Breaking free from Virgin

trebsy

So, I followed the advice and [attempted] to break free from a Virgin broadband/telephone service and switch to BT. I was out of contract and ditching the way more expensive service made perfect sense. All I had to do was telephone Virgin so I sat with a glass of pop one evening and waited over an hour and twenty minutes for someone to answer while being subjected to some hideous headache inducing noise masquerading as music. Eventually the call was answered and I was taken through an OTT security process before being told I was to be transferred to a different department - back on hold for a further 45 minutes. If there was the slightest chance I'd stay with Virgin it evaporated in those tedious minutes. In the words of Debbie Harry...Keep me hanging on the telephone...
As a consumer, you're at their mercy aren't you. The phone is the only means of voicing a concern, but you could lose the connection, get the phone put down on you and you'll have to start the whole process all over again. They know you can't hang up so what can you do but let them try your patience all the way through the stressful process? All I can suggest is you should wait for the clocks to go back when making these calls because at least you get an hour of your life back! 
My pop had all gone so I was well miffed when I eventually got an answer by an angry Scotsman who took me through the OTT process AGAIN - its a ruddy TV and telephone service for goodness sake. Amazingly, I was still calm when we got to the 'How can I help you' bit a full hour and three quarters after I'd started sipping my pop. I rebutted any coercion to stay a Virgin customer by Mr MacNostrilsteam and secured a closure date, February 20th YAY! Job done. Well, not really. The unreliable and expensive high speed broadband was replaced by a reliable (slower) but significantly cheaper service through BT. The telephone? Nope. . Despite the marathon phone call followed by the disgruntled acceptance of defeat by MacNostrilsteam, I still had my telephone service hanging on to me like a piggin limpet. The revised choice of music is now by ELO ....Oh no, telephone line, give me some wine, I'm ringing till twilight... etc.
So, I go to the web-site to figure out how to write to complain. Anyone ever looked at this? In all seriousness, its easier to empty the Atlantic ocean into the pacific with a teaspoon! Is it legal to be quite so evasive? Example: If you are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint made to your Virgin call handler, you can speak to a Virgin manager. If that proves to be no good, you can then escalate it to a senior Virgin manager. If after all that you are still being stubbornly unreasonable you can lodge a complaint with an independent arbitrator appointed by Virgin - I think her name must be Allegra Aggro. 
I can't bring myself to start another call. If having waited the numerous times on hold connecting to the entire Virgin management team, I just know I'm going to hear the lame 'Covid-19'  and the 'extremely busy' excuses followed by the 'we pride ourselves....' monologue...(useful only to go get a pop refill) before getting to the 'let me putt you on hold again'.. more plinky plonk music, the OTT security experience followed by angry exchanges with Mr MahPatiencesquelcher. How can they justify this process as being reasonable? Its Virgin on the ridiculous and indicates to me just how far these morons are prepared to go in avoiding responsibility for their customers. They're more evasive than a politician hounded by Piers Morgan.
Its a disgrace. Please, can someone offer a way for me to get this resolved other than me having to spend an eternity listening to possibly the worst audible diarrhoea (even worse than a trains brakes) or just cancelling the direct debit?
Martin, come on! get this theme on the telly.

JJ_Egan

Why are you asking Martin  , he sold this site many years ago .

Cancel DD may lead to debt recovery and a trashed credit record .

DCFC79

trebsy said:

So, I followed the advice and [attempted] to break free from a Virgin broadband/telephone service and switch to BT. I was out of contract and ditching the way more expensive service made perfect sense. All I had to do was telephone Virgin so I sat with a glass of pop one evening and waited over an hour and twenty minutes for someone to answer while being subjected to some hideous headache inducing noise masquerading as music. Eventually the call was answered and I was taken through an OTT security process before being told I was to be transferred to a different department - back on hold for a further 45 minutes. If there was the slightest chance I'd stay with Virgin it evaporated in those tedious minutes. In the words of Debbie Harry...Keep me hanging on the telephone...
As a consumer, you're at their mercy aren't you. The phone is the only means of voicing a concern, but you could lose the connection, get the phone put down on you and you'll have to start the whole process all over again. They know you can't hang up so what can you do but let them try your patience all the way through the stressful process? All I can suggest is you should wait for the clocks to go back when making these calls because at least you get an hour of your life back! 
My pop had all gone so I was well miffed when I eventually got an answer by an angry Scotsman who took me through the OTT process AGAIN - its a ruddy TV and telephone service for goodness sake. Amazingly, I was still calm when we got to the 'How can I help you' bit a full hour and three quarters after I'd started sipping my pop. I rebutted any coercion to stay a Virgin customer by Mr MacNostrilsteam and secured a closure date, February 20th YAY! Job done. Well, not really. The unreliable and expensive high speed broadband was replaced by a reliable (slower) but significantly cheaper service through BT. The telephone? Nope. . Despite the marathon phone call followed by the disgruntled acceptance of defeat by MacNostrilsteam, I still had my telephone service hanging on to me like a piggin limpet. The revised choice of music is now by ELO ....Oh no, telephone line, give me some wine, I'm ringing till twilight... etc.
So, I go to the web-site to figure out how to write to complain. Anyone ever looked at this? In all seriousness, its easier to empty the Atlantic ocean into the pacific with a teaspoon! Is it legal to be quite so evasive? Example: If you are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint made to your Virgin call handler, you can speak to a Virgin manager. If that proves to be no good, you can then escalate it to a senior Virgin manager. If after all that you are still being stubbornly unreasonable you can lodge a complaint with an independent arbitrator appointed by Virgin - I think her name must be Allegra Aggro. 
I can't bring myself to start another call. If having waited the numerous times on hold connecting to the entire Virgin management team, I just know I'm going to hear the lame 'Covid-19'  and the 'extremely busy' excuses followed by the 'we pride ourselves....' monologue...(useful only to go get a pop refill) before getting to the 'let me putt you on hold again'.. more plinky plonk music, the OTT security experience followed by angry exchanges with Mr MahPatiencesquelcher. How can they justify this process as being reasonable? Its Virgin on the ridiculous and indicates to me just how far these morons are prepared to go in avoiding responsibility for their customers. They're more evasive than a politician hounded by Piers Morgan.
Its a disgrace. Please, can someone offer a way for me to get this resolved other than me having to spend an eternity listening to possibly the worst audible diarrhoea (even worse than a trains brakes) or just cancelling the direct debit?
Martin, come on! get this theme on the telly.

I got through to Virgin on 2 occasions in about 20 minutes and both times the issue was resolved.

What time of day did you ring both times ?

Have you tried posting on the Virgin Media forums ?

Ive found them useful.

Oh and Martin wont read your post, you would need to send him a tweet but then its not guaranteed something will get done.

Brewer21

You've obviously got time on your hands, that was a long post.😄 sorry.
Similar situation here, waiting time also similar, I made a full meal whilst on hold😁
Anyways it depends on when and I guess who you get to talk to. I raised a complaint about the price rise as was told absolutely non would be applied during the 18 month contract, others have said the same. Basically we were lied to and they admitted that whoever told me this was out of order.
So I was to receive a reply to my complaint, it never happened. What did happen was they closed the complaint off as they couldn't get in touch with me by phone, twice apparently. The letter I eventually received told me thank you bla bla, complaint now closed we hope you continue to enjoy our services bla bla and we hope it's been resolved to your satisfaction.
I got that letter 10 days into my Sky contract, I'd already cancelled my VM services, even had the packaging to send the equipment back. Absolute shambles now VM, after 20 years with them I'm back with Sky, probably joined another set of jokers but so far so good and the broadband ain't bad either.

Bigphil1474

OP, I've given up phoning them, but I do find the online chat function in 'My Virgin' is quicker and easier. Use that all the time now. 

trebsy

Thanks all for helpful comments. I called on both occasions after 6 in the evening as I am in full time work. I've also been a virgin customer for many many years and find it sad that what was once a great service has been reduced to this - a real shame. I tried to ring again after my last post but gave up because I just couldn't stand the tortuous noise any longer. I've now written to them in the vain hope I might be able to get them to close my account before the next Direct Debit is due. I'll give that a chance before trying the chat/forum as suggested. Do you think my letter will get circulated around every possible manager before a response   

PZ19

trebsy said:

Thanks all for helpful comments. I called on both occasions after 6 in the evening as I am in full time work. I've also been a virgin customer for many many years and find it sad that what was once a great service has been reduced to this - a real shame. I tried to ring again after my last post but gave up because I just couldn't stand the tortuous noise any longer. I've now written to them in the vain hope I might be able to get them to close my account before the next Direct Debit is due. I'll give that a chance before trying the chat/forum as suggested. Do you think my letter will get circulated around every possible manager before a response   

Send an email to executiveteam@virginmedia.co.uk I found them very quick to deal with my issue

knightstyle

Have you posted your problems on the Virgin Forum?  I did and got a quicker resolution than writing/emailing them.

trebsy

Thank you Knightstyle, I'll give it a try.

trebsy

Thank you PZ19, its a shame that you have to find other ways other than the traditional methods that existed when customer service was important to service providers. I have to say that BT have proven to be much easier to deal with.

Marvel1

The issue was phoning in the evening.  I always call first thing as they open.