Big issues with VM - your thoughts please

Legacy_user

I have currently begun an escalation with VM and am awaiting a call back today and wanted your opinions on if I have gone down the right path and what to do next.

I am an ex VAT customer whose bill went too high so left BT penalty free when prices rose. I joined VM on 28 March as part of the BT switcher offer which was VM offering to match the BT deal at £34 (freeview plus TiVo and BT Sport's, BB and phone).

Very nice chap came along and did, at the time, what was a great instal. He said no spaces at the box for a line but no problem as his colleague is saying he will be out tomorrow and the line into the house is installed so only needs external activation. In all honesty not bothered at that time. I only wanted the BB and don't use the landline anyway.

Fast forward yesterday and am shocked to see that I am being charged £61 a month. I get on the phone and am now told the line was never installed and as the discount is on the line I don't receive it. They can get someone to me on 22 July to instal and as a goodwill gesture will apply the discount from that point on!!!!!

That did not go down well. I asked for them to instal sooner and at my convenience, apply my price from day 1 of contract or to cancel. They said they can cancel penalty free for the landline but the TV and BB services have been used so those will incur a penalty.

I went on to argue that I signed up to a bundle and my services have been debundled so I feel best resolution is just to cancel unless you can fix the billing which you say requires a phone install but you only offer dates a month in advance and the first weekend you offer is 7 weeks away. She said no when I asked for an escalation she flat out refused internally within VM and then said only option was OFCOM but since I hadn't given VM an opportunity to rectify the issue I would be wasting my time.

To this I replied along the lines of - stop talking nonsense. You have already overcharged me over £100 compared to the deal I signed up for and will charge around another £30 before the first available instal date and you debundled my services so I might just try OFCOM to see why I can't cancel penalty free. She waffled on a bit and I said I thought this was going nowhere as I was asking for an escalation and she was just going around in circles. We said our goodbyes and I thought I will just see it through and cancel at 12 months and never use VM again. In all honesty, after the nightmare I had with BT who charged me way over at cut off I just thought life is too short.

But then I get a call back even though she had said no escalation on this. I asked if this person was more senior and she said no just a colleague. I asked why call then as we have been over VMs stance and you are refusing an internal escalation on something that is clearly wrong. She says she is calling to offer an instal date and to clarify that the services have not been debundled so OFCOM won't help. I just said that like I have already said I won't take your word for that and that you are offering all instal dates in office hours. Seeing as you should have installed this on 28 March I expect it sooner than mid July and at my convenience. Some waffle from her and I said I have been given no opportunity to complain or escalate and talking to you is boring so let's leave it at this. We say our goodbyes.

Then I get a 3rd call. This time lady just says would like to let you know a case has been opened. By this point I am really annoyed. I let it be on the first call when I was told I had nowhere to go. Now it is call 3 even though they said I had no options. This time I was a bit more irritated. I asked to stop being bothered unless we are going to have an intelligent conversation on why I am overcharged, why the installer left my house on 28 March saying I had a landline but now don't and why I can't cancel penalty free. She really iterated all the points and that the call was being recorded. I was more irritated and said I tried to let it be but as there is no escalation process either I want to speak to your manager or details of regulator complaints please. If you don't answer this question then hang up and no call backs on this issue please. We say our goodbyes and she says case is closed as I refused help. I don't really care as she was still taking the stance that VM were willing, as a goodwill gesture, to discount my account to £34 per month from when I get a landline installed.

Then it's call no. 4. Now this really irritates me. This time it is another colleague. She waffled on a bit but the general gist of the call is that they have reopened the case and I will receive a call back the next day (today) from their manager.

My problem here is that I dont actually want to be with VM anymore. The TiVo is a nice PVR and I am happy with my BB but sometimes things happen that just make me despise an organisation. I am a contractor so I'm not going to take a day off as I would only have 7 - 8 months left and losing a day's pay is not much of a saving on a £30 a month overcharge so not really worth the hassle. Plus with weekend availability they are not offering until August and even then the first two weekends they offer I am on a family holiday so it would be towards the end of August anyway. I just feel like letting it go but it now bothers me that they keep in contacting me and wasting my time.

Would I have any chance at penalty free cancellation? They have not put me on the bundle I signed up for (I had to check my emails to see what it was and it was called BT switcher and £34 a month) and have debundled all the services so I get charged full price. If possible, I would appreciate pointers and advice as I may just not bothering answering if I don't have any chance of penalty free cancellation.

TIA

System

All resolved. Received a call but same waffle and I asked what do they want from. More waffle. I then explained that not only had my bundle been messed up but my bills all were showing an unbundled service which is not what I'm contracted for plus a bit insulting that new customers are prioritised over existing ones given that the earliest date is 1 month away.

She offered to accept 31 days notice as of today with all services ceased penalty free, refund on all rental paid to date and 50% of my bill for the 31 day notice period. I accepted. A pain to change and I liked the TiVo but not really worth the hassle of staying.