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Why is it so hard to leave?

Veganfeet
On our wavelength

I've been with Virgin Media for five years and it's been okay until now; My contract is up so the price went through the roof. I chatted online to the retention team and they couldn't offer me a good reason to stay. I also spoke to the retention team and again I made it clear I didn't want to stay and why. I also chatted to the Whatsapp retention team twice and again they can't persuade me to stay. I just want to leave for another provider and have made arrangements with that other provider to do so.

So I want to cancel all my services with Virgin media and here is where the problems begin.

On each occasion of chatting, speaking and Whatsapping to retention I was 'transferred' to the 'Cancellation team' - and left hanging indefinitely. On the online chat I was transferred to Whatsapp - no choice. On whatsapp I waited a total of seven hours and was first connected with ANOTHER retention team, who then transferred me onto no one. Again today the same thing has happened. Call -Put on indefinite hold once it's clear I want to cancel. Online chat - transferred to whatsapp once it's clear I want to cancel. Whatsapp - transferred to no one once it's been established I want to cancel.

I filed a complaint about the process and despite requesting cancellation of all services as a satisfactory resolution have not had that addressed.

I have written to Virgin media at the address in Sunderland - but have my doubts that it will be actioned. It was hard enough to even find an address. Has anyone ever had any success with writing to VM?

So, I've made arrangements with another provider and have a date for their connection. I put this date in writing to VM as the date to end service - it's slightly more than 30 days from now to allow time for them to action it. I'm still trying to be connected with the 'cancellation team' but am starting to doubt they exist. The whole process has been so needlessly frustrating and tiresome - what has happened to VM? It used to be so easy to actually speak to a human being and their customer service in the past has been good. Is it just because I want to leave?

Has anybody on here had any success in arranging to leave VM? If so, what worked for you? Have I taken a wrong step somewhere in the process?

I hope someone on here who took the time to read this has had more success than me.

Why is it so hard to leave?...

 

48 REPLIES 48

goslow
Alessandro Volta

Reading this with astonishment and can't help but feel this is far beyond VM's usual general incompetence and is actually deliberate obstruction and delay by VM.

Suggest you log your experience here

https://ofcomforms.secure.force.com/formentry/SitesFormCCTMonitoring

which sadly won't help your individual case but will record with the regulator VM's antics in regard to simply trying to leave. Refer to point 5 in their 'Fairness Commitments'

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2019/broadband-and-phone-firms-put-...

Veganfeet
On our wavelength

Thank you for your reply goslow and for your suggestions, I am heartened to see that it perhaps isn't just me that thinks this is a deliberate obstruction to wring a few more payments out of me. 

Hi Veganfeet,

 

Thanks for posting, and sorry to hear there's been some difficulty in cancelling your account. 

 

So I can double check things for you, I've popped you over a private message (purple envelope, top right hand corner)

 

Alex_Rm

goslow
Alessandro Volta

@Veganfeet wrote:

Thank you for your reply goslow and for your suggestions, I am heartened to see that it perhaps isn't just me that thinks this is a deliberate obstruction to wring a few more payments out of me. 


Keep us posted on the outcome and just what it took to escape!

You may receive an email confirming cancellation but if so it's unlikely the cancellation date will be shown nor the account number. One waits with increasing anxiety until the big day arrives - and then passes! If you're doing a landline number port expect the disconnection to be put through 5 or so days after the date you requested. No idea why.

After writing to what turned out to be the defunct Nottingham address and receiving no acknowledgment of delivery by Royal Mail, I followed up with the "if you're thinking of leaving" phone option. Worked for me. After waiting 1/2 hour on hold, the chap I spoke to put me through to a disconnections agent after a few minutes even though I refused to give a reason for leaving when asked. Gave a reason to the disconnection lady but all very friendly and cancellation date agreed with no hassle. Suppose it depends to whom you speak. Said I'd receive email confirming cancellation. None received.

Instead, received Service Change Receipt with landline removed and broadband & TV continuing. Also another email showing that my TV & broadband services were continuing and what the amounts of my bills going forward would be. Looks like landline number port requests/instructions from a "switching" provider, in my case BT, are confirmed automatically but with cancellation requests from customers, one is left in limbo.

Thought my cancellation of broadband & TV had been totally ignored so followed up on this forum and a team member confirmed date and that all services would be cancelled. No further Service Change Receipts issued. No further advice re future bill amounts. The Service Change Receipt was marked "pending" until the date of disconnection then changed to "accepted".  It's all very confusing.

I am in a similar situation. After hours spent trying to speak to someone to cancel my service (numerous times being cut off whilst on hold) The Retentions Team cancelled my service and sent me an email confirming this on 26/01/22.... Or so I thought

On the 1st February I received an email from VM 'Thanks for making those changes!'
Turns our some rogue Field Agent had 'signed' me up to a new contract till 29/07/23. An act of fraud & once I finally leave I will be detailing my experiences to the relevant authorities.

So complaint filed online. That turned out to be another waste of my time. Had to call retentions yet again! 

Retentions agreed that I could leave once again, but not on the original 25th February but now 7th March. I tried to be passed to a manager but they are only around if you are staying it would appear.

Having posted on this forum a VM Forum Team guy has been looking into things and tells me that I'm due to leave on the 7th, but today I received my next bill covering the 12th March - 11th April so who knows. 

If you want to switch from an Open Reach broadband supplier it's easy. The new supplier tell the old supplier and it just happens. How Virgin managed to not have to do this I don't know.

goslow
Alessandro Volta

You should use the OFCOM links at #11 to report your experience. There are sufficient topics which keep popping up on here to show that there are patterns of repeated behaviour going in here. It is hard to think of how a clear instruction to leave is turned into a renewal.

If you think you are going to end up out of pocket due to VM's activities you would need to file a complaint to VM first then escalate to CISAS for compensation

Check your billing date (when the money is taken) with the periods for the bill and your leaving date. Your basic monthly package is billed in advance and usage charges (call costs etc.) are billed in arrears so, depending on timings, so may 'leave' across two billing periods. Once the disconnection is complete, VM should reimburse you for the balance which they choose to do via a cheque (because that presumably will drag the process out a bit longer)

You also have to factor in any equipment returns which they may require as this may generate charges if the equipment is not sent back (a problem compounded by VM's failed equipment returns processes which are regularly documented on here).

Factoring in all of the above, it could well be 2 or 3 months to actually leave VM and settle all financial matters with them during which time they can collect and hold surplus payments.

I think I read on here recently that OFCOM is proposing in the future to bring VM under the same processes as the Openreach providers with regard to leaving procedures.

I initially had problems leaving - phone calls cut off at the last minute etc - but did eventually manage to get the service terminated. The problem I now face is that VM have continued to bill me for the terminated service. I have made a number of phone calls and written to CEO. Would be interesting to know if others have had this problem. 

You may well be issued with a 'normal' service/usage bill after disconnection. You should receive a final bill within 30 days of disconnection.  Are you saying  30 days have elapsed and no final bill has been issued?

The latest bill states that is for a period of dates that are beyond the disconnection date – can this still be a 'normal' service/usage bill ? - How is such possible when payment is taken in advance and no additional costs have been incurred? Would the contractual expectation not be to pay for the period whilst the service is in use and not beyond that?