Problem with Virgin Media

Laithour

Hey guys, just registered here in hope of utilizing some of your infinite wisdom when it comes to things like this. :beer:

Please note: This may end up being a non-starter of a thread - one of the people I spoke to on the phone said he would cancel my contract but this was almost a week ago and so far no letters / cancellation charges have come through - plus the first person I spoke to was adamant my contract could not be canceled without a whopper of a cancellation charge, hence the thread.

I moved into a house in August last year, and after a lot of procrastination, signed up for a 12 month broadband-only contract with Virgin Media in October.
When I signed up, I was not sure how fast I would need to internet to be, so I was advised to start on 10Mb broadband and I could upgrade to 20Mb if I decided I wanted faster internet.

Come February, I decided to upgrade to 20Mb, and all was fine.

However, when I called up last week to check whether or not the contract would be automatically renewed, I was told my contract lasted until February - a bit of a problem considering I moved out last month (not transferring my account to a new house, either).

I was told by the lady on the phone that upgrading broadband extended the contract for a further 12 months from the day of the upgrade - something that was not mentioned once to me throughout the whole process.

She claimed a letter had been sent out after the upgrade stating that my contract had been extended, giving me 7 days to cancel should I wish to, but I never received any such letter. She also said cancelling would cost me *a large sum* (I forget exactly, but it was around £90-100)

After complaining, she put me through to someone else, who claimed that it was a mistake and that he would remove it and cancel the rest of my contact for the sum of £20, but (no offense to him), he didn't come across as too confident that he would actually be able to do this. He said a letter would arrive in a few days with cancellation details etc.

Fast forward almost a week, and no letters, and I'm starting to get a little paranoid.
Of course, sods law and stuff means a letter will arrive tomorrow, but does anyone know who is in the right here?

And how can I avoid being burned in future situations of this nature?

Thanks.

donnac2558

Every time you upgrade any service with Virgin and I believe Sky you are automatically put on a new 12 month contract. They rarely send letters, but it is in the terms and conditions which no one ever reads. So you really should be liable for the full 12 months from the upgrade.

andyguk

aye they start a new 12 month contract from the day you upgrade. I have phone, broadband and tv which started in May. I upgraded the tv in July and that kicked off a new 12 month contract for the tv part, which I was informed of over the phone. But with it being so close to the start of the original package it didn't really bother me.

There are a few niggly things regarding VM, eg moving the ondemand service to XL TV, and some crazy folk in the tech support team, but apart from that they aren't that bad I suppose.

Laithour

And they don't have to tell me at any stage of my upgrade that this will be tying me down for another 12 months?
That doesn't sound right..

landyswitch

hi and sorry if im doing the wrong thing by putting my post here, im new to all this so please forgive me.
i have been with telewest who then changed to virgin media for a number of years, due to now owing 3 months worth as i have got in to money problems and i am on benifits with four young children, i have tried to canel the contract so they stop adding more rentals for the tv, phone and pc and make an arrangement to pay my debt off. the lady (virgin customer services )said i couldnt cancel my contract until id paid my debt which means ill never be free of debt or get the service they are not giving me as i cant aford it anymore, i want a freeview etc.
does anyone have a letter i can download if i can cancel or what my rights are , i have to wait now to talk to credit services on monday, please help:eek:

macman

landyswitch wrote: »

hi and sorry if im doing the wrong thing by putting my post here, im new to all this so please forgive me.
i have been with telewest who then changed to virgin media for a number of years, due to now owing 3 months worth as i have got in to money problems and i am on benifits with four young children, i have tried to canel the contract so they stop adding more rentals for the tv, phone and pc and make an arrangement to pay my debt off. the lady (virgin customer services )said i couldnt cancel my contract until id paid my debt which means ill never be free of debt or get the service they are not giving me as i cant aford it anymore, i want a freeview etc.
does anyone have a letter i can download if i can cancel or what my rights are , i have to wait now to talk to credit services on monday, please help:eek:

Are you still in contract? You can cancel whenever you like, but if so they will charge you an early termination fee equivalent to what you would have paid until the end of the minimum term. And of course they will still want the arrears as well.

landyswitch

since my last home move 3 years ago, but have had and swapped differant phone (landline down grade and then i cannceled it as my mobby is cheaper, but they dont or forget to cut it off unless i dont pay???? ie a week late...whoops. so i had the fast broadband 2 years at least and the xl package for the tv and thats over three years the phone i stopped( well rang three times) but wont call out on anyway )down graded about 4 months ago. surley they cant put people on benifits that struggle (im disabled) in to more and hardship causing to more debt when i want to make an arrangement to pay them off?? and not get more than the 3 months behind i am?? plus also pay for service they have cut off???

ps does any one know a cheap.....and i mean cheap as chips with low .....lowwwwwwww install fee as i have a virgin phone not bt??. this is through my mobby and it will cost loads..:eek: