Cancelled Virgin Broadband Moved House, A Year On!!

xcandyman

Hi,

I'm at wits end here, May 2008 I moved out of a property in which I had virgin media broadband on and the house I was moving to didn't support their cable service so I phoned and cancelled their services in which they told me it was done.

Now almost a year on I get a out of the blue call from a debt collection company thats works on behalf of virgin and are chasing payments for 2008 / 2009. I called virgin to see whats happening and they confirmed I had money outstanding with them and I still had an account with them!

I told them I had moved and called May 2008 but they have no record my calls regarding this and are saying I need to pay. They also told me that the internet service has been used since I said I left the property (my ex partner lives there now) so obviously she's been using the connection. They send they have sent numourous letters to my old address but of course I dont live there and me and my ex do not get along (she's hasn't been aloud to contact me since Jan 2009 due to a harrasment case on her) so I cant ask her if she's had any letters.

Virgin said they will get someone to call me regarding this but I dont hold up much hope. Any suggestions???

Thanks

DomTom

a bit worrying, i intend to cancel the contract and move in june. ill make sure its really cancelled

Pssst

You are not allowed to leave VM. It isnt in their T&C s but it is an unspoken rule.

I would VERY STRONGLY recommend that if you telephone VM at any time to cancel or amend a service and especially if you cancel, that you record that telephone conversation,ensure that you discuss cancel/cutoff dates and final billing arrangements.

I am certain that VM call handlers are heavily coached in doing their best to block cancellations.

Think about it. If you cancel,their bit of wire remains un-unsed,perhaps for decades.

I think the OP will be lucky to get out of this one.

bazster

The lesson here is: put it in writing, and send it to their registered address by recorded delivery.

Snow_Dog

Bazster - I tried that 4 years ago (when it was NTL), I tried phoning repeatedly, each time they had no record of the previous call.

I tried emailing them, about 30 times, various emails from pleading for an acknowledgement through to being very demanding. Each time I just got an automated response, never a personal reply. (This is despite at the time their T&C said you could cancel by electronic means).

I sent a registered letter which was never acknowledged.

This went on many months after I had sold the house and left. On the final day there with only a phone in the house and that was it, I called them and explained all this. They were still tryin to bill me many months after.

The icing on the cake was the day, about 6 months after I moved I tried calling them again about the letters and they said that I would still have to see out 30 days notice from that day.

Fortunately they didnt have my new address so I just gave up trying to communicate with them.

xcandyman - I wish you the best of luck. You are probably going to need it.

Xbigman

This isn't an issue of Virgin being useless (which I agree they are) but of the service continuing to be used. One of Virgins tricks is to leave a service active after the shut off date and if its used they keep charging.

Sorry but the OP is probably liable. I'd certainly put it in writing to shut down the service now then dispute the debt, which means the debt collector should send it back to Virgin. Then try to negotiate with virgin directly. First its worth trying to talk them out of charging at all, then try to agree a settlement. Ultimately I'd be p!ssed off but I'd pay up.
Regards


X

DomTom

is this really the case for everyone? i have a direct debit with them so they'll be able to keep charging me regardless of whether i live there or not

ben37564

It's absolutely disgusting in my opinion. Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do in terms of the cancellation as you have no proof that you called them in August, they claim not to have any record and there is no acknowledgement in writing. I'm afraid you may be stuck with the bill for this.

One thought I had is that you are able to prove that the internet connection was in use after you vacated the property and that you ex was using it without your consent. This could mean that you may be able to claim the amount from her.

Pagan98

Can you prove you phoned them in May 2008, e.g. from an itemised phone bill. I would think that plus the fact you moved out would be sufficient to convince a judge that on the balance of probability you did cancel. If so, I suggest you write to them by recorded delivery stating that you phoned on xx May 2008 to cancel the service and are not responsible for any charges after expiry of the 30-day notice period. It is not your concern that the connection has been used by some other party after you had cancelled it. Request that they cease their debt collection activities and remove any degatory marks on your credit file.

A_Nice_Englishman

xcandyman wrote: »

Hi,

I'm at wits end here, May 2008 I moved out of a property in which I had virgin media broadband on and the house I was moving to didn't support their cable service so I phoned and cancelled their services in which they told me it was done.

Now almost a year on I get a out of the blue call from a debt collection company thats works on behalf of virgin and are chasing payments for 2008 / 2009. I called virgin to see whats happening and they confirmed I had money outstanding with them and I still had an account with them!

I told them I had moved and called May 2008 but they have no record my calls regarding this and are saying I need to pay. They also told me that the internet service has been used since I said I left the property (my ex partner lives there now) so obviously she's been using the connection. They send they have sent numourous letters to my old address but of course I dont live there and me and my ex do not get along (she's hasn't been aloud to contact me since Jan 2009 due to a harrasment case on her) so I cant ask her if she's had any letters.

Virgin said they will get someone to call me regarding this but I dont hold up much hope. Any suggestions???

Thanks

So your ex-partner should pay the bill, surely? I would send Virgin Media proof of the date you moved out such as a copy of your tenancy agreement for your new place and tell them they will need to pursue the current occupant(s).