on 23-04-2023 11:00
Please can anyone help? My 86 year old father has been trying to cancel his service with Virgin Media for months, they have literally reduced him to tears and he is now hundreds of pounds out of pocket, and still they will not let him out.
Answered! Go to Answer
23-04-2023 11:15 - edited 23-04-2023 11:16
Yup VM choose to make it very difficult particularly via their offshore operations. It can lead to disgraceful situations like this.
It's best to write in via signed for/recorded post to Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA. Make sure to include the account name, address and account number.
Also let Ofcom know all about your father's treatment by VM.
23-04-2023 11:15 - edited 23-04-2023 11:16
Yup VM choose to make it very difficult particularly via their offshore operations. It can lead to disgraceful situations like this.
It's best to write in via signed for/recorded post to Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA. Make sure to include the account name, address and account number.
Also let Ofcom know all about your father's treatment by VM.
on 23-04-2023 11:34
Thanks Cardiffman, will do. It really is a disgrace that they treat elderly customers, or anyone, this way
on 23-04-2023 14:47
Good Afternoon @Pdb0002, thanks for your post on our Community Forums, and a very warm welcome to you!
I'm terribly sorry to hear of the poor experience your Father's endured, and this is certainly not how we would like any of our customers feeling.
Check out the purple envelope in the top right hand corner for a private message from me, and I'll see if there's anything we can do to help.
Kindest regards.
David_Bn
on 23-04-2023 16:37
on 25-04-2023 20:19
Good Evening @Pdb0002, thanks for your correspondence over our private messaging function.
I'm pleased to hear that you've been able to make progress with our team on this matter.
Do feel free to report back to me, if anything further is required, and I'll be on hand to assist where possible.
Kindest regards,
David_Bn
on 03-05-2023 16:21
Hi David_Bn, they collected his equipment last Friday as scheduled. My brother-in-law has written a letter to request a refund of the money VM have taken since he first tried to cancel his service. He did not want to cancel his DD before it was official and VM kept on taking the payments, so hopefully a refund will be forthcoming and we will be happy, apart from the upset caused by the process being so difficult. Your helpfulness is much appreciated, thank you.
on 03-05-2023 16:49
Not cancelling the DD was a wise move, as VM do have 'previous' for adding late payment fees in similar situations and eventually declaring the poor customer as a 'debtor' and handing the whole lot onto a debt collection agency!
Probably too late now, but the letter should probably have requested an additional £20-£50 in compensation for the inconvenience and distress that has been caused to a 'vulnerable customer'*. Incidentally was the letter sent by recorded (signed for) delivery? Now the reason I ask is that there is a greater than zero chance that you or you brother-in-law will hear nothing more, call VM and their reply will be along the lines of 'letter, what letter, we've had no letter', who are you again?'
I would make yourself acquainted with the formal VM complaint procedure and if this goes nowhere, or they offer something which you all consider to be substandard as way of recompense, then also research how to raise a compliant with the industry ombudsman service, which is the independent arbitration service. In this event, I do feel, you would be justified in asking them to order VM to credit your father with an additional £100 in reflection of the added inconvenience and stress.
* always a useful phrase to drop in to formal complaints or conversations.
on 04-05-2023 10:51
Thanks VMUser1812. Good point about not cancelling the DD, I didn’t know that and if it had been me I might have cancelled it and fallen foul of that. I believe compensation was requested in the letter, but I’m not sure about the postage method, I’ll check when I see them later.
on 05-05-2023 06:10
Well I did check and it wasn’t sent recorded but can easily be sent again, they are supposed to acknowledge receipt within 48 hours I think. I also found out they are going to take another payment today despite all the upset they have already caused and despite having already collected the equipment.