Vulnerable elderly person being exploited financially
I have spent 6 hours on the phone this week trying to get my elderly and vulnerable mother's bill reduced. She has been a customer for nearly 20 years and is paying nearly £50 a week for services she cannot use bacause of her illness and partial sight. She doesn't need tv as she cannot operate the complicated remotes or use the many channels and only needs internet so I can work there when having to care for her/contact people in emergencies. However, she relies on a Lifeline button which saved her life recently and she has used several times recently so she must have access to a landline 24/7. Virgin Media do not seem to care that my vulnerable mother with little income is paying over the odds and when I said she didn't need the tv they actually quoted an 18-month contact at £74 and said it was the best they could do!! REALLY??? After 6 hrs of calls to lots of staff I was offered a £1 discount to £48 provided I sign an 18 month contract...?!!!!!! Nonsense. They offer new contracts at £26.50 a month but won't put her on it. I see no option but to cancel but, in doing so, she will be potentially at risk if there is any delay whatsoever in the transfer process....I know from personal experience that very often there is. The telephone lifeline is essential. She has used it several times in the middle of the night recently. I cannot put her at risk. They show no compassion or care for someone in a vulnerable situation and only seem to care about getting you to sign a new 18 month contract. Nobody is listening. My mother is immobile, cannot get to the front door and cannot sort this for herself. I have Power of Attorney for her and Virgin won't make any concessions. I am absolutely appalled at their money-making callous disregard for her.
VIRGIN - your reply is a standard one and if I phone your general line I will also get the same experience I relate to here ie. no help whatsoever. In order to resolve this you will have to give me the telephone number of a named individual that can help me....
Also - the Virgin Facebook page doesn't allow anyhow to post any comments - so that is useless as well.
The Telecare providers should be all ready for this. BT customers are supplied with the Smart hub 2 and the Telecare alarm is connected to the phone socket on the hub.