Virgin Media charging for unconnected calls

Popoff

Ok so confusion sets in as I posted this over an hour ago but it just never appeared so forgive me for posting it again.

We have been with Virgin Media since 2007 and apart from the bi monthly " there is a fault in your area" and the pathetic customer service from Bombay where it is clear they no nothing other than what is on the scree, things have been ok.

That was until this month when our phone bill came and for the first time I actually looked at it.

What? you never read your phone bill I hear you shout!

Well let me explain. Our bills are always very little really. We have XL tv/ M bb and unlimited calls on the phone so we know that with service charges of 53 quid per month roughly where our bill should be. I use the phone for work which is why I pay for unlimited landlines and usually estimate about 20.00 for mobile calls to clients.

This month however I expected it to be less than the usual 20.00 mobile calls as work was very quiet in December.

Anyway I digress. The phone bill listed a lot of mobile numbers all duration 1.00 and all either 0.19p or 0.24p. .....Strange.

I recognised the numbers as my sons and my daughters and thats when it clicked.

They had charged me for unanswered calls. You know the sort of prank or missed calls you make.......no?

In order to save money instead of calling my sons mobile for example and being charged 15p per min I dial his number and let it ring twice. I then hang up and he receives a missed call. He then returns the call using his free minutes. I'm sure many members here do that.

The issue here is that VM charged me for each one of those calls and to make matters worse when I checked back they have been doing so for over a year. back until Nov 2008 as far as I can go back.

I searched Vm website and discovered that they charge 10p connection charge then 15p per minute.

I called Virgin media and asked them to explain this as I was confused. I'm 38 and am not senile yet but just could not get my head around this.

I asked them to explain Virgin Medias definition of a connected call. The agent said they were not sure but would check. they returned saying that a connected call was when the number dialled was answered by either a human or automated service.

Ok I said. Thats clear.

In that case can you explain why I have been charged for these calls when they were only dialled and were never answered by either of those methods?

They then said they would look into matters and call me back. They never did. I called them the next day to see what was happening and to tell them I had traced it back to 2008 so far and an amount just under 150GBP.

They said they would pass it to the technical team and call me back later. They did not.

Next day I received a letter from them saying that they had looked into things and the calls were made and so the standing charges would remain.

I called them back and asked why. They said I made the calls I must pay to which I again explained that as the calls were never answered they should not be chargeable according to what they told me. Oh No they said. Thats wrong.

You are charged from when the number dialled starts to ring!

I could go on forever with the way they have changed their mind and suggested many ways that avoids them accepting liability such as:

1) The call went to voicemail. ( nope. its not setup)

2) the call was answered. ( nope it wasn't, each call is listed for 1 second to 3 seconds)

3) The call rang out and was terminated meaning it was chargable.


Each one anything but there is a fault or I have been wrongly charged.

Can anyone help here?

Is it correct that Virgin Media charge just fr a phone being dialled and allowing the ringing to start?

Is it acceptable to charge a customer just for dialling a number?

Can I do anything about these charges?

I am out of contract with Virgin and have just signed up to sky as I feel like I have been swindled and treated like a liar and a thief by VM.

DVardysShadow

It is too late for my advice. I would have started diarying unanswered calls and then raised a dispute on specifics.

Popoff

No

Can you expand on this at all?

The point is that if I dial unanswered calls they are charging me therefore if I dial numerous unanswered calls then I will end up being charged for these again.

I may have signed up for sky but nothing is going to be installed until the middle of Feb so i have to stay with Virgin until then and even so I intend to try and get refunded for the calls to date.

I have contacted Ofcom and Cisas ( Cisas timescale of 8 weeks was avoided due to the letter vm sent me which I took as a deadlock letter)


Thanks for replying....dont forget to vote. Even if I do not succeed surely this practice needs to be stopped.

Comparison:

If I use a BT payphone to dial a mobile and allow it to ring twice then hang up I get my inserted money refunded. No connection no charge. How can VM decide they are better than that and charge people?

DVardysShadow

As you have a move date, I wouldn't bother. But if you duairy them and the fact thatthey did not pick up, then you have evidence to dispute the charges - only for those calls, of course.

Popoff

No

I have evidence by way of call logs for the mobiles called. All calls are listed as missed calls on these numbers however Virgin Media say they charge 9.75p connection charge and 15ppm call charge. They now insist this is from when connection is made to the network which is when the phone rings so they have covered their backs but are effectively charging for calls that are unanswered.

Absolutely disgusting and OFCOM should not allow this.

Anyone got any thoughts on the matter?

Martin where do we as consumers stand with regards this scandalous act of charging?

Inactive

Nobody is forced to use Virgin surely?

Popoff

No

Inactive wrote: »

Nobody is forced to use Virgin surely?

That is true however that is not the question here.

The question is should it really be allowed for a company such as Virgin to charge their customers simply for dialling a mobile phone number or should they play fair and only charge when the call is answered either via human means or via diversion to an automated service?

The latest suggestion by them is that " if you get the family onto Virgin mobile then we will not charge connection fee "

Is this not just a way to get people to have virgin mobile too.

Is it right that we should have to pay to simply dial a mobile number irrespective of whether it is answered or not?

Do these companies not make enough money without resorting to sneaky methods to boost profits?

Fairwinds

I use the orchid dialer to route all mobile calls away from Virgin Media. So no mobile calls go to virgin media. They are only used for the free calls.

Inactive

Popoff wrote: »

That is true however that is not the question here.

The question is should it really be allowed for a company such as Virgin to charge their customers simply for dialling a mobile phone number or should they play fair and only charge when the call is answered either via human means or via diversion to an automated service?

The latest suggestion by them is that " if you get the family onto Virgin mobile then we will not charge connection fee "

Is this not just a way to get people to have virgin mobile too.

Is it right that we should have to pay to simply dial a mobile number irrespective of whether it is answered or not?

Do these companies not make enough money without resorting to sneaky methods to boost profits?

It may well not be the " question " but it seems the obvious answer to me, if you don't like the T&C's of a business, vote with your wallet/purse.

Virgin is a business after all, no amount of whinging on here will change their business model.

Mark_In_Hampshire

No

Virgin Media website, Help section, how much do calls cost PDF document, page 3:

Direct dialled call charges

Call charges are shown in pence per minute but you will be charged for the time you are connected to the network.

exup

I agree - it seems a little tight fisted to charge for dialled numbers that don't answer. But the T/Cs say when you are connected to the network. Unfortunately when you rang to ask, the support staff member who answered didnt have a clue what their own T and Cs meant, this isnt suprising and I have found quite a few companies where the staff havent really had a clue what is going on, and you can get a diiferent story from each different member of staff you talk to.
Unfortunately they make sure they have every base covered in print - even if its hidden in pages and pages of mind numbing text on their TandCs