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Charged setup fee when advertised as free

g495393h
Joining in

Like so many others on this board I'm being charged a setup fee when the advertised amount was £0.

Anyone care to explain as this appears to be in breach of trading standards

12 REPLIES 12

Zach_R
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi @g495393h,

Thank you for your post and welcome to our community forums. We're here to help.

I am sorry to hear that there's a disputed charged on your account. What is the disputed charge listed as and do you have documentation of your offer stating that charge would be removed?

Thanks,
 


Zach - Forum Team
New around here? To find out more about the Community Forums, take a look at our FAQs!


virgin pricing screenshot - Copy.png

 

The only cost advertised to me was the monthly rate (£24 p/m), everything else is £0 (particularly the setup).

I see my bill has an activation fee which would clearly be classed as a setup fee

Laurie_C
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hi g495393h,

 

This bill refers to your setup fee, which is a separate charge to your activation fee. For that reason, the activation fee will be applicable. Apologies for any confusion caused.

 

Kind regards,

Laurie

Laurie_C
Forum Team

I see no activation fee listed on the up front costs in the pic or at any time before committing to this "deal", therefore I cannot accept that response.

If activation is required to setup my account then it seems correct to call it a setup fee.

If you are going to charge me the activation fee then it would seem to contradict trading standards guidelines (see below). This would seem to be an apt comparison

trading standards desc.png

Hello,

 

The installation fee is not the same as the activation fee. The offer to waive the fee would be for the set up only. Activation costs are standard to connect your equipment to your account and services on our systems.

 

Regards

Ayisha_B
Forum Team

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Then these costs should have been clearly advertised up front.

Would you be happy to download a song for 50p only to later see on your bill a separate 'download' charge for £10 that had not been advertised?

Also I see no installation fee listed up front either so obviously would not be charged. I'm pretty sure any reasonable person would see the setup charge as being any charge required for the setting up of their service (such as installation or activation). As the installation fee and activation fee are not separately listed then a normal person would assume the setup fee covers them both.
Telling me now that the setup fee is only the installation fee and that there are extra hidden fees is simply misleading.

Maybe someone in store can help with this then, thanks

We advise of the activation fee in our Terms & Conditions @g495393h

 

Our retail stores are no longer open, so you will not be able to speak with anyone in store. 

 

I appreciate this isn't the outcome you had hoped for, but the activation fee is a valid charge as per our terms and conditions. 

Ayisha_B
Forum Team

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Not a very consumer-friendly approach is it, more of an underhanded one

Hi Ayisha_B i i was just wondering if you can link where it says how much an activation fee is in the Terms of service and when one would be due ect? Thanks