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Urgent: Need help fast, please

Help_Needed2022
Tuning in

Hi, I have a weird situation I need urgent help with.

I recently moved abroad for a temporary period of time, while arriving at my new home, I lost my mobile phone with Virgin Sim inside, which was also logged into the email address I use for correspondence. I haven't been able to get back into this email address yet and have been using another since then.

Note: I had a rolling monthly contract which I was up to date on payments with when I left the UK.

I had planned to cancel my Virgin Sim when leaving the UK, but didn't manage to do it before flying off. When looking how to cancel while here, I was surprised to see there was no way to cancel that didn't involve phoning Virgin's phone helpline directly. I mistakenly thought cancelling the direct debit payments coming out my bank account would end the rolling monthly 'contract' with Virgin (as it's not a fixed 12-24 month contract and other companies work this way, some gyms, etc).

After getting a family member to open my post recently, I was shocked to hear about a letter from Virgin claiming I owe money for the last few months missed payments, despite the fact I cancelled the direct debit, and I'm not in the middle of a fixed term contract and haven't used my Virgin minutes/texts/data at all since leaving. The letter states my Virgin sim has now been disconnected and my details are being passed to debt collection agencies, plus my credit rating will take a hit as a result of the missed payments.

Can a member here please advise me the quickest way to resolve this issue? I can't really phone the Virgin helpline from while I'm staying now with a foreign SIM, as if I'm put on hold for 30-60 minutes, the phone bill for a single call could easily add up to hundreds of pounds, I can't afford that and I may get cut off mid-call from lack of funds, or it might not get resolved. Ideally I would like some e-mail correspondence from a higher up staff member at Virgin so I can get this sorted out ASAP. I don't want to keep using Virgin as a mobile provider. I just want to get this bill paid and move on from this huge cause of anxiety. I have no interest in a debate on the phone about whether I should remain a Virgin customer or not, I've already been removed from the network. I just want to pay this bill so I can stop being threatened via the post.

 

I recognise I have made mistakes that led to this situation, but I feel like some aspects of the customer service side of Virgin could be improved for a better customer experience. Not being able to cancel your package through the website, but having to phone a call center to do it is a not customer-friendly policy.

I would really appreciate some help with this problem causing me huge stress, thank you.

12 REPLIES 12

Vikki_M
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi @Help_Needed2022

 

Thank you for your post and welcome to our community.

 

I am sorry to hear about the issues you have had regarding the disconnection of your Mobile Sim.

 

I will send you a private message so I can get some further details please.

 

Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of the page and pop me a reply when you can. 

Vikki - Forum Team


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Thanks for the fast reply Vikki, I just sent you a PM.

Kath_F
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi Help_Needed2022, 

Thanks for coming back to Vikki via private message. I've picked this up now as she is currently out of the office. 

If the account is no longer active then you wouldn't be able to register again I'm afraid. 

To pay the remaining balance, you will need to call the team on 789 / 0345 600 0789. They can take payment over the phone for you. We're not able to take payment via the Forums so unable to advise on any other way I'm afraid. If you're concerned about making the call from abroad then it may be worth speaking to a friend or family member who can make the call on your behalf and pay the bill. 

Keep us posted on how things go by updating your thread here. 

Thanks, 

Kath_F
Forum Team

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I really don't understand why this process is so difficult and why I can't just send a bank transfer to an business bank account owned by Virgin to get this paid off. That's what they're going to tell me to do on the phone anyway, right? Why can't someone from Virgin customer services email me an account num/sort code and reference number to make the payment?

Even if my family made the call for me from the UK, how would they be able to get the Virgin representative on the phone to believe they are acting on my behalf and be allowed to make the payment?

Hi @Help_Needed2022 thanks for your reply.

While we can't email this over to you, can you please take a look at this link here to see if this provides you with any help?

There are options on there to make a payment to a Mobile account, where it will ask you for some information.

I hope this helps.

Many thanks

Tom_W

@Tom_W1

I tried to use the link you provided (and input my post code + family name) but it gave an error message and won't let me proceed past that page.

Can you arrange the call center to phone me abroad so I can make the payment? Or better yet, just forgo the bill and wipe the debt, since I didn't use the service any time in the two months I'm being charged for. Thanks.

Thank you for the reply @Help_Needed2022.

We cannot just wipe away the balance as everyone else would stop using their services and ask us to clear it off.
Whether or not the service was used, there was agreement.
We don't make calls from here either.

However if you have a family member still in the UK you can get them to ring in on your behalf and pass data security as third party who would be able to finalise and finish off the account for anything outstanding.

Let us know.

Kind regards.

Ilyas_Y
Forum Team

New around here? Check out the do's and don'ts, in our Community FAQs


Hi.

Can someone please confirm to me here that the bill has been paid (I got someone in the UK to phone and pay on 7th September) and that the account will be closed.

Kain_W
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Thanks for the response,

So just to clarify were you able to pay the bill yesterday? If so has the amount been taken?

Also what was advised on the call?

Regards,

Kain