Unhappy Experience at Disconnection

[valotti]

Hi Friendly and Helpful Virgin Media Community Staff,

My contract and the promotional offer is ending on 18th March 2023. 

To kick off the ending procedures of the contract, I contacted VM's Retention Team via Whatsapp on 25th January 2023 for a disconnection exactly on 18th March 2023.  However, the agent (whose name was Andrea) told me that such arrangement would induce the early disconnection fee.  I clearly told her that my intetnion was to avoid both early disconnection fee and any further usage beyond my promotional offer.  When I asked the agent what would be the earliest day that I could schedule a disconnection, the VM representative merely recommended that I could approach VM 30 days prior to the contract end date the earliest so as to avoid these charges.

However when I tried to follow her instruction and reached VM on 20th February 2023, the representative this time told me that there is something called 30-day notice period.

I wasn't told any about this when I approached VM on 25th January 2023!!!!!!   If VM requires customer to approach EXACTLY 30 days prior to the contract end date to avoid any disconnection fee and further usage beyond the promotional offer, why didn't the agent, Andrea, tell me on 25th January 2023???  In particular I have already mentioned clearly my intention.  Why didn't the VM representative, Andrea, on that day tell me that I had to approach VM EXACTLY 30 days prior to the contract end date if there is something like 30-day notice period???   It was totally MISLEADING.  I felt like I have been deceived by VM.  The agent had tried to hide the key details of getting my intention through.  It is absolutely UNFAIR to customers.

I hope the friendly and helpful VM staff here could help.  Why does an innocent customer have to bear extra unwanted cost caused by a misleading agent ????  It is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE !!!!!!  I can't see what I have done wrong to achieve my intention (NO early disconnection fee & NO further usage beyond my promotional offer; everything ends on 18th March 2023) which I have messaged VM earlier than 30 days before my contract ends, except being deceived by a scam Whatsapp agent, Andrea, from the Retention Team !!

[TALON1973]

It’s quite simple … you cancel the direct debit , which then forces virgin to give you amended bill. 

[jamesofmerton]

if you want your credit record take a hit/debt collector visits go for it. telling other people to cancel their direct debit is very poor advice.

[unisoft]

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@TALON1973 wrote:

It’s quite simple … you cancel the direct debit , which then forces virgin to give you amended bill. 

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NEVER cancel the DD until you have been left 2-3 months. Rightly or wrongly, if VM pass your ALLEGED debt to a debt recovery company it can cause all sorts of problems and stress.

Do it sensibly, the legal way - you can then claim back your money AND compensation from them if they are in the wrong.

[unisoft]

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@valotti wrote:

Hi Friendly and Helpful Virgin Media Community Staff,

My contract and the promotional offer is ending on 18th March 2023. 

To kick off the ending procedures of the contract, I contacted VM's Retention Team via Whatsapp on 25th January 2023 for a disconnection exactly on 18th March 2023.  However, the agent (whose name was Andrea) told me that such arrangement would induce the early disconnection fee.  I clearly told her that my intetnion was to avoid both early disconnection fee and any further usage beyond my promotional offer.  When I asked the agent what would be the earliest day that I could schedule a disconnection, the VM representative merely recommended that I could approach VM 30 days prior to the contract end date the earliest so as to avoid these charges.

However when I tried to follow her instruction and reached VM on 20th February 2023, the representative this time told me that there is something called 30-day notice period.

I wasn't told any about this when I approached VM on 25th January 2023!!!!!!   If VM requires customer to approach EXACTLY 30 days prior to the contract end date to avoid any disconnection fee and further usage beyond the promotional offer, why didn't the agent, Andrea, tell me on 25th January 2023???  In particular I have already mentioned clearly my intention.  Why didn't the VM representative, Andrea, on that day tell me that I had to approach VM EXACTLY 30 days prior to the contract end date if there is something like 30-day notice period???   It was totally MISLEADING.  I felt like I have been deceived by VM.  The agent had tried to hide the key details of getting my intention through.  It is absolutely UNFAIR to customers.

I hope the friendly and helpful VM staff here could help.  Why does an innocent customer have to bear extra unwanted cost caused by a misleading agent ????  It is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE !!!!!!  I can't see what I have done wrong to achieve my intention (NO early disconnection fee & NO further usage beyond my promotional offer; everything ends on 18th March 2023) which I have messaged VM earlier than 30 days before my contract ends, except being deceived by a scam Whatsapp agent, Andrea, from the Retention Team !!

Personally, I never use the Whatsapp or text service as I don't trust it. Probably lack of accountability for the people on there and not necessarily UK people who know UK operating law/procedures. Always prefer to ring in or send an official letter by recorded delivery.

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[valotti]

Could a friendly VM staff here help me to achieve a smooth disconnection please?

[bhaskarsamani]

call on 150, leaving us option or 0800 952 8046 

[IoanaNeacsu]

Use the phone not chat, WhatsApp or any other ways. And you can contact them once you are in your last 30 days. 

[jem101]

The salient point here is that the OP was absolutely lied to by the original VM customer services agent, (and they really were called Andrea?) no? There is absolutely no legal requirement to give ‘exactly 30 days, no more, no less’ notice, yes?

So you have been lied to by a VM representative, and best, deliberately misled and as such, are now looking at paying them extra fees.

So, any member of the forum team (VM employees), willing to wade in and resolve it, or will we get the oft quoted, ‘sorry to hear about this, it isn’t the service, blah, blah blah, and we can’t help with disconnection issues (other than the times when you do seem able to - do I need to give links to post where you really have offered to)? It appears we have a customer who has tried to give notice, has done so in a proper and timely manner, but has been, well, sorry but, lied to by an official VM agent in an attempt to deny him his rights and wrongly cost him money - you do know the OFCOM rules on ease of cancellation, don’t you, and also exactly where this will end up and the certain result of said escalation, yes?

Over to you!

[Lee_R]

Hi @valotti thanks for posting and welcome to our community.

Sorry to hear you've had difficulties giving your notice to cancel.  I would like to take a closer look on your behalf and raise a complaint.  I am going to send you a private message. Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of your screen.

Regards

Lee_R