Phone package add on not put on account, no big debt.

[Bucky897]

Hello folks,

I have been charged landline usage charges to an 0871 number when I was vigorously assured by the agent, I'd be on the Talk 08 £5 package before I signed my new contract.

This was a fundamental part of the reason I changed contract.

I now discover with new bill I've  been charged for 087 numbers I call regularly which has incurred a big debt.

I've  dropped a WhatsApp but don't  like phone calls.

Thanks,

Matt

[Akua_A]

Hi @Bucky897 

Welcome back to our community forums and sorry to hear you are unhappy with some charges based on your new package. We can understand your concern and we want to do our best to help. Just to confirm, are you aware of your current landline package? You can see all your package details here https://www.virginmedia.com/my-virgin-media You can also see a breakdown of your landline package inclusions here 010123_Everyday_Call_Charges_V1.pdf (virginmedia.com) If you still wish to discuss this with our team, please let me know and we will do our best to help from here.

Thanks,

[Bucky897]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I am aware of my phone package but my add-on "Talk 08 £5" was not put onto my package when I was repeatedly assured it was by your agent when I renewed my contract.

I only found out yesterday when I received my first new bill and I saw £90+ of phone calls, that would have been included in the 08 add on, where on my bill.

I was shocked, upset angry and fearful when I saw it. I asked your agent 3 times to put it on and she said she would. Otherwise I would not have changed my contract at all.

I won't  be paying that bill as it's  Virgins error. I'd like those charges removed and that package added on immediately  please.

Please attend to this as a matter of urgency as it's  effectiing my health.

Matt

[Joseph_B]

Hey @Bucky897,

Sorry to hear you feel this way, when did you make this package change as we no longer offer any Talk 08 packages, if you check the links provided previously you can see all the call packages plus the add ons we have as of January 2023.

Joe

[goslow]

When did you renew your package?

The 'Talk 08' add-on seems to have last been available on the June 2022 'Everyday call charges' document but seems to have disappeared on the Nov 2022 document as a current package at that time and is listed as a legacy package from that point onwards.

[Bucky897]

Hi,

My new contract started on 23rd May.

This is unacceptable.

I asked at least 3 times to the agent whether I could keep the '08 numbers inclusive package' she assured me I could. I had an hr conversation with her about changing the package.

The ONLY reason I changed was as prices were rising and I was assured to keep that package, otherwise I simply WOULDN'T have changed.  As the call was recorded it can be reviewed.

This is incompetence and mis-selling by Virgin. It's  inconceivable I'd spend £90 on 087 calls if I thought the majority wasn't  in the package.

This is solely Virgins fault. I please want it rectified immediately, this causing intense worry and upset.

This is the agents fault not mine.

I was on Talk More International Anytime and the 'Talk 08 £5' package before.

I'd been on it for years.

Please don't fob me off, I want this looked into and those charges deducted immediately.

I've  been a loyal customer for years.

Matt

[Bucky897]

Hi,

Yes it was my legacy package from years ago. I was assured it would be migrated over to my new packake. This was critical for me as otherwise I wouldn’t  have moved.

This is the incompetence of the agent not mine.

So angry. Why do they say something  false if they're not sure.

Seething. I should bebreverted back to my package immediately prior to the contract change. 

I need to talk to someone senior.

[Reece_MH]

Hi Matt,

I completely understand the frustration you have with this. As the Talk 08 is a legacy Landline addon, it's not something our teams can proactively offer as it's no longer available - so I apologise for the confusion and error that this has caused.

However, we can certainly look at what has happened, and if it's still available, listen to the call for you. I'm going to send you a private message to you, as I'll need to clear some security details. Please look out for my message in the top-right, white envelope or by tapping your Profile Picture, and then the "Messages" tab.

Thanks,

[goslow · Accepted solution]

Some common themes which crop up in topics on here are that ...

Customers phoning in to renew often finish the call thinking they have renewed for a great price with the same services, only to find later on that some of their previous services, after renewal, are missing from the new package. Also, some agents on the phone seem reluctant to admit they don't know the answer to something so they just make something up. It is also clear that the VM sales culture is such that the imperative to make the sale can sometimes lead to some undesirable outcomes for the customer.

Depending on what VM decides to do next, you have the option to make a DSAR and request the call recording and any other account info to back your case.

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/dsar

You should do that quickly as call recordings have a 180 day retention period on them.

If that is not helpful, your next steps would be a formal complaint to VM (a required step but very likely to be a fob-off with an irrelevant and incomprehensible reply)

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/complaints

If/when the VM complaint is unsuccessful, you need a deadlock letter from VM, or for 8 weeks to have passed since you complained, and you can go to arbitration

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

My own recommendation would be for anyone speaking to VM by phone to make their own call recordings and also to check any subsequent contract info in detail as issues, like the one you have described, are regularly detailed on here.

[Bucky897]

Awesome post buddy. Thank you for taking the time. I'll assimilate it all a tad later.

Thank you so so much.🙏