Virgin horror prices - avoid this trap

magnum9

Dear All,

I was a happy virgin customer, happy because I never had need to contact them but 6 months ago service level plummetted and with high costs I decided to leave;

I contacted virgin to request a MAC code at that time to allow me to transfer to other broadband provider - we are in ADSL country, not cable!

The friendly guy persuaded me to stay and offered a small reduction for 3-4 months and said I could leave at any time in the future - THAT was a stupid trap to fall in to and I urge you all to avoid it!

Why?

Well, I now want to move because service is still really bad and when I contact virgin they now tell me that they moved me to a NEW 12 month contract six months ago - but no such mention of this was given to me at the time - I have been with them for years so I don't see how they can justify their argument that I "must" serve 12 months from last autumn and hence I must serve 6 months more time with them now!

They refuse to give me a MAC code and say if I insist on asking for this code I will be charged £140 approx as a cancellation fee!

The moral of this story is never go to virgin media but if you do then make sure that you have a good lawyer or the patience of a saint!

I feel I am doomed; stay with them with trash service at a high monthly charge or pay a £140 cancellation fee to "alllow" me to transfer to another ADSL broadband provider - that seems so unjust!

I was transferred across 6-8 call centres and given at least that amount of numbers to call at virgin but the furthest I have got is nowhere with any of them!

Branson has a great brand image but the virgin name is trashed by the virgin media experience I have suffered since last autumn.

It's not the money but the way I have been treated that hurts.

Never ever will I go to virgin media again.

Thanks for reading and good luck to anyone else trying to leave this lousy ISP;

To add to our woes we are only getting 0.5mb speeds too!

Anyone got suggestions on what number I can call at virgin and get a sensible human response?

Likewise, any suggestions on a bundle price for ADSL broadband, line rental and inclusive calls much appreciated.

sorry to moan.

soul619

an yet they still close more english call centers!

i had the same thing! poor speeds so upped it with a discount which is still ore than what new customers get now an i tried to cancell after a few months only to be told i was in a 12 month contract! luckily now im not an when i move house next week they wont be coming with me! as moving house also means a new 12 month contract!

c0113tt3

send a complaint email to [EMAIL="neil.berkett@virginmedia.co.uk"]neil.berkett@virginmedia.co.uk[/EMAIL].

The executive team will pick it up, who usually do at least try to solve issues, they are still prone to making many mistakes though !!!

Make sure you have done trace routes / tests to certain places like bbc.co.uk, speed tests etc.. Also ask them to investigate if the route you go through is over subscribed congestion etc..

They are usually very helpfull, but do still screw up !!

The exective team will pick it up, and try to sort it for you. If you get no joy with them, I have the email addresses to the manager of the executive team, and the managers manager just pm me

or:

telephone their head office, and ask for executive complaints team

01483 750900

if absolutely everything fails, lodge a complaint here:

http://www.cisas.org.uk/

for info on virgin to share info / experiences and quite often techies are there too, go here:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/

As for other isps, you will have to check at sam knows:

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/

This will inform you what is at your exchange, generally you are better with LLU enabled isps, i.e. they have their own hardware / unbundled, such examples are sky broadband max only, be/o2 etc..

http://broadband.sky.com/
https://www.bethere.co.uk/

As for non llu enabled usually the upto 8 meg only they are just generally wholesale products of bt which are resold / rebadged. Most of them are as bad as each other, particulary bt themselves / sky connect / aol / tiscali etc.. although from my experiences one of the better non llu is sse, rather unknown and new in the telecoms / broadband, good customer service and from my experience a good broadband product / fairly reasonable prices, although again they are beholden to bt

http://www.southern-electric.co.uk/ForYourHome/

if you are looking for a cheap package telecoms / broadband then it would have to be talk talk, but be aware customer service is dire, and the broadband is nearly as bad, but its cheap.

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/

Saeed

VM reps lying to customers is common - see copy and pasted thread on cableforum below (click on the link to read the full 5 page thread)

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33648168-rep-deceived-me-into-new-12-a.html

Hi,

I've been a long time customer of VM, orginally on the 3 for £30, but with the squabble over sky channels, I went down to just 2MB BB alone @ £10/month with ebill, with TV from Sky and phone from BT.

About 6 months ago, I was about to leave VM and go to an ADSL provider, mainly as I had purchased a notebook and ADSL providers offered me the same BB speed as I was getting with VM for less price with a free wireless router.

I got a call from retentions who offered me a free wireless router, and I stayed at £10 for the 2MB BB. Now my bill for 2MB BB has gone up to £18/month as my previous "deal" has ended. I decided to cancel as I had a number of cheaper options namely:

1) O2 8meg @7.50/month
2) Orange 2mb @ FREE with a mobile contract
3) TalkTalk 8meg + Phone line @14.99/month

I called up to be told that I would have to stay for 12 months from the date I received my "FREE" router @ £18/month (soon to be £20/month) or pay £40 pounds for the router.

I had not been informed by the guy from retentions at the time the FREE router was offered to me that I would be in a new contract or would have to pay money for the router if I left earlier. If he had informed me, I would have rather left VM and if I had stayed I would have bought a decent router for less than the £40 that virgin want for their WGR614v6.

I am really unhappy that this is the way I have been deceived by VM retention reps. What can I do?