Virgin Media Mobile damaged my credit score!

[ali_abbass85]

Virgin media are the worst experience with a provider in the UK I ever had, they have taken it too far and damaged my credit score.

Story short, I moved to a new property, and before I do so, I ordered Broadband from VM, which promised to deliver quickly, however after a lot of back and forth, postpones, and work outside the property the Broadband was delivered 3 months later. That is all fine for me and I understand.

As I complained on the repeated reschedules, I was offered to get a FREE sim card from VM mobile, to compensate the lack of internet availability at the new property. Which I accepted (even though they did setup direct debit and had hard search on my credit file).But after the broadband was installed, I called VM mobile to cancel the sim card, which they did,and said it is all settled now.

I was surprised to receive a letter from VM Mobile asking to pay £118 of bill for using excessive internet on the SIM card. I called the help desk, and they said they will sort it out.  Later on, out of nowhere someone from VM mobile calls and said you still have a bill which needs payment, again I explained the situation and they promised to settle the account, a couple of weeks later, same call, and you know what, same promise..

Later, I received a letter signed by Rachel Barrass from Customer Services, threatening to pass the details to licensed Debt Collection agency. again, I called the helpdesk, and the guy said he will settle this, and I should not worry...

Just today, I received a letter from Moorcroft Debt Recovery Limited, who said they have been instructed by VM to pay them £118!!!

I do not know what the hell are VM Mobile doing, but checking my credit score it went down by 161 points!!! totally damaging my score..

These guys do not understand that they negatively affect our lives! and my loans will have higher interest rate because of the damage they made! in addition to the hours I spent so far on the calls with them.

I want this to be highly escalated within VM mobile and corrected immediately, and could only find they forum to ask about it..

[Vikki_M]

Hi @ali_abbass85

Thank you for your post and welcome to our community.

I am sorry to hear about whats happened.

I would be happy to take a look at this for you.

I will send you a private message now.

Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of the page and pop me a reply when you can. 

[Andrew-G · Accepted solution]

Read and follow the VM Complaints Code of Practice. I always recommend putting complaints in writing and sending by recorded post, although there's telephone and an unreliable web form also available.  Be clear on what you want - significant compensation, cancellation of the alleged debt, and removal of the default from your credit history.  Either VM sort it all out or they don't - you know what VM are like to deal with, so set expectations accordingly low.  If this does get the required result no further action is needed.  In the more probable situation that VM can't sort your complaint out to your complete satisfaction, then you reply by rejecting any "resolution letter" and ask for a deadlock letter, and with the deadlock letter you ask Ombudsman Services to adjudicate.  If VM are so disorganised they don't respond, or don't issue a deadlock letter when requested, then eight weeks after you first complained to VM you can escalate to the Ombudsman. Obviously this is slow, but probably better than the misery of trying to contact VM by phone, and getting fobbed off again with promises that will certainly not be kept.  Make sure your complaint is clear, starts from the beginning, includes as much detail as possible on the contacts you've had with VM, including (if relevant) any rudeness or being cut off or disconnected. It should also specify exactly what you want to resolve the matter.  If Moorcroft contact you again, then reply by letter stating that the basis of the charges is disputed, and ask them to provide clear, unequivocable evidence that you agreed to pay the disputed charges.  VM's record keeping is crap, chances of them having any credible evidence is low, and if the "evidence" does not include for example call recordings where VM offered you a free SIM card due to their inability to connect you, then you reply again stating that you wish to raise a complaint with Moorcroft about them chasing a debt supported by inaccurate or incomplete records, and state that in the expectation that they will handle this badly, you will escalate to the Financial Ombusdman as soon as permitted.  All this formal complaining is time consuming for you, on the other hand it costs the companies concerned a lot of money and forces them to follow due legal process (which by the sound if it, they're not).

If the forum staff can grab this and get it sorted before you start a formal complaint that will be quicker and easier for you, and save VM a few hundred pounds that the Ombudsman will charge the company; But don't settle for any compromise or inadequate goodwill gesture just because it's easy.  

And one final thing, VM did pay delayed installation compensation at £8.40 a day, didn't they?  If not then that's something else to add to your complaint to VM.

[ali_abbass85]

Thank you for answering!
I was promised by VM staff to get this resolved, so now I will wait and see. I was not expecting the situation to reach this level, hence never recorded the calls, nor sent emails..

[Andrew-G]

If you need call recordings, then request them here.  There's been a few reports of VM contacting people who've made a DSAR, and offering them fifty quid to go away.  Don't be fobbed off if that happens, insist that you want call recordings (and possibly everything VM hold on you).

[Matthew_ML]

Hey ali_abbass85, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear this has happened to your credit score.

I can see you are already in PM with my colleague about this.

Please do feel free to reach back out to her if you need some help. Thanks