Well, since you're moving outside of VM's service area, they'll have to let you leave without penalty. As per the company's own press guff. The way VM have implemented this is particularly cack-handed, but it's one option. Due to the way it has been implemented it will be a pain to do if moving outside the country, and you've probably got to deal with the clueless telephone or Whatsapp agents again. And in passing, if the forum staff read this, is anybody at VM Towers aware that six months after the company announced that change on off-network movers, the online T&Cs that are supposed to be the definitive and most current version have still not been updated for this policy? I'm not suggesting the entire web site is a dysfunctional, tumbleweed-strewn wasteland of out of date content, broken links and unhelpful help (other than to the extent that it is). There's also a first line agent training issue they may want to refer on.
Obviously if the company still say "computer says no", then it's time get heavy. If when you agreed the latest deal you mentioned that you were possibly fleeing this be-nighted land, and either (a) the agent said no early release fee would apply, or if (b) they failed to draw your attention to the fact that it would apply, then you've got an excellent case against the company. There's a web form to request all your personal data from VM as a Subject Access Request, search that out, ask for everything VM have on you, and then review the recordings. Although all calls are recorded and retained for at least six months, the regular telephone agents do not have access to call recordings, all they can see is notes on the system. This can take up to 30 days, but it may be necessary.
If (a) applies, then no fee is payable because anything you relied upon when entering the new contract becomes a substantive part of the new contract, and that's a black and white requirement of UK statute law within the Consumer Rights Act 2015, S50. If (b) is the case, then you have a first class argument that the agent was negligent in knowingly selling a contract that would not meet your needs, which is mis-selling by omission and is covered by the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Regulation 6 (you could also contact Citizens Advice and ask them to refer to Trading Standards who have to enforce the 2008 rules). In both of these cases, regardless of what VM's T&C say, statute and contract law trump VM's own terms if the two differ.
I've noticed the helpful forum staff being far more proactive in the past couple of months to resolve problems before they get referred to the industry complaints adjudicator, so, let's hope the they can pick this up and sort it promptly, because if they can't then your route forward is a formal complaint to VM, using the web form in My Virgin Media, that will inevitably get you a fob-off resolution in a day or two, and you respond by rejecting the resolution and asking for a deadlock letter, when you get that you raise the matter with CISAS.
