Virgin Media-moving home=automatic 12 month sign up

1988hnr

Hi all,
I signed up for Virgin Media in August last year when I moved into my first house with my partner, we have unfortunately since broken up, on a sour note. So we agreed he would take the virgin media to his new property as I was moving back to my parents who already had Virgin and I would pay half until end of contract in August, this is the last thing that ties us together and I was looking forward to it ending soon.

So I rang Virgin on 29/04 to advise of the above, specifically remember saying we had broken up and he was taking virgin with him to his new property and that we would cancel at the 12 month mark, which is now with a months notice. I have rang today to do this and they have told me that when you move property you agree to another 12 months contract! I was not advised of this over the phone when I changed the address, I mean who in their right mind would do that? Pay for services you have no access too for another 12 months!!

I was told the notes stated I was advised (I wasn't) and have been told no option than to pay until then or cancellation fee of £188. The website also states i would be sent a new contract to sign which I definitely haven't received or signed.

Has anyone had any dealings like this with Virgin or similar? I know their contracts can be pretty bulletproof but surely if I haven't signed anything they can't do this?

Any help would be great
Thanks
Helen

AndyPK

Normal for them.

Your more likely to win with your ex as long as it's out of his bank

You have honoured your side in good faith

[Deleted User]

helennroffe88 wrote: »

I know their contracts can be pretty bulletproof but surely if I haven't signed anything they can't do this?

You're lucky you didn't have to sign up to a new eighteen month minimum term. Written contracts are not required to enforce minimum terms , so don't waste any time complaining that you haven't received one.

I don't know why you've agreed to pay anything at all, to be honest. If your ex is enjoying Virgin services at his new abode why are you still paying a contribution to the old address?

boatman

Surely its not unreasonable for him to pay for it from now on, you have paid your half for the year.
An example:
http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Virgin-TV/Moving-House-New-Contract/td-p/3110415

iniltous

Although not what you want to hear, it's pretty normal T&C's to start a new minimum term when you move address and take the service with you, the alternative would have been to pay the ETC's when leaving the original property , TBH I doubt they even made a note of your personal situation, and proceeded as an ordinary house move.
As far as the future , do you know if you ex is intending to keep VM services after your 50% contribution stops (whenever that may be) or you just want to be free of any connection between the two of you and frankly you don't care what he wants ( that would beg he question though , how does he get his 50% to you, if (presumably) you pay VM from your bank account.
TBH , I think your options are limited, you could continue with the current arrangement until April 2018, or take the hit for the ETC now, and try and get your ex to cover half, even if he agreed to take over the full cost now, I think it would still be an unsatisfactory arrangement for the bill to be in your name at an address you don't live at, even if the direct debit came out of his bank

If he did want to 'keep' VM , you could see if cancelling 'your' contract now ( and paying ETC) and him applying in his own name , allows him to get a 'new' customer deal that more than offsets the ETC , so he may be willing to cover the ETC if he gets a better deal anyway, you may think why should you do anything that assists him, but it may just be a consequence of getting the best deal for you

1988hnr

Thanks for your replies.

I agreed to pay until the end of the term as it was me who wanted the VM in the first place, obviously had I known of this I wouldn't have bothered changing the address and just let the 12 months elapse (another reason I am 100% sure I wasn't informed over the phone). I can't just not pay either as obviously its stupidly in my name, but his address. The direct debit comes out of our joint account.

I have requested DSAR to hear the call which will take upto 90 days so will go from there, I guess.

glentoran99

Why cant he "move" it to the new address rather than cancel?

1988hnr

Wouldn't i then still have to pay ETC?

glentoran99

1988hnr wrote: »

Wouldn't i then still have to pay ETC?

not if your moving it to a new address,


apologies I think ive misunderstood


I thought you were cancelling at your old address and he was starting a new account at his house

1988hnr

He doesn't want it either so that wouldn't work anyway
I know thats not my responsibility but it would involve a fight with my ex I'm not emotionally ready to have.

macman

Let's turn this around. Why would any supplier 'in their right mind' bear all the costs of setting the service up at a new address, if you were then able to cancel at no charge soon after? This is absolutely standard telcom practice: I think Sky are the only exception in not imposing a new minimum term.