On Demand18 False Charges. Fuming!!!

[Diane2713]

I'm not sure if I'm on the right forum here, but just spent over an hour on the phone to Dan from Virgin after finding 2x "On Demand 18" charges on my account which were on days myself and my husband weren't even in the house! I am fuming that one of the comeback lines from Dan was "ask your Husband about them" !!!

I've now seen loads of issues on here about this, so can a virgin representative on here offer any help at all with this? I will NOT be paying these charges & if its not sorted I will cancel our account. Looking at all the evidence on here it's clearly a repeating computer glitch surely?? Especially after we've all just watched the Post Office computer glitch scandal unfold?

As you can sense I'm very angry, and it did cause a big argument between myself and my husband until we worked out none of us were in the house at the dates and times given.

Please help!

[HavencroftKev]

Hi Diane, 

I'm sorry you've had these charges added to your account and I am absolutely appalled the Virgin Media representative made those comments to you.

Yes there have been cases of phantom charges, but before you fight Virgin on this you need to be absolutely certain these are indeed phantom transactions and that nobody in the house could have made them. 

For example have teenage children or a babysitter been around when the transactions were made?

[Diane2713]

Hi, thanks for your response, and I agree that just me sounding angry and defensive is no grounds for being right.

In answer to you're question, which is what I also told the phone representative, I am a 68yr old living with my 69yr old husband, nobody else lives with us, we are absolutely useless with tech so didn't even know there was such a thing as a PIN number on the package, we have never ever ever typed in a PIN into the TV and wouldn't know where to start. We only bought Virgin for my husband to watch Football on Sky Sports, the channels I watch are the old fashioned ones you get with free view (Coronation Street for example).

We were out all day on Monday 5th August when the the first charge is dated for, and the same for the second charge. And we have no family members with keys who can access the property without us being there.

We are very simple pensioners living very simple lives who don't even know how to get on the BBC Iplayer thing, let alone find a screen where there is a PIN number I can promise you that.

Again, all of this was conveyed to the Virgin phone representative.

[unisoft]

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@Diane2713 wrote:

Hi, thanks for your response, and I agree that just me sounding angry and defensive is no grounds for being right.

In answer to you're question, which is what I also told the phone representative, I am a 68yr old living with my 69yr old husband, nobody else lives with us, we are absolutely useless with tech so didn't even know there was such a thing as a PIN number on the package, we have never ever ever typed in a PIN into the TV and wouldn't know where to start. We only bought Virgin for my husband to watch Football on Sky Sports, the channels I watch are the old fashioned ones you get with free view (Coronation Street for example).

We were out all day on Monday 5th August when the the first charge is dated for, and the same for the second charge. And we have no family members with keys who can access the property without us being there.

We are very simple pensioners living very simple lives who don't even know how to get on the BBC Iplayer thing, let alone find a screen where there is a PIN number I can promise you that.

Again, all of this was conveyed to the Virgin phone representative.

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Just pay up, Mr Fries needs his salary + bonus 🙂

Seriously though, hope its gets sorted!

[HavencroftKev]

Hi Diane, sorry I asked those questions. 

It absolutely sounds like you've had phantom transactions, trying to prove this to VM will be a battle I'm afraid. 

I do hope it gets sorted. 

[Diane2713]

OK, so you're not a Virgin Representitive? I thought I was getting through to Virgin for a while there. Am I right in thinking then that the only way to get this sorted is over the phone? Or will someone pick this message up?

A friend of mine suggested this route, that's the only reason I've grudgingly spent even more time (than the hours waiting on the phone) joining this forum.

Give me strength, only a few months ago I had to fight them on phone charges they put on my bill when I rang their freephone number!

This will absolutely be the last time we refresh the contract, too old and tired for this.

[goslow]

You will get a reply from a VM person, usually within a few days.

A VM staff member will have 'Forum Team' under their forum user name and will also display the VM 'infinity' logo.

False 18+ on demand charges get regular mentions on here (alongside phantom phone call charges, takeover of Netflix accounts in Spanish, takeover of email accounts etc. etc.) So, if you do not recognise any usage or on demand charges, it is always worth pursuing them for a refund,

[HavencroftKev]

Hi Diane, no sorry I'm not a Virgin representative.

For a start I wouldn't treat my customers so appallingly. 

[japitts]

By means of background and/or reference..

VM TV services have inbuilt PIN-protection, which is normally used to allow access to time or age-restricted content during the day, and also protect against unauthorised additional purchases.

This PIN can be changed via your TV box's menus, and doing so is always recommended so third parties (quite often read kids) can't just enter the default PIN - with predictable consequences.

[John_GS]

Hi @Diane2713 

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community.

Sorry to hear of this dispute. I'll send you a PM now to assist further.