Virgin Media Community

[mooksta]

So I’ve been a BT customer for many years. Thought I’d save myself some money and switch to Virgin.

I checked the website and was over joyed to find out I can have fibre optic internet. Even more reason to switch.

Last week I was on the phone for FORTY minutes…FORTY minutes… during which it seems the most basic of information was not supplied. The person I talked with just repeated word salad… and then asked “Do you agree?”

The first thing they should have said, right at the start… right at the beginning…In order to use Virgin Media products YOU WILL NEED A VIRGIN MEDIA SOCKET. “. 
Really basic information.

And perhaps Virgin should also tell new customers to not cancel they’re existing supplier as Virgin probably won’t deliver on the date they say they will.

So here I am, brand new customer - no internet. 
It might be a faulty Homehub - thanks for sending that - or it might be the socket I plugged it into used to be the socket I used for my BT Broadband.

I don’t know. People I spoke to don’t know. I’ve got to wait 4 days before anyone can visit me to answer that question…meantime I can’t work.

I’m also switching my mobile over to O2 . My mobile will go dead tomorrow and I’m terrified to attempt the switch. 
Probably won’t be able to come back here and read a reply when I do.

So that’s my experience of being a new customer. Well done Virgin Media, it took 90 minutes before I regretted the decision to become a customer of yours.

Doesn’t seem to be anywhere or anyone that I can complain to either.

14 days cooling off you say?

mooks (turning down employment) out

[jpeg1 · Accepted solution]

Was your mobile on BT/EE?   If so you may find an additional disappointment after switchover, like some others have reported. 

[mooksta]

I’m gonna get up early tomorrow and eat humble pie from BT. Reverse my cancellation hopefully.

I need the internet to work for work…4 days without isn’t an option.

If this how VM treats new customers I really wouldn’t want to be a long term customer of theirs.

[Client62]

"If this how VM treats new customers I really wouldn’t want to be a long term customer of theirs."

Is this is how you feel ? 

Then Act Today - once out of the cooling off period it is very costly & difficult to terminate the service.

[Andrew-G]

Also, you refer to a word salad speech that you were asked to agree to.  If the order's been placed then (unless you cancel under cooling off rights) then you've agreed to things you have perhaps not understood and will have no record of.

Possible items in that gabble will be early termination fees of around £300 after the cooling off period, and the fact that VM now bake in contractual price rises that you can't contest or leave if you don't like (during your minimum term).  Next April's increase is probably going to be around 20% for any customer who's signed up to the new customer price packages.     

[mooksta]

Please to inform you that by this evening my BT broadband will be restored. I will now be able to deliver to my client by the end of the week. Phew.

I actually at no time used any of the VM services so I was able to cancel without charge….….

However…. The agent I talked to at VM this morning tried many times to have me agree to the statement “So you’re refusing to let an engineer visit you to resolve the issue?” … Actually I was requesting and internet service from an internet service provider who couldn’t provide me with internet. I’m sure if I’d agreed with the statement I’d have incurred some sort of charge / fee.

The same agent then attempted to tell me it was all my fault as during the initial sales call I didn’t mention that I did not have a Virgin Media wall socket to plug the equipment into. To be honest… that fact didn’t cross my mind as the online checker and the sales agent a week ago both told me clearly that I could have VM broadband in my house without issue.

Anyways … it’s all sorted now. I’ll be back up and running by the end of the day. I do hope someone from Virgin Media sales / customer care team reads about my experience as a brand new customer….…..however I doubt it.

[jpeg1]

Well done in getting out of the situation. As to your last paragraph, of course the behaviour of their sales staff and other departments is well known throughout the company. It's rotten from top to bottom.

Have a look on Trustpilot, in fact you might like to leave a comment there. 

[mooksta]

Well you say that Legend… however…

I cancelled the service over the phone this morning. I have yet to receive any communication from the communication giant that is Virgin Media regarding it.

I have blocked two mobile numbers after receiving texts asking me to rate my experience.

Furthermore the agent I spoke to this morning told me Virgin don’t want the equipment back?? 
Really, that’s company policy? Just give equipment away??

Whats the bet they’d take money from my bank account in a months time as according to the contract I agreed to I can be charged for not returning the equipment. All I have is a telephone conversation.

Finally I did leave a review on Trustpilot and “Emma” replied almost immediately… the fact Virgin Media pays someone to monitor Trustpilot for bad reviews speaks volumes about what kind of company they are.

[Andrew-G]

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@mooksta wrote:

Well you say that Legend… however…

I cancelled the service over the phone this morning. I have yet to receive any communication from the communication giant that is Virgin Media regarding it.

I have blocked two mobile numbers after receiving texts asking me to rate my experience.

Furthermore the agent I spoke to this morning told me Virgin don’t want the equipment back?? 
Really, that’s company policy? Just give equipment away??

Whats the bet they’d take money from my bank account in a months time as according to the contract I agreed to I can be charged for not returning the equipment. All I have is a telephone conversation.

Finally I did leave a review on Trustpilot and “Emma” replied almost immediately… the fact Virgin Media pays someone to monitor Trustpilot for bad reviews speaks volumes about what kind of company they are.

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I'd say that VM will want the equipment back, the agent telling you otherwise was making it up (due to the fine combination of zero training and natural idiocy that seem to be common amongst VM customer facing staff).  They will start harassing you for the kit, and bill you if you don't return it, and mark you as a defaulter on credit history services if you don't pay that.  You could stand on your rights and throw it away as the agents advice would be recorded and would be legally binding on VM, but it'll be easier to ask forum staff to sort out an equipment return bag for you - and keep proof of sending it back since VM's admin can go badly wrong occaisionally.

[jpeg1]

Hopefully a staff person will pick this up. 

As for Trustpilot, all the VM person ever does is paste in the same message to call the helpline. Which is almost amusing because the lack of help there is usually the reason for going to Trustpilot in the first place!