Forum Discussion

Laurawfc83's avatar
Laurawfc83
Joining in
2 months ago
Solved

Early Disconnection Charges - Despite being made homeless

Earlier today, I had a conversation with one of your agents to inform them of my current situation. I have been issued a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice by my landlord, leaving me with no option but to vacate my home and move into temporary accommodation provided by the council. Unfortunately, I have been classified as homeless by our local council and will be relocating to emergency accommodation shortly. During our conversation, the agent informed me that I would be liable for a significant charge since my contract runs until October. Alternatively, I could continue paying my monthly fee but would not be able to use the Internet service. I explained that this situation is beyond my control, and I genuinely have no other place to live. The council's temporary accommodation does not permit wired or fixed Internet connections, which has put me in a difficult position. Furthermore, the call handler mentioned that they had consulted with their supervisor, who confirmed that there were no exceptions available. Hence, I am faced with either paying the early termination fee or continuing with the monthly payments until my contract ends, neither of which I can afford with the added expenses I will incur. I have been a loyal customer of Virgin Media for many years and have always been extremely satisfied with the service provided. I had no intentions of cancelling my contract, as I have been genuinely pleased with the quality and reliability of your services. However, I find it quite unreasonable that Virgin Media would enforce the same rules for someone who breaches the contract by choice and someone like myself, who is unfortunately forced to move due to circumstances beyond their control. In my case, I am facing a distressing and challenging situation where I have no option but to relocate, and it is through no fault of my own. I urgently need internet access at my new property, especially since my daughter is preparing for her GCSEs. If it were possible, I would have gladly continued my contract with Virgin Media at the new location. Unfortunately, given my current situation, this is not feasible. I was advised to write a letter to explain my circumstances and request that the cancellation charge be waived. As a disabled single mum with limited mobility, I am currently in the midst of an extremely stressful situation, moving from my home of the last seven years. This transition is proving to be heart-breaking and overwhelming for me. I kindly ask that you consider my situation and remove the cancellation charge. Your understanding and support during this difficult time would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  • Molly_T's avatar
    Molly_T
    2 months ago

    Hi All 👋 Just returning to the public thread to keep things updated!

    Huge thanks to Laurawfx83 for PMing with me, and for the kind words. 

    Really pleased to report its sorted - we were able to get the information and evidence needed to clear the EDF's. I also ensured there was a complaint raised so we have a formal record of the feedback and experience to prevent these kinds of cases happening in future. 

    If you ever need more information about the EDF policy you can find it here 👉 virg.in/EDF

    Thanks again for your patience whilst I offered support - happy to see it resolved for you! All the best. 🌞

     

4 Replies

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta

    Sorry to hear of your situation. A VM person should reply here within a few days. While waiting, read this recent topic below which should offer you some hope/encouragement of a resolution

    https://community.virginmedia.com/discussions/ManageAccountCable/section-21-notice-%C2%A3320-disconnection-fee/5629316

  • Hi Laurawfc83 👋 Welcome to the community forum! Thanks for posting. 

    Sorry to hear about your current circumstances, and concerns about Early Disconnection Fees (EDF's). You can find full details of the policy if needed here 👉 virg.in/EDF . When leaving your contract early we have a process where you can dispute any EDF's by providing evidence of the move to a non-serviceable address. 

    We will need to send you a PM to confirm a few account details and help get a complaint raised with your feedback. We can then investigate what's possible, and offer further support.

    I will send you a PM now, which can be found in your Inbox 📩 in the top right corner of the page. We can then return to this public thread with another update when possible. 

    Thanks for your patience in the meantime! 🌞

  • Just wanted to pop on to Thank Molly for her help & understanding. Speaking to someone that actually shows some human empathy rather than someone that sounds like the are reading straight from a script really does make a difference. 

    Thank you for listening, understanding & sorting my issue Molly - it really is appreciated. 

    • Molly_T's avatar
      Molly_T
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team

      Hi All 👋 Just returning to the public thread to keep things updated!

      Huge thanks to Laurawfx83 for PMing with me, and for the kind words. 

      Really pleased to report its sorted - we were able to get the information and evidence needed to clear the EDF's. I also ensured there was a complaint raised so we have a formal record of the feedback and experience to prevent these kinds of cases happening in future. 

      If you ever need more information about the EDF policy you can find it here 👉 virg.in/EDF

      Thanks again for your patience whilst I offered support - happy to see it resolved for you! All the best. 🌞