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Mis-informed by Virgin Media
ellissa
Posts: 114 Forumite
My parents have been totally mis-led by VM and I'm not sure what to advise them to do... this could be a long post - bit of a saga!
In March, they inteded to leave Virgin Media. main reasons being that they were not on a good TV package and for what they were paying could do much better with Sky. They spoke to "Joe Bloggs" in retention who advised that they should upgrade to BB - L, TV - XL and phone talk unlimited. Parents expressed concern at losing Talk Anywhere 800 as we regularly phone international, 0845 & 0870 numbers and UK mobiles. He said that we don't use the package and would save money on the new deal. After much questioning of him, parents trusted this and asked him to call back later so they could decide. He called back and parents still did not think it would be better as we use international and mobile calls. He said he would add talk mobile to reduce our calls by 30% and talk international to reduce international calls by 80% but at a monthly cost. Parents then said that this extra cost was not helping them and "JB" said to keep the talk mobile and leave the talk international. He then gave them an access number for international calls and said this would reduce it to 4-6p per min. "JB" assured parents that our monthly bills would be 'no more than £10 over' the service charges. This meant, so "JB" said, that we would be paying roughly the same as on our previous package but getting much more.
The first 2 bills came in and each showed £20-£30 extra call charges. Parents were angry and so called and spoke to "Fred Perry". He said he would need to speak to a manager as giving access numbers was not allowed. It also transpired during this phonecall that "JB" had lied about talk mobile and talk international because the discounts were not as high a percentage as he gave. "FP" confirmed this then put talk international and talk mobile onto our package for free. He also credited our account with £30. Parents told him they were very pleased with his help but felt we were still on the incorrect package as we use 0870 and 0845 numbers. "FP" said this was why our bills were so high but they we not included in our previous package (talk anywhere 800) so it would make no difference going back on it. he said we simply used more 08 numbers now than previously, that was why the charges were more. My parents had no reason to question what he told them. Parents expressed their concern that "JB" had originally given them false information and if he had told the truth (that cost would go up) then they would have gone to Sky and not entered into another 12 month contract with VM. My parents felt mislead and that the false info surely invalidated the contract. he told them to write to CS.
Anyway my mum then spoke to me about what "FP" had said about 08 numbers not being in our original package. I said that I was sure that 08 numbers were included in talk anywhere and that "FP" was incorrect. I checked the website and I was right.
My mum then called back VM and said that with all this false info they felt our contract was built on mis-information. She is cross that now we were stuck with paying more money for another 12 months. Again we were told to contact CS.
My mum has contacted VM's CS dept, we await their reply. Am I over reacting??? I don't like my parents and their trusting nature being taken for a ride!
In March, they inteded to leave Virgin Media. main reasons being that they were not on a good TV package and for what they were paying could do much better with Sky. They spoke to "Joe Bloggs" in retention who advised that they should upgrade to BB - L, TV - XL and phone talk unlimited. Parents expressed concern at losing Talk Anywhere 800 as we regularly phone international, 0845 & 0870 numbers and UK mobiles. He said that we don't use the package and would save money on the new deal. After much questioning of him, parents trusted this and asked him to call back later so they could decide. He called back and parents still did not think it would be better as we use international and mobile calls. He said he would add talk mobile to reduce our calls by 30% and talk international to reduce international calls by 80% but at a monthly cost. Parents then said that this extra cost was not helping them and "JB" said to keep the talk mobile and leave the talk international. He then gave them an access number for international calls and said this would reduce it to 4-6p per min. "JB" assured parents that our monthly bills would be 'no more than £10 over' the service charges. This meant, so "JB" said, that we would be paying roughly the same as on our previous package but getting much more.
The first 2 bills came in and each showed £20-£30 extra call charges. Parents were angry and so called and spoke to "Fred Perry". He said he would need to speak to a manager as giving access numbers was not allowed. It also transpired during this phonecall that "JB" had lied about talk mobile and talk international because the discounts were not as high a percentage as he gave. "FP" confirmed this then put talk international and talk mobile onto our package for free. He also credited our account with £30. Parents told him they were very pleased with his help but felt we were still on the incorrect package as we use 0870 and 0845 numbers. "FP" said this was why our bills were so high but they we not included in our previous package (talk anywhere 800) so it would make no difference going back on it. he said we simply used more 08 numbers now than previously, that was why the charges were more. My parents had no reason to question what he told them. Parents expressed their concern that "JB" had originally given them false information and if he had told the truth (that cost would go up) then they would have gone to Sky and not entered into another 12 month contract with VM. My parents felt mislead and that the false info surely invalidated the contract. he told them to write to CS.
Anyway my mum then spoke to me about what "FP" had said about 08 numbers not being in our original package. I said that I was sure that 08 numbers were included in talk anywhere and that "FP" was incorrect. I checked the website and I was right.
My mum then called back VM and said that with all this false info they felt our contract was built on mis-information. She is cross that now we were stuck with paying more money for another 12 months. Again we were told to contact CS.
My mum has contacted VM's CS dept, we await their reply. Am I over reacting??? I don't like my parents and their trusting nature being taken for a ride!
0
Comments
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This is terrrible. But I think that you should be able to call on behalf of your parents all you need is the password. I call VM and the account is in my girlfriends name.
So you could call them and ask why they've been given a worse deal and quote the details you mention about numbers being included in the old deal etc. (I'd have the details of both deals to hand to make the comparison easier over the phone)
I was on a 12 month deal - low for 6 months then back to normal for six - but the guy actually told me I was the low deal forever - so I'll see what they say when I query this.
Not sure of the progress if they say no - small claims possibly
good luck!
:j0 -
No you're not over-reacting!!! I wouldn't rest till they cancelled the 12 month contract, it's a scandal.
Can't offer any constructive advice except to say ring every day and don't wait too long for them to "call you back".
Good look!I love surprises!0 -
No you're not over-reacting!!! I wouldn't rest till they cancelled the 12 month contract, it's a scandal.
Can't offer any constructive advice except to say ring every day and don't wait too long for them to "call you back".
Good look!
You are absolutely NOT over-reacting!
I'm a VM customer and recently had problems with them regarding our contract, which we were misled about when we took it out.
Every time I phoned them I was told different information - nobody there seems to know what they are talking about and it got to the point where I decided that was actually their policy - to confuse customers and hope that they would drop it.
I emailed CS and kept emailing till I got a favourable result. My husband thinks that they will always say no at first as this will deter some people and you have to keep hounding them.
I think your parents' situation is shocking and I would advise everyone to stay away from them (VM - not your parents!).
Good luck and keep emailing!0 -
You are absolutely NOT over-reacting!
I'm a VM customer and recently had problems with them regarding our contract, which we were misled about when we took it out.
Every time I phoned them I was told different information - nobody there seems to know what they are talking about and it got to the point where I decided that was actually their policy - to confuse customers and hope that they would drop it.
I emailed CS and kept emailing till I got a favourable result. My husband thinks that they will always say no at first as this will deter some people and you have to keep hounding them.
I think your parents' situation is shocking and I would advise everyone to stay away from them (VM - not your parents!).
Good luck and keep emailing!
im with VM and had no issues,0 -
When I rented my house out while I was in NZ for a year, the tenants managed to get VM to install broadband service - VM have since told me that they should never have let the contract be started up.
They also told me that they could send an engineer to remove their boxes, but they couldn't fix the holes in my wall for the cable and screws as they're not builders (yet your engineers are allowed to take a masonry drill to my walls)0
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