Credit score ruined

[Sameblade]

Last October 2020 I requested to cancel my virgin broadband contract. I had been a customer for a few years and was extremely happy with everything but the price. I spoke to virgin about this as they were asking for £58 per month just for broadband 75mb. I told them I could get a deal of similar download speed from Vodafone for £25. They told me there was nothing they could do. I went ahead and requested a cancellation with some difficulties as the call center staff are bewildering at times.  In the end they assured me this wouldn't be a problem. They said my cancellation date would be 17th November. I made my last payment and thought nothing else of this. SIX MONTHS Later I recieved a letter from a debt collection agency asking for £20. I was astonished, having never missed a payment for anything ever to my knowledge. I paid this straight away and was assured that was the end of it as I'd received no contact from virgin in the previous 6 months regarding any payment. I even still had the app and logged in where there was no evidence of missed or late payment. I have screenshots of this. 3 months later I was checking my credit score with experan and exuifax there was a default notice filed by virgin in March of this Yr. This is totally unacceptable and a clear display of virgins bitterness and bullying. There is no use speaking to their call center staff. It's now 2 months since my last conversation with them where I was assured the mistaken default notice would be removed. It has not. Waiting for some kind of response VIRGIN.

[japitts · Accepted solution]

Just by means of advice on terminology... It may seem like nit-picking but if you're going to deal with VM & credit agencies regarding your file, it would be worth making sure of the differences between your "credit score" (which is something internal to any company with whom you have a credit relationship) and your "credit file" (which is what you've been looking at, and on which lenders base your credit score)

By means of advice for resolving your issues...

You need to contact VM's credit team with all the relevant details, the entries that you believe are incorrect and reasons why. They should respond within 28days. You can do so, at....

Consumer Underwriting, Virgin Media, Eagle Court 3, Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3RZ. Or by email: creditfileamendments@virginmedia.co.uk

[Sameblade]

Hi, it's just when I log onto Clearscore or Experian they call it my credit score. This has what's been affected by virgin placing a default notice.

Thanks 

[Sameblade]

By the way, imagine having to go down this route in 2021, virgin clearly have a problem with customer service. It's sad really. Oh well at least Dickie boy got to space! 

[jamesofmerton]

'Hi, it's just when I log onto Clearscore or Experian they call it my credit score'

their scores are made up by them. the only thing accurate on there is usually how much you owe, details of bank/credit cards/loans/home address etc.

financial institutions use their own scoring methods. so yes you could have 999 with experian but fred bloggs bank uses a scoring method of 74.

experian, clearscore, credit karma etc get a cut of any referrals. that is why they place such emphasis on their score.

'at least Dickie boy got to space!'

branson doesn't own virgin media, never has done. he gets a fee for use of the name nothing else.

[Sameblade]

I was venting after 2yrs off bs from virgin. Its unreal thinking how much time and effort I've spent trying to resolve issues with them on behalf of my partner and myself. Useless robotic sounding call centre staff. Staff who are powerless. I've called into branches to try to resolve issues. It's exhausting. Just writing this to explain my behaviour is exhausting. But hey when powers to ruin you financially are handed to incompetent and unhelpful staff, it just makes you feel powerless and robbed.

Thanks 

[asim18]

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@jamesofmerton wrote:


branson doesn't own virgin media, never has done. he gets a fee for use of the name nothing else.

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And that's the issue... he just gets paid for a "name" and nothing else and he's using this money to go into space for play, he brings nothing to the UK's Cable network which is needed for work. They should get rid of the Virgin Brand, call it Purple Media, and save some cash to hire a chief of customer services. Because at the moment virgin has no chief of customer services in their leadership: https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/leadership/ and that's probably why Virgin Media has won 3 awards relating to bad customer services in 2021.

The Virgin brand is a complete waste of money at a time when Virgin desperately needs funding for a chief of customer services to completely overhaul Virgin Media's failing customer service mechanisms.

[Andrew-G]

@Sameblade A few things to do:

1) Make a Subject Access Request for ALL DATA that VM hold on you.  They will likely query this, stand your ground, request the lot.  See if there's voice or chat recordings that support your case, what they've got by way of interaction with you.

2) If you haven't already initiate a formal complaint (in writing under VM's Consumer Complaints Code of Conduct) asking for significant compensation for the botched original closure of your account, the besmirching of your credit history through the company's incompetence, and their failure to put things right since then, and asking for them to put right all their entries on your credit history, all of which are down to their failings.  You may want to wait on the SAR before starting, and also copy the complaint to Ofcom.  Ofcom won't directly get involved, but it raises the heat on VM.

3) If VM don't sort this out with a very generous goodwill gesture (£££), and properly clean up the credit history, then eight weeks after you lodge your formal complaint then you escalate the matter to CISAS (if you have an earlier formal complaint with VM about this matter, you may not need to give VM a further eight weeks).  

Alternatively, the forum staff might want to grab this and arrange an amicable resolution before it all kicks off?

[japitts]

All of which is valid advice if the credit team confirm an inaccuracy on the file.

I'd recommend waiting for them to confirm that first, before proceeding. I think the forum team will be powerless before then.

[Travis_M]

Hi @Sameblade

Thanks for posting on our community forum and so sorry to hear about these issues you've came across. 

I'm going to drop you a private message to investigate further. Please keep an eye on your inbox.

Regards