Cancelling Virgin Media - Providing 30 days notice after the minimum term of contract has ended

Sunday_Morning

A totally exasperating experience.

My oomph 18 month contract came to an end earlier this month. I started out online wondering what revised terms I could sign up to. When I went on the website all I could do as an existing customer was go on to their chat to find out.  I soon found this was getting me nowhere so said it I wish to cancel. But when their bot finally said it was transferring me to an agent I waited well over an hour without any further response.

I tried calling the number they said to call in order to cancel. After waiting for what seemed like hours I was finally out through to someone. I told them I wished to cancel my service. They suggested I could renew it for £30 a month more than the expiry contract. I told them in no uncertain terms I wanted to cancel and was providing my 30 days notice accordingly. They told me they could not do it I would have to be put through to the disconnections department. I waited and waited for the phone to be answered until I couldn't wait any more as I was going out.

I complained about this on Twitter. They said "ever so sorry" here's a link you can text to do it.  I texted, it turned into a WhatsApp conversation, starting off with their chat bot introduction and select a choice message.  After half an hour, passing through security checks,  I ended up being transferred to Mulheez.whom I told I wasnted to be put through to the disconnections team. I was then put through to the Customer Relations messaging team. I told them the same. 40 minutes later they asked me for more account details! I said they were the same as previously provided and repeated my request. I then had a message to thank me for confirming my updated details and to advise that "we can definitely assist you with your concern for today". After 100 minutes elapsed with no further response, I asked for confirmation that my notice to terminate all services had been processed. In return I got a copy of the original bot message which had started the conversation and nothing further. 

Once again I went to Twitter. As far I was concerned I had provided notice of my cancellation as per the contract and Virgin Media's failure to process it was not my problem. But I wanted to clarify about the date I had provided my notice and the fact I was prepared to accept and pay a further billing only as long as it  was produced to show a pro rata amount to the monthly rate I was automatically put on to the end of my notice.  I cancelled my direct debit.  Virgin Media seemed to notice this and texted me to ask If I was aware I had done it!

Their twitter account provided me with a link that they said provided an address I could write to. It wasn't obvious at all where to find the address that was so I had to ask them to take me though it step by step. with what options I needed to select to get there.  And there was an address. It was for Diamond Plaza in Nottingham.

So I wrote a letter. I included all the information that would identify me and my account. My address, contact details email as well as specific account details. I sent it registered

Today I received the letter back from the Post Office. The address was marked "Addressee Gone Away". My letter was opened in order to get the return address I guess, but of course that has exposed all the details I provided.

The address from the same link I clicked on 10 days ago has now changed to a Sunderland address. Their twitter account said "Apologies about the address, the details have been amended on our website now".

I feel like I should issue an SAR now, to evidence they already have a record of my attempts to provide notice.

I do not understand why there is not a law about providing notice to cancelling these type of rolling month contracts that are tacked onto minimum term contracts. There should be an insistence that it is as simple a process as can be and, where an online account has been provided, a facility for a customer to provide notice automatically online with a click of a button has to be made available. 

Sunday_Morning

So the 30 days notice is up as far as I am concerned.

I sent another registered letter to them on the 27th Jan - this time to the revised address on their website.

In it I stated...

 - as far as I'm concerned my notice was given on 5th Jan and the 30 days are applicable from that date
 - I will settle up a final bill that reflects the correct pro-rata time that relates to my notice period and deducts £20 for the expenses I have incurred 
 - I will not pay for any services remaining available after my notice period has expired - regardless of whether i use them or not
 - If I don't hear from them regarding the return of the equipment, I reserve the right to charge rent for hosting it and eventually dispose of it how I see fit.

I've not had a phone call, email, or letter from them since. No contact at all.

Services remain available.  I'll continue to use, but I won't pay for them.  I am however anxious to get on and take up a Sky deal which will provide me with everything I had for the same price as i was paying under the Virginmedia  initial contract.

So do i need to get them to stop their services first or do I just crack on with it.

And how do i stop them negatively impacting my credit rating? 
 

littleboo

If your position is that you gave contractual notice, you cant then expect to continue using the service after the notice period if VM have failed to cease it. Sky will be using OR infrastructure and completely independent of VM, you could have had Sky set up and working within the 30 day period.

Sunday_Morning

An update

Following a webchat set up through their social media team, Virginmedia have now acknowledged that they can see I spoke to their retentions department on the 6th January and will backdate the cancellation to the 5th February.

I have still not received any explanation as to why it has taken them over a month to recognise this. 

It all seemed to change once I was able to confirm that Royal Mail had delivered my second registered letter.

In the meantime I had received two letters earlier in the week, one dated 30/1/2002 and one dated 1/2/2002, the first acknowledging my 'complaint" and the second advising that they had looked into it but could not see that a disconnection order had been placed on my account. They mentioned that I could check on the progress of my complaint on my account.  However when I went to my account there was no mention of a complaint.  It transpires this was the phone side of the deal I had got and though I had everything as one package, it presumably related to a different account!

I have now put in an official complaint with them, not because I think it will serve any purpose, but because I need to do it as a precursor of going to CISAS to complain about them.

Their cancellation policy is designed to be as difficult as possible imo and I wonder how many vulnerable people get rolled over by them and end up paying the extortionate amounts they charge for their rolling one month contracts, once the initial minimum contract periods have run out.

Now I wait their revised billing, and the removal of payment requests they have made since they chose to ignore my notice of cancellation. Once I have settled the correct outstanding amount less the expenses I have incurred - which I intend to do once I get back my Data Subject Rights Requests  - I will commence my complaint to CISAS    

HaroldWren5

Sunday_Morning said:

An update

Following a webchat set up through their social media team, Virginmedia have now acknowledged that they can see I spoke to their retentions department on the 6th January and will backdate the cancellation to the 5th February.

I have still not received any explanation as to why it has taken them over a month to recognise this. 

It all seemed to change once I was able to confirm that Royal Mail had delivered my second registered letter.

In the meantime I had received two letters earlier in the week, one dated 30/1/2002 and one dated 1/2/2002, the first acknowledging my 'complaint" and the second advising that they had looked into it but could not see that a disconnection order had been placed on my account. They mentioned that I could check on the progress of my complaint on my account.  However when I went to my account there was no mention of a complaint.  It transpires this was the phone side of the deal I had got and though I had everything as one package, it presumably related to a different account!

I have now put in an official complaint with them, not because I think it will serve any purpose, but because I need to do it as a precursor of going to CISAS to complain about them.

Their cancellation policy is designed to be as difficult as possible imo and I wonder how many vulnerable people get rolled over by them and end up paying the extortionate amounts they charge for their rolling one month contracts, once the initial minimum contract periods have run out.

Now I wait their revised billing, and the removal of payment requests they have made since they chose to ignore my notice of cancellation. Once I have settled the correct outstanding amount less the expenses I have incurred - which I intend to do once I get back my Data Subject Rights Requests  - I will commence my complaint to CISAS    

You are right. It is a very poor process and one shudders to think how an elderly, or vulnerable person would have to deal with this. It shouldn't happen to anyone!