People with Virgin.net email addresses are probably already aware that they are going to lose access to this service soon, but there seems to be some confusion as to exactly when.
Virgin Media sold part of their business to TalkTalk last year and that included responsibility for these addresses, and it seems that TalkTalk are not going to maintain them. I have not been able to find an exact date, but it is suggested that the cut off will be at the end of June, so only a few weeks from now.
To avoid loss of email , the simplest approach is to connect to the mail service using an email client such as Windows Live Mail. Outlook or Thunderbird. and copy the mail into folders that are stored locally (on your computer).
You are going to need to get an alternative address and let everyone know you have done so. The earlier you do this the better, as there will be a transitional period where people are still using the old address. If you have that transitional period early enough you can monitor the incoming mail and let people know of the change by replying to them, or logging on to a website that has the old address and changing it to the new one. If you leave it to late, you won’t be able to tell who is still trying to mail you on the old address!
There are a few options for free web-based email. You could choose Gmail, Outlook.com (Microsoft, formerly known as Hotmail), Yahoo, or many others. My personal preference is for Gmail. Web based mail means that when you change your ISP you don’t need to change your email address too.
Alternatively you could buy your own domain name and get a web host to provide you with mailboxes. This is a cheap (but not free) way to have control over your mail. I recommend Vidahost for services like this.
If you have any questions or need any help with the process of getting away from a virgin.net address, or just with email in general, please feel free to contact me.