Advice needed on Virgin Media disconnection.

rwillie09

Hello All,

I was hoping to get some advice from the forum members on this site regarding an ongoing issue that a friend of mine is having with Virgin Media. You all seem to be very knowledgeable and we really do not know what to do.

My friend has had a landline and broadband connection with Virgin Media for about 2 years now. About 3 weeks ago, she received a letter from Virgin saying that her phone line was to be disconnected in 2 weeks. She called customer services to let them know that this was some sort of mistake and to ask them to stop the disconnection. She was told by the adviser that a note had been put on the account to stop the disconnection but that most disconnection orders went through anyway. In the middle of last week, her phone line (and by extension internet connection) was disconnected. She called Virgin back to ask them what had happened to her line and was told that another provider had taken over the line. She was then told that this kind of thing happens all the time and that there was nothing that could be done. My friend was also told that she was no longer a Virgin Media customer and that if she wanted to reconnect, she would need to pay £100.

We really do not understand how this can even happen. How can a company disconnect the line, without permission, and charge for a reconnection? She had always paid her bills on time and we do not think that she should have to pay to have her line reconnected.

Is there anything that can be done? Does this kind of thing really happen all the time?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

rwillie09

Mark_In_Hampshire

What's happened is that a provider has instructed Openreach, who operate the exchanges and part of the network, that you've given permission for them to take over the service supply, so Openreach have happily obliged and terminated Virgin Media's service. (This can't happen in cabled areas, where the network is all Virgin's)

The "system" does not require that Openreach or the gaining provider have any kind of written documentation from you that you authorised it. The latter made an error and the former simply complied. Yes, this does happen quite often. The "system" allows errors like this. The point of informing you about the imminent change is so you can countermand it (how daft is that) which you did, but Virgin or Openreach's ineptitude has allowed it to go through.

However, none of this alters the contractual position. You have a contract with Virgin Media for supply, and they're now breaching that. Doesn't matter why or who is to blame. So I'd suggest a formal email or letter (if letter send recorded and keep a copy) stating that they're breaching contract, and that you want service restored within seven days or you'll be forced to seek legal redress in order to have them keep to the contract they agreed to. Check their Ts and Cs for how much compensation you should be entitled to for loss of service and claim that also.

This will probably put Virgin out of pocket as they pay Openreach to reconnect the line to you (and that's why they would prefer to fob you off), but then they can all argue amongst themselves and the regulator, it has nothing do with you.

At least, at the moment, if the landline is working, then all the calls are free, since whoever is supplying them is not contracted to do so, and you're not obliged to pay them anything.

Buzby

Although I like the sentiment in your last para Mark, only the line rental need not be paid by the OP, the cost of any calls - having been made by the OP will remain chargeable until the mess is sorted out.

This is directly related to what is a 'reasonable' course of action. If someone through ineptitude of error provides you with the capability of spending money, the user must refrain from doing so, OR pay whatever this cost - but you;re probably safe if only a few calls are made. You could not - for example use the time to call 0900 competition lines simply because you had no intention of paying.

Since the line has been slammed, Virgin themselves need to act, not wash their hands of it - and if nothing is done then a formal complaint to OFCOM about their inability to resolve the issue. It probably is simply a typo in a job order, but I agree, the system as designed is ripe for error.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Some wise words there from Buzby. The words "though you shouldn't take advantage of that" should have been at the end of my post.

spike7451

When I was at Sky,a certain company that has been voted the worst ISP cut off hundreds of Sky broadband customers who had their phonelines with this company when they changed their systems,stating that if a customer had the phone with them,they also had to get the broadband from them also.
Considering Sky broadband had only been running for around 5 months,that left these customers in a hell of a financial mess!

rwillie09

Thank you very much for all the responses. Unfortunately, the phone is dead so no calls can be made at all.

I think that it is very poor service on Virgin's end to refuse to help. I'm just happy to get some advice because feeling helpless is not pleasant at all.

I will suggest your advice Mark and will probably post something on here when it is all resolved, or it hits another snag.

Thanks again for all the advice.

iniltous

Something that seems strange here is that if the OP was a VM customer (non cable) and was slammed by another Telco, then why dont they have dialtone from their new (unwanted) provider, and usually when a losing CP send the 'sorry to see you go' letter, it usually has a paragraph about if you didnt request this change of provider call us to get the changeover stopped, for VM to state we will put a note on your account,but it will probably happen anyway, plus it will cost you to come back, is pretty poor customer service

Mark_In_Hampshire

Truly atrocious customer service indeed. Reading between the lines "It'll probably go through anyway" suggests VM don't have a lot of confidence in Openreach to act correctly. But that's not the customer's fault or problem.

Loss of dialtone could well be that the gaining provider has run a reconciliation type of check and found a line for which they have no customer, and ceased it. Maybe. We hypothesise.

Regardless, and just to reiterate, clearly and entirely in breach of contract.