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Re: Virgin late returns package 3 week delay! Virgin SCAM
I did manage to raise a complaint about overpayment and billing issues but I did it from my account before disconnection. But be warned, the emails I received were increasingly incomprehensible, possibly from people whose first language isn't English and who didn't know how to use Google Translate. Or possibly from someone's toddler simply hitting the keys on a keyboard. I asked very simple questions in plain English but never got any understandable response, just nonsense replies. Much as it goes against my principles, I eventually gave up because it was like repeatedly banging my head against a wall. I started my cancellation process at the beginning of November 2024 so I'm now into the 3rd month. It should have been simple, there was nothing complicated, I just said I wanted to cancel when my current deal ended. But VM really go out of their way to make it as difficult and lengthy a process as possible, plus they keep your money long after they're no longer providing service and then charge for equipment that hasn't been returned because of their own delays. I had to give up on the 'complaints' process for my own sanity. But when I eventually rid of VM altogether I will add my case to the many others already registered with OFCOM for investigation.314Views0likes4CommentsRe: Virgin late returns package 3 week delay! Virgin SCAM
I suspect they have a whole department to do nothing but dream up ways of making cancellation as difficult as possible, including things like this to punish those of us who do cancel. Sending any refund by cheque rather than direct debit is just another means of punishment, as well as a way of them keeping hold of our money for longer. There's no reason they can't refund by direct debit, plenty of other organisations do it. Perhaps they hope that cheques will go missing and not be cashed, and people will get so frustrated that they won't chase up on it. Like you, I've cancelled because I'm due to move to an area where VM don't offer service. I've been with VM since long before it was Virgin Media - I can't remember just how long but our original email addresses were @virgin.net. But they clearly don't give a stuff about my previous loyalty or the fact I don't even have the option to stay with VM. I've been content enough with the service to stay with VM all these years but after this experience with cancellation I'd never consider signing up with them again if it became an option.318Views0likes1CommentRe: Cancellation Payments Rip-Off
Returns box finally turned up on Christmas Eve afternoon after several weeks delay. Virgin started chasing me yesterday (Boxing Day) by text and email to return the kit. Packed it up, have just walked to my nearest Yodel shop with the heavy box. They won't take it - say they can't take any Yodel parcels because there are no drivers collecting, no idea when they'll be able to. So I've had to bring the heavy parcel back home again. Okay Virgin Media, so what do I do now? What I really wanted to do was dump it somewhere rather than carry it back home, not knowing when I will ever be able to get rid of it! Perhaps that's part of your cancellation process - make it so difficult for people to send stuff back that they give up and bin it, then you charge them for it. But I didn't, I've still got it. So could you please tell me how I can arrange to have it collected. It is not reasonable or acceptable for me to be expected to keep taking it to the Yodel shop in the hope they'll eventually take it, all the while being chased by Virgin for not having sent it back.899Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cancellation Payments Rip-Off
I've already fought my way through various obstacles to cancellation which VM try, such as "You can't cancel more than 30 days ahead". Then the issues of overpayment and being billed after disconnection. Now it seems I'm on to the (hopefully) final stage of, "You haven't sent the kit back so we're going to charge you for it". I requested the returns box a few weeks before disconnection but received a text on 12 Dec 24 saying it was delayed. It finally turned up on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, 24 Dec 24. VM then texted and emailed on Boxing Day, 2 days later, chasing me about the return which I thought was a cheek. With some difficulty (because my local Yodel drop-off wouldn't accept the parcel due to the driver shortage) I sent the kit off with Yodel on 27 Dec 24. Their latest tracking shows it being processed at their national hub on 30 Dec 24, no update since then. Yesterday VM texted and emailed threatening that I'll be charged for the equipment if they don't get it back by 11 Jan 25. That is outrageous! They chose to use Yodel, and then either they or Yodel caused the delay in getting the box to me. VM knew about the delay because they texted me. I sent the kit back on the next working day after finally getting the box. There is no facility for me to be able to upload the tracking information to VM. (Although given that they sent the box and generated the label, they should already have the details.) The threatening text and emails are from 'no reply' addresses so I have no way of contacting them to say, it's on the way back to you. The whole set-up is clearly just the next stage in their long, drawn-out, cancellations scam which is clearly designed to make it as difficult as possible to leave them.161Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cancellation Payments Rip-Off
I'm wary about returning the equipment to an O2 store because I have read reports of people trying that only to be turned away. Even if they did accept it, will they issue me a receipt so I have proof that I have returned it? Ref billing, you have explained the mid billing cycle process which I've already said I understand, and I explained that my service was disconnected on 11 Dec 24 but I've already paid up to 27 Dec 24. You haven't answered the more important question which is why am I going to be charged another full month on 30 Dec 24. How does Virgin Media justify taking a further direct debit payment from me 19 days after disconnection?931Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cancellation Payments Rip-Off
Thank you again @newapollo. I understand about the mid billing cycle thing, although I don't agree with it as I see absolutely no reason why, having been given the required 30 days notice, Virgin can't adjust the final bill to disconnection day (as it states on their website that they will do). After all, they're the ones who disconnect, not me, it's not as if I can access their services after that date. However, what I do not understand, and the question Virgin repeatedly refuse to answer, is why they will take a further payment several weeks after the service has been disconnected. I have already paid them up to 27 Dec 24 even though they disconnected on 11 Dec 24. I understand they will make me wait for that overpayment to be refunded. But why are they then going to take yet another payment on 30 Dec 24, as one email told me they will do, several weeks after disconnection. If it was any other company (not that I've had the misfortune to deal with any other company with such appalling 'customer service') then I would cancel the direct debit. But I daren't do that given the reports I've read of other customers doing the same then finding themselves with marks against their credit report even though they never owed Virgin Media anything, rather it was the other way around as in my case.998Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cancellation Payments Rip-Off
Using the link kindly provided by @newapollo a few weeks ago, I requested returns packaging online. Received a confirmation email from Virgin on 4 Dec 24 saying, "Your prepaid equipment returns packaging is winging its way to you". It did also say, "It generally takes 2 weeks to get the packaging to you" - which made me wonder which company of carrier pigeons they use. Okay, it hasn't been 2 weeks yet. But yesterday I got a text saying, "There's been a delay in sending you some prepaid packaging to return our kit. Please bear with us, it'll be on its way shortly". So when they said on 4 Dec 24 that it was "winging its way" to me, clearly it wasn't. And it took them 8 days to tell me it wasn't, and they still haven't given any indication when I might actually get it. In the meantime I suppose it's wishful thinking to suppose the delay in sending out the packaging will be taken into account when they decide to charge me for not sending back the equipment. That would be far too logical, and would require the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing. I still haven't had a proper reply to my complaint about being charged not only a full month for 14 days provision of service but also being told that on 30 Dec 24 I will be charged another full month, several weeks after disconnection. All I keep getting is one increasingly incomprehensible email after another. I have now given up on ever getting an answer to my very simple questions, it's too frustrating. I decided to just wait and see whether I eventually get a refund - and if I do, whether it's correct - before taking further action. Now, of course, I'm probably going to have even more money to chase when inevitably Virgin charge me for equipment that I haven't returned because they haven't sent me the packaging!1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Authentication Error
Just to add for the Forum Team. The other threads on the subject are on the Email board. The subject of one is "Emailed blocked October 2024" and another "Blocked You couldn't be authenticated. Server error. Cancel". Both contain posts from several users, including myself, who have exactly the same issue.7.9KViews0likes0Comments