Can I cancel Virgin after the initial 28 days - I feel conned!

Anne_J

Hi All
Was hoping someone could kindly offer me some help and advice on this matter - I will try and make it as brief as possible!!

I was with Sky and decided to cancel & go with virgin. I ordered the virgin service on the 21st August on the internet via quidco, then phoned them up to double check that my phone number could be ported over. I explained that I would not be moving over to virgin unless my number was ported and was told that would be no problem.

On the 2nd September, Virgin was installed and the engineer couldnt understand why my number wasn't ported over after he installed everything- yet again I explained I did not want virgin if I could not have my phone number.

Since then I have contacted Virgin at least 3 times a week to ask for my number, everytime they say they have no record on the system and they would put a request in and it would take up to 7 days.

Near the end of the 28 day cancellation, I was yet again promised that I could have the number ported and I explained that I thought they were fobbing me off so I ran over the 28 day period. I was promised that the number would be ported this time, but if it ran over the 28 days and the number was still not ported over, that I didn't need to worry and I could still cancel. I had explained that I had not used the virgin phoneline at all as no one knew the number and that the broadband was to remain unopened in the box until everything was working. I was promised that I would also recieve compensation for this hastle.

On the 5th October, the number was still not ported, so I phoned to cancel - I was told by the cancellations department that they do not deal with cancellations over the 28 days and I would need to email them via the virgin website and someone would contact me within 48 days.

I emailed my cancellation request with yet again no phonecall, and have been on the phone to them again tonight. I have been told that I need to pay £180 for early disconnection charge and there was nothing I could do about it - even though they still could not port my number over!!

No one has bothered contacting me from virgin throughout all of this period and I dont know what I can do. I cancelled the direct debit payment before the 10th October so no money has been taken apart from the initial £49 for the box and still no one phoned.

I have now gone back to sky and have the virgin stuff in the box - do I have any rights as they did not port my number over as promised.
Unfortunatly I did not take names etc from each person I spoke to as I didn't realise it would lead to this.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
(sorry - my brief explanation seems a little longer that I anticipated!)

PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

speric07

Anne,

Don't worry about not taking names of Virgin representatives you spoke to, they are employees for Virgin and your contract is with them not the staff. OFCOM will not worry about people you talked to only the sequence of events etc.

Any further correspondance / contact from this point forward make sure that you copy the letter, send via recorded post and take down name, dates and times of contacts.

Phone calls and e-mails will not get you anywhere at this stage, you are best off writing a letter to their complaints department, as follows;

Virgin Media
The Marketing Department
Virgin Media
160 Great Portland Street
London
W1W 5QA

www.
virgin.net/terms/salescode
.shtml

Make sure you stay calm and collected in your response, as if it does go to OFCOM then they may want correspondence.

Having read their code of conduct they are "kind of" breaking the following;

www.
virgin.net/terms/salescode
.shtml


During the Carrier Pre-Select switchover period there will be a process which allows customers to take service and use a 'no cost' cancellation where they change their mind. Customers will be made aware that they have the right to change their minds during the switchover period (the "switchover period" is the time between the confirmation of the order by Virgin Media and the switch on/over date of the service (a minimum of 10 working days).

Customers can cancel orders and terminate contracts by telephone, in writing, by fax or by email.

Although they have switched your virgin on, they have not switched over your number, therefore the contract has not been completed and you can cancel at no cost.

Go down this route in the letter, state the sequence of events and the fact that you required your number porting due to business requirements / personal reasons

Then go on to explain that you have been so let down by Virgin you have had no alternative but to go back to Sky as your current number is essential to your everyday business.

Now state what you want, to cancel free of charge with a full refund of installation costs. PLease remember if you went through Quidco you may have to surrender your cashback.

Now state durations 48 days is not acceptable for a complaint response, state you want it to be acknowledged within 14 days and fully closed within 28 days. State that on day 29 you will be going to their regulator OFCOM to alow them to carry out an investigation.

(They would be foolish to let it go to OFCOM as they stand to loose about £400 for their investigation + any man hours pulling your data from their systems)

Good luck - I had a similar problem with BT and the OFCOM threat was the only solution.

Apologies for the spelling, using a netbook and the keys are smaller!

Anne_J

Thank you very much!! That is very reassuring!! I will be writing them, a letter tonight!!

ACDeag

speric07 wrote: »

........Make sure you stay calm and collected in your response, as if it does go to OFCOM then they may want correspondence.

You wont be able to go to Ofcom immediately, you have to follow VM's dispute procedure, Ofcom will insist that you first use CISAS (Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme).

Have a look at their Code of Practice here for their complaints procedure.

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/pdf/code_of_practice_0607.pdf