problem with Virgin media collect + points being out of date

katejo

I am supposed to be returning an old Virgin V box to them. Their website provides official collection points local to customers. It gave me 2 possible shops. The first has refused it, saying that they do not offer this service anymore. I rang the 2nd and left a message on the voicemail but no answer.
I have reported this problem to Virgin but I am still concerned that they will try to charge me for not returning it. They offered to collect it from my house but I am not willing to waste a whole day off work for that.
Has anyone else had the same problem/actually been charged for not returning it?

chanz4

Yes people have been charged for it

jb66

Ask them to collect it from work/neighbour

katejo

PaulCollect+ wrote: »

Hi Katejo, Sorry to hear that you have had problems with finding a Collect+ store to send your Virgin Media box. If you drop an email to [EMAIL="Paul@Collectplus.co.uk"]Paul@Collectplus.co.uk[/EMAIL], with a short description of the stores mentioned, we can investigate this for you and find you a suitable alternative store if required.

Many thanks,

^Collect + team

Thanks

I am sending an email to the above address.

katejo

PaulCollect+ wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]Hi Katejo,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Looking back on our previous reply we have just noticed a mistake in our email address! So please accept our apologies. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]If you drop an email to the correct email address which is [EMAIL="PaulG@Collectplus.co.uk"]PaulG@Collectplus.co.uk[/EMAIL] with a short description of the stores mentioned, we will investigate this for you and find you a suitable alternative store if required.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Many thanks,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Collect+ team[/FONT]

I will send a copy of my previous email when I get home as I don't have access to the info here. The one sent to the incorrect email did not bounce back.

spike7451

Yes,people have been charged for the unreturned equipment,anything up to £240 depending on type & number of items.

katejo

katejo wrote: »

I will send a copy of my previous email when I get home as I don't have access to the info here. The one sent to the incorrect email did not bounce back.

I have now sent the details to the amended PaulG address.

katejo

katejo wrote: »

I will send a copy of my previous email when I get home as I don't have access to the info here. The one sent to the incorrect email did not bounce back.

I sent an email last night but it has just given me an 'out of office' notice and asked me to contact a Mr Lawrence in the Collect Plus office. I tried another of the VM collection points in E17 today (Blackhorse Road) but the member of staff knew nothing about it. Said I would have to try again later and speak to the manager.

katejo

PaulCollect+ wrote: »

Hi KateJo,

Just received an update from Paul G, that he has been in touch with regards to your question and this has now been resolved.

If you have any other questions please feel free to get back in touch!

Kindest regards
[FONT=&quot]Collect+ team[/FONT]

Yes thanks. I have spoken to him and I have a place to drop it off. Will try to do so on Saturday.

Elroch

I have come to the conclusion over the last couple of weeks that Virginmedia may be running a deliberate scam involving making illegal charges to ex-customers.

I moved house and left Virginmedia. As my move was to an non-Virginmedia area I arranged to have my old equipment collected from my father's house at an agreed time. I was very careful to ensure that Virginmedia had the correct address and postcode for the pickup.

They failed to collect the equipment or to contact either me or my father (I gave landline and mobile numbers for both myself and my father at the time I arranged the pick-up). No excuse from Virginmedia at any time, and no explanation even now for their failure to do what they had said they would.

Today I find someone went to my old flat and left a threatening letter explaining how Virginmedia were going to charge me up to £250 if I didn't return my equipment. Obviously, not living there anymore, I didn't immediately hear about this.

Anyhow, on phoning Virginmedia today it was explained to me that they were going to pick up the equipment from my father this afternoon. Their representative carefully checked the address, giving an impression of genuine intent.

I predicted that they would fail to show up again. After the specified slot had ended I checked and found that my prediction was proved correct.

So I phoned them again. This time they suggested sending a jiffy bag to my father to send the equipment back to them. They also were helpful enough to patch me through to a line to determine why no-one had turned up for the second time. Except the line eventually diverted me to an automated message which made it clear it was not for customers and that there was no way I could get through to anyone.

I anticipate a high probability of this jiffy bag never arriving. I hope to be proved wrong.

Anyhow, my conclusion is that this looks like an organised scam by Virrginmedia where they deliberately fail to collect equipment within the specified time and then charge ex-customers a hefty fee using the existing direct debit arrangement, expecting quite a few customers to not subject themselves to still more trouble by contesting the charge. If so, this must be a nice little earner for Virginmedia. If I get any more evidence that this is the case, I will be reporting Virginmedia to the police, as I understand that this would fall under criminal law rather than merely civil law.

Elroch

Update
=====

A week after saying a jiffy bag would be sent, there was no sign of it (surprise, surprise).

Another call to virginmedia got more appalling b/s. Specifically, the operative stated that on that day (30th July), an attempt had been made to pick up the set-top box. I was absolutely certain that no such attempt had been made (as there had been no visitors and no phone calls), so I checked to see if the address for the pick-up was correct (it was).

What can be concluded from the interesting fact that on two occasions phone calls to virginmedia support staff led to statements from them that on that exact day a completely unexpected (and unagreed) pickup was to take place? I have to conclude that they are trained to lie, on the grounds that no-one would be able to prove that they are doing so. It just seems too much of a co-incidence that two of their staff choose to make up identical falsehoods on different occasions.

Anyhow, the virginmedia operative told that another jiffy bag will be delivered for the return of their equipment. Anyone believe this?