cut off after 2 hours in a queue

[twen_angst]

Like hundreds of thousands of others, I've been trying to call the Universal Credit line for over a week now, sadly to no avail. One of the problems is that after 2 hours - ON THE DOT - I get booted off the queue. I thought that was a problem with the helpline, but many of my friends were saying that they'd got through after four or five hours, so I started thinking that maybe it was Virgin cutting me off after two hours (and it is 2 hours EXACTLY), probably to prevent me from overspending or to avoid pocket calls. However, it's an 0800 number and free!!! And I really need to get through. It's important for my survival - literally!

When I spoke to a person on the Virgin Helpline on Friday, the person first tried to argue that the line had probably been cancelled, hoping I would hang up, to which I responded that if the line - an official government line that is on the official government website! - had been closed, I shouldn't be able to get into the queue in the first place, should I? This really flustered her, but still, all she really wanted to do was close the call (she tried really hard) and eventually, she said she would raise a ticket and I'd get a call back within 24 hours (48 at the momst). It is now 72 hours later and I haven't heard - obviously! .

This is really vital and Virgin is just hiding under the table like a 3-year-old, hoping it goes away.

Aside from the shoddy customer service, which after 16 years I should now be used to (mind you, that's a lie, it used to be great) I need to know how I can prevent the call from cutting off after 2 hours, otherwise I'll never get through!

Can somebody please deal with this? Or help in some way?

[jb66]

You could try on your mobile?

[stephenmoss55]

Not a solution unfortunately, but similar experience. I was in a queue on phone helpline , on my mobile, 

Putting up with the awful Muzak on loop , interspersed with the message that they are experiencing a heavy call load .

After just over an hour, the message changed to “ you are number 9 in the queue, your call will be answered shortly “ 

Great , light at the end of the tunnel !  ..... you are number 8.....7......6......5.....4....3  Then I was cut off , like you exactly 2 hours in . 

Gave up and have to try again next day as their office was about to close 😫. 

Did you get any joy.? I can’t see any way to bypass the 2 hour limit. Wondered if you did?

[John_GS]

My apologies, stephenmoss55

What were you calling us for please?

Kind regards

[GavinWrigley]

Yeah, exactly the same here, I've been trying to call the bank for urgent financial help and get kicked off at two hours every time while others i know are getting through after four hours and getting the loan I desperately need for my business's survival. Now there is talk of these loans running out of funding and I could lose everything because of this two hour call limit.

Virgin needs to fix this or at least explain the reason for it and advise what we can do on the user end. 

Virgin? Anyone? 

[Robert_P]

Hello there,

Sorry to hear of the issues experienced and the frustration and confusion caused. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us via the forum to look into this further.

Having checked with the relevant team, we don't have a maximum time you can sit on a call so shouldn't be cut off. As you have both advised these are calls to the same department and have both been cut off at exactly the same time this may be a restriction applied by the Universal Credit side.

We appreciate this may not be the answer you were looking for but hope it helps.

Rob

[GavinWrigley]

not only is not the answer either of us were looking for but it shows you haven't read or understood what I wrote. I was not calling universal credit, I was calling Barclays Bank who have said that it is nothing to do with them and they have an average wait time of 4 hours at the moment, which is also well documented through various forums. They couldn't have an average wait time of four hours if they cut people off after two hours. 

I also experienced this exact same thing a few weeks ago when calling Natwest. A different bank and not the universal credit line. 

The original poster also said that people had got through after 3 or 4 hours which again, they couldn't do if the department cut them off after two hours. The representative at Virgin I spoke to on the phone today said it may have something to do with the 'fair use policy' but I guess he was just trying to find a way to get me off the phone as he had no further explanation to offer

I would appreciate if Virgin could look into this more thoroughly as it is clearly nothing to do with the number being called and in both cases is having catastrophic consequences

[John_GS]

Hi Gavin,

Do you get an error message before getting cut off or anything?

Kind regards,

[GavinWrigley]

No. Just three beeps at exactly 2 hours. 

[John_GS]

I'd advise speaking to the banks again as it wouldn't be anything we've limited

Kind regards,