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Bill has nearly doubled from last month

XtremeTi
Tuning in

Having just goy my latest bill email that it has nearly doubled from £56 last month to £101 (note I was paying £76 until 2 months ago I assume due to an adjustment to Tv From Fun to Mix),

My virgin account was originally in my fathers name and when he passed away, the account was passed to my mother, while in contact with the bereavement department the package was re-adjusted (removing sports & movies) downgrading TV package while keeping phone/broadband as is, so she was paying about £60 (increasiing to £70 over the next 6 years), When she passed away last Feburary, as I inherited the house I informed virgin via the bereavement department, and was told that I couldn't re-adjust the package, and my options were to have the account cancelled and be a new customer (with new phone number/emails) or carry on with the pachage my mother had, so I decided the latter and told would be £76 as it coinsided with a general price rise.

It's not until now that I have found out the contract is for over £100 minus a £44 discount only for 9 months (which was not mentioned when I spoke to bereavement), yet my mother was paying the same (albeit with the general price rises) for 6 years.

Why such a big difference between my mother and I as the package is exactly the same in the same house? and can anything be done about it?

Regards

 

3 REPLIES 3

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

The situation is particularly complicated by the bereavement changes.  Nominally if you weren't told about a discount being for a shorter time than the fixed term then that can be contested, but it's a whole lot of hassle, and after six months VM usually wipe all call recordings (very convenient, a cynic might suggest) which makes it difficult to prove things.

However, there's a ray of light, of the forthcoming 14% price rise on top of the increase you've just been told about.  Why is that a ray of light?  Because this year they have to give you notice of this price rise and the opportunity in the next 30 days to cancel or renegotiate your contract.  Next year you won't have that option, as the company are baking into their terms a contractual RPI + 4% increase, so VM customers will get notified, but not be able to do anything if they are in a fixed term contract.  Moreover, the RPI + 4% will be applied to the undiscounted price, so that the proportionate increase for customers on a discount will be much higher.

As soon as you get the letter about the 14% rise in April and changes to T&Cs, then you're free to act - either to agree a new contract or to leave and take your business elsewhere.  If leaving, I'd suggest you consider Zen Internet, as they have no in-contract price rises, whereas all the big scummy corporations are changing their T&Cs to permit them to make this huge price rises whilst ensuring customers can't reject those price rises.   

Natalie_L
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hi XtremeTi, 

Thank you for posting to us here on the Community. 

I am very sorry to hear of your loss and apologise for any additional stress this situation has caused. 

As you took over the package, all discounts and promotional offer would stay the same and this includes the remaining time left on them. 

Please do not worry though as we will be able to help. I will just need to take a few details via private message which I will pop over to the purple envelope on the top right of this page. 

Speak soon, 

 

Nat

Natalie_L
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hi XtremeTi, 

Thank you for joining me on private message. 

I am glad we have been able to help you and answer your questions. 

Please do reach out if we can assist in the future. 

Thanks,

 

Nat