Virgin Media

ddkd

I am a customer with Virgin Media and whilst I have no complaint about their services I do about there method of charging. I pay my account monthly via internet banking which to me is similar to direct debit or Virgins own online payment facility. And yet they charge me a £5 'handling' fee just because I do not use their method. To cap it all they also charge £1.25 for sending me their bill-way above first class post rates.:mad:

Does anyone else share my anger at these charges and as I see it freedom of choice when it comes to paying/receiving bills?

Mark_In_Hampshire

Yes. It's all part of the grand plan for suppliers to essentially attach to your income and change the nature of the contract to "we will only deal with you if you let us pay ourselves".

I would no more allow that than I would sign up with a power company who insisted that the house remained unlocked at all times even when we're out, just in case they want to read the meter at any time without notice.

There are so many failings with the direct debit system it's hard to know where to begin and so many threads on these forums pertain to DD issues. It is best avoided.

Ever wondered why companies will let you choose the date of your DD? That's because they prefer it to be on the day after you get paid, so for variable bills they're first in line to get paid in case you don't have enough funds to pay everyone.

The funny thing is that many people (about 60%) use the DD system thinking it's for their benefit, whereas DD is solely for the supplier's benefit.

Buzby

Like you, I'm a good customer, pay on time and because of their incompetence of two separate occasions, refuse to give them ANY DD Mandate. Since the charges were introduced, I was told to call quarterly and ask for a goodwill rebate. Then I had £12pq credited to my account, until they were told to stop this, and the crediting ended.

Having paid the charge for 12 months, I prepared court documents to take them to the Small Claims Court and get the £60 back. Informing both the MD of the day (and got an email back) a minion 'looked into it', but was told the charges were 'fair' and they would defend any action.

The action was scheduled and duly served, I then get a call saying they'vew reconsidered, and as a measure of customer 'goodwill' the £5 fee would be reduced to £1.50pm. Now, this presented me with a problem.

I was fully confident that they could not justify £60pa in billing charges, I was not so sure I would sustain this when it was 'just' £18.00pa I would have to be sure I had a judge that shared my view that the cost of processing and collecting payments should come from their own profit line, not as an additional charge on me. As a result, I discontinued the action, and are retaining all my bills (in PDF form) to claim back all these £1.50's should it subsequently be found that consumers should not be held responsible for payment costs.

In the meantime, my bills show the £5 non DD fee, with a compensating £3.50 payment credit. I suggest you do the same.

Heinz

Clever response to your SCC summons - reducing the amount to the same as BT charge (i.e. £1.50/month instead of £5),

Buzby

Yep - moral victory, but no more than that. The risk is then mine if I proceed. However, anyone paying the £5 without any rebate has only to ask for it, and then threaten court to get the rebate.

Not ideal, but better than a poke in the eye!

ACDeag

ddkd wrote: »

To cap it all they also charge £1.25 for sending me their bill-way above first class post rates.:mad:

Of course sending you a paper bill will cost more than just postage, there are machines to be maintained to print and put them in an envelope and then there is the cost of the paper and envelopes. Not £1.25 but still more than 39p postage.

SPANIEL36

why not sign up for e bill thats what i do

mazza111

Well the way they used to explain it to the minions who worked there is...

Printing the bill costs money, posting the bill costs money, every giro slip they print off costs them a fee to girobank. (Dunno if it's true but it's what they told us to tell customers.)

Anyway of collecting bills other than DD costs them money.

Many companies used to absorb these costs, but are now passing them on to the customer.

These are part or their T & C, if you don't like them, suggestion to go elsewhere. I understand many people like myself have been with VM before these charges were introduced, so find them unfair, but the charges have been in place for long enough to bring all the old customers out of contract and therefore free to move without incurring penalties.

Sorry if that seems harsh, but I don't understand why, when people don't like the T&C that they don't just move

Buzby

>Many companies used to absorb these costs, but are now passing them on to the customer.

Makes you wonder.

The cost to these companies was NOT 'absorbed' it was the cost of doing business. Why don't they charge for the electricity they use and for the loo rolls in the staff toilets?

I forgot, they do already - it's called their 'profit margin' and built into the £65 I pay them every month.


Charging additionally because you might want a bill in paper form, or not pay they way they would like you to - is only being tried on because they've been allowed to.

And more fool us for believing that we HAVE to pay their 'additional' costs.

ACDeag

Buzby wrote: »

>Many companies used to absorb these costs, but are now passing them on to the customer.

Makes you wonder.

The cost to these companies was NOT 'absorbed' it was the cost of doing business. Why don't they charge for the electricity they use and for the loo rolls in the staff toilets?

I forgot, they do already - it's called their 'profit margin' and built into the £65 I pay them every month.


Charging additionally because you might want a bill in paper form, or not pay they way they would like you to - is only being tried on because they've been allowed to.

And more fool us for believing that we HAVE to pay their 'additional' costs.

or those of us who don't mind e-bills have to pay extra to cover the costs of those people who insist on paper bills.

Buzby

Twist it any way you like - but if you buy something it WH Smith's, the till gives a receipt. Should they charge you for that? What if you go to Comet for that flat screen TV, £1 for a big invoice?

Be rational. If you don't want a bill. Take a discount. Trying to screw everyone else because they (a) don't trust them to add up 2+2, and (2) don't give them free reign to empty their bank account with any amount on any day, is hardly treating customers with respect.

They tried giving discounts but that cost them money, this way they make it - and at everyone else's expense.

Makes you proud, doesn't it?