Contract Renewal

[carlhoughton]

On 28.9.23, knowing my contract was about to expire, I logged on to my account and saw that Virgin had made me a contract renewal offer to continue my existing package. I accepted this and received a confirmation order and specification by email. The email informed me that the changes would happen from 1.10.23. I can provide this evidence if needed.

Last night, I decided to logon again to see what my next bill is since the direct debit comes out on or around 13th of each month. I was disappointed but not surprised to see that I am now being made an offer of much more for renewal than the offer of 28.9.23. I also saw the amount of my next bill which is the same as it was when I looked previously. There is no evidence that I ever accepted Virgin's offer other than the emails I have which are very clear in their content.

I would suggest that anyone else checks their renewal acceptance has been actioned to avoid this entirely unnecessary issue.

I have been a Virgin customer now for 10 years at this address and the customer service has deteriorated massively over this period. I have registered a complaint but won't hold my breath at resolution. Can someone help me please.

[Carley_S]

Hi @carlhoughton 

Welcome back to the community forums 

Really sorry to hear of the issues surrounding your renewal offer.

Can you confirm, the email that you received, was this a contract summary sheet?

Usually, when agreeing a new contract, customers will received a contract summary sheet first with all the details of the offer/contract so they can see the information before accepting the offer. The customer would then need to confirm that they agree to this for offers to be submitted and put through at our side. Without first accepting the contract form this email, the offer will not be put through. 

Let me know if this was the contract summary sheet and we can support further if needed. 

[carlhoughton]

Carley,

I received two emails. The first summarises the content of the offer along with the cost. The second, was a confirmation stating that the new contract would start on 1.10.23. The quoted order number is [REMOVED]. There is nowhere to sign on any of these documents, the process took place entirely online. All I want is for you to enact and fulfil your offer, please. I find it soul destroying to have to write/ring you so often. I should not have to check up on every promise you make. 

[MOD EDIT: Personal and private information has been removed from this post.]

[Carley_S]

If it was just the contract summary sheet then this would have needed to be agreed at your side before we could have actioned the offer for you on the account. 

We can take a look to see what you have been sent, and then if this was agreed at your side from the contract summary sheet, we can work to see what we are able to do to resolve this for you and investigate why the offer was not action if the contract summary sheet was in fact agreed. 

If the contract summary sheet was not agreed, then we might not be able to offer the package as it was priced in the offer. 

Please join me on private message so I can locate your account and pass account security. You can see your private messages at the top of the page, in the envelope icon or if you're using a smaller device, you can see your private messages by clicking on the Virgin Media logo at the top right and select 'Messages' from the drop down.

[carlhoughton]

I am on my mobile currently and will be back home later. I gave you the order number in my second message which you redacted. An order number along with an activation date clearly shows an agreement. The email was from your webteam email address. I will pick this up again this evening when I get home.

[Blair30 · Accepted solution]

I'm in exactly the same boat. And as far as I can see there is no way to agree anything on the contract summary that's sent.

It feels very much like they are offering good renewal deals online to get you to engage then moving the goalposts when you have to contact call centre or live chat staff. 

[carlhoughton]

Thank you for your response. I am now over two weeks into my negotiations. I hope you have done better than me!

In my experience, webchat is a complete waste of time, the telephone system is long winded and promises are made and then not honoured and the complaints department are completely pointless. I have had a a number of issues in the past and they have always been sorted via the forum....eventually.

I won't bore you with all of their mistakes, but as of Friday I had signed up to an offer with an agreed specification which was supposed to go active on Saturday. It did, but when I looked at the contract amount on the website the amount was over £30pm more than I had agreed. I would never have agreed to this!

In my case then, I have still not reached a conclusion and it all seems a bit like a game of snakes and ladders.

Good luck. 

[Ilyas_Y]

Thanks for the post @carlhoughton on the forums. 👋🏼

May I ask what is the latest with the team?
Have you made any progress with them?

Let us know.

Kind regards,
Ilyas.

[carlhoughton]

On Friday, your colleague Carley S, after almost two weeks of conversation sent an agreement to me that I was happy with. Carley told me that in this agreement, our second Tivo box could not be included in the specification but sent to me a separate email confirming that it would be included. Carley told me that the agreement would be activated the following day ie 14.10.23. On 14.10.23, you updated my agreement and it included the second Tivo box. However the amount quoted was £31 per month more than the agreement with Carley. I wrote to Carley about this on Saturday but have had no response. The amount you claim that I have agreed is higher than the many previous offers and you do not have any paperwork to this effect. Is this fraud?

I am running out of patience now and it seems to me that you now need to honour the agreement I have with you by close of play on Friday. You also need to explain to me why as an organisation you are so incompetent/vindictive and compensate me accordingly. I have been a long standing customer of yours and can see the offers for new customers. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

The messages with Carley S along with the evidence I have sent should be visible to you, do not think for one moment I am going to start this process again.

I hope this makes the situation clear to you.

[carlhoughton]

You have just sent to me a pre contract document in the sum of £118.75. This is the document I was referring to in my previous messagel. In addition, Carley S sent me an email stating that although the second Tivo box was not included on this pre contract, it would actually be included and the amount would still be £118.75.

I agreed to this precontract in the sum of £118.75 and was assured that it would be actioned on 14.10.23. On logging on on 14.10.23, I saw that you had added in the second Tivo box but had increased the price to £149.75.

I have never agreed to anything in the sum of £149.75 and wrote to Carley and frankly view your actions as fraudulent. If i was in your position, I would have my contract amended to £118.75 immediately

All that I want is for you to honour our agreement and stop this incompetence/dishonesty/vindictiveness.

Assuming that you do this, you owe me an explanation as to what happened and appropriate compensation.

If you do not/cannot/will not do this by Friday, I will be going to Ofcom