Virgin Mobile

[Dominic4]

As a result of this issue we have cancelled our Internet package with Virgin and I will be cancelling our mobile sim contracts and ensuring I don't use virgin media again for anything.   Which is a shame considering we have been with virgin media for well over 5 years purchasing a range of services from mobiles (twice), Internet and TV packages and sim deals over the years.    However virgin does not reward loyalty and in fact quite the opposite.     

I moved out of my old address back in March 2018 of which I advised virgin on the phone at the time and passed over my Dad who had been taking over the account/taking out a new one.    Virgin amended all the details - bank details, contact details but left the account in my name without my consent.     

We took out virgin at our new address in March 2018 including 2 handsets and lived there until December 2021 and moved again taking virgin with us to that address.  

Initial issue virgin could not install the service at first due to an issue so it had been delayed 3 weeks over the Christmas period.   We rang up about the automatic compensation stated on the website to which we had been advised we would get nothing despite quoting the wording on the website.  We had to raise a compalint and chase this to which we had been advised it would be raised and would be automatic.  However once the Internet had been installed we had been charged for th entire month and installation fee still awaiting our compensation.    This had been chased again with virgin and a manager had to resolve this which took much longer than it should of done. 

Fast forward another few months to May 2022, we got married and at this time I decided I should start looking into my credit file to help pay off the wedding with possible loans.  I noticed a new loan with virgin taken out in November 2021 at my parents address which I had moved out of in March 2018 and which Virgin had already been aware of.    After ringing up to discuss this virgin confirmed they would get the back office to look into this and correct my credit file as a missed payment had been impacting this for something unrelated to me.     I heard nothing in over 3 weeks so had to call back and been informed that no response had been received from the back office so they will chase.  I allowed a further week and rang back to complain explaining myself and the issue for the 3rd time.    

It eventually came to light after these phone calls with virgin that a handset had been taken out online on the account or so I had been informed by Paul the compalint advisor at the time who  closed my first compalint without speaking to me as a supposed civil matter.    

I had to ring back the following day to discuss as Paul rang out of their office hours so I couldn't ring back despite trying 5 minutes later.     I had been informed that not a single person I had spoken to which had been in excess of 5 people had made a note that I had moved out of my parents address in 2018 to which they had been informed in 2018!         A new compalint had be set up to which I had not been provided Aby reference number for this.     

Fast forward another few months (the initial complaint had been raised on 2nd of July 2022).    Today (15th of October 2022) I received a call from Gemma from the Vm02 executive team so that is over 3 months since I raised the initial complaint advised that it is a civil matter and that apparently what I had been informed previously - that it had been taken out online on the current account which is still in my name had been incorrect.        Apparently a new account had been set up with a credit check carried out by Equifax with the details and passed.   

I have been advised numerous different stories from Virgin and received a lack of customer service, care or safeguarding during these last few months which shows virgin does not treat customers with any sort of care.       

The compalint has now been closed and I will be escalating this matter further with being negatively impacted both mentally and financially as a result of this experience caused by nothing more than virgin inability to keep their records updated or protect customers from any form of harm.

[Dominic4]

Yes that is correct.   

Which is the letter in which it stated a jiffy bag had been sent.  Which hadn't been done 

[Carley_S]

Sorry to hear this @Dominic4

You can order your own pre-paid packaging if needed or even print your own returns labels here if needed. 

If you do dispute the deadlock letter, there should be information on the next steps you can take your complaint if you chose to do so. 

[Dominic4]

Hi, 

How can I order my own pre-paid packaging?  

If it is anything to do with logging into the account then that will not work as I do not know or have the account details which is part of the whole complaint that had been raised.  The print option you have provided seems to be in relation to the TV and hubs rather than a Mobile Device. 

However none of this should be required if it had been sent in the first place or even more so if Virgin had removed my name from any accounts associated to the address as requested in 2018. 

[Carley_S]

Ah my apologies @Dominic4. The returns link provided is for media equipment, rather than mobile. That was my mistake.
If you still dispute the deadlock letter response, then there should be information on their on the next steps you can take to pursue the complaint further.

[Dominic4]

I have already done that.  But that or this does not resolve the issue of the supposed jiffy bag that has been sent in November which has never arrived.   Nor does it resolve the issue of still having accounts in my name which shouldn't be. 

This whole mess could have been resolved 8 months ago when I initially called and a jiffy bag sent out then with the promise to refund the payments in full for the handset that had been taken out and correcting my credit file, then ensuring all my details had been removed as requested in 2018 when I moved out of the address.     

None of which had been done.  

[Carley_S]

I appreciate the frustrations of not having this resolved nor the outcome you were hoping for @Dominic4. 

As this complaint is now deadlocked, you will need to forward all further communication and requests through our Ombudsman. We would be unable to support any further on this issue via the community forums. 

[Dominic4]

So you won't send out a jiffy bag that the letter clearly states in black and white would be sent out and arrive in 7 working days? 

That is not support, it is doing something that should have already been done as stated. 

Why would I need to request through the ombudsman for the jiffy bag to be sent? The ombudsman of course have long wait times at present with the number if complaints, so I am waiting for a further response.     But that does not prevent yourselves from resending the jiffy bag correctly and ensuring it is delivered. 

[Carley_S]

As previously advised, as this complaint is now deadlocked, we can offer no further support or actions towards this complaint as the final decision has been sent by the team. I do apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Should you wish to take the complaint to the next stage, you can follow the steps the letter advised and raise this with our Ombudsman for further support. 

[Dominic4]

Update for all those who see the below issue.

I have received a positive step forward through the ombudsmen. 

Virgin have provided a full refund on the handset which had been returned and are removing the missed payment marker from my credit file. 

However the fact it had taken 10 months and for the ombudsmen to get involved for virgin to even do anything just goes to show how low the level of customer service has dropped over the years.

I requested that a jiffy bag be sent as per virgin media's black and white final response (they suggested had been sent) however this had been refused advising they could not support further as it is deadlocked.  Again not the level of customer service you expect for loyal customers.

I have now cancelled my final product with virgin media and can be glad to say I'll never be returning as a customer or recommending them going forward, I've opted to pay another supplier a little more for the same services due to this totalling £150 a month for everything, in the grand scheme of things this is nothing to virgin but a loss nonetheless for the company due to something they could have rectified back in May when I raised the issue. 

I am glad that I will never have to deal with virgin media ever again, once my credit file has been corrected in the next 30 days. 

For anyone reading this, the customer service at virgin used to be good don't get me wrong. But since the 02 merger it has been poor from my experience, the actual service had also been fine in relation to products it is just a shame the customer service has pushed myself and family members away from the company now.