Virgin Media has ruined my credit rating

Hi
During 2016/17 I had an ongoing dispute with Virgin Media who had installed the router a cupboard behind a sofa. We had to move the sofa every time we changed a tv channel and could not get wifi except in that room.

They offered to move the router if I paid them. I refused to pay more money. They offered to send me a cable so the router would then have been in the fireplace. It never arrived.

I made endless phone calls, sent complaint letters and emails. The response was that it was my fault as I had let them install the router in a cupboard and refused to pay them to fix it.  They also refused to let me finish the contract early. 

Finally I came to the end of the contract. I asked them to extend the phone contract until Sky arrived. They did not do this. 

They then sent me a bill of £142 to cover the extension of the phone access and the cost of a Virgin contractor to disconnect. No contractor ever came to my house.

I sent more letters. Today I checked my credit rating after having been turned down for a credit card. Virgin media has said I missed multiple payments in 2017. 

What can I do?

Comments

  • D3xt3r5L4b
    D3xt3r5L4b Posts: 1,852
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    Paying your bills with Virgin would have been a good start.
    You can’t not pay because you’re in dispute with them. 
  • Hasbeen
    Hasbeen Posts: 4,404
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    Sorry. For what you have said to date. Do not think that Virgin was responsible for ruining your credit rating?

    You had to move your sofa to change tv channels?
    The world is not ruined by the wickedness of the wicked, but by the weakness of the good. Napoleon
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546
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    Bodminski said:


    Finally I came to the end of the contract. I asked them to extend the phone contract until Sky arrived. They did not do this. 


    Unfortunately it's up to the provider what contractual terms are offered. Not at at your behest. 
  • Fighter1986
    Fighter1986 Posts: 834
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    I'm afraid in this instance the missed payment markers are a factual reflection of your account status with Virgin at the time.

    Notwithstanding, you did have valid reason to complain.

    I hate to play Captain Hindsight, but the correct way to deal with a situation like this is:

    Keep your account payments up to date
    Raise a formal written complaint outlining what's gone wrong, what you've done so far to resolve the matter, and what you want in settlement of the complaint.

    If the provider fail to resolve the situation within eight weeks, including reparation for poor service, escalate the matter to their ombudsman. They will then take necessary action forcing the communication provider to put the situation right and provide financial recompense for their failings. 

    As it stands, I'm very sorry to say, but your account did fall into arrears and your credit file reflects this fact.
  • John_
    John_ Posts: 925
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    Bodminski said:
    Hi
    During 2016/17 I had an ongoing dispute with Virgin Media who had installed the router a cupboard behind a sofa. We had to move the sofa every time we changed a tv channel and could not get wifi except in that room.

    They offered to move the router if I paid them. I refused to pay more money. They offered to send me a cable so the router would then have been in the fireplace. It never arrived.

    I made endless phone calls, sent complaint letters and emails. The response was that it was my fault as I had let them install the router in a cupboard and refused to pay them to fix it.  They also refused to let me finish the contract early. 

    Finally I came to the end of the contract. I asked them to extend the phone contract until Sky arrived. They did not do this. 

    They then sent me a bill of £142 to cover the extension of the phone access and the cost of a Virgin contractor to disconnect. No contractor ever came to my house.

    I sent more letters. Today I checked my credit rating after having been turned down for a credit card. Virgin media has said I missed multiple payments in 2017. 

    What can I do?
    Why would you need to get to the router to change TV channels? Our router’s two stories above our television, at the back of a cupboard in the laundry room; t has nothing to do with which TV channel I’m watching.
    I can’t see how putting the router in what sounds to be a perfectly normal place is a reason to stop paying; could you explain exactly what the problem was.
  • kaMelo
    kaMelo Posts: 2,323
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    I would have thought putting a router in a fireplace was more problematic than a cupboard behind the sofa.
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