Virgin Media Community

[Rebel-Rebel]

Hi,

my email stopped working (i.e. no access) one week ago (Thursday 30th July) and I have been unable to access it online (laptop/PC) ever since.

The first attempt gave the standard message to 'try again in 1 hour'. I did this and have since been getting the page '403 Forbidden' every time I try to access my email account.

I can log in to Virgin Media and Virgin Mobile with no trouble.

I had an email from Virgin to say that somebody had accessed my email account and set it to forward all my incoming emails to various other accounts. This had been happening since May 1st and they only just informed me, telling me to check all emails from that date! But I have no access to my emails because they appear to have 'locked' me out?

I was only able to read this email because, for some reason, I am still able to pick up my incoming emails via Gmail on my mobile phone only.

Why would they send an email to an account they have shut down to inform you what has happened - perhaps an SMS would have been more sensible?

I called 150 on my Virgin mobile the following day, Friday 31st August, for assistance, and they reset my password and told me to delete all bookmarks for Virgin Media and try logging in to my email using a different browser.

I did all that and I still got the '403 Forbidden' page.

I called 150 again on Monday 3rd August and they went through the same process with me, which I told them didn't work last time, and funnily enough it didn't work again!

The assistant said he would have his Supervisor call me back to sort this out the following day (Tuesday 4th) at 12 noon.

12 noon came and went, as did 5pm, so I called them again - on 150 from my mobile.

The third assistant went through the whole process the first two assistants had and told me to try logging in (using my third change of Password and a third different Browser) in 20 minutes.

I did this and, funnily enough, it didn't work, again!

That's 3 calls, 3 different Passwords and 3 different Browsers (Edge, Chrome and Firefox - I was specifically told not to use Safari, for some reason!?).

I asked the third assistant for an alternative person to speak to just in case it didn't work again - she said it will work (as did the others!).

she gave me a number, which appeared to be freephone (0800 014 7398). On calling this the following day (today, Wednesday 5th August) the call preamble quickly slipped in that it is a service Virgin Media customers can PAY for?!

Virgin Media have caused this problem by not keeping my email Account safe in the first instance, and then locking me out of it 3 months after it was breached - there is no way I am going to pay to have it sorted out.

I stumbled upon this website whilst searching for answers to my problem online.

It appears several other people have been having problems with email, although I am not sure whether they are the same as mine?

I have now spent a total of 19 hours trying to sort this problem out (if you include 2-3 hours waiting for assistants to answer the phone).

I realise there are problems for everybody in these trying times, and assistance may be thin on the ground, but I am trying to run a business from home using this email address, and it is now becoming a serious issue for me.

If I can't get this sorted out soon, I will have to start using an alternative email for my business and I will cancel all my Virgin services (TV, Broadband, Landline, email and Mobile Phone).

Please, please, please help me, or else direct me to somebody who can help.

I look forward to a reply and many thanks in advance!

[Alex_RM · Accepted solution]

Hi Rebel-Rebel, 

Thanks for posting and welcome to our community 🙂

I am sorry to hear you're unable to access your mail box, 

There is lots of help here which will explain how you can ensure your mail box is secure. 

I'm sorry we've not been able to resolve your issue so far- what the support team have been through already is the correct process, however we're aware of the 403 forbidden error, this is something that will need an IT ticket.

I've sent you a private message so I can get a few more detail from you. (purple envelope, top right hand corner)

Alex_Rm

[Melissa_F]

Hi Rebel-Rebel,

We've had an update on this. 

Can you please let me know if you're able to access your email now?

Thanks

Melissa

[Rebel-Rebel]

Hi Melissa,

yes, I can now access my email online and through my Gmail.

However, I am unable to successfully link using my Microsoft Outlook software, which is particularly important for me, as I was using this email for my business.

That may be an issue with the Microsoft software - I don't know?

However, I was without access to my business email for 6 weeks, and Virgin only told me my email had been breached 3 months after the fact!

It happened May 1st and they sent me an email (to the address that was breached and closed down!) on 29th July!

As I had not heard anything for over a month, I had to inform all my business and many other personal contacts that I would have to start using another email address.

This has been a big problem, both personally and business wise.

Is anybody at Virgin going to take some responsibility for this situation?

It would appear there are numerous other people who have had the exact same problem - I am certainly not unique.

Is there any kind of compensation for 6 weeks of non-provision of service?

I guess this isn't what you are here to deal with, but this seems to be the only way I can contact anyone at Virgin regarding the specific problems I have been experiencing.

Is there somewhere else I should be complaining to about this - where I might actually get an answer?

I am seriously considering cancelling all of my Virgin contracts - Phone line/TV/Broadband and Mobile (once that option is available)?

Notwithstanding the above, I do appreciate your help in resolving this issue!

Kind regards,

Kevin

[Gareth_L]

Hello Rebel-Rebel

Thanks for your reply 

We class email as a free add on for customers 

So we would not be able to apply any credit or compensation for the loss

Regarding the link from Outlook 

Have you made sure the setting are correct virg.in/mailset

Gareth_L

[Rebel-Rebel]

Hi,

I tried numerous times to access Virgin email via Outlook, updating the settings as specified in the link you provided.

Throughout the whole process I am constantly being prompted to enter my Virginmedia password via a popup!

No matter which password I enter it just keeps reappearing and says 'something went wrong' during the process of changing the settings.

This is really annoying and confusing me as I really don't know what password it is I am being asked for?

I entered the original (very first) password I had when I set up outlook many years ago.

It worked without any problems for many years, until last year, when my email was hacked and eventually restored, after about 6 months.

Since then I haven't been able to access Virgin email using Outlook, but have to log in online if I want to use it.

I tried every possibility of passwords I have either changed this to or been given by Virgin (i.e. the one I was given to reset).

Although I still use that password to access Virgin Media online (my Media Account and hence email by clicking on 'email') Outlook doesn't recognise it as my 'password for Virgin Media'!

[Robert_P]

Thanks for the additional information Rebel Rebel, have you tried running through the step's here https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-mail-update-settings-in-microsoft-outlook to see if it then allows you to set it up via Outlook?

Rob