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tajindersohal · ‎28-04-2023

I'm currently experiencing a frustrating experience with a complaint I raised regarding cancelling a virgin media contract. Virgin media website https://www.virginmedia.com/help/cancel-virgin-media says I can cancel by post. As I had 5 accounts to cancel, I sent a letter with all the account information to the address as stated on the website. I also got proof of posting from post office. Letter was sent on 16th Feb 2023 giving 30 days notice. Now you would have expected the letter to be processed and a final bills to be presented along with instructions on returning the router etc.

As it happens, that didn't happen and I started to get email and text messages to say my account was in arrears (since I stopped my direct debit). Side note I got another broadband provider for £25 per month and 900 mbps speed. When I contact Virgin Media and explained that I had sent a letter a number of surprising things happened.

1. I was told that you can only cancel by phone (this is incorrect since the website gives a postal address to cancel)

2. After requesting a complaint to be raised, I then received an email from the executive email address on 13th April 2023 telling me that I had sent the letter to the wrong address (which I hadn't) and that I would need to resend the letter for the cancellation to take effect. Note that I had already sent a cancellation letter to the correct address on 16th Feb 2023 giving 30 days notice, so my bill should only be to mid March 2023. I responded to the email on the same day with a link to the website showing I had sent it to the correct postal address, a pdf of my cancellation letter and a pdf of proof of posting.

3. I expected that since I had clarified all the facts there would be a response back acknowledging the error by Virgin Media.

4. This is what happened next. No response to my email on 13th April. It is now the 28th April, so 15 days of silence, despite me sending 7 emails following up.

5. The only communication I have had is via their automated email demanding money, then email saying non payment will effect my credit rating etc etc. I have had calls from the collection team, asking me to pay. When I explain I have an open complaint, I get told that my cancellation letter was not received and therefore not valid. When I explain, I have proof of posting from the post office, I get ignored.

What does surprise is Virgin Media complete incompetence in handling a complaint and not accepting that the cancellation letter was sent but not processed. Even more disappointing is the lack of communication from the complaint handling team. I've even sent a letter to the CEO, Lutz Schueler and that still hasn't helped to resolve.

So I will just wait and see what happens.

I wanted to share my user journey with you all. If anyone has any ideas on what else I should do, that would be most welcome. If anyone working for Virgin Media is reading this, I'd really like a response to my emails so that this matter can be closed.

用心棒 · ‎28-04-2023

Consider taking your complaint to independent adjudication if more than 8-weeks have passed since it was raised, read more here: Consumer Complaints Code of Practice | Legal | Virgin Media under section 4, Independent adjudication.

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Lee_R · ‎28-04-2023

Hi @tajindersohal thanks for posting and welcome to our community.

Sorry to hear that you've attempted to cancel your accounts without success. And for the experience you've reported when attempting to resolve the issue of those failures to cancel. I would like to take a look at the complaint on your behalf. I am going to send you a private message. Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of your screen.

Regards

Lee_R

tajindersohal · ‎29-04-2023

Thanks Lee. I look forward to getting your message to help me with this matter.

tajindersohal · ‎29-04-2023

My original post has solved at the top of the post. To be clear nothing has been solved I’ve just accepted offer of help from the forum team.

用心棒 · ‎29-04-2023

@tajindersohal wrote:
My original post has solved at the top of the post. To be clear nothing has been solved I’ve just accepted offer of help from the forum team.

To correct this go to the post you marked as helpful here Solved: Re: Cancelling contract with virgin media - Virgin Media Community - 5317141, select and Not a Helpful Answer from drop down menu, as highlighted below:

tajindersohal · ‎03-05-2023

Are Virgin Media tone deaf. I have an open complaint which they raised on 13 April 2023. I have communicated with them on the same day and then regularly since then (about 7 times) and I have not had one response back. I've provided all the information to explain the cancellation letter which I had sent and proof of posting but Virgin Media refusing to respond. Instead I get threatening messages on having debt recovery representatives come to my home. Shame on you Virgin Media. Not only can you not do a simple task of cancelling some contracts, you can't even deal with a complaint. This is incompetence on an epic scale driven by greed to make life painful for any customer daring to cancel.

VMUser1812 · ‎08-05-2023

Proof of posting or proof of delivery? If the latter then you do have proof that the ‘agent’ who told you that no such letter was received, was, well basically lying!

Now although it will leave a really sour taste in your mouth to do so, I strongly suggest that you pay VM whatever they are demanding. And the reason for this is that VM’s automated processes will absolutely mark you down as a defaulter, trash your credit rating (don’t even think about a mortgage or phone contract etc.), and eventually turn the whole sorry mess over to a debt collection agency. However, paying them, gets all of this off your back but remember that when you successfully pursue an action against them with the industry adjudicator, you can claim back all of this money plus extra damages.

So a couple of questions, to which address did you post the letter? Was it the Sunderland office? What exactly did it say, were you unequivocally stating that you wished to cancel?

Ashleigh_C · ‎09-05-2023

We are very sorry that you are facing this issue @tajindersohal

I can see you are now in a PM with one of our agents, please do continue to chat with them and they will do all they can to help.

Thank you

tajindersohal · ‎09-05-2023

Hi, It was proof of posting and I sent a very clear letter to their Sunderland office address which is on the website, stating all the accounts and explicitly stating I want to cancel. Not only do they state they didn't receive the letter as they claim it was posted to the wrong address, which it wasn't, the agents (each one I spoke to) always state that you can't cancel by letter.! So Virgin Media wrong on the both counts.