Virgin Media
My Virgin Media
Mobile Your Account
I bought two new phones in the last year and got an E-mail offering me an ADDITONAL £100 if I traded in my old phone. Great I thought, let's do it.
I went to the Brightstar website and entered the details of my Iphone 4, Value £0 so I applied the promo code I had been sent and the offer went up to £100.
Elected to print the label myself and went to the post office, the label did not work, not a Royal mail label.
I returned home and selected "Reprint Label" and this time it looked correct and success at the post office.
My phone was delivered on the 4th August, but on the 10th the Brightstar website displayed "we are waiting for your device" and the Offer was still £100.
I contacted by E-mail and was told it could not be found, a few days later was told as the phone had no value I was not due anything.
I replied £0 + £100 =£100 as the promo code gave me an ADDITIONAL £100
More E-mails and I sent the IMEI and eventually it was found but a new offer was created WITHOUT the Promo code so no money paid out.
I rang and spoke to a nice guy who could see what has happened and I was told he would send a message to a supervisor to get the £100 paid.
I e-mailed for confirmation of this and got a reply
"Good morning,
Thank you for your e-mail.
I can see the promo amount was been applied onto the order.
Do not hesitate to contact me if I can help any further.
Kind Regards
Chris
Brightstar Trade-in Support"
What worries me now is when I attempt to login to Brightstar to see the status of the quote /s all I get is an error page.
3 Working days to process the payment, we will see if it works out.
Here is my resolution
I bought a phone on December 15th 2021. I amazingly get an email, stating that I would get an "extra £100" for trading in my old device. "Woohoo" you think.
Think wrong.
Here comes the most inept deflections, lies, decit you have ever seen.
The email
I click the link and enter my phone. Value of device £0. Fine. Enter promotional code. £40 ??
First Virgin rep said they don't provide the promotional codes, Brightstar do.
I phone Brightstar. Rebranded to Likewize.
They tell me that they do not provide promotional codes. Virgin do. Still on the phone, I gave him the promotional code for proof. We did different phones (including an iPhone 13), yet the outcome of the promotional value was the same. £40.
Back to Virgin. Firstly I am told it will go to "Escalation" and to wait a couple of days. A week later, I have to call them back.
Apparently, this never happened (!). No notes that it was going to escalation ..... AT ALL
OK. Start again. " weeks ago, I finally get through to the UK end. This is where I have had the most fun on a phone call.
VM "The promotion is 'up to £100' "
Me "The email states and 'extra' and 'additional' £100"
VM "It's in the terms and conditions it's 'up to £100' "
Me "OK. Hold on, let me check ................................ Nothing on the email about 'up to £100', nothing on your own site about the promotion being 'up to £100'. The email states an EXTRA £100. Then it says ADDITIONAL"
-- On hold for 5 minutes
VM "I can see we're not going to get anywhere with this. My manager says we can give you £30 credit"
Me "So £40 promotional value .... and £30 credit ...... is £100?. My email states £100. You are GIVING me £100. Not up to. Not a sliding scale. Do you know about Trading Standards?"
VM "So you are not accepting the offer I have given you?"
Me "Seems it's not an offer. It's an insult. You offer me £100, then take it away and make out you are doing me a favour by giving me less?"
Manager rings me back 5 minutes later. "We'll put it through to complaints and you'll hear back in a couple of days."
A WEEK later, no call email, anything.
2 hours on the phone and a first line rep tells me that I should receive a deadlock letter by email in the 'next couple of days'
Deadlock letter? Why? It's not a deadlock. A deadlock is when 2 parties do not agree. In this case, I have undeniable proof of what you offered me and you, and ONLY YOU, do not agree with it.
OK, so that deadline comes and goes. So I ring up this morning
VM "You should have your Deadlock Letter"
Me "No email or link by text"
VM "You should have got a letter"
Me "Would I have some sort of fetish to ring you up and listen to the constant repetition of Ed Sheeran's Shivers if I had received a letter?"
VM "Well, we sent it"
Me "Do me a favour, send it by email to me. This gives me a paper trail"
VM "OK. That will get to you within 3 to 5 working days"
Me "I give up ......"
So ..... after legal advice over the last few weeks, we are now at this stage:
1. Ofcom. For the preposterous use, and misrepresentaion, of 'terms and conditions' and the rep's allegations of something represented in 'terms and conditions', when it most clearly isn't.
15 hours and 23 minutes on the phone to every single rep that has lied to me about this case, will now have a charge plus an invoice to it
2. Trading Standards. To all the Virign Mods on here. READ THAT EMAIL I posted. I don't have to say anything else. Trading Standards say it quite succinctly on their own site:
Regulations that affect advertising
Advertising to consumers
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations mean you cannot mislead or harass consumers by, for example:
- including false or deceptive messages
- leaving out important information
- using aggressive sales techniques
Read ‘The consumer protection from unfair trading regulations’ for the rules on advertising legally."
All I have ever said on this subject was to give me what you offered. A £100 promotional code and I'd be happy. Unfortuately, for some unbeknown reason, to anyone with an ounce of common sense, you refuse to do so.
