Cancelled Broadband within 14 days cooling off period - should be immediate?

[byebyeVM]

Hi there, 

I had fibre broadband installed on 31 March 2023 (after a delay of about 4 months). 

I called customer services to cancel the service today on 5th April 2023, which is within the cooling off period. 

Notwithstanding the agent providing wrong information that a cancellation charge of over £200 will apply, eventually he relented and accepted the cancellation within the cooling off period. 

My understanding is that the cancellation is immediate and there are no charges applicable. The agent said it will be completed in 7 days. 

However, the email confirmation I have received subsequently states that the cancellation will be completed in 30 days' time, on 5th May 2023. I am concerned about this length of time to cancel and also Virgin Media trying to charge me when I've cancelled the service.

Has this cancellation been processed incorrectly by Virgin Media? What can I do to resolve this if it has?

[Chris_W1]

Hi byebyeVM, thanks for the message and sorry to hear about the issue which you have had with the cancellation and billing. 

I will send you a PM so that this can be looked into further for you. 

Kind regards, Chris. 

[byebyeVM]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your reply. I called customer services back 2 hours later and the agent said the information I was given before was all wrong and it should have been cancelled immediately, which I understand has now been done.

I have requested a deadlock letter so that I can pursue compensation for delayed installation. I have sent you a PM to ask if you can check the status for the deadlock letter.

The reason I have chosen to cancel the services is because the customer service from Virgin Media has been horrendous and I don't want to be a Virgin Media customer based on how they treat their customers.

Thanks

[byebyeVM]

Hi Chris, I called customer services today and spent over an hour on the phone with a telephone agent who gave his name Kruthik.

He informed me that compensation has been calculated for the delayed installation. 

However, the compensation that he had calculated was incorrect and he struggled with getting it right. He kept me on hold a long time while he tried to get to grips with what is a very straight forward calculation. In the end, he was giving me an incorrect calculation and wrong information. 

First of all, he quoted a lower rate than that quoted on Virgin Media's own website here: https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation

It states a rate of £5.83 per day if no install on promised day until installation’s completed. The agent told me the rate was lower than this, which is just wrong. I had to correct him and then direct him to the Virgin Media web page, afterwhich he conceded on this point. It shouldn't be for the customer to provide the right information - surely that is the agent's job?

Secondly, he attempted to suggest that the compensation doesn't apply on weekends. Again, this suggestion is contrary to what is set out in the automatic compensation scheme and again I had to challenge him on this. It became apparent he does not know that it applies per day. Reference is made to a similar situation outlined by another customer here: https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Managing-Your-Account-Cable/How-to-claim-compensation-for-loss-...

And you will note your colleague from the Forum Team Lee_R's response which accepts the point that the compensation is due for calendar days (I have underlined the relevant part): 

First of all, I am really sorry to hear of your loss of internet and the long period of time you were without it.  And I am also sorry for any incorrect information you may have received around the auto-compensation scheme.  As you've already been advised, there's no mention in the link that even hints at the scheme being for working days only.  I would like to take a closer look on your behalf.  I am going to send you a private message.  Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of the screen.

Regards

Lee_R

It just more of the usual incompetence and going round in circles. I asked him to provide the deadlock letter if they cannot calculate the compensation correctly. I think there should be a bit more due on top of the correct calculation for the constant poor service and being continually passed pillar to post. 

Would you be able to try and get this resolved for me once and for all? 

With thanks

[goslow]

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@byebyeVM wrote:

Hi Chris, I called customer services today and spent over an hour on the phone with a telephone agent who gave his name Kruthik.

<snip>

With thanks

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Prior to April 2023 the compensation rates were: Total loss of service £8.40/day, Missed appointment £26.24/incident, Installation/activation delay £5.25/day

VM CS staff on the phone generally have zero knowledge of the compensation scheme as reported in the topics on here. When they don't know what to do, they often seem to make something up.

If you have not done so already, get a formal complaint in to VM and then (when VM fails to resolve properly) move it on to Ombudsman Services for arbitration if VM does not provide the correct amount due.

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

[Steven_L]

Thanks for coming back to us byebyeVM, I have been looking into this and can see that you have spoken to agent yesterday that has now escalated the complaint to their manager for further investigation and they will be getting in touch to discuss this further with you. 

Kind Regards,

Steven_L

[byebyeVM]

Thanks goslow! Really appreciate your message. 

You're right, the folk on the phone just don't know what they're talking about. 

I'm all good with taking it further with the Ombudsman. I've requested the deadlock letter multiple times and once I get it, I'll be referring it on to the Ombudsman. 

Thanks again

[byebyeVM]

Hi Steven_L, a "Manager" called me today and spent over 30 minutes over the phone trying to convince me to take the incorrectly calculated compensation amount. I declined this and she said that she would arrange for the Deadlock letter (which I've now asked for multiple times but still haven't received it). Thanks