Every renewal there is an issue

[Duffster27]

Does anyone else have constant issues with Virgin at point of renewal?

We've been with Virgin since Telewest/Cable days so circa 20+ years. Every year I explore the market and try to make sure I am getting a good deal.

Last year I was promised a price, the agent then messed up all my bills so it became a complaint. In the end, it was resolved and I was given £34pm for 350MB, TV Medium and Phone - This was meant to last for the duration of the contract, but then inflation hit and then some of the discount dropped off early (it shouldn't have!!), so this month the bill is £54.25 and then next month £77!

I spoke to Retentions last night to say I couldn't pay £77pm. I was told that it was already a deal as should've been £92. It has risen so much "because of inflation". Inflation is high but not doubling!! I expect to pay more within reason.

Anyhow, I was offered £65pm and I thought this was steep. I got transferred to Cancellations who stated they'd see what they could do. The lady got her back up straight away when I mentioned I seen a new customer deal for £45.99pm like-for-like with £110 cashback. Apparently I can't go away and come back in 90 days, even if it's in a different name etc.

She ended up offering me £47.25 as an "on call offer". I said I would continue to shop around - it didn't sit well she told me her very best was £53, then got to his. Seemed a bit fishy and she was just trying to get me off the phone. The whole process just seems unethical.

I called back today to see if another agent could help in relation to new customer offer, and was told that the agent from last night had made a pricing mistake, but she would speak to her manager, provide feedback and get it honoured as good will - I couldn't fault this agent mind!! Lynn she was called. I was/am expecting a call back from her tomorrow to confirm it's all been done. For the sake of £2 difference being a new customer, it's not worth the hassle and Lynn was genuine and great.

I then get called from Jaden at Outbound Loyalty who said he'd been asked to call me. I thought it may have been in relation to the promised call back above. He was from the saves team and offered me £53pm. I stated that £47.25 was offered and was getting added. He said it wasn't as I'd declined the offer. So I explained the above and he was having none of it.

I didn't like his attitude and asked to raise a complaint for the poor service. He told me he wouldn't be raising it and it was tough luck I didn't accept the offer at the time (despite the offer not actually existing?!). I told him it's every year it's poor service at renewal, being miss-quoted etc, and he said it was nothing to do with him and once again he wouldn't raise it on the basis I now "want an offer I can't have". I told him about how complaints must be logged when requested and he didn't care.

I asked if he could help me find the complaint form online as he refused to take my complaint by phone and he said he was trying to call to do me a favour and to google it and terminated the call.

So now, I am hoping Lyn calls me back. But honestly, it's every year and I think this could be the final straw.

[Andrew-G]

An offer is (both in VM practice, and in UK law) not binding until it is accepted.  So if you get an offer but say you'll keep shopping around, it is entirely at VM's discretion whether they offer it again.  Any promises to keep it open, or offer a call back should be assumed to be platitudes to terminate a call if the customer isn't going to commit (these people are on commission, all they want is to offer the most expensive deal they believe you'll be willing to go for).

Unfortunately, if you turn down an offer and call again, that tells VM you're pretty committed - so why then offer you such a cheap deal?  Far better to add a few quid because you calling back tells them you can't find a better deal.  The company make little or no money on heavily discounted deals, so they are acting rationally.

[Duffster27]

TL;DR

- Offered a deal
- Said I'd shop about
- Called back, find out agent who offered deal made a mistake but VM said they would still honour it
- Another agent calls back and says now they won't

[newapollo]

To add to @Andrew-G 's advice, if you had accepted the deal at the time then VM should have agreed to honour it, even if it was made in error.

To be honest if you are fairly happy with the price quoted (or need to confirm it first with say your partner) then accept it as it probably won't be available again.  You can then take advantage of the 14 day distance selling window should you change your mind and wish to reject that offer. You would then go back to your original pricing, even if it was the out of contract price,  and package (or nearest equivalent) and then have the option of either cancelling or renegotiating.

Just for info, VM's  actual prices can vary on a day to day basis, and agent to agent basis. 

I don't, and haven't worked for VM, but have worked within call centres as a retentions agent, and would suggest that all companies follow a similar format in that individual agents are given "save targets" and can offer different deals than those offered by other agents on the same day.

I know it sounds odd, but agents are given a set amount of allowances to offer at varying price points.

If they have used up their quota of lowest prices for the day or week, then they couldn't offer say the Ultimate Volt bundle for £100, but if the next agent hadn't reached their quota then they would be able to offer that price point.  It's also possible that one of the retention teams may be "trialling" a price point not available to other teams.

[goslow]

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@Duffster27 wrote:

Does anyone else have constant issues with Virgin at point of renewal?

We've been with Virgin since Telewest/Cable days so circa 20+ years. Every year I explore the market and try to make sure I am getting a good deal.

<snip>

So now, I am hoping Lyn calls me back. But honestly, it's every year and I think this could be the final straw.

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Can't help but notice there seem to be quite a few topics from 20+ year customers now finding they cannot progress a renewal deal.

How good are your alternatives to replace VM (speed, services offered etc.)? If you do have some suitable alternatives you should consider ditching VM.

I left VM at the start of April (having been with them and previously NTL for 20+ years). I was wanting to renew with BB only and lose the landline. Got an OK-ish price offer for BB + telephone but VM would not offer BB only at a sensible price so put in a cancellation and moved to BT FTTP. Been using BT for a few months now and the service has been excellent.

If VM's messing about with pricing and renewal is the final straw for you, and you do have some viable alternatives to move to, then consider making the move.

Once you put your cancellation in you 'might' (not guaranteed) get a retentions call back with a best-and-final offer. If you do leave, you will also be able to get new customer pricing with VM once again when/if you do return to VM.

Now I have a FTTP connection to my home, and can access other FTTP providers in the future, I think VM would be a long way down my list of choices for any future renewals.

I wouldn't have made the move to BT if VM's renewal processes had not been so lame and useless but, as it turned out, the move away from VM actually turned out to be a benefit!

[Kain_W]

Apologies for the issues faced there goslow,

We hope all is well with your new provider!

Take care,

[goslow]

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@Kain_W wrote:

Apologies for the issues faced there goslow,

We hope all is well with your new provider!

Take care,

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All good with my new provider thanks Kain_W!. I think it is the OP, Duffster27, who needs some VM 'confusion' dealing with!

[Duffster27]

Thanks goslow, yes it’s myself who needs some support here given I’ve been passed from pillar to post at renewal, once again.

In regards to alternative options, these a few: even just taking out VM as a new customer in a different name of someone living at the address. It’s just a shame this is how customer loyalty is treated - with lies, false promises and rude “loyalty” callbacks!

[Carley_S]

Hi @Duffster27

Welcome back to the community. Really sorry to hear about your poor customer experience when you have come to renew your contract. 

As with all providers we do offer introductory deals to new customers, and at the start of all of our customer’s time with us they will have benefited from such a deal. Once this expires we'll do all we can to offer the best existing customer deal available to you. 

If you did not agree to the on call deal, then this might not be available again when you call, I apologies if this is what you expected. If agreed, we would have honoured whatever was offered if there was evidence to show this, even if the pricing was wrong or a mistakenly quoted by the agent. Hopefully you're call back today will bring some resolution to this. If after the call you still wish to raise a complaint, you can do so either on the call with the agent, or via any of the other methods listed here

Please keep us updated with how you get on. 

[Duffster27]

I think the point is being missed here.

I didn’t take the deal - which is fair - the next agent said they’d honour it and call back (they haven’t yet), another agent rung and said the previous agent wouldn’t be able to honour it so to take his deal (sneaky). When I asked to log a complaint on the call, he refused to take it.

Why would an agent refuse to take a complaint?