Virgin Media - no service since Feb now being chased by debt collections agency

ironpetal

I was a VM broadband customer for over 12 months I had just gone into another 12 month contract with them. I moved flat in January this year and I kept them informed of this at all times. Ok they said no problem. I gave them my new address in the hope I was going to get connected. They replied ok no problem. When I moved they asked me who owned the block of flats I'd moved into (ok fair enough). I told them who my Landlord was. Then they emailed me and asked me to give them the names and addresses of people in my block of flats of who lived above me and who was below me(middle flat) and their phone numbers? I wrote emailed back and said sorry I dont know who these people are as I've just moved here I received further emails asking me the same thing over and over and I was replying back with my answer that I was unable to provide them with details of other block occupants.

I gave them my landlords address several times (for permission purposes to drill the wall) they never informed me if they had contacted them or not. They still emailed me asking for my Landlords address??? But stopped asking for other neighbour's details. I've kept all these emails. I had the same landlord in the last flat and never had this problem about permission to drill the wall (although I am in a middle flat now). My tenancy agreement states anyway that I do not need permission and they are ok with people installing cable. I also told VM this but still gave them the information they needed about my Landlord.

I am still not connected up 6 months later. Now I've just received a "formal Notice" from BPO Collections agency threatening me with what I "owe" and damaging my credit rating. I've had no paper bills to tell me what I should be paying but I did have them online -however the email account I originally had was closed down by gmail for putting in the incorrect date of birth on something (long story so wont bore you with the details)so I had no access to that one to see the bills . I've had no informal letter to warn me of impending doom financially. Is this legal to just send a formal warning without an informal reminder?

I have done everything asked of me by VM except provide personal information of the other occupants of the block of flats I live in and they have still made no effort to contact my landord despite sending them the address, website, phone number at least 3 times.

No effort has been made to connect me up. However, since moving here and speaking to some neighbours nobody around here appears to have virgin cable they say its due the "amount of trees" here (conservation area perhaps?). I assume by that they mean they wont allow Virgin to dig up the pavements and lay cables down. My contract is up in October. I really do not know what to do except start the ball rolling with a complaint. While I am not adverse to paying the money I owe (just to get rid of them) why should I be pay for a service I don't have at all??

Also am I going to get another letter from this debt agency for more money after I've paid up this amount. 129.60. What should I do about them?

I'm using a 3G dongle at the moment because I have no broadband connection. So any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

macman

If the street isn't already cabled up then VM aren't going to connect you and they should have told you this when you gave them the new address. In that circumstance you are still liable for the remainder of the minmum term that you signed up to before you moved.
Running a cable to a flat above the ground floor will require the permision of the freeholder, and and possibly the leaseholder in the flat over whose wall the cable will run.

ironpetal

Thanks for your reply macman but there is a contract injustice here regardless if I signed up to a contract or not so I think the only thing I can do is pay up but complain to them about their service. Based on the calculation of 9 months left on my contract and the amount on the debtors letter they have only charged me for 4 months from Feb so I'm sure I can expect another 4 months slapped on that at some point for no service. Great!

macman

No signature is necessary for a contract to exist. You said that you had just gone into a new 12m contract with them, so on what basis are you now disputing that?

ironpetal

Am I missing something here? lol The basics I am disputing are I have no service whatsoever. My initial signed contract started in back October 2012 when I was initially connected up in the previous property.
So by saying I have just gone into a 12 month contract it means as you say there is no signature and it just rolls over automatically unless you specifically ask to cancel. I have not cancelled this contract but merely asked them to connect me back up in my new flat and they have failed to do this and I have given them every assistance to do this to do this so with no cancellation from me and the expectation to continue the contract service was expected has not happened on their part. Therefore I should imagine that they have failed to uphold their half of the contract and are expecting me to continue to pay for a service within this contract that they are not providing. I have not broken any contract - they have. I think the best thing for me to do is start the complaint ball rolling and take it from there.

macman

If you had just gone into a new 12m contract before you moved in January, then you are in minimum term until at least Jan 2015. If VM aren't able to supply you at the new address you remain contracted for the duration of the minimum term, since it was that address that you contracted at. So it seems that the DCA is chasing your debt on that old contract, which I'm guessing you have ceased paying?
Once they connect you at the new property you commence a new minimum term.

ironpetal

Just wanted to let you know that I have scored a victory with Virgin Media. I wrote a formal complaint. They have cancelled my contract waved any money owing and apologised 5 times in one letter. My daughter being a banker helped me word the letter I sent for the complaint. It certainly had the desired effect but she said they have not fully resolved the problem since my letter asked specifically for removal of my details from this DCA and in the letter received from VM they say I have to contact the DCA but my daughter says this is wrong so I will be writing to them again asking them for proof that they have actually removed my details and that no damage has been done to my credit record but I am overjoyed that they are not pursuing me for any further finances. Sometimes it pays to complain. )