Unresolved complaint - now with default notice

[Iammclovin]

I have an unresolved complaint, which has been open since last year. Despite numerous attempts to contact Virgin Media via multiple channels, nothing has been forthcoming. 

I requested my account be put on hold, whist I challenged some account charges. This was ignored as I now have a default notice on my credit file. I've since relocated abroad, so hanging on the phone waiting for my call to be picked up or a WhatsApp conversation is not going to work. My account has now been closed and I can't login to submit a follow up complaint or contact someone about my unresolved complaint.

What is the best way to contact Virgin Media in this scenario? Or can anyone in the forum (hopefully a member of the Virgin Media team) contact me via DM. Thanks 

[Paulina_Z]

Hi @Iammclovin,

Welcome to our Community Forums! Thank you for your first post and I'm sorry to hear that you had a poor experience with our team and that you have an ongoing complaint on our system.

Can you tell us a little more about what this complaint is in regards to? Is this in regards to having your account be put on hold? 
Please let us know a little more and we'll do our best to assist going forward.

Thank you.

[Iammclovin]

Hello @Paulina_Z, 

Long story short, there are two elements to my claim. 

1) I am still challenging the large early termination fees I was charged. I have been billed £232.35. I was verbally iinformed by several members of the VM retention scheme that I should be paying no more than £20. Which I was happy to pay. The last response I received was over the summer despite continued emails and WhatsApp messages.  In the end I sent a letter to the Customer Relations team, but never received a response. I asked for my account to be put on hold or disputed as I knew that an outstanding balance, past the due date would impact my credit rating. 

This obviously didn't happen as I checked my Experian credit file to discover a default notice had been placed on my otherwise perfect credit record. Which leads to the second element of the complaint. 

2) I have begrudgingly paid the outstanding balance in October as the outstanding balance was now negatively impacting my credit rating, even though the complaint remains unresolved. My credit score continues to decline, even though the account balance is nil. And my online account has been closed. Speaking to Experian they have confirmed that VM have not updated the account on my credit file so mark as closed. The account also remains in default. I urgently need to get VM to update my credit file to mark the account as closed and remove the default notice. 

I'm happy to provide alot more information, but just need to get the complaint resolved. The priority being my credit file updated. 

Is there anyone who can assist in resolving this issue via DM. As mentioned, I have relocated to North America, so with the time difference and all communications channels failing to work (including letters). This is my last resort. 

Thank you in advance. 

[Paulina_Z]

Hi @Iammclovin,

Thank you for coming back to me. Sorry to hear that you've been facing these issues for so long. I'll be more than happy to investigate this further for you and see what I can do to help.

I'll send you a Private Message to confirm a few details. Please keep an eye out for a purple envelope at the top right corner of your Forum page. I'll be in touch soon.

Thank you.

[Iammclovin]

Thank you, i'll reply to your DM

[Naeem1973uk]

This same nonsense has happened to me. I have spent countless hours on the phone - even being told that nothing is outstanding on the account (for an mobile  account that i had actually not instructed to keep open as it was upgraded, but for some strange reason Virgin kept both the old and gave a new number but never told me that they were keeping the old number still up!) I mean - an upgrade is that, it supersedes the existing contract NOT that you have two contract in it place!!! Anyway after being told that the account would close - they then promptly let the same account appear as a default. I am now stuffed trying to get a mortgage. I am sicked with the shady practices of their customer services who try to fob me off by saying that i never said i should close the old number!!! I mean excuse me, when you ask for an upgrade and say you want a new number - why would you leave the old number as still being billed?!!!! For God's sake it is an UPGRADE not a seperate contract. They have had a huge impact on my mortgage application and clearly do not care to fix it. Even the credit file team takes 21 days to respond..its woefully inadequate!

[Iammclovin]

Sorry to hear that. 

I ended up emailing VMs credit team and got the matter resolved reasonably quickly. I also contacted Experian and Equifax directly to have them resolve and amend my credit file. So I feel your pain. 

The VM forum team have been very helpful, unlike getting nowhere via the Customer Service channels 

Hope you get it resolved soon 

[Megan_L]

Hi Naeem1973uk,

Thanks for using the forums to get this issue with your mobile accounts looked into, I am sorry if this has been causing some frustration. I would be more than happy to look into this for you.

Just so that I can check my understanding of your issue I just want to go over a couple of things if that's okay - 

• You upgraded from an existing mobile account and expected the upgrade to supersede the old one - So you still only had 1 active mobile account to your name.
• However, what happened was the old mobile account was left open and the upgrade was added onto a completely new & separate account. Meaning you had 2 accounts running at the same time. 
• You've now got the old mobile account closed down, but the payments for that have gone into default against your credit file. 
• You feel this is incorrect because your old account should have been taken up by the upgrade in the first place, you would like the arrears waiving and for your credit file to be amended.

Is that all correct? 

Megan_L

[Naeem1973uk]

Hi Megan, yes - that is right. Further, when I spoke to the team about it last summer they said as they did yesterday again to me , that the account should not have any late payment (now saying it should not have any default against it) and is all paid up.

It has caused serious stress in my life. Please help resolve urgently.

[Naeem1973uk]

Thank you. I had put a notice of correction on my credit file but nothing happened 😞