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Virgin tells me i cannot get Oomph deal

douganderson78
Tuning in

Hi chaps

I was texted by Virgin about a fortnight ago to let me know my Oomph sim was being cancelled, duer to the fact I didnt meet the criteria. This was after I had called Virgin and they actually suggested I could take this offer. It was them that drove this conversation.

So I called them again, and right enough I was told I couldn't get it but the agent I spoke to managed to find me a deal which was only £10 more. I told him that I wanted the deal that Virgin gave me, and that I was sure they could figure it out. I was to get a call back which of course hasn't materialised.

Anyone else had Virgin offer an Oomph deal, only to have it rescinded days later? If I am moved to the rolling contract which is something ludicrous a month I will be very unhappy, and will speak to them about breach of contract. I just want what they offered me ... seems reasonable surely??

Anyone have any ideas on who it is I need to speak to? Can't face more Virgin support phone call lottery.

Thanks

Doug

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

John_GS
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi douganderson78

 

Thanks for coming back to us. 

 

This is something you'll need to call the retentions team about on 150 // 0345 454 1111 and they'll be able to go through your options

 

Kind regards,

John_GS
Forum Team


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See where this Helpful Answer was posted

11 REPLIES 11

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

Sadly this has come up a few times recently and some customers haven't had the fair outcomes they deserve.  However, if the company offered you the deal and you accepted, there's a contract in place, they can't unilaterally change it, any more than you or I could unilaterally change a deal by saying "I've decided I like the package but not the price, so I'm going to pay VM £20 a month less, and remove the fixed term clause".  Just as you have to honour the agreed terms, so do they - and all information provided by a company verbally or written is binding if the consumer relies upon it when entering a contract (Consumer Rights Act 2015), so VM have to honour whatever was agreed, whether they like it or not.  There are no caveats, cop-outs or excuses.  If they offered and you accepted, that's now a contract that binds both parties.  

The forum staff can't themselves correct or change contracts and although normally they'll get most of VM's faults or mistakes fixed, they don't always seem to have managed this successfully in recent similar cases, although the floor's theirs if they want to avoid the following outcome of formal complaints?  That would be the cheapest and quickest resolution for both parties, and the best way of trying to recover some goodwill in a bad situation.  If they can't get it sorted in that complete manner, you need to search, read and follow the Virgin Media Complaints Code of Practice.  Don't start a complaint until you've seen if the forum staff can get this sorted, because I believe they can't get involved once it has become a formal complaint.  Hopefully the forum staff can pick this up and get it sorted - by which I mean that you get exactly the deal you were promised, not some less attractive compromise.  

There's no point dealing with VM's useless telephone service, because that'll just end up in the usual protracted waste of time.  If forum staff can't get this put right within say five working days, raise a formal complaint using the online form in My Virgin Media, reject the contract they're trying to impose, and demanding that as per your legal rights the company honour what was promised, and pointing out that if the company refuses to honour its agreement you also demand a "deadlock letter" and will escalate to the industry arbitration scheme CISAS as soon as permitted by the rules.  In the meanwhile, don't do anything daft like stopping your direct debit, that'll be recorded as a credit default, and opens up whole new realms of difficulty for you.  Don't worry if VM contact you claiming that they couldn't get hold of you, issue some tick box response that fobs you off, or even close the complaint, this doesn't stop you being able to take the matter further.  If you need to escalate to CISAS you should also complain to Ofcom about VM's poor sales practices, poor complaints handling and refusal to treat customers fairly - don't put too much effort into the Ofcom complaint, because they don't get involved in individual complaints, but they keep an eye on how telcos are behaving, and there's a bit of pressure on VM at the moment there.

If VM still won't honour the contract despite the complaint, or say they're going to close the complaint, then you follow the process and escalate to CISAS either immediately if you have a deadlock letter, otherwise eight weeks after your initial complaint was received by VM.  Explain the background and request that VM be required to give you the promised deal, fully backdated, and add on a request for compensation for the hassle.  Not only does escalation to CISAS cost VM money (free to you, costs of a valid complaint are ALWAYS paid by the company) but it gets your case investigated and impartially heard by expert dispute resolution staff.  From published data, the majority of complaints escalated to CISAS, either the company immediately concedes, compromises, or loses at the end of arbitration. 

Hi Andrew

Sounds like good advice. I am happy to accept the deal I was offered, and actually used for the best part of a month but will not pay any more.

Hopefully someone from VM can get this sorted.

Cheers

Doug

Hello douganderson78

 

Really sorry to hear of the problems with your Oomph package, we appreciate you taking the time to raise this via the forums.

 

From looking at your Virgin Media account I can't see you being on an Oomph package or this in the process of being set up, this will be the reason for the SIM tariff being altered. When did you discuss changing to the Oomph package?

 

Have we advised why this can be done at all since then?

 

Rob

Well on my bill dated August 20th I have an Oomph 15G SIM at zero charge.

I had spoken to them about one of my friends and family SIMs I think, and I was offered the Oomph package as well.

I just received a text stating my Oomph sim was being cancelled, and would be moved to a rolling contract. Nobody I spoke to could give me anything more meaningful.

I just want the deal that was offered, and that both parties agreed to.

Thanks

 

Doug

John_GS
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi douganderson78

 

Thanks for coming back to us. 

 

This is something you'll need to call the retentions team about on 150 // 0345 454 1111 and they'll be able to go through your options

 

Kind regards,

John_GS
Forum Team


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Clicked the helpful button by mistake.

I hate the fact that I'm spending time chasing this, when it is a VM issue. I really do have better things to do with my time.

Can retentions call me? I don't want to sit on a call again waiting.


@douganderson78 wrote:

Clicked the helpful button by mistake.

I hate the fact that I'm spending time chasing this, when it is a VM issue. I really do have better things to do with my time.

Can retentions call me? I don't want to sit on a call again waiting.


i dont think retentions can call you - see if VM come back on that but if you do call speak only to a UK agent - lifes too short to be on offshores roundabout - if they want to ring you back take that with a large pinch of salt - i think they can but hens teeth are more common than callbacks

try this - if you get offshore hang up and start again

dial 150 or 0345 454 1111 and follow the prompts to - 'thinking of leaving us' - dont worry about that they do much more - open 8am -10pm 7 days a week - should take you to a UK call centre

____________________

Tony.
Sacked VIP

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

Well, see if Retentions can fix it, but because it sounds like a combination of misaligned sales practice and systems' coded policies I'm not sure you'll get much joy - possible a slightly less attractive compromise.  If that transpires, don't accept it is my advice.  Give the company one further chance to fix it.  If they can't enact the deal you agreed don't mess around, don't wait on fictitious call backs, just fire up the formal complaint as per my earlier reply, and at the same time make a Subject Access Request for all data VM have on you.  That's inconvenient for the company, they may contact you to ask why you want it, don't be fobbed off, ask for the lot, it should include any voice recordings or chat sessions in which the deal was offered and agreed.

Message for VM: For crying out loud, all that's being asked is that the company comply with contract law, consumer law, and your regulatory commitments.  Yet the customer is still being told they need to chase it.  I am aware that SAR's are expensive for VM, that CISAS is expensive for VM, and that additional Ofcom complaints put pressure on the company..... in this context all I can say is a heartfelt "oh dear, how sad, never mind".  What is so difficult about somebody just taking ownership and doing the right thing?  As a suggestion for the future, can't the social media team agree a single point of contact in retentions, somebody who understands the basics of law and regulation that apply here, so that messages about disputed contracts just get passed by the forum team through for an amicable and quick resolution?

Hi Tony

Thanks. I called retentions, and it has been sorted. I am now paying slightly less for the same package albeit with faster broadband.

It comes down to who it is you speak to obviously. Retentions staff seem to have a wider scope, and can therefore offer the best assistance.

Anyway, all done after a few more hours of my life going round in circles.

 

Doug