I feel like I have this rant on repeat. 18 months ago my mum's partner died. Virgin were contacted and notified of his death, and changes were requested to be made to the package, including that her partner's name be removed and she be put on as the account holder. They never changed the name - a bone of contention for god knows how long. But due to her being 82 years old she is now struggling to cancel her package because she can't remember her security details. We can't base it on direct debit details, as the original DD was cancelled when her partners bank account was closed - the last outstanding amount was paid by me over the phone using the automated system - I made a partial payment without any security words, but when I went back to pay the rest it asked for the memorable word. We can't register for my virgin media to sort things out as a) it says she's already registered (she has never done this) and b) it asks for a password that she doesnt have. When you ask for a password reset we have no idea where the email goes, because it doesn't go to the only email she has ever had. Whenever she calls the helplines they again request details that she doesn't have - the last time she tried calling one of the several numbers she has been given, she went around in circles for two hours and ended up in tears. A webchat had a similar result, with one particular message 'as the account holder has left' sending her on a huge downward spiral - he didn't leave, he bloody well died.
I even requested via webchat that someone called her, on the virgin landline, because at least then they could speak to her in person on AN ACTUAL VIRGIN LINE. To be told 'we cant do that'.
So is it virgin policy to just make things difficult for 82 year old technophobes? Let them run up a huge debt with no way of sorting it out until it goes to debt collectors? Surely there has to be a way to fix this - because thats all she wants to do - is get her account cancelled, all amounts paid and to get the hell away from Virgin in whats left of her life...
