Virgin broadband - never again

Legacy_user

So I phoned up to terminate my service in June as I was moving house.

I was on a 12 month contract which I took out in 2013. Virgin sent me paper documents to sign, but I never signed and returned them. I also had no information about virgin's terms and conditions as I signed up over the phone.

Just the last few days I've been having nuisance calls from virgins debt collection department asking for about £50.

Initially I was annoyed, as I had to phone up over 15 times to cancel the service, and was told at the time that there would be no cancellation fee or additional costs. So I cancelled the direct debit the same day I phoned virgin to cancel.

The department that phoned me seemed to be unwilling to listen to my questions about the money they say I owe, just kept rabbitng the same thing.

I requested that an itemised bill be e-mailed to me, the same e-mail that I used to sign up, but the !!!! on the phone refused to send out anything, repeatedly saying that I owe the money and to pay. He kept asking for a forwarding address which I of course refused because I'm not stupid, I don't want to be pestered with threatening letters.

There is also the issue of this bloody plastic box they keep sending generic e-mails to me about. I can't possibly return the box if I no longer live in the property ! Yet, I am getting e-mails threatening to charge me for not returning it.

In my most reasonable state of mind, I'm willing to pay the cost of one months broadband (£30) if there is a clause that they require 30 days notice, despite the fact I was decieved about this over the phone, and whether it actually applies to me as the contract itself was for 12 months and long since expired. I believe it becomes a rolling contract at this point !

However, until I get a full explanation and break down of the bill (which they are refusing to send) I won't pay or see why I should.

There's also the matter of the cost of the calls to virgin medias appauling customer service, and I mean appauling, worse than trying to get a pak number from orange, literally hell on earth. Employees lying repeatedly, passing the 'problem' to other departments, and worst of all doing nothing at all. I made such an effort to sort this out and be done with it I didn't keep a record of who I spoke to, and neither do virgin it seems, as the first few attempts I made to cancel utterly failed.

Perhaps £50 is a small price to pay to get these scum out of my life, but there's still the issue of my costs, which I'm sure if I sat down and tallied up the calls they would amount to more than £50 from a mobile.

custardy

Gold_Anaconda wrote: »

So I phoned up to terminate my service in June as I was moving house.

I was on a 12 month contract which I took out in 2013. Virgin sent me paper documents to sign, but I never signed and returned them. I also had no information about virgin's terms and conditions as I signed up over the phone.
Who is at fault there?

Just the last few days I've been having nuisance calls from virgins debt collection department asking for about £50.

Initially I was annoyed, as I had to phone up over 15 times to cancel the service, and was told at the time that there would be no cancellation fee or additional costs. So I cancelled the direct debit the same day I phoned virgin to cancel.
So you think your services stopped from the previous bill?
The department that phoned me seemed to be unwilling to listen to my questions about the money they say I owe, just kept rabbitng the same thing.

I requested that an itemised bill be e-mailed to me, the same e-mail that I used to sign up, but the !!!! on the phone refused to send out anything, Charming repeatedly saying that I owe the money and to pay. He kept asking for a forwarding address which I of course refused because I'm not stupid, I don't want to be pestered with threatening letters.
Well they didnt refuse to send anything out then,did they?
There is also the issue of this bloody plastic box they keep sending generic e-mails to me about. I can't possibly return the box if I no longer live in the property ! Yet, I am getting e-mails threatening to charge me for not returning it.
You mean the box that is their property?
In my most reasonable state of mind, I'm willing to pay the cost of one months broadband (£30) if there is a clause that they require 30 days notice, Where did you pluck this from?despite the fact I was decieved about this over the phone, and whether it actually applies to me as the contract itself was for 12 months and long since expired. I believe it becomes a rolling contract at this point !
Yup,like pretty much all service contracts. Or did you think it was free after 12 months?

However, until I get a full explanation and break down of the bill (which they are refusing to send) I won't pay or see why I should.
Well give them an address
There's also the matter of the cost of the calls to virgin medias appauling customer service, and I mean appauling, worse than trying to get a pak number from orange, literally hell on earth. Employees lying repeatedly, passing the 'problem' to other departments, and worst of all doing nothing at all. I made such an effort to sort this out and be done with it I didn't keep a record of who I spoke to, and neither do virgin it seems, as the first few attempts I made to cancel utterly failed.

Perhaps £50 is a small price to pay to get these scum out of my life, but there's still the issue of my costs, which I'm sure if I sat down and tallied up the calls they would amount to more than £50 from a mobile.

Took 2 years for them to become scum?

System

custardy wrote: »

Took 2 years for them to become scum?

I do wonder if some people here aren't paid by these companies.

Pretty sad existence you must lead if my aspersions are correct.

custardy

Gold_Anaconda wrote: »

I do wonder if some people here aren't paid by these companies.

Pretty sad existence you must lead if my aspersions are correct.

Boom,yes Im paid to make you not read the T&Cs,understand cancellation policies and leave your hardware at your old property :rotfl:

System

custardy wrote: »

Boom,yes Im paid to make you not read the T&Cs,understand cancellation policies and leave your hardware at your old property :rotfl:

Don't take that tone with me. You twist my words, decide to paint your own picture based on your interpertation of my post, and then make nasty little digs all the way through. You've provided nothing worthwhile whatsoever, how can I conclude anything else.

You ignore the fact that the customer service I recieved has been abysmal, you can only be posting to antagonise me.

Where did I say the hub wasn't left at the property. You really are angering me with your arrogant attitude.

custardy

Gold_Anaconda wrote: »

Don't take that tone with me. You twist my words, decide to paint your own picture based on your interpertation of my post, and then make nasty little digs all the way through. You've provided nothing worthwhile whatsoever, how can I conclude anything else.

You ignore the fact that the customer service I recieved has been abysmal, you can only be posting to antagonise me.

Where did I say the hub wasn't left at the property. You really are angering me with your arrogant attitude.

Gold_Anaconda wrote: »

There is also the issue of this bloody plastic box they keep sending generic e-mails to me about. I can't possibly return the box if I no longer live in the property ! Yet, I am getting e-mails threatening to charge me for not returning it.

So if its not there. Why does not living there matter?

Pincher

There is a very simple solution to deal with these Italian "What's behind me is not my problem." approach to life. Virgin can take a deposit for their equipment.

There is a slightly sneakier way of recovering their money.
If they tempt you with a Virgin Money credit card, by giving you say 2% discount for using Virgin services, then they can just charge £50 to the credit card.

Sky seems to take the attitude that the recovery process is so expensive, that they don't need the Sky+HD back.

Nilrem

Pincher wrote: »

Sky seems to take the attitude that the recovery process is so expensive, that they don't need the Sky+HD back.

I think it's more that Sky write off the cost of the equipment after the first year.
Sky sell you the box as part of the contract (so after the first year if it dies you may have to pay towards a replacement).
VM because the equipment used can affect other users and pose a security risk for the network only ever rent you the boxes (meaning you never pay for repairs or replacement boxes if they fail due to age/faults).