Forum Discussion

Zombiebait's avatar
Zombiebait
On our wavelength
12 months ago

Field Sales promised me a Hub 5 and no additional fees this year?

Hello.  During a second VM visit, as part of verbal contract negotions, your VM Field Sales agent explicitly assured me that if I signed up that night on my doorstep;

1) I'd be sent a Hub5 + V360 self-install package (I was explicit as an ex-VM customer that I did not want any Hub2ac/Hub3/Hub4s)

2) No installation, kit or postage costs; free engineer visit if self-install unsuccessful.

3) Be exempt from the April 2024 3.9%+RPI contract price rise, as, "With any contracts signed after Jan 1st 2024 VM prices are fixed for the current year ahead, and so only the April 2025 prise rise would affect my 18m contract promotional price."

Yodel delivered a Hub3 earlier today!

The barrage of emails and pdfs sents last few days all suggest a £14.99 activation fee, plus a £19.99 delivey fee, and that the April 2024 price rise is in fact applicable!  (A 9 week promotional price is no use to anyone!)

I do recall your VM agent telling me that our negotiated contract discounts will show in due course on my first bill and not immediately, as they require managerial authorisation, and so to ignore the higher costs shown in the pre-contract pdf billing.  However, surely by now one of the six VM pdfs emailed to me via eight emails this week ought to be reflecting the correct promotional price, free postage, and exemption from the April 2024 price rise in 9 weeks?

How exactly do I get the refused Hub3 returned and swopped for the Hub5?  Any bill reassurances, or have been misinformed and missold?  Figured I'd ask here before I exercise my 14 day cooling-off cancellation rights next week.

April
FieldSales
Hub3
Hub5
PriceRises
RPI
  • Zach_R's avatar
    Zach_R
    Forum Team
    12 months ago

    Hi Zombiebait,

    Thank you for your post and welcome to our community forums. We're here to help.

    I'm so sorry to hear that there appears to be some confusion and dispute following a discussion with one of our field sales team. So that we can take a closer look at what's going on, I'm going to send you a private message shortly. Please respond to this when you can.

    Thanks,
     

  • Alby41's avatar
    Alby41
    Up to speed
    12 months ago

    We would all like to know how you eventually get on and you are happy I hope you get sorted it sounds a good combination ,, sadly I have a few posts about VM's field sales team promising one thing or maybe two and differing outcomes happen ... mistakes often happen but I really hope you get sorted matey,

    • Zombiebait's avatar
      Zombiebait
      On our wavelength
      12 months ago

      Thanks, me too.

      Same!  Hub2ac modem with my own expensive router was my prior VM package of too many years.  Apologetic retentions assured me they'd post me out a broadcom Hub5 last year, but they didn't, so I cancelled the lot when my 18m ran out.

      Re your voip posts, the call clarity of BT digital voice is like 4K vs SD of my original crackly VM telephone landline, so persevere with getting a VM voip hub and good luck with it matey.

  • Tudor's avatar
    Tudor
    Very Insightful Person
    12 months ago

    I think ‘field agents’ are not employed by VM, but are self employed. Did you get a written confirmation or a voice recording of what you were offered? If not I’m afraid you are on a loser. Some of these people will offer anything. Hub5 are only being issued to 1G customers and normally you be offered a hub suitable for you contract, a Hub3.

    • Zombiebait's avatar
      Zombiebait
      On our wavelength
      12 months ago

      Oh!  Hmmm, idnk re self-employed or not.  The pleasant and knowledgeable "field sales" chap arrived with VM ID in response to me having browsed the VM site's Jan offers, without which I would never have given out my bank details for example.  I've had unsolicited door-knockers here before scrounging for the VM £50 referral bonus, but this chap seemed genuine VM and not self-employed?

      As such, at the time I felt no need for secret verbal recordings etc.  I scribbled his answers to my key Qs on a piece of paper as I totted up.  All the negotiation writings went into his tablet as I decided upon which VM package of those he was offering.  He explained this would generate the contract for his manager to authorise and then email me.  I could have signed up now but joined VM in April had I wished, given my stance re the looming April price hike negating any promo, but he was explicit that there was no need being after 1st Jan.  There was no sales pressure, and frankly I felt this chap was a rare VM asset!  The sort that wouldn't try to bamboozle my grandparents even!

      Let's see.  Hopefully, I won't have to exercise my 14d cooling-off period as I do actually want VM.

      • Kath_P's avatar
        Kath_P
        Forum Team
        12 months ago

        Hi Zombiebait, 

        Thanks for coming back to us in the Community. 

        I can see you've already sent a private message to my colleague who was originally helping you to resolve this. 

        We'll leave this with them to avoid multiple agents working on the same thing 🙂 They will be in touch with you when back on shift.

        Thanks, 

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    12 months ago

    Just beware of delays to get you past the 14 days.  Telling you to wait for a refund in due course is just one trick.

    You may have to cancel in order to get a reasonable response with a better offer.

    • Zombiebait's avatar
      Zombiebait
      On our wavelength
      12 months ago

      Ok thanks for that advice @jpeg1.  I'll certainly keep an eye on those 14 days... 5 more working days left before I throw in the towel.

  • Zombiebait's avatar
    Zombiebait
    On our wavelength
    12 months ago

    1) Am I given a fresh account number if I left VM six months ago, but then rejoined VM at the same address?

    or

    2) Or do they just reactivate my old account number?

  • Zombiebait's avatar
    Zombiebait
    On our wavelength
    10 months ago

    Hi, back again.

    Any staff from the VM forum team now able to help me with a final bill correction, or must it be a 0345 454 1111 phone call?

    Having personally returned the incorrect router, its V360 tv box, and all their cables (for which I have a hardcopy O2 receipt dated 01st March 2024) I have patiently waited 28 days for the unexpected final postal bill of £26.39 dated 07th March 2024 to be corrected.  It has not been.

    Despite never using or even connecting ANY of the DOCSIS kit, the final bill equates to £136.35/month !!!  Way beyond the fee-free £26.99/month Broadcom Hub 5 & tv package I was missold by VM Field Sales.  Contract started the 27th Jan, I was on here querying matters the 28th Jan through 02nd Feb, and achieved contract cancellation for 3rd Feb 2024.  Frankly, I feel that even charging me for six days 'service' is underhanded behaviour from VM in the context of a missold contract.

    I await your reply.

    • Carley_S's avatar
      Carley_S
      Forum Team
      10 months ago

      Hi Zombiebait 

      Sorry to hear that this is still not fully resolved for you. The agent that was support you on this thread will be able to continue to assist on this issue. You can private message them/respond back to your already open private message and they'll support further with your billing concerns. 

  • Zombiebait's avatar
    Zombiebait
    On our wavelength
    10 months ago

    Thanks @Carley_S, as instructed I have responded back to @Zach_R 's last dm for resolution.

  • Zombiebait's avatar
    Zombiebait
    On our wavelength
    8 months ago

    Final update FAO of any one else unfortunate enough to get a visit from VM Field Sales agents;

    • Disgraceful breach of contract by VM Field Sales.
    • Key contract factors promised to me were wrong and wilfully misleading.
    • Supply of Broadcom Hub5 router was a fantasy.
    • The supposed discounted monthly contract price of £27/m (below £32 web price) never materialised.
    • A £19.99 fee was applied to the fee-free contract.  The further £14.99 fee was erroneous.
    • The two April prise rises would have applied, the cut-off is not >1st Jan each year.
    • I do not believe Field Sales made any genuine mistake.
    • I doubt internal feedback of my sour experience will stimulate any 're-training' of VM field sales staff.  I wish I had read up here on forums beforehand and thus been forewarned of their dishonest tactics.
    • It's a toss-up whether the six hours spent here to clarify the fraudulent contract specifics and then resolve matters was more efficient than battling VM call centre staff?  But at least the contract did get unwound within 14 days, given I had no red postal demand sent this month, plus VM forum staff are polite.
    • The contract closure payment worked out cheaper than car parking fees at small claims court had VM pursued me for the full amount.  Faster than CISAS deadlock too.
    • Bizarrely, at no point did I have any online access to view any VM bills for this contract, and it took 11 pieces of data to pass security checks - I presume the doorstep contract was inputted poorly.

    TLDR; Don't ever entertain VM field sales at your doorstep.

    If you must have a VM contract then IME stick to their website and take screenshots as you go.  Frankly, I found being asked if I had audio evidence of what VM Field Sales sold me really condescending, and sums up VM's "loyal customer" contempt perfectly.

    Regards, former VM customer 2014-2023 now using Altnet.