I wonder if someone can help me as I am stuck!
I am a customer of BT Mobile, but on 21st February my iPhone SE 2020 stopped working.
I called BT and had spent a lot of time with a helpful Customer Services rep who took me through loads of tests, before thinking it might be blacklisted. He checked my IMEI and it had been blacklisted by Virgin. I bought the phone from a high street shop 18 months previously and have never had any problems with it. BT could see that my SIM card had been consistently in the phone all that time. The rep thought that maybe a genuine error had been made by Virgin and so tried to de-list it for me but was unable to do so. His only suggestion was that I contact Virgin directly and see if they might help.
Which is where the fun started! 😞
I was surprised that Virgin were able to disable a phone that belonged to me, without any consent or contact, but went ahead and rang the Virgin Customer Service 0345 number. The first agent was really helpful and after a lot of discussion and checking databases, he could see the problem. He went to seek advice from a supervisor to find a solution when we were cut off.
So I rang back on the same number and asked to speak to the same agent, but was informed that that was not possible and that the the new Customer Services Agent would now help me. He was unable to find any evidence of my previous call and could not find any notes on the CRM system. We had to start again, which was very frustrating, especially as it seemed like we might have got a solution. After 10 minutes or so the new agent declared he was unable to help me and that he would not escalate my concerns to a supervisor. All I could do was raise a complaint.
I asked the best way to raise a complaint and he suggested ‘I went to the Virgin Media website and just click help’. I was not at all impressed with his level of service or care and felt very dismissed. But I also understood I was an anomaly. I am not a Virgin customer and I have no account number which made it challenging for all involved. But I did not ask for this and the cause was due to an action by Virgin Media so I had nowhere else to go.
So, I waited for the next evening (24th February) as we were on a family holiday and already spent a few hours trying to get my phone fixed. I went to the complaints section of the Virgin Media website, clicking specifically on the link that stated ‘I am not a Virgin Media or Virgin Mobile Customer’. On that particular page it offered me a phone number, Web Chat or Web Form. I thought I would try my luck and hope for a quick resolution and called the complaints phone number.
I spoke to another agent this time. Again he couldn’t find any details through the normal script as I had no account number as I wasn’t an account holder (which I was surprised about as the web link specifically sent me to a specific number if I did not have an account with Virgin?). When I supplied the agent with my IMEI number he found that it was connected to an existing Virgin account. He was unable to disclose anything further due to Data Protection but would escalate the complaint for a ‘full investigation into security’ and then get someone to call me within two hours. I was pleased to hear that I would be taken seriously and that my complaint was being escalated, but there was no return phone call.
So, the next evening 25th February I spoke to yet another agent in the complaints department. After going through the same process of not being able to find any of my details and starting the whole process again, I was told that my service provider is probably lying about Virgin blacklisting my handset! I was completely shocked by this suggestion without any evidence. Eventually we managed to talk it through and he agreed to escalate my complaint to the ‘resolutions team’. He said that I would have a response from the team within five days. I said that that was not good enough and explained I had been ringing all week, whilst on my family holiday. He then said someone from the resolutions team would ring me back the same evening. I asked if he could email me the paperwork on the complaint I had raised, but he did not even want my email address. He said it could all be resolved by phone and someone would ring me.
But nothing. No one called me. An extremely frustrating process for me to work through.
The next day Saturday 26th February, I decided I would try again but contact Customer Services through the Web Form. I followed the same link that was specific to non-Virgin customers and opted for the Web Form. It asked for my Virgin Account. It seems you cannot fill in a Web Form complaint UNLESS you have an account.
Ok, not great, but I thought I would try and opt for the Web Chat as a last resort. Once I got past the bot (which I tried to fool by saying I was an account holder but then it asked me for my direct debit date so that didn’t work) I then received help from an online agent, or it might have been several, I have no idea. They were very patient with me and explained that my IMEI number was registered to a Virgin account holder and that they would not be able to unblacklist the phone without the permission of the account holder. While I understand data protection, this seemed ludicrous to me. Surely the reason you blacklist your phone, having done plenty of research over the last few weeks, is that you think your phone is stolen. If someone rings your provider saying they have the handset that has been blocked the account holder may want to be notified so they can get their phone back?
While on the WhatsApp message, I also called the shop where I purchased the phone. They were very surprised and said that they did not think it was possible that someone else might have my IMEI number as it was unique to my phone. They were looking into it for me, but raised concern about the length of time between my purchase and the activation of the blacklisting and said that seemed very odd. Because I bought the phone more than 12 months ago it was no longer covered by warranty.
So, having run out of phone numbers, tried the Web form and the WhatsApp and now running out of patience, I resorted to writing a letter. Possibly the first letter I have written in years.
I sent it, as suggested by the Virgin Website to Sunderland for the attention of the Complaints Department on 28th Feb. No response, even though there is a commitment on the 'Consumer Complaints Code of Practice' that they will reply within 48 hours.
I thought maybe the letter had got lost in the mountain of complaints that I assume must exist by the standard of customer services that I had experienced so far in the process. So I sent two more copies of the letter on 16th March with recorded delivery. One to Sunderland again and one to the Virgin Media HQ in Reading. Nothing. I have the proof of delivery signed for by 'FRMERY' in Reading and 'NSI' in Sunderland, but not sure they are actually the names of real people! 🙂
Have you ever tried looking for a phone number for the Virgin offices in Sunderland or Reading? - completely hidden online, could not find anything apart from an address on google maps and a picture of the outside of the building.
As a last resort I emailed the CEO Lutz Schueler as in my searching for a UK based phone number for Virgin Mobile I came across a website with emails of CEOs! That was the 25th March and surprise, surprise I got nil response. Not even an automated out of office message or similar.
and my phone is still blacklisted, by Virgin and they are refusing to engage with me.
The whole customer experience has not been good at all, with promises broken and no documentation kept. I have never been contacted, even though numerous times I was promised that somebody would get in touch. As a non-account holder I understand that maybe the system is not best designed for me, but it has left with a poor view of Virgin Media.
Customer Service to one side, I would love this resolved. Is there anyone on the Virgin Community Forum that maybe able to help me? or provide me with a UK based phone number and a friendly person that might want to be helpful? please!?
(p.s. Thanks for reading my long rant!)
