Forum Discussion

NeilJP's avatar
NeilJP
On our wavelength
2 years ago

Mis-sold contract and official complaint raised.

Apologies for the long post but have had no luck so far sorting this with the relations/retentions team……

I’ve been a VM customer for over 15 years, but because of ongoing service issues and the extortionate price I called to leave as my contract was almost out.
Went through the problems experienced and the agent said he could send out an engineer (something I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to do for months!).
Agent then offered me the exact same service as I already had for the same (old) price. It’s still a little high, but for convenience and service continuity I decided accept, especially as he also organised the engineer.
Contract came through, noticed a slight change to TV package name (was Maxit now Mega) so checked to find they’d shut off TNT Sports!
Called back (literally hours on phone and messenger) to be told by customer relations, and retentions (who mis-sold me) that TNT is now an £18 add on!! so if I wanted it (even though I had it with my existing contract) I’d have to pay the extra.
They could/would not honour what was agreed just a couple of hours earlier and I’m still awaiting a call back from them to resolve 2 days later.
Needless to say I’ve raised a formal complaint now as I was mis-sold and depending on Virgin’s response/handling, this may well end up with OfCom.
Anyone thinking of renewing with Virgin - please be warned they now split the sports pack (Sky/TNT). Virgin have never previously offered this, it was take it all or nothing. Apparently the packages were changed in September last year however, there is no mention of any such change in my contract renewal email or from the retentions agent that offered me the like-for-like deal.

I posted my experience on TrustPilot and got a response suggesting I contact Virgin again by phone ha ha, or on here, hence my post.

That agent said “I can confirm TNT Sports is not an add-on” and sent me this link: https://home.virginmedia.com/virgin-tv-edit/sport/live-on-bt-sport-this-month If you read this, it initially appears they are right, until to scroll right to the bottom where it says: TNT Sports (from 18 July 2023) can be taken as an ADD-ON AT ADDITIONAL MONTHLY COST. Premium channels and upgrades must be kept for at least 30 days.

 

Come on Virgin, this is dreadful customer service. Left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing, your agents are not aligned. You have mis-sold me a contract by saying I could have exactly what I have now (which included TNT Sports) for same price then issued a new contract that doesn’t reflect the agreement. Not only is that illegal but totally unacceptable.

Please get someone in retentions to call/email me to resolve this as they promised as I’m currently still without part of the service I paid for. Thank you.

 

contract renewal
mis-sold
mis-sold contract
renewal
  • Reece_MH's avatar
    Reece_MH
    2 years ago

    Hi NeilJP 👋

    Thanks for posting, and a warm welcome back to our Community Forums.

    I'm very sorry to hear about this poor experience when making changes to your package, and when discussing what it included. So I can investigate this further for you, I'm going to send you a private message.

    Please look out for it in the top-right, white envelope or by tapping your profile picture and selecting "Messages".

    Thanks,

  • Reece_MH's avatar
    Reece_MH
    Forum Team (Retired)
    2 years ago

    Hi NeilJP 👋

    Thanks for posting, and a warm welcome back to our Community Forums.

    I'm very sorry to hear about this poor experience when making changes to your package, and when discussing what it included. So I can investigate this further for you, I'm going to send you a private message.

    Please look out for it in the top-right, white envelope or by tapping your profile picture and selecting "Messages".

    Thanks,

    • NeilJP's avatar
      NeilJP
      On our wavelength
      2 years ago

      Update on my issues:

      Thumbs up to Reece who got this sorted satisfactorily for me via these boards today, thanks.
      Should also mention the engineer came round as promised and appears to have solved our BB & TV signal issues, so thumbs up to him too!

      • Sparky97's avatar
        Sparky97
        Joining in
        2 years ago

        Hi Neil, 

        Can I ask what the solution was? I've had the exact thing happen to me, offered the exact same deal for exact same price. Even had a confirmation email that said no out-going or incoming changes. Than had an email a few days later just as the new contract started thanking me for making changes I did not make! (The removal of maxit and addition of mega) 

        Did you manage to get TNT back and essentially get the package you signed up to? Looking to get this sorted myself! 

        Thanks in advance

  • ni_trev's avatar
    ni_trev
    Joining in
    10 months ago

    This is still going on today so obviously no-one at Virgin Media is listening. I'm coming to the end of an 18 month deal and have started to price compare v. the competition, assess the Virgin offers etc. One of those offers was to "keep the package you love today" for the same price, which I started to progress. On receiving the pre-contract docs I noticed Maxit TV was now Mega TV and therefore checked to ensure the offer was the same. But of course it isn't as TNT Sport has been removed so I'm definitely not keeping the package I love today as I'm losing £20+ a month of value. I then landed on this forum to see the same disingenuous marketing has been going on for months yet they are happy to persist. If this is VM's approach to current customers, I'll be cancelling and going elsewhere as this is both misleading and mis-selling. Interesting to note that the new customer offers are also much better than those offered to existing customers...

    • Ashleigh_C's avatar
      Ashleigh_C
      Forum Team
      10 months ago

      Hi there ni_trev 

      Thank you so much for your post and we are so sorry to hear that this has happened! 

      We would be happy to take a closer look into this with you via a private message. I will pop you a PM across now, please keep an eye out for the envelope at the top of your screen alerting you to a new message.
       

      • Wolves99's avatar
        Wolves99
        Joining in
        10 months ago

        Hi

        I have exactly the same fundamental issue I've raised a complaint and had two replies neither of which addressed my complaint I have asked for either penalty free contract closure or TNT to be provided at Virgin Media's cost and compensation for the lack of TNT since it was moved. I am getting nowhere with a lot of effort - I have been withVirgin for over 20 years but regret being loyal now. Sky with TNT and all the other services would have been cheaper and they have far less complaints. I have mentioned in my complaint that a deadlock letter is fine as I'm very happy to take the misspelling up with the Ombudsman, Watchdog and others

        Maybe this community can help resolve this before that ?

  • ajcamg's avatar
    ajcamg
    Joining in
    4 months ago

    Have just gone through the same experience. My contract is due for renewal on 14 November 2024 and I noticed an offer on my account page in the VM website, offering me a cheaper deal, and telling me, quote, "Choose this deal and keep your current VM plan without losing anything." So I accepted it. When the confirmation arrived, it stated that TNT Sports had been removed. I submitted a written complaint to VM but 2 weeks later am still awaiting a response. But had a phone conversation with their Resolutions staff today, 14 Oct, who made it clear that they would not included TNT in the renewal deal. So we have a clear example of mis-selling. I will refer the matter to the relevant regulator, but note that Ofcom will not deal with individual complaints. You have to go the Communications Ombudsman, and obtain a 'Deadlock' letter from VM, or try Citizens Advice. I'll go to the Ombudsman. Be very wary of contract renewal offers.

    • Carley_S's avatar
      Carley_S
      Forum Team
      4 months ago

      Hi ajcamg 

      Welcome back to the community forums 

      Sorry to hear you're also having issues with your contract. 

      Sadly TNT is no longer included with any of our TV packages and can only be added on for an extra £18 a month. Does your contract state that TNT is added and included in your contract?

      • ajcamg's avatar
        ajcamg
        Joining in
        4 months ago

        Carly  -since I've had TNT Sports (and BT Sports before that) it's been shown as an 'add on' along with Sky Cinema, the latter being something I never requested but it got thrown into my package. I renewed my contract on the basis that I wouldn't lose anything, as previously stated. On receiving my new documents, I noted that TNT Sports had gone yet the other 'add on', Sky Cinema, was still there. Then, in a later contract doucment, Sky Cinema had been moved from the 'add on' box into the 'Main Services' box. I accepted the revised contract price on the basis of not losing anything, yet I have clearly lost a service. As far as I am concerned, this amounts to both mis-selling and, because my contract has been changed AFTER I accepted it, a breach of contract. In my conversation with VM's customer services, the rep kept harking on that TNT Sports was an 'add on', completely missing the point that so was Sky Cinema yet that is still included in my package. If VM wish to remove elements of customer packages, they should tell them up-front and make it very clear, not sneakily alter contract doucments without informing the customer of what has been altered. No-one from VM has ever contacted me to tell me of these changes, and I do read their emails, believe me. Frankly, I've had enough of VM, and as soon as I can find a suitbable alternative service provider I'm off.