VM/O2 separate billing? Confused on first bill received

[WhizzBits]

Hi everyone

I've been a customer with VM for 18 months, but now I've reached the end of my contract I was going to leave due to the price increase.

After speaking to someone in retentions, they have offered me a better deal and instead of cancelling, I'm taking more services with the "Ultimate Volt Bundle". No, I haven't been catastrophically upsold, checking the numbers, I can actually save money by cancelling other services outside of VM, which is great!

This change was only yesterday and I've been receiving the usual SMS/emails about the updates going on.

I have received my first bill from O2 today saying they will take it out by direct debit.

The amount they are taking out doesn't match what my Virgin Media Contract Summary Sheet PDF says. 

If I have to pay the O2 bill separately from the VM bill outlined on the summary sheet, it works out that I'll be paying £25 MORE per month than was agreed to, or an eye-watering extra £450 over the 18 months! (which puts me back in the camp of cancelling the service again *sigh*)

That's the background, my question is:

In this bundle, should I expect two bills, one from VM and one from O2? Or is the O2 bill email to tell me what the cost is and, I don't know...it'll be billed to VM and VM bill me for the agreed amount?

I'd like to think it's that...either that or there has been a big mistake by the retentions chap when setting it up, or I've been fibbed to.

Looking forward to hearing any thoughts.

Thanks.

[Graham_A]

@WhizzBits  The headline price of the Ultimate Volt bundle shows a combined price. £25 is payable to O2 for the unlimited mobile and the balance is payable to VM for the broadband TV and landline.

Eg. For a new customer deal the relevant page includes the following:

Your Virgin Media Price

£60.00 a month for 18 months

£136 a month thereafter. Prices may change.

Your O2 Price

£25.00 a month*

Source: https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-media-o2

[WhizzBits]

Thanks for the reply.

That's exactly what I thought it should be as well, but then I wondered if it could be a mistake.

I've attached a picture of the contract info to illustrate my point, hopefully this works!

The price states that it's for the broadband/tv/landline phone service, it doesn't mention about the Sim component. 

That is what I'd be expecting to pay for everything, but then I've got this O2 bill separately, which isn't listed on the above contract, and that's what has concerned me, that something has been put through incorrectly.

Maybe all the contracts read like that for big bundles, I don't know, so any feedback is most welcome...the thought of having to hang for another hour or so on hold is not something I can contemplate today!

Many thanks.

[jpeg1]

If there are two separate bills, and two contracts (one fixed price for 18 months and the other ongoing), what is this Volt thing all about. It's just a marketing gimmick isn't it? 

[WhizzBits]

I don't know whether it's a gimmick or not, but perhaps that's a conversation for another thread.

Just to update this thread, I received a call from a VM number today, I answered it but it didn't connect properly and then they hung up, I didn't get a call back. 🙄

Whether that's in relation to this post or something general to do with the new order I don't know. Looks like I'm going to have to brave the gauntlet of trying to get through on the phone tomorrow.

[cje85]

Virgin and O2 are billed separately, the Virgin bill will not include the O2 price.

I expect you'll be paying £25 more than you thought, it's a very common complaint on here.

[WhizzBits]

Thank you for the reply, that's what I feared.

If that's the case then the agent lied directly to me on multiple occasions as I confirmed the services and prices and he agreed. Lucky their calls are recorded I suppose!

Do you happen to know what the resolution to any of those complaints were? I did have a search before I posted but couldn't seem to come up with much, maybe I wasn't hitting the right keywords.

[WhizzBits]

I thought I'd update this thread, partly to keep a track on things and for a reference if anyone has a similar issue in the future.

I've rung through to billing this morning, and have been told several things...

1. The bill and contract I've received from VM, doesn't include O2, that's a separate bill. (that means I'm paying £25 more per month than agreed, and the retentions agent either lied or got it hopelessly wrong.

2. When that was confirmed I asked to be put through to cancellations. I was then asked to wait while they further checked things...
They came back and said that my bills from September 22 onwards will be at the agreed upon rate. But they can't see what July and August bill will be, for...some reason?

3. Asked me to wait for 24 hours to see if the systems work out and I may get another contract through (I can't see that happening).

4. It's interesting how the billing system suddenly changed when I asked to be put through to cancellations and that the bill won't be the agreed amount until after the cooling off period has ended and I'm stuck in the contract.

I have to give the benefit of the doubt that I'm not being wilfully deceived, but it's just incompetence rather than malice that's at fault.

So as it stands now. I'm signed up for a contract (or rather two contracts, including O2), paying more than agreed upon and no-one can seem to decide what I should be paying.

When I have the resolve I think it's just best I cancel everything and walk away. It's not worth the ongoing aggravation, there's enough of that in life.

I'll leave it a day as requested as I'm still well within the cooling off period and will ring tomorrow unless I hear something before then.

What an absolute shambles.

[Zoie_P]

Hi WhizzBits, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to our forums 🙂

I am so sorry to hear you have been having issues with your O2 billing, I can take a look into this for you, I will pop you over a PM and we can get from there, keep a lookout for a purple envelope.

Zoie