Forum Discussion

Nicola68's avatar
Nicola68
Just browsing
14 days ago

Contract / Package query

Good evening

I have just learned from my elderly father that he’s paying £180 per MONTH for a VM package that he has no idea what he’s supposed to be getting. He watches the soaps with my mum, who has advanced dementia, so they watch the same two soaps and nothing else. Why is a vulnerable old man expected to pay £180 per month? Please can someone contact me soonest to discuss. I have LPA for both parents. He said he tried to cancel a couple of years ago but was told he could have parts of his package for free, but it meant his contract would be renewed again!!!!!!!! I really need to progress my query so that I can cancel his package. He has no need for anything other than access to BBC and ITV. Please help, he’s not capable of making the decisions the VM team are expecting of him. Many thanks. Nicola 

13 Replies

  • Nicola68's avatar
    Nicola68
    Just browsing
    6 days ago

    You have explained what was required in a much more sensible way. If you read John’s explanation, it makes no sense. He actually could have said ‘if the direct debit comes out on the 16th of every month, please just respond with the number 16’.

    Stating 1/2/3 suggests the numerical day, month and year. Any need for capitals or telling me it’s for my benefit? Re-training perhaps?

    Suffice to say; the contract has been cancelled as I was referred to another team who took me through security again, asked what dad would like in his package and after an hour stated they couldn’t deal with broadband and I’d have to transfer to the essentials team.

    John was extremely helpful in the end and suggested the Flex package which would have been £40 per month on a rolling monthly contract (with an initial set up of £10), and a sports subscription could be added - far less expensive than the £193 per month he’s been paying for a very long time.

    However, now he will be packaging up the box and returning it as the processes online are just too time consuming, confusing and frustrating - and I am not vulnerable or elderly! How on earth someone like my dad can be expected to fathom it?? I am not an awkward customer, but some empathy would have been appropriate for this situation. High emotions when elderly and vulnerable parents are involved, and add advanced dementia on top. No child wants to see their parents fleeced.

    • Molly_T's avatar
      Molly_T
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      5 days ago

      Hi Nicola68 👋 Thanks for getting back to us, and for keeping the thread updated. 

      We do appreciate your feedback and concerns given the experience. Our sincerest apologies for your and your Dad's experience trying to get this all resolved, and that you have been overall unsatisfied with the support offered here.

      It's a shame to hear you will be leaving as a result.

      If you do require any further support John will be happy to continue with this via PM. Thanks for your continued patience in the meantime. 

      Wishing you all the best. 🌞

       

  • Nicola68's avatar
    Nicola68
    Just browsing
    8 days ago

    Not very helpful to be spoken to in this manner with the brackets and the words in capitals. Does anyone understand the question. I gave the date of 16/06 ???

    • Kath_P's avatar
      Kath_P
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      7 days ago

      Hi Nicola68, 

      Thanks for coming back to us here. Security is very specific and we only have a limited number of questions that we can ask. If you fail with a question then we'd need to refer you over the phone team. 

      John is trying to ensure you give a correct answer format. The question asks 'what date does your Direct Debit usually leave the account?' 

      This simply means we want to know what day in the month your Direct Debit is usually taken. For example if it's taken around the 1st of the month, you'd need to reply with 'The 1st'. 

      We can see you're still in a private message with John so if you need further help, please refer back to him 😊

      Many thanks, 

  • Nicola68's avatar
    Nicola68
    Just browsing
    13 days ago

    Absolutely agree with you, he doesn’t need a virgin media package at all. I don’t have any experience of VM so I had no idea what he was signing up for until after the event. It’s really sad that the vulnerable are not considered more carefully or that the tech cannot establish what they are actually watching/using and ask if they would like to reduce their package. £180 seems rather extreme for a man in his 80s? Thank you for your kind and detailed responses, much appreciated. I’m on it!! 

    • John_GS's avatar
      John_GS
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      13 days ago

      Hi Nicola.

      Thanks for your post and welcome to the community.

      I'll send you a PM now to help.

      • Nicola68's avatar
        Nicola68
        Just browsing
        13 days ago

        Such a shame that the process to get past security took so long and then your shift finished. Now that you have the power of attorney code, I hope we can communicate further tomorrow when you come back on shift. The situation of a critically ill mother with advanced dementia and my elderly father who is beside himself with anxiety, also has to try and recall passwords, memorable words, dates of direct debit, amount (£191 for last payment to VM). He’s vulnerable and broken and I’m impotent in this situation. Please help me cancel this package, he should not have it but felt guilty when he tried to cancel part of his package so was ‘convinced’ to take it for free, but not knowing that his package would renew from that day. It’s borderline fraud to act like this with elderly customers?? I’m actually very frustrated having spent over 2 hours on security access! 

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    13 days ago

    If they watch only soaps then why are they subscribing to Pay TV? Freeview will serve them well and you should also investiagte an alternative ISP.

  • japitts's avatar
    japitts
    Very Insightful Person
    14 days ago

    VM don't offer contract negotiations via this forum, you are generally referred to call in.

    Any re-bundle of your parents' package will generally attract a new 24month minimum-term - so do some groundwork in what services they actually need. From the sounds of it, they have 2 options for the TV service at least...

    1: Cancel VM, and use Freeview - with an HDD recorded if your folks want to have recording facilities.

    2: Drop your parents' VM package to the (Freeview equivalent) Mixit, and consider the broadband & phone elements separately.