Problems cancelling upgrade in cooling off period

[SpeleoPrez]

Can I have advice from the forum on how to get back onto my original contract? Here’s the story so far….

I took a cold call from VM last Friday (3 Feb) and was persuaded to upgrade to a VM Volt package with an O2 SIM. Later, after reading the new contract and Service Change Note, I decided to back out of the deal.

VM did provide a helpful note “Your right to cancel your new services” which said “If you cancel in the next 14 days, the change to your service will be removed and treated as if it never existed, and you’ll revert back to the original terms of your contract and original services”.

My original package was £52/month including a promotional discount of £25/month. The contract minimum period ended 19 Nov 2023. Services were: MixTV on TV360 (V6) box; M125 broadband; Talk More Anytime.

I called 0345 454 1111 on Monday 6 Feb and the call agent agreed to roll back my VM services. They also gave me the number to call to cancel the new O2 SIM service, which I did successfully.  

When I got the VM service change receipt via email I found that I did have my original VM services but they were now on a new 18 month contract (minimum end date of 3 Aug 2024) at an undiscounted rate of £77/month.

Today (7 Feb) I called 0345 454 1111 again, to ask for the original contract price and duration to be re-instated. I was told that they had to wait for the system to update before they could do anything, so would I call back “after 16 February”.

Coincidentally 16 Feb is the last day of the 14 day cooling off period, so I’m feeling a little bit paranoid about leaving it so late to call again!

Is it possible to get this sorted out sooner than 16 February? What should I do?

[jem101 · Accepted solution]

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@SpeleoPrez wrote:

Can I have advice from the forum on how to get back onto my original contract? Here’s the story so far….

I took a cold call from VM last Friday (3 Feb) and was persuaded to upgrade to a VM Volt package with an O2 SIM. Later, after reading the new contract and Service Change Note, I decided to back out of the deal.

VM did provide a helpful note “Your right to cancel your new services” which said “If you cancel in the next 14 days, the change to your service will be removed and treated as if it never existed, and you’ll revert back to the original terms of your contract and original services”.

My original package was £52/month including a promotional discount of £25/month. The contract minimum period ended 19 Nov 2023. Services were: MixTV on TV360 (V6) box; M125 broadband; Talk More Anytime.

I called 0345 454 1111 on Monday 6 Feb and the call agent agreed to roll back my VM services. They also gave me the number to call to cancel the new O2 SIM service, which I did successfully.  

When I got the VM service change receipt via email I found that I did have my original VM services but they were now on a new 18 month contract (minimum end date of 3 Aug 2024) at an undiscounted rate of £77/month.

Today (7 Feb) I called 0345 454 1111 again, to ask for the original contract price and duration to be re-instated. I was told that they had to wait for the system to update before they could do anything, so would I call back “after 16 February”.

Coincidentally 16 Feb is the last day of the 14 day cooling off period, so I’m feeling a little bit paranoid about leaving it so late to call again!

Is it possible to get this sorted out sooner than 16 February? What should I do?

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'Had to wait until the 16th for 'the system to update',' well how convenient for VM? No that was an outright lie!

Now this this is what is going to happen;

Option a) you have called and requested that the original contract be reinstated as is your right under the 'Distance Selling Regulations'. You have instead been met with obstruction and a deliberate attempt to deny you your statutory rights. In this case you make a formal complaint which will almost certainly be fobbed off with VM usual attention to customer services, you then reject any 'resolution' and escalate it to the industry adjudicator. As VM do seem to have deliberately attempted to mislead you as to your rights, there is no question that you will win said adjudication and VM being ordered to release you from your existing contract without penalty plus be awarded compensation, of, well, I don't think, a request of £200 is excessive for the inconvenience, poor complaint handling plus a deliberate attempt to deny you your statutory rights.

Or

Option b) a member of the forum team (VM employees) gets involved and resolves this amicably via some backend channel, before it gets messy. And by messy, I do really mean quite expensive for VM!

Oh and I do think that a goodwill gesture of, say, £20 credit on your bill wouldn't be inappropriate in this case - otherwise, of course, there is always option a)

[SpeleoPrez]

Jem101 - thanks for explaining the possibilities - option a) doesn't sound attractive (!), but option b) is looking hopeful so far.

The forum team were quick to private message me, and are arranging for me to return to my original contract. I'll post again once I know where I end up.

Thanks again!

[SpeleoPrez]

@Steven_L from the forum team has organised my return to my original contract. Thank you Steven, your efforts are much appreciated!

What I've learned:

1) Despite the comforting words in the VM "Your right to cancel" statement there appears to be no easy or automatic way for the VM agents or forum team to reverse a contract upgrade. Surely I am not unique in wanting to do this?

2) If the VM agents on 0345 454 1111 can't definitively sort out your issue, then raise the issue in the forum to get help from the VM forum team - it worked for me. 

[FOV666---]

this is just what i need too

[Robert_P]

Hello FOV666---

Sorry to hear of the package issues and reverting back to your original deal, we appreciate you taking the time to raise this via the forums. Welcome to the community.

We’re eager to assist with this, I will send you a Private Message to get some more details from you so keep an eye out for the envelope in the top right when signed into the forums.

Rob