Catalogue of chaos from Virgin - multiple issues, particularly re equipment return

[Michael1885]

Where to start...?

• Should I start with Virgin's insane price rises over the last few years?
• Or maybe the endlessly dropping internet connection?
• Or perhaps the unclear info of the website regarding changing one's TV package?
• Or how about the absolute farce that was the communications regarding the previous point?
• Or maybe I should go with the bit where our entire service (phone/TV/internet) was cut off and our account closed without warning last month, as a result of my enquiry about changing a TV package?

No - today, having been unceremoniously ejected from the service as a result of all of the above, I want to ask about the process of returning Virgin's equipment to them. 

I always knew that Virgin might want the equipment back, and that's fine. However, true to form it's already looking like a confusing, frustrating, will-to-live-sapping mess. Since yesterday I have had:

• A text from Virgin telling me I would be offered dates for collection (plural)
• An email from Virgin alerting me that I would be getting the text above (which I had already got), and telling me that there are charges for not returning the kit... then listing those charges as £0 (so can I just keep them then...?)
  
• Another text from Virgin (although a different number) offering me a single collection date and asking me to confirm it (which I have not yet done)
• An email from Virgin (although from a different email address) asking me to either:
  • Pick a Date (even though I've been offered one already)
  • Change My Address
  • Send A Message

Happily it doesn't matter which of those buttons I press, since all three fail to work due to being blocked as unsafe phishing sites.

So I come on here and look up equipment return, and I see a LOT of people reporting arranging a date, waiting all day, nobody turning up and then being charged £65 anyway. I'm fully expecting them to keep taking money from my account for the service they decided I didn't want anymore.

Posting this in the hope that a real Virgin person might be able to help me out via DM, since any attempt to use the usual system as it's actually set up simply seems to lead merely to a series of ever-multiplying tangents of unwanted/unhelpful activity ballooning out into infinity.

[Adri_G]

Hi, Michael1885.
Thank you for taking the time to post on our help forums and for joining the VM community,
nice to have you on board with us.

We're sorry to read of all the issues you've had and the confusion caused with your equipment return process due to the communications received, it's sad to see how this has made you feel and we'd love to do our best and help out.

Although it's sad to see you go we can assist with returning your equipment where possible, we'd like to ask a couple more questions so we can advise more.

Regarding the collection process, if the date we've provided is not suitable for you you may opt to submit a request here to get our free return package and label so you can post the equipment back to us at your own convenience.

Do you have a TiVo box and a hub 3 to return only or more VM equipment, as seen above (more TV boxes, pods or boosters etc)? 
If only these two, hub 3 is indeed required back (although we will recycle it as it's one of our old hubs).
As for our TiVo boxes, we do not require a return and it can safely be disposed following one of the recycling methods seen here. 
We only need V6 and TV 360 boxes sent back, in general - let us know what other equipment you got from us to check if anything more needs returning.

Lastly, in regard to billing and how we add or remove the equipment charges from your bills, we can explain once you disconnect and upon returning your kit to us, we'll take up to 14 days from it's delivery to process the return in full and waive off any potential equipment charges.

Hope this helps, please let us know more on the above and we'll be happy to assist if you're still having issues with returning your equipment or with your bills.

[Michael1885]

---

@Adri_G wrote:

Although it's sad to see you go

Did you read my message? I'm not choosing to go - Virgin cancelled me without me asking them to, and without any warning it was going to happen.

we can assist with returning your equipment where possible, we'd like to ask a couple more questions so we can advise more.

Regarding the collection process, if the date we've provided is not suitable for you you may opt to submit a request here to get our free return package and label so you can post the equipment back to us at your own convenience.

My point is not that it's not suitable - it's that the messaging is inconsistent, with contradictory options. Adding another option doesn't really help with that.

I have since chosen to confirm the date proposed by text and the collection is scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see.

Do you have a TiVo box and a hub 3 to return only or more VM equipment, as seen above (more TV boxes, pods or boosters etc)? 
If only these two, hub 3 is indeed required back (although we will recycle it as it's one of our old hubs).
As for our TiVo boxes, we do not require a return and it can safely be disposed following one of the recycling methods seen here. 
We only need V6 and TV 360 boxes sent back, in general - let us know what other equipment you got from us to check if anything more needs returning.

It's a V6 and a Hub3, so both will be returned if the collection people turn up.

Lastly, in regard to billing and how we add or remove the equipment charges from your bills, we can explain once you disconnect and upon returning your kit to us, we'll take up to 14 days from it's delivery to process the return in full and waive off any potential equipment charges.

Hope this helps, please let us know more on the above and we'll be happy to assist if you're still having issues with returning your equipment or with your bills.

---

Once I disconnect? I've been disconnected for almost a month (during which time we had no internet connection or phone/TV service, while we waited for a rival company to connect us - thanks for that...)

There should be no equipment charges to remove, because I'm going to hand the items over to your collection person. They are sitting beside me as I type. Should your collection person fail to turn up, I will be EXTREMELY unimpressed if you try to charge me for the equipment.

[Adri_G]

Hi, Michael.

We're sorry to see your frustration with this matter and the fact that the disconnection was in error, this is far from the experience we want for our customers indeed.

However as you're already in process of returning your equipment and opted for a collection, we'd suggest to hand your kit over to our team on the date and pop us a new message here so we know it's sorted.

Once we've collected this we'll process your return and act accordingly towards bill corrections if and where any are needed.

In case you need more help with the above or your bills moving forwards, we'll be eager to assist so please give us a shout.