Virgin Media Set-Top Box - A CAUTIONARY TALE!

stripelord

Hi all,

I recently cancelled my subscription with Virgin Media after 5 years because they couldn't provide a TV service at my new address. After a few weeks I was cleaning up the flat and decided to throw out my Virgin Set-Top box (the bog-standard Samsung one). Last night a chap from Virgin came round to my flat asking for their box back. It turns out that as I don't have it any more I am going to have to pay a £250 charge.

I'm sure this may be old-news to a lot of people, but I was completely unaware of this kind of clause in their contract. I want to share my experience in the hope of preventing someone else from going through the same thing.

If you leave your digital TV subscriber, DON'T throw out your equipment!

spike7451

The's a sticker on the bottom of all NTL/Telewest/VM kit saying "Property of NTL" ect.
Unlike Sky,who charge for service calls after the initial year's contract because you then own the equipment,NTL (who I worked for as a service tech) give free service calls because you dont own the equipment ever.The boxes are also useless when turned off from the network which is meant to stop theft of service.

juliescot

stripelord wrote: »

Hi all,

I recently cancelled my subscription with Virgin Media after 5 years because they couldn't provide a TV service at my new address. After a few weeks I was cleaning up the flat and decided to throw out my Virgin Set-Top box (the bog-standard Samsung one). Last night a chap from Virgin came round to my flat asking for their box back. It turns out that as I don't have it any more I am going to have to pay a £250 charge.

I'm sure this may be old-news to a lot of people, but I was completely unaware of this kind of clause in their contract. I want to share my experience in the hope of preventing someone else from going through the same thing.

If you leave your digital TV subscriber, DON'T throw out your equipment!

If your provider is Sky and you leave them you are of course at liberty to do what you will with the equipment as it is yours.

(sorry to hear that you have to pay Virgin )

adouglasmhor

I have got 2 boxes and a V+ box bukshee, if you were near me I would have dropped one of and you could have said you found it.

spike7451

adouglasmhor wrote: »

I have got 2 boxes and a V+ box bukshee, if you were near me I would have dropped one of and you could have said you found it.

They can tell where the box comes from the MAC Code when it goes of to screen & clean but it's doubtful they'd notice cause they're thick!
(Once had a load of 'screened' PACE boxes for service calls...over 3/4 of them were still faulty when we went to use them!)

adouglasmhor

I know but as you say they are not the brightest buttons inthe box. A female friend used to get to keep them by flirting with the ntl/Virgin engineer who lived upstairs every time she had a problem with the system (she was busty, blonde and a spam -comlete with southern accent, so he fell for it every time). The V+ has not been plugged in since I got it so it's not wiped or locked yet. Got 2 modems from her as well.

roguemoo

They took a few weeks to come and collect it? Could you not claim they waited an unreasonable length of time before asking for it back?

spike7451

roguemoo wrote: »

They took a few weeks to come and collect it? Could you not claim they waited an unreasonable length of time before asking for it back?

No,It's in the T&C's & the collections are often done by contractors.If I'm correct,you are obliged to keep it for 6 months &,if it's not collected after that time,then you can bin it.
Quite often the old Analog STB's & SACM's are'nt collected as the former is outdated & the SACM's are cheap as chips but the Digi STB's are.

E Using our equipment

1. Where we hire equipment to you it will be our property at all times and we may need to alter or replace it from time to time. For us to do this, we will need reasonable access to your home .
2. You are responsible for making sure that our equipment is safe and used properly at all times. To do this, you agree to do the following:
   1. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and any other instructions we have given you;
   2. Keep the equipment under your control (for example, you may not sell it, lend it or hire it out to anyone else, put it up as security for a loan or mortgage, or allow it to be seized under any legal process against you). You must not move our equipment from your home without our permission;
   3. Insure any of our equipment against any loss, theft or damage for the full replacement value;
   4. Not remove, tamper with or cross out any words or labels on our equipment ;
   5. Take proper care at all times to prevent the loss or theft of our equipment .
3. You agree to tell us immediately about any loss or damage to any part of our equipment . You should do this by phoning, emailing or writing to our Customer Care team. You agree that you are responsible for any loss of or damage to the equipment , regardless of how it happens. We will charge you for any loss of or damage to the equipment .
4. If we or you end these agreements , or you decide to disconnect from some of our services , you must return our equipment to us (or let us collect it from you if we choose to do this). You must return equipment or make it available for collection in a reasonable condition, allowing for fair wear and tear. If you fail to return or make available the equipment for collection for any reason, we are entitled to charge you for the replacement cost of the equipment . If we hold any money we may use that money towards the cost of the equipment . If we have supplied you with any additional equipment , we'd encourage you to dispose of it responsibly if you're no longer using it so please contact us for further information about disposing of your additional equipment .

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/legal/oncable/terms.html

gregnash

i cancelled it within 3 days as it was terrible, and they've never collected the v+ hd box, or the router, and modem. i read a bit about not selling it as Virgin still own them, but if they came to collect it, im guessing u could just say 'the guy came ages ago to collect it, i haven't got it' and ud probably get away scott free. the only reason i wanna keep it, is im guessing theres a 2.5" SATA HDD in there (i think 320GB), that i can put in my ps3.


hmmmm. maybe ill wait a few more months (its been here for about 3 months)

spike7451

gregnash wrote: »

i cancelled it within 3 days as it was terrible, and they've never collected the v+ hd box, or the router, and modem. i read a bit about not selling it as Virgin still own them, but if they came to collect it, im guessing u could just say 'the guy came ages ago to collect it, i haven't got it' and ud probably get away scott free. the only reason i wanna keep it, is im guessing theres a 2.5" SATA HDD in there (i think 320GB), that i can put in my ps3.


hmmmm. maybe ill wait a few more months (its been here for about 3 months)

Wrong,the boxes are scanned when they are returned to the stores.If a guy came to collect your box he'd give you a reciept & keep a copy.The contractors who collect the boxes are given run sheets & these are returned with the serial number of the box collected on it.
Read paragraph 4 in the terms I posted above.If you dont return the box,be prepared for a letter from a debt collector.
Modems & routers are'nt normally collected because they are so cheap.

gregnash

how are we to know that?? to be honest, if a guy came round with a virgin t-shirt on and asked to collect the box, i'd have given it to him and not known i should have received a receipt.

having looked online tho, and through the holes on the bottom, its a 160GB IDE HDD. cheap crap anyway, probably couldn't give it away