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AVGVSTVS's avatar
AVGVSTVS
Up to speed
11 hours ago

'Charge' for 'non return of faulty device' taken away by technician & billing info not promptly updated

Over the last 10 days or so, I have been receiving repeated emails and SMSs notifying me that a £70 charge has been applied to my account. The charge applied refer to the non return of a faulty Set Top Box which was actually taken by a Virgin Media engineer on the 9th May 2025 whom I have his first name and ID number. On already 3 occasions, I have contacted the agents via WhatsApp whom they agreed the fact that the aforementioned box was indeed taken by the engineer and removed the £70 charge in due course, yet I am still receiving repeated reminders and my bill due for 4th August still contain the £70 charge causing me great inconvenience.

The problem started at the beginning of last May, the main VM360 setup box was failing to run some apps including Netflix, Prime Video & Apple TV+ resulting with error codes such CS2400 in which I initially resolved by rebooting the main device until it became worse that it no longer booted up at all. I also have two smaller devices situated in other parts of my house and they worked perfectly fine. On this occasion, this was resolved by VM's remote engineers and the main box was back up and running after liaising with the VM agent on WhatsApp. This was on 2nd May 2025.

Unfortunately, 4 days later, the problem resurfaced and it was agreed via WhatsApp that a replacement box will be sent to me so I can install it as I have done a few times over the years. The replacement box arrived two days later but it was a smaller mini box not the Main 360 box. Yet again, I had to contact the VM help centre via WhatsApp. Bizarrely, they said according to their details, a 360

box was provided but it was actually a mini box which I believed they had sent the wrong device. Eventually they arranged a technician to visit the next day in which upon arrival he fully confirmed the replacement box was indeed the wrong device which was where I believe the help centre failed to provide the correct equipment internally through miscommunication. Thankfully the technician had a replacement 360 box and dutifully installed it as well checking the other boxes in which we were able to access full streaming services. The old faulty 360 box and the wrong device (mini box) were taken by the technician. 

That was it until two months later on 5th July I had an SMS, notifying me that I had yet to return the faulty 360 box with the pre paid returns packaging that came with the wrong device but it was collected along with the faulty and wrong devices by the technician who came two months earlier. A charge of £70 was to be added onto my next bill this coming August. I immediately contacted the help centre via WhatsApp. On this occasion, Abhishek the agent said he confirmed that I was correct and successfully applied a waiver credit on my account £70 and would be updated in 24 hours. I thought that was done and dusted.

Yet, two days later, I had another SMS again saying the same thing, I must 'return the equipment' or receive the £70 charge. Again, this time by Deepak, after checks at their end, I was assured the £70 need not apply.

Then last Friday night a monthly email came from VM informing me of the next upcoming bill to be paid on 4th August and it includes the £70 charge! I contacted VM again and another agent, Jessi after I while being unhappy with the ongoing issue told them over and again that the 'non returned device' was collected & taken by the technician whom I gave them his name & ID number, said he amended the bill back to £126 down from £196 and my billing information adjusted within 72 hours. I told the agent that if this carries on I will make a formal complaint that the help centre team are not meeting their full obligations due to their inefficiency and duty of care to their customers.

Guess what? 48 hours later, yesterday, another SMS came with the same message and the bill has not changed back to £126.** and is still the same as of now while checking My Virgin Media account online.

I haven't contacted VM via WhatsApp yet which compelled me to post here expecting a swift resolution with a more responsible VM agent via the VM Community. 

The WhatsApp help centre have failed me on a number of occasions by sending the wrong device while dictating it was the 'correct one' sent and most of all not updating my billing information accordingly and swiftly. 

I have attached screenshots below of my latest email, billing info, last WhatsApp conversation and latest SMS.

I will NOT rest until this is fully resolved.

 

1 Reply

  • newapollo's avatar
    newapollo
    Very Insightful Person
    4 hours ago

    Hi AVGVSTVS​ 

    The Forum Staff don't tend to frequent the Community Chatter boards where you started your thread.  That board is mainly used for non VM related posts, so I've moved your message to the Managing Your Account board where they will pick it up.

    Sorry to see you're receiving billing issues and SMS requests for the return of your boxes following the collection of them by the tech that attended your home.  The SMS messages are automatically generated by the billing system until that system is updated to confirm the equipment has been received back into the warehouse.  It appears that hasn't been actioned yet and I'm sure that the forum team will be able remedy this and the billing.

    It generally takes a couple of days before posts are picked up by the forum staff, however you may be lucky and receive a response from them tomorrow.  They will probably send you a DM so they can take your account details and perform verification in private. 

    Just to set your expectations, their responses won't be immediate as this isn't a direct messenger service as they work shift patterns the same as the phone agents so there may be a delay from a few hours, to a day or two for responses depending upon their current rota situation, but you will be in good hands.