Virgin failed to cancel account

[mattbridges]

My parents (in their more senior years - both over 70) contacted virgin media to cancel their contract before the price rise.  The set out they wanted the account closed in a letter because they were unable to get through on the 150 or 0345 numbers.

Virgin wrote back advising they had removed the phone and tv from the package and setup a new account for the internet connection - which was incorrect and against my parents wishes.

Repeatedly my parents have tried to get through to virgin and failed.

Today they received a bill with a late payment fee added.

Calling 150 they did manage to speak to someone in disconnections who couldn't close the account because their balance was now over 100.00

Where do they go from here? Virgin have messed up the billing and now they are sending threatening letters etc.

The people on 150 really don't see to either care or understand.

Is this something my parents should contact ofcom about?

[Andrew-G]

Some advice here.

Whether you and your parents have the fortitude to continue fighting a faceless bureaucracy that seems to take pride in its poor service and to total disregard vulnerable customers, only you can say.  

[Alex_RM]

Hi mattbridges,

Thanks for posting and sorry to hear of the experience your parents have had.

If there is an overdue balance on the account this would stop any disconnections being processed.

So I can take a closer look at the account for you I've popped you over a private message for this (purple envelope, top right hand corner)

Alex_Rm

[jem101]

@Alex_RM @mattbridges @Andrew-G 

Now although I fully understand the 'if there is an outstanding balance.... business' ie 'computer says no'; however if this outstanding balance was entirely due to VM not properly processing the request to cancel on the grounds of, oh, I don't know - how about incompetence?, then that's something that the regulators do take something of a dim view of!

@mattbridges the fact that VM appeared to have acknowledge your letter to them by changing your package, would indicate that they admit receiving it but failed to act properly on it, regulators and Courts (if it comes to that) - don't like that sort of thing!

So, assuming that your letter was plain and clearly stating that you wish to cancel all of your services as of... and VM seem to be admitting that they received it, then would be an open and shut case. What you need to do is to pay everything that VM 'claim' you owe, then escalate to the regulator CISAS as set out above and request a full refund of all monies paid, release from any sort of contract they seem to think you are in, plus extra damages for the inconvenience and stress of at least the same sum again.

[mattbridges]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.

 @jem101 thank you - the letter was very clear - cancel the contract entirely due to the price rise and not being able to get through - and called out each of the components (broadband, land line and tv package)

@Alex_RM I've replied to your PM

[TresFrustre]

Hi mattbridges

Virgin Media should disconnect the services in accordance with your parents wishes. The account holder needs to challenge Virgin again. Keep a note of what is said. Record the advisor's name and time of call. Consider treating this as a business would. Pay for the services up until the date of the cancellation. Anything incorrectly billed would not be paid but a credit requested. Dispute all fees/charges.

If Virgin Media still doesn't disconnect but keeps billing, personally, I'd stop paying. The caveat is that Virgin may (and are quite likely to) report non-payment to credit reference agencies even though the bills are disputed. This is the cosh used to help prevent non-payment. Firstly, they'll charge missed/late payment fees. Secondly, a missed payment marker will be placed on the account holder's credit report. If the bills remain unpaid, after say 3 months, the account will default. VM will likely disconnect at that point. The account holder can contact credit reference agencies and put a disputed note against the entries made by VM. The debt now beefed up by charges will be passed to a debt collector to chase by phone, texts and mail. If still unpaid the debt may well be amalgamated with other such debts and sold on to a debt purchaser for a few pence in the £. The debt purchaser will likewise try to elicit payment. However, if the dispute is genuine a debt purchaser/collector may be reluctant to take court action. 

So how best to proceed?  Probably, better to try sorting with the Forum Team here or phoning. You may get lucky. How you get on seems to depend on who you speak to. VM will probably only discuss this with the account holder.

I hope all is sorted to your and your parents satisfaction. Please update the forum on how matters progress.

[mattbridges]

Emailed the executive team last night and and got a call back this morning.

All resolved. Thank goodness.

Darren in the exec resolutions team was very professional and understanding.