Hopeless Virgin, avoid at all costs!

[Eefyboy65]

Hi guys.

chose a new provider as I have been with Virgin a few years, only ever worked down stairs and not up and gone to a whopping £52. Phoned to cancel to be told I had 9 months left of a none existent contract, checked emails and received nothing from Virgin in Jan, Sid’s I wanted to complain and said someone would call within 7 days, NOTHING! Tried Whatsapp route got so far and “an agent will be in touch”, the end of that. Phoned again today to be told the same, asked for contract re-sending, “can’t do that”, asked for a record of any conversations I had (NONE). Was on 95 mins to be told I was in contract but they can’t prove it but would cost me £280 to cancel. All she wanted to do was offer another Virgin deal, these people are corrupt and try and make it impossible to cancel, left with no clue what to do, had to cancel the other provider. The girl I spoke to was called Rain and she was clearly scripted. Off to CAB for advice. PLEASE AVOID THIS JOKE OF AN OPERATION!!!

[jem101]

A couple of questions, you have been a VM customer for some time yes? When did you last contact them to either change the package you have with them OR to get some kind of deal or cost reduction?

Now the reason I ask, is that once you do either of these, then it starts a new 18 month minimum term contract. In that case then yes, if you want to break the contract before the minimum term is up then it will cost you to buy yourself out.

If you log into the my.virginmedia.com website with the main username (email address) and password, it should tell you the current status of your agreement with them.

[Eefyboy65]

You sound like the repeat script I had on the phone earlier. I haven’t spoken to anyone from Virgin since before lockdown, hence the move to another provider but they have no record of any contact either!

[goslow · Accepted solution]

---

@Eefyboy65 wrote:

You sound like the repeat script I had on the phone earlier. I haven’t spoken to anyone from Virgin since before lockdown, hence the move to another provider but they have no record of any contact either!

---

When you post on the forum, most likely you will first communicate with people who are not VM employees but general forum users (fellow VM customers, former customers, tech experts etc.).

jem101 (who is not a VM employee) was asking questions about your contact with VM to try to establish more info about your situation.

There have been numerous past examples on here of a customer ringing up and thinking they have cancelled by phone only to find they have been given a new contract. Similarly some simply speculative enquiries about renewal or package changes have turned into new contracts, unbeknown to the customer. Hence the question about if you had been in contact with VM.

As advised by jem101, what does the info on MVM tell you about when exactly VM are claiming you 'renewed' and does the package info on MVM match the package/details you think you should be on?

[Eefyboy65]

I haven’t spoken with anyone from Virgin since before lockdown started, so Mar 2020, they said a record of Jan 2020 but thought it was an email they’d sent to inform me the bill was going up. I have looked back through emails and didn’t receive this so will be stuck with Virgin for a further 9 months. They can’t provide evidence it was ever sent but won’t waiver with the contract, so it’s an impossible situation. If I call them again and negotiate a cheaper deal the contract starts again and I really want out from this shower of **bleep**! Looks like I’m paying £52 a month for 9 months, and what’s to stop them doing it again?

[goslow]

---

@Eefyboy65 wrote:

I haven’t spoken with anyone from Virgin since before lockdown started, so Mar 2020, they said a record of Jan 2020 but thought it was an email they’d sent to inform me the bill was going up. I have looked back through emails and didn’t receive this so will be stuck with Virgin for a further 9 months. They can’t provide evidence it was ever sent but won’t waiver with the contract, so it’s an impossible situation. If I call them again and negotiate a cheaper deal the contract starts again and I really want out from this shower of **bleep**! Looks like I’m paying £52 a month for 9 months, and what’s to stop them doing it again?

---

Am a bit confused by the info above but ...

Presumably you were actually paying the higher rate of £52 p.m. for 9 months but hadn't realised the change had been made?

When you sign up to VM to begin with, you are given an introductory discounted package offer that lasts for 18 months. From Feb 2020 as per OFCOM change in rules, at the end of that 18 months VM had to write to you to advise the introductory discount is ending. You can choose to do nothing (in which case your monthly package price goes up to the standard rate). You are then on a rolling package, at the standard price, with 30 days notice required to leave. You avoid moving to the standard pricing if you call VM at the end of the first 18 months and renegotiate a new price for a further 18 month commitment to VM.

Also from Feb 2020, for those who have moved onto the 30 day rolling programme, at VM's standard pricing, VM is supposed to send out a reminder to such customers every year that they are on a standard package price. This is meant to prompt the customer into considering renewing or switching.

For both cases above though, such a letter is for information only and wouldn't trigger any package changes or renewals.

You will need to VM forum team to look at your account and advise on what has happened.

Would suggest though that you look at your contract in 'My Virgin Media', as advised at #2 and check what your contract there says. Does it say what package/services you are on and do they match what services you think you should be on? Does it also allow you to identify when this mystery 'renewal' happened? Refer here

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-bill-explainer

and the 'Your Package' section.

One of the VM forum team should reply here in a few days and try to assist you with this.

[Zoie_P]

Hi Efyboy65, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to the forums. Thank you @jem101 and @goslow for your help 🙂

I am sorry you are having issues with your contract and you wish to renew, as advised above you can find this on your My Virgin Media account. Have you checked this, if not and need help please let us know.

Zoie