Refund of credit and awful customer service
As my username suggests, I am a former VM broadband customer. Background: I gave relevant Notice to disconnect February 2025. Disconnection took place March 2025. Final bill a few days after. Credit due and is done automatically by VM. Provided new address and details for refund of credit via cheque (as per VM's terms and conditions of within 45 days) and return of equipment box with Notice to disconnect. Equipment returned and confirmed by VM.
Fast forward. Waited over 50 days for credit cheque to arrive (over and above VM's terms and conditions). Made contact initially today via the webchat function - was advised cheque was never raised due to error on VM's part. Further advised that it was because I never asked for the credit. Shocking. Transcript of chat retained as proof. Terms and conditions are clear - the credit cheque is generated automatically. I asked for BACS - issuing cheque is a further wait when one was never issued by VM in the first place. Webchat said telephone customer service and they can arrange BACS. 1 hour of my time thus far.
Telephone customer service (1). In queue. Waited 30 mins. Spoke with agent. He hung up the telephone for unknown reason.
Telephone customer service (2). In queue. Waited again 30 mins. Spoke with agent. He arranged for BACS form to be completed. Raised a complaint on the service failure by VM to issue credit cheque in the first place and breach of their own terms and conditions. Asked for goodwill payment given how long I was on the webchat and earlier call. Agent raised complaint and negotiated goodwill payment but line disconnected. Agent was helpful.
Telephone customer service (3). In queue. Waited again 30 mins. Spoke with agent. Advised I had just lodged a formal complaint for resolution and was negotiating good will payment before that call was disconnected. Agent sounded like he was in bed asleep and unbothered. I asked how long complaint will take to resolve. He hung up the telephone.
Telephone customer service (4). In queue. Waited again 30 mins. Spoke with agent. Raised a complaint about my call directly above where the agent sounded asleep and unbothered. Agent confirmed that BACS form completed and to await payment to bank account via BACS. With respect to goodwill payment for all of the issues this morning, to connect me to a Containment Centre and speak with a Complaints Handler. Was transferred to a Complaints Handler. Complaints Handler says no BACS - only cheque and will have to wait for cheque to be issued, even though they never issued one in the first place and VM already in breach of the terms and conditions. I asked for a written response to my complaint raised - Complaint Handler stated they do not provide a written response. Not the correct process being followed to take complaint to OfCOM. Call ended due to contrary information on BACS payment vs cheque. Agent was helpful.
Telephone customer service (5). In queue. Waited again 30 mins. Spoke with agent. Transferred to Payments Team. They advised process now changed - no BACS and all via cheque even when they make error in not generating a cheque in the first place. I explained that an agent had earlier submitted a BACS form with my bank details and assured that it would be processed. Further confirmed by another agent when I telephoned subsequently (detailed above). Payments Teams say process changed. Goodwill payment for poor customer service and service failure agreed but Payments Team agent needs to be connected to a Manager to authorise the goodwill payment on top of the credit. Was advised Manager could not join the call but to end the call and the Manager would immediately call me back. 4 hours later - no call.
Approximately 4 hours of webchat/telephone contact today. None the wiser. Waste of complete and utter time. Breach of terms and conditions obvious by VM. In the process of contacting Court to issue Money Claim. Awful customer service.
