Virgin Media defrauding customers

I've been a customer of Virgin Media for about 20 years. The prices have increased substantially and my contract had expired so I phoned them to try to renew the package. Sounds like it should be fairly straightforward ? Two and a half hours later, after encountering a catalogue of incompetence, I think I have finished on the phone but I am deflated, frustrated and downright angry. I feel like I immediately need to go to the nearest pub and have several stiff drinks in rapid succession. The Virgin Media staff are friendly and try to help but can't do anything that isn't on their script. I had to speak to several different people - even though they transferred me, I had to repeatedly go through the security questions. The customer service is so absolutely abysmal, I barely have words to describe it.

It just got even worse. Having agreed a new monthly price over the phone, Virgin Media confirmed it by emailing me a pre-contract document detailing all of the services AND the price. I checked the document and price was the exact price we had agreed. All sorted. you may think ?

Alas no, 58 minutes later, they emailed me again saying - all sorted - we've attached your new contract. On checking the contract, the price was now £13 per month higher than 58 minutes earlier.

I can only conclude that either it is a deliberate policy to overcharge or maybe it is just that Virgin Media are a complete and utter shambles.

Since writing the review above, I've read through some other Virgin Media reviews on here and I don't appear to be the only person who has had the following sequence of events :-
a, agreed a monthly price over the phone
b, received 'pre-contract documents via email which reads 'Attached are your Contract Information & Contract Summary documents. Please make sure that you are happy with the agreement you are entering into'
c, received a further email which reads 'Thanks for making those changes to your Virgin Media package. We've attached your new contract reflecting these changes'
This would be fine if the monthly price they ask you to check to 'make sure you are happy' was the same price as the contract.
If they don't sort it out, I will definitely be consulting my solicitor because I think that agreeing contract terms with a customer in writing and then issuing that contract at a different higher price is possibly illegal.

Virgin Media may well reply to this along the lines of 'this is not the level of service we aim for'. They may even write the more disingenuous 'we are sorry you feel that way' which blames the customer for 'feeling that way' rather than just saying 'we messed up and we will fix it and reimburse you for all the time we've made you waste'

Reading through many of the Virgin Media replies on Trust Pilot, they repeatedly say 'this is not the level of service we aim for'. If that is the case, time and time and time again, why don't they do something about it ?

've been a customer of Virgin Media for about 20 years. The prices have increased substantially and my contract had expired so I phoned them to try to renew the package. Sounds like it should be fairly straightforward ? Two and a half hours later, after encountering a catalogue of incompetence, I think I have finished on the phone but I am deflated, frustrated and downright angry. I feel like I immediately need to go to the nearest pub and have several stiff drinks in rapid succession. The Virgin Media staff are friendly and try to help but can't do anything that isn't on their script. I had to speak to several different people - even though they transferred me, I had to repeatedly go through the security questions. The customer service is so absolutely abysmal, I barely have words to describe it.

It just got even worse. Having agreed a new monthly price over the phone, Virgin Media confirmed it by emailing me a pre-contract document detailing all of the services AND the price. I checked the document and price was the exact price we had agreed. All sorted. you may think ?

Alas no, 58 minutes later, they emailed me again saying - all sorted - we've attached your new contract. On checking the contract, the price was now £13 per month higher than 58 minutes earlier.

I can only conclude that either it is a deliberate policy to overcharge or maybe it is just that Virgin Media are a complete and utter shambles.

Since writing the review above, I've read through some other Virgin Media reviews on here and I don't appear to be the only person who has had the following sequence of events :-
a, agreed a monthly price over the phone
b, received 'pre-contract documents via email which reads 'Attached are your Contract Information & Contract Summary documents. Please make sure that you are happy with the agreement you are entering into'
c, received a further email which reads 'Thanks for making those changes to your Virgin Media package. We've attached your new contract reflecting these changes'
This would be fine if the monthly price they ask you to check to 'make sure you are happy' was the same price as the contract.
If they don't sort it out, I will definitely be consulting my solicitor because I think that agreeing contract terms with a customer in writing and then issuing that contract at a different higher price is possibly illegal.

Virgin Media may well reply to this along the lines of 'this is not the level of service we aim for'. They may even write the more disingenuous 'we are sorry you feel that way' which blames the customer for 'feeling that way' rather than just saying 'we messed up and we will fix it and reimburse you for all the time we've made you waste'

Reading through many of the Virgin Media replies on Trust Pilot, they repeatedly say 'this is not the level of service we aim for'. If that is the case, time and time and time again, why don't they do something about it ?

I’m a customer but sorry to see you’ve had this experience - I do believe you have.a 14 day cooling off period in which you can cancel the new contract.

Get your solicitor to do it. 

There is a statutory 14days "change of mind" right of cancellation on all distance-selling contracts in the UK (with certain - irrelevant here - exemptions)

If considering the legal avenue, any judge or solicitor worth-their-salt should be advising you to use an ADR scheme first, and treat court action as a last resort. VM's complaints procedure allows for escalation to ADR after 8 weeks or if deadlocked previously.

Forum staff can sometimes intevene outside the complaints process.

Virgin Media have now issued a new contract but it took approx six hours of time and they refuse to offer any compensation.

I also found out that I was out of contract for 3 1/2 years. That was my own mistake, of course, but Virgin Media took the opportunity to charge me approx £70 a month extra during that period. It is probably within the law but morally corrupt. I've been with them for over 20 years and they've ripped me off for almost £3000 because I forgot to renew the contract. Lesson learned.

Also, they have failed to acknowledge my Data Subject Access Request.so I will monitor that until the time limit is met.

They are an utter shambles 

I am being billed for another month at full whack because the operator on online chat didn't tell me they can't alter the package when there is an outstanding balance i now can't cancel while there is an outstanding balance meaning i now have to pay almost 300!

ABSOLUTE FRAUD!

Hi Paul

I have been scammed as well. Not getting anywhere. Forum staff have not been helpful either. I am now at the stage where I will be reporting this scam to the police and get a crime incident number

Agree they just go ,,, erhym

Yep they don't do what they say. See my last chat ...