Phone FAQs
- What is Virgin Phone?
- How much does Virgin Phone cost?
- How can I get Virgin Phone?
- Can I have Virgin Phone without National Broadband?
- Do I need to cancel my BT line rental to use Virgin Phone?
- BT provides my line rental, but I already use another telephone service provider for my calls. Do I need to cancel it before I order?
- Do I need any additional equipment to use Virgin Phone?
- Can I keep my phone number and phone line?
- Can I make calls to directory enquires using Virgin Phone?
- What happens if I need to call the emergency services i.e. 999 or 112?
- If I sign up for Virgin Phone, what happens to any existing BT services (e.g. 1471 and 1571) that I have already set up on my line?
- Are there any BT services that will not be available with Virgin Phone?
- I currently use another telephone service provider for my calls that either requires me to enter a prefix before calling, or have a dialler box connected to my phone line. Can I continue to use it?
- Once I have signed up to Virgin Media what should I do if BT contacts me?
- Will I receive a paper bill for my Virgin Phone service?
- Will I still receive a bill from BT?
- How do I pay for calls not included in Virgin Phone free options?
- Is there a minimum contract period?
- If I cancel my Virgin Phone service, will my National Broadband account be cancelled as well?
- What if I have a question that isn't answered here?
What is Virgin Phone?
It is a telephone service delivered by Virgin Media to you through a process known as "Carrier Pre-Select". It allows you to choose Virgin Media supplier of calls even though you continue to pay your phone line rental to BT.
How much does Virgin Phone cost?
Virgin Phone options are included free of charge with Virgin Unlimited Broadband & Phone Bundles. With Bundle One you can make free calls to UK landlines anytime of the day or night. With Bundle Two you can make free calls to UK landlines in the evening (6pm to 6am) and weekends (all day Saturday and Sunday).
Please note only the first 60 minutes of a voice calls to direct-dialled local and national geographic (numbers beginning 01 or 02) will be free. You will be charged 3p per minute after that so, to avoid charges please redial before the 60th minute. There's no connection fee on free calls but connection fees apply to all other chargeable calls. Standard rates and connection charges apply to all other calls.
Find out more about Virgin Phone Anytime plan and tariffs
Find out more about Virgin Phone Evening and Weekend plan and tariffs.
How can I get Virgin Phone?
To get Virgin Phone, you need to sign up for one of Virgin Unlimited Broadband & Phone Bundles.
Can I have Virgin Phone without National Broadband?
No, the service is not available stand-alone or in conjunction with any other offer.
Do I need to cancel my BT line rental to use Virgin Phone?
No. Virgin Phone needs your BT phone line to work.
Please note that BT's low user tariffs can't be used in conjunction with Virgin Phone.
BT provides my line rental, but I already use another telephone service provider for my calls. Do I need to cancel it before I order?
Virgin Media can take over customers without there being a need for them to contact their existing supplier. N.B.: dependant on contract terms and conditions, if customers are still in their minimum term contract period their supplier may charge for remainder of contract.
Do I need any additional equipment to use Virgin Phone?
No, you just need a BT phone line and a landline telephone.
Can I keep my phone number and phone line?
Yes. Virgin Phone will run on your existing phone number and line
Can I make calls to directory enquires using Virgin Phone?
You can make calls using Virgin Phone Directory Enquiry service by calling 118 878.
Find out more about Virgin Phone Anytime plan and tariffs
Find out more about Virgin Phone Evening and Weekend plan and tariffs.
What happens if I need to call the emergency services i.e. 999 or 112?
When dialled, these numbers will go straight through to the Emergency Services via BT - they will automatically bypass Virgin Phone.
If I sign up for Virgin Phone, what happens to any existing BT services (e.g. 1471 and 1571) that I have already set up on my line?
The following BT services will operate alongside Virgin Phone and will be billed by BT: 141, 1471, BT Call Minder (1571), Plus and Premier, BT Ring Back when Free, Home Highway, BT Call Forwarding, BT Call Diversion Call Waiting, Call Sign, Caller Display, Reminder Call, Three-way Calling.
Are there any BT services that will not be available with Virgin Phone?
You won't be able to use Call Divert or Feature Line with Virgin Phone. If you have either of these services on your line you will have to cancel them with BT before registering for Virgin Phone.
I currently use another telephone service provider for my calls that either requires me to enter a prefix before calling, or have a dialler box connected to my phone line. Can I continue to use it?
You should remove the dialler box or not continue to use the prefix to benefit from your Virgin Phone package.
Once I have signed up to Virgin Media what should I do if BT contacts me?
BT may contact you shortly after you switch to Virgin Media. BT is within its regulatory rights to do this to ensure fair treatment of customers. Please confirm you are switching to Virgin Media.
Will I receive a paper bill for my Virgin Phone service?
No. You will be able to view your fully-itemised phone bill and your broadband payments on one online eBill. If you are already a Virgin Phone customer, view your eBill here.
Will I still receive a bill from BT?
Yes. You'll still receive a standard quarterly line rental bill from BT - this will also include any calls made by dialling BT's 1280 key number before making your calls.
How do I pay for calls not included in Virgin Phone free options?
Any calls you make using Virgin Phone and not included in Virgin Phone free options (e.g. mobile or international calls) will use the same payment details as your Broadband account and will appear on one online eBill. If you are already a Virgin Phone customer, view your eBill eBill.
If you have another query or problem, you can contact us by email or phone. To do so, simply visit the Contact us section.
Back to topIs there a minimum contract period?
Yes, a minimum contract period of 12 months applies to the Unlimited Broadband & Phone Bundles of which your Virgin Phone service is a part. However if you cancel the service during the 'cooling off' period no charges apply.
If I cancel my Virgin Phone service, will my National Broadband account be cancelled as well?
No. You can continue to be a National Broadband customer but new package charges may apply.
I am a Virgin Phone customer and have a problem with my phone line. Who should I call?
If you are experiencing any of the following problems, you should contact BT directly:
- You don't have a dial tone on your phone.
- You are receiving poor quality and crackling sounds on my phone.
- Your calls are being cut off
- You are not receiving any calls.
- You can't see the phone number of incoming calls.
- When you make a call, the person on the other end of the phone cannot hear you / you cannot hear the person on the other end.
If you have any of the problems below, to help us identify where the issue resides please try dialling 1280 in front of the number you're calling. This will not cost you anything but it may help reduce the time spent contacting help desks, e.g. I want to call 01252 61xxxx this would now be 12800125261xxxx. If this fixes the problem please contact Virgin Media by email or phone and explain that this has solved the problem but needs us to fix it permanently. If this does not fix the problem and you're still experiencing the same poor service you should contact BT directly.
- When you dial a phone number, it's misdialling to another number.
- You get an engaged tone on all your calls?
- You get an engaged tone after dialling the first one or two digits of the number you are trying to call.
- You get a recorded voice announcement whenever you make a call.
- You can't send a fax.
- If you have another query or problem, you can contact us by email or phone.
What if I have a question that isn't answered here?
If you have another question you can contact us by email or phone