgin Media lures customers with top-notch freebies

By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Virgin Media Extras FAQ Can I get Virgin Media Broadband Extras? Those Virgin Media customers on the L and XL packages and non-cable phone and broadband customers can get this service. What’s included with Virgin Media Broadband Extras? 10 services including: Access to the online Encyclopaedia Britannica Online radio from Music Choice Premium games from Oberon Media Free Tweenies episodes 3 free songs a month from Sonic Selector 15 free prints a month with Photobox Is Virgin Media Broadband Extras any good? It’s a great package with lots of freebies and exclusive offers – well worth it if you’ll use them. Check your browser is compatible before signing up, though. Related Broadbands News See our other recent related news stories: Virgin Media increases broadband speeds for free Virgin Media's Size L customers are to receive a free upgrade this summer, boosting their current 4Mbps connections to a super-fast 10Mbps. Less throttling for Virgin Media customers Virgin Media - once the poster child for throttling heavy users - has announced it will be easing up on its broadband throttling policy.

WITH uncharacteristic quietness Virgin Media is offering a surprisingly good value freebie along with their Broadband Size L and XL packages.

The free bolt-on package - called Virgin Media Broadband Extras - gives Virgin Media customers access to 10 entertainment services including music downloads, photo printing, games and a bunch of other freebies.

Broadband Extras is available free for customers with the Virgin Media Broadband Size L (4 mb/s) and Virgin Media Broadband Size XL (20 mb/s) packages and for non-cable broadband and phone customers with a Virgin Media email address.

It’s a way for Virgin Media to encourage new customers to sign up to L and XL packages and get their M customers to upgrade.

However, the service saves so much that we reckon it’s a great extra push if you were already thinking of upgrading a speedier package.

If you already have the L or XL Virgin Media package the service might provide some consolation for the Virgin Media price hikes coming in on 1 June 2008.

What do I get?

There’s a whole range of services on offer: some can only by accessed by Virgin Media customers, some are subscription websites and some are open websites.

The exclusive websites are online radio stations from Music Choice, educational resources for school-age children from Espresso Education and premium games from Oberon Media.

The included subscription websites are where the extra service actually starts to feel like it’s saving you money.

You get access to the Encyclopedia Britannica – saving £4.99 a month – Vidzone videos on demand and games from Freeloader and Lego.

There’s also the chance to get freebies exclusive to Virgin Media customers.

With Sonic Selector that means three free songs a month – saving you £2.55.

With Photobox you get an amazing fifteen free prints a month (although you have to pay for postage) and a 10% discount on orders over 20 prints.

And for the kids there are exclusive Tweenies videos from the BBC.

Is it any good?

It costs an extra £7 a month to upgrade from the M to L package. So, unless you’re going to use extras which are worth more than that or you really want to get the exclusive services it’s not really worth it.

There are also dark rumblings from Virgin Media customers about browsers that don’t support the services. Check that the likes of Vidzone and Freeloader will work on your browser version before you sign up.

Having said all that these are a great range of packages and you don’t have to use many to make an upgrade worth it: just using Britannica, Sonic Selector and Photobox offers would make it worth it.

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