Cancel and my partner join as new customer

[silentg1971]

my contract is coming to an end and since virgin have zero interest in giving me better deal after 20 years plus with them .

I am rarely at home anyway with work but if my partner wants virgin services and pays for it herself, can she get the new customer deals

[levingsworth]

Ah right ok.

Thanks

[Paul_DN]

Hi levingsworth,

You are very welcome, stay safe.

Regards

Paul.

[BFULLER1 · Accepted solution]

Common theme here is that whenever someone at VM “double checks” this, they come up with something new. 

Let me tell you what is actually the case.

Person 1 can give notice to cancel and immediately place a new order in the name of person 2 at the same address. How do I know this? 

I did it, and have done it repeatedly for a number of years now. Disconnection date was October 15th for the old account, install date for the new services was October 16th. 

The VM retentions drones tell you that you can’t do this - and in some cases accuse you of committing fraud, breaking the law, and playing the system but it’s just their way of being able to keep you tied in to a deal they generate - to get their commission. 

The thing about 90 days, absolute garbage, and tends to vary based on who you’re speaking with at VM; I’ve been told 30 days, 3 months and up to 6 months. The fact of it is that once one contract with VM and person 1 ends, person 2 is a new customer - at that point neither are currently bound by any terms and conditions - and an address can’t be a party to entering into a contract. 

[levingsworth]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Very interesting, & yes it does contrast with what VM tell you.

Are the October dates you switched this year, not last year? I ask as their retentions department told me that their credit checks from this year will pick up the same address & not allow a new contract in a different name unless I wait 3 months. So is this complete rubbish?

My wife is a nurse & can good some good deals on NHS discount sites (e.g Blue Light), but when they told me 3 months before she could be a new customer I didn't have the cahonas to call their bluff & agreed to a discount on my existing package.

[BFULLER1]

Hi again levingsowrth,

I had to have it checked by VM's in house legal Counsel as they literally didn't have a clue what they were quoting. In the end, the final word on the matter is that actually, there is no policy at all determining what is a new customer. As soon as Person 1 is out of contract and Person 2 takes a contract they are a new customer. The reason there is so much confusion around this 30 day 60 day and up to 6 month nonsense is that its all guess work. We submitted the cancellation on September 15 2020, placed the new order in my name on the 16th, with an install date of the 16th October. This gave the 30 notice required under the contract. Its also noteworthy, that when doing this a couple of years ago, one of VM's staff accused me of committing fraud, playing the system and breaking the Law - this person no longer works for VM after these statements.

When you're next due to to upgrade or cancel, the following may help.

When you call to get a better deal, the first layer will pass you through to one of their retentions teams, they'll make an offer on a package. If you accept here, good for them, but no so great for you. If you hold your nerve, they'll come back with something better... same as above, great for them. Finally, if you stay strong and actually serve your disconnection request something quite miraculous happens.

The request doesn't go off to the team responsible for disconnecting your service, despite the fact you'll get the "goodbye" email from VM. It goes through to yet another layer of retentions, who call you a few days after the disconnection request goes in - generally English speaking and can usually offer you their best deals, and they'll literally throw money at you not to cancel. 

Next time, hold your neve, you'll win in the end! 🙂

[levingsworth]

ok brilliant. Thanks for the advice, I'll keep this in my file for the next time.

Cheers

[Citizenkhan]

Thank you for uploading this. For last 20years plus- virgin media has been charging me expensive premium prices and using scare tactics of data usage to prevent me moving.

Despite me only being on

- m100 broad band + Talk anytime phone (no t.v)...virgin media thought it would be appropriate to charge me £52 a month for 18 months for this at renewal.

From your story, I have gained the courage to move onto another provider  - NOWTV - who are offering me 63mgbt broadband + Any time phone calls - and NO CONTRACT (monthly re-occurring expense) for £24/month.

The speed is gauranteed and will suffice up to 5ppl browsing at any 1 time.

I checked the quality and connectivity at friends house who only has a 36mgbt speed and this was sufficient to cover loft to ground floor.

I have ordered NowTV box and have an engineer booked to carry landline number over before virgin disconnects.

I have a friend who works for Virgin and he confirmed all sales men are on commission. 

But to be charged almost Double compared to competitor's for basic needs......It's time to stand up.

After 3 months if the Now tv is not working for me - I will cancel and return back to VM at the more competitive rates of £27 - which they offer to new customers. And it is only then that I will tie myself to a 18 month contract.

[levingsworth]

Hi again,

Just reading you very helpful & detailed response but have a query.

You say you cancelled on the 15th & placed new order the next day to be installed 30 days later, thus allowing the 30 days notice, I get that.

However, you then talk about VM contacting you several days after you have cancelled with an improved offer. How does this work if you have already placed a new order the day after you cancelled? 

Cheers

[pjdkca]

Good morning BFULLER1,

Your posts are really helpful. I to am paying too much to VM despite being a customer since ntl days!  It has gone up nearly 10% last month to £85.  How the heck they can justify this is beyond me.

I rang them and they offered a miserly £7 off and still more than I've been paying. I therefore have the 30 days notice to cancel.  I have had no callback.  The contract ends on the 8th of this month. 

How did you set up a new account in your partner's name, telephone or online?

I ask this as if you go online for a new contract it asks for your postcode and then identifies that a contract is at your address and the options are a new contract if you are moving there as a new customer or moving there as an existing customer. 

Also, does your partner have the same surname as you and a joint bank account. I can see how getting a new contract with your partner as the customer if they have a different surname but not if their surname is the same as yours.

Thanks for your help.

[BFULLER1]

Hi, 

Many thanks for the reply.

Their process will be to make contact with you via a phone call before or on the disconnection date - to offer you pretty close to the new customer offers, so I'd wait a little longer. When my partner got her call it was 3 days before the termination date of the contract - it could be that they're busier with COVID-19 and the Christmas, New Year periods.

I placed the order for new account in my name online, on the same day my partner served her disconnection request. When you put the post code in, it will show that there are services in that property, however when you get to the installation page, request the date after your disconnection request for the old account. That way you'll be without services for 1 day maximum.

NB - I finally got Virgin Media to confirm that there is in fact no process, or terms within the Contract at all the forbids doing this. When consulting with their internal Counsel, they confirmed that my interpretation on the Contract terms is correct. The best they have is a generic 'right to refuse' services to customers. This is usually reserved for people looking at things they shouldn't be, breaking the Law and such.

Best of luck with it, let me know how you get on.