I can't believe this.

swd

Hi, I have my TV, broadband and phone with Virgin Media. My billing is paperless and is paid each month by DD. Due to a recent death in the family my phone bill was unusually high. On Friday evening of last week I received a call from Virgin. After going through the usual security checks I was informed that my phone bill was high. This I already knew because I'd received my usual e-mail regarding payment.

Then out of the blue I was asked to pay the bill there and then over the phone with a credit card. Now Virgin have had no problem with the DD in the past so the monthly bill has always been paid. Bl**dy cheek. That's it I'm now off. Has this happened to anyone else?

Heinz

You received a phone call but had to go through 'security' checks? Surely it should have been the other way round. They phoned you, didn't they?

You may be more 'off' than you think.

BT subscriberrs have been receiving those sort of scam calls for some time.

Are you sure it was Virgin Media?

Did you give them your card details? Check your account immediately.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/8316094.stm

swd

No I didn't give them my card details. There's no way that I'd ever give my details out over the phone regardless of who they say they are. The guy I spoke to new who I had called and when. He had all the information to hand. So if it wasn't Virgin, then either my account has been hacked, or it's a Virgin employee acting independently for their own ends.

Heinz

I received a call the other day allegedly from insure, the company with which I had recently taken out car insurance. They tried to get me to go through 'security' checks and I reminded them they were calling me so I would be the one doing the checks.

I asked for the name of the insurance company underwriting my policy. They could not answer. I asked for the first, third and last digts of my policy number. They could not answer.

The call didn't last long after that.

I immediately found an 0800 number online and called to check whether the call had actually been from my insurers. It transpired that a separate company was tasked with calling to try to get punters to take out the Legal Assistance and other add-ons.

I'll be changing insurers next year.

Mark_In_Hampshire

If the usage is abnormally high then this can happen, since your phone service is essentially a credit account and probably has a "hidden" credit limit in line with policy.

For instance when we had a BT line years ago and it was set up incorrectly so it could not have broadband, I used about £200 in dial-up internet charges over that period on my first bill, and then on top of being charged that through no fault of my own I then had the line "limited" by BT so I couldn't spend any more until I'd paid some.

Buzby

I think I'd take issue with stating it was a 'credit account'. It most certainly isn't - neither regulated, notional or otherwise. It is simple an account. What IS unusual (in the case of VM) is that one part of the business will call you and say you've reached your limit they are prepared to allow without a contribution to keep the services (whatever arbitrary amount this is, and of course unknown to the consumer), when their virtual mobile operation will allow many hundreds of pounds to be run up when your mobile is stolen, or you've gone abroad and clocked up a roaming bill to make your eyes water.

In this latter case, the customer is left with the potential of having their financial record wrecked if the amount isn't paid within good time - yet, watch a few Pay events on your TV and your service is restricted.

Am I alone in believing there is a double standard here?

Anyone who now finds themselves in a similar situation, but with a horrendous mobile bill, should maintain that, as VM restrict cable customers for making more use of their service than normal, the same rules should apply for those using mobile. The fact the T&Cs are different, as are the billing systems is a minor point - it cannot be 'company policy' for one part of the business, yet not for another.

Such a complaint would put them very much on the back foot, and open the door for further negotiation, where they would normally not entertain any discussion.

Buzby

In an addemdum to this thread, I have tihs week recieved a letter through the post from 'Virgin Media Payments Ltd' telling my I have a credit limit of £140 on my account. In it, they say my services will be restricted if I go over this limit. My response was as follows;

Dear Ms X,

Further to your letter dated 22nd August reference RCLA, I'm afraid I remain totally confused as to the reason for this being written, as your explanation appears to have nothing to do with the business relationship I have with Virgin Media Ltd.

As to the matter at hand, 'Virgin Media Payments Ltd' is a third party that I have no contractural relationship with. My services are supplied by Virgin Media Ltd., should they wish to have their customer payments directed through an intermediary, that is their choice. That said, my involvement with VMP is one only of a remittance acceptance intermediary. I have neither requested or made use of 'credit' and as all accounts are settled within 30 days of presentation, as far as I am aware there is no debtor/lender situation extant with regard to the relationship I have with Virgin Media Ltd, or indeed yourselves

As noted earlier, I have no formal relationship with Virgin Media Payments Ltd, therefore the arrangements you have with your parent company of your private concern. I have contracted Virgin Media to provide various services which I pay for on a regular basis (and indeed have done so over the same piece of cable for over 15 years). Should ANY of my services be interrupted due to a notional 'limit' being reached, I will take this as Virgin Media's enforced withdrawal as an intimation that they no longer wish my business and have summarily terminated their agreement (whether with or without prior notice). As my agreement is for bills to be settled monthly, there is no requirement for me to 'top-up' such usage.

Should there be any danger of these services being interrupted because an arbitrary limit has been reached, it would be up to Virgin Media Ltd to resolve, and with a monthly billing cycle already providing revenue of £80.00 per month, the limit you advise that has been set (£140.00) appears to be unreasonably low for someone who spends almost £1,000pa on Virgin services, I am sure you would not wish to be instrumental in losing long-term valued customers for your parent company because of an ill thought out process.

Just so that you know, and for the avoidance of doubt: Should you (as Virgin Payments Ltd) or Virgin Media suspend any or all of my contracted services whilst my monthly payments continue to be made on a regular basis as required under contract, this will be taken as a fundamental breach of the terms previously agreed between us. A formal notice will be delivered to your Registered Office address confirming said restriction, providing providing 7 days notice to restore full service.

If such restoration does not take place within the designated timeframe, it will be construed as the contract being terminated adversely by Virgin Media, and any 'minimum term' arrangements for service or equipment expiring after the notice period will be deemed invalid. As payments are made in advance for service, a claim will be made for any outstanding period for services that hae been paid for and not provided. As you require customers to provide a 30-day notice period for any cancellation, it would be reasonable to request the same in return, in that following adverse termination or restriction you become liable for the cost of 30 days services whilst I arrange an alternative supplier. Finally, with regard to my telephone number, one which I have had for over 34 years (and ported to you a few years ago), I require this number to be released on demand to the new supplier. Should the use of this number be lost through error or other situation, I reserve the right to pursue either (or both) companies for the full costs in restoring the telephone number to use by all means necessary. Should either Virgin company supply erroneous data to a credit reference agency concerning he conduct of my account during any dispute, the costs of rectifying this will also be recovered.

If your letter was meant to be a modification of the terms Virgin Media Ltd operate under in their dealings with me, I suggest you ask them to write and ask for my express agreement. As it stands, with no contract binding me to Virgin Media Payments Ltd, please accept this letter as a rejection of the contents of your letter dated 22nd August for the reasons previously stated.

In closing, as a long standing customer, your letter - as it stands - provides a no protection for customers to recieve the services that they have paid for should you arbitrarily withdraw their services. Under those circumstances, I would certainly not be prepared to deal with a company that cared nothing for customer loyalty, and expected me to find a PayPoint outlet to 'top up' my account.

Kind regards,


Money-Saving readers should watch out for this and respond in a similar manner - you HAVE NO contract with VM Payments.