Virgin media ruined my credit report and life

Kaimoo

Hello

First of all sorry if this is in the wrong place

Okay to the point, last October we moved house but unfortunately this area doesn't support virgin media. I informed virgin media I was moving and gave them my new address so that was okay they said they would be in touch to collect the equipment.


It appears that have billed me for septmeber despite being informed I had moved address, they never one wrote to me at my new address with a bill. Turns out they had billed me £110 which has now turned into a default, I contacted the chief executive office they said they'd investigate.

They eventually got back to me and informed me that they were unable to help and they refused to remove the default from my account even if I settled the balance, there is absolutely no way I wouldn't have paid £110 and run the risk of my credit file being ruined for 5 years.

We pleaded with them we said we will pay it rite now and it would have been paid if we had known about it, it was stressful enough moving house and we also had a one year old son at the time which made it even more difficult.

I'm kind of disgusted at the lack of help from virgin media, we started our own business in January we actually received £120,000 inheritance just after we moved. Now we can't even get a business bank account, we applied at barclays and was delcined so checked experience to find a default for £110. Virgin just said no we can't help and my only option is to pay it so it shows as settled but the default will remain.

I've printed off a form to an ombudsman I believe it's a separate one for virgin media complaints, I'm hoping they can do something I just can't believe virgin media were so unhelpful I'm sure Richard Branson would be disgusted by it also.

It's really upset me it's more annoying that if this was an area that could get virgin we would have got it and stayed a customer, thanks to virgin we won't get a mortgage we won't get mainstream credit if we need it. I pleaded with them saying because of £110 I won't get a mortgage even then they didn't care, the impact his is going to have on our lives is huge. We can't even keep our income separate it's currently going into a personal bank account which isn't professional asking people to pay into a personal account and it's going to cause problems with doing accounts and hmrc - of course virgin media didn't care and took to ignoring my emails.

I do think this is unfair and unjust, I haven't paid the default yet I'm thinking if i pay they'll never remove it so either way my credit is ruined for a few years.

I'm just so upset and stressed about it all, I don't know if the independent ombudsman is my only option since virgin media haven't been sympathetic despite knowing they have ruined us for five years and we can't buy a house for the sake of £110 we didnt even know we owed them



Please excuse any mistakes, just typed this on my phone and it kept freezing on me, and thanks if you took the time to read and help

happy_bunny_2

Which ombudsman, FOS or communications one?

If you gave them a forwarding address and they never used it, you could have some joy with the ombudsman.

You could send a subject access request to virgin media, see what the account history throws up.

Will take time to sort if its possible to do so.

shireknight

If you gave them the correct notice period for closing your account and you know via phone records when you made the call (don't worry about the call content because they will still have the recording) then you certainly don't want to pay the debt because then they will have to remove both the debt and any default related to it from your file once the ombudsman has reviewed and supported your complaint.

Thrugelmir

Kaimoo wrote: »

Okay to the point, last October we moved house but unfortunately this area doesn't support virgin media. I informed virgin media I was moving and gave them my new address so that was okay they said they would be in touch to collect the equipment.

That doesn't terminate your financially liability for the remaining term of the contract.

Did you not have a postal redirection notice on the old property?

debbiehall59

My problem is that I rang in Feb/March 2014 and said that I was going to stop Virgin TV. I was convinced to stay and offered a better contract I did tell this person I was moving in a couple of months as I wanted to add another box for my daughter but we agreed to leave this until I moved.


With 4 weeks I think to go I rang to transfer my services when I was informed that Virgin does not work 1.8 miles down the road!!! They now expect me to pay for the contract provided to me in March? I have told them I will go to ombudsman (which have not yet) and yet still insist on sending me demanding letters for £115
Should I pay?

duchy

Yes- You chose to move to a property that doesn't have Virgin in that area. A court would take the view that you should have either checked with Virgin or looked on-line rather than just assuming there would be a service available..

Kaimoo

If you move to an area where you can't get their services why should you have to pay? You don't have to pay for services you don't receive, they'll have it recorded you informed them your moving so sounds like your in a good positions to decline

Voltron

Virgin used to be pretty fair at allowing you to leave during the 12 month contract, especially as it affected a lot of students who'd only be in the property for 9 months and their agents prey especially hard on this demographic. Now they seem to have realised that being fair to people who are moving out of area is a sign of weakness and dipping into their profits, so they've changed their stance and it's not something I've heard anyone be able to get out of. It's a complaint they must deal with hundreds of times on a daily basis, but their stance is firm.

You simply can't trust any media companies, whether it's Virgin/Sky or the dreaded phone carriers. When my bill hadn't changed fast enough with Virgin I was back on the phone to make sure that my request had gone through and my services had changed appropriately, it just takes months with them sometimes. The annoying thing is, if you change your service plan at all (like I recently removed the TV element), they start you on another 12 month contract. Not ideal if you're renting property, but then we go back to square 1, knowing they've got you trapped.

At least all these dreadful companies have online billing these days, so I can monitor exactly what's happening with my accounts, regardless of what they say on the phone.

I'm sure Richard Branson would be disgusted by it also.

Sadly, it wouldn't matter. Virgin Media simply license the brand from him, it's not his company - he's just a shareholder.

Kaimoo

Duchy not everyone makes the decision to move, we had to leave after out lease expired and were offered a housing association house which we couldn't turn down.
It's not debbies fault virgin don't supply that area and it's less than two miles away.
There is no way I would pay them if I were you

Kaimoo

Really voltron? There must be some kind of legal loophole? How can a company legally charge you for services your not receiving? I'm sure when I had issues with orange, I moved and couldn't get a signal in my house or around my house so they did some tests and initially lied saying there is an issue with my mast.

After several phone calls costing me about £30 from a landline they aggreed to cancel the contract, made it clear I'd see them in court before they got a penny from me.

I was an orange customer for about 7 years and they were rude and aggressive with their threats, maybe things have changed but I was always under the impression a media company cannot legally charge you if you move and it's outwith your control to an area where you can't get their services.

It was only last year I told virgin and they said that's fine we will be in touch to collect the equipment, I never heard a thing after that and assumed it was all over with until I checked my credit file

Anoneemoose

Kaimoo wrote: »

Really voltron? There must be some kind of legal loophole? How can a company legally charge you for services your not receiving? I'm sure when I had issues with orange, I moved and couldn't get a signal in my house or around my house so they did some tests and initially lied saying there is an issue with my mast.

After several phone calls costing me about £30 from a landline they aggreed to cancel the contract, made it clear I'd see them in court before they got a penny from me.

I was an orange customer for about 7 years and they were rude and aggressive with their threats, maybe things have changed but I was always under the impression a media company cannot legally charge you if you move and it's outwith your control to an area where you can't get their services.

It was only last year I told virgin and they said that's fine we will be in touch to collect the equipment, I never heard a thing after that and assumed it was all over with until I checked my credit file

Most of this (if not all) completely incorrect. Of course the companies can hold you to the contract and charge you. you entered into an agreement with them for a minimum term and it is not their fault if you decide to move (regardless of the circumstances).

In addition, there is more of an argument for this with the mobile networks as they do not guarantee service everywhere (particularly indoors). And as it is a mobile service, it can still be used in other areas.

Sounds like you probably moved to an area that was degraded as part of Orange's optimisation programme and they let you out because of this. And much as people spout off about 'going to court', it really is of little consequence in situations where customers move to areas that are known to have never had decent coverage.