Virgin Media cancellation charge

robert_purnell

We have been with Virgin Media for more than Thirty Years, due to the loss of the Winter fuel payment we have been forced to cut our Expenditure, E-E offered us a package for our T.V, Broadband and Telephone, reducing the amount we paid Monthly from £112.00 Virgin to £53 with E-E, Virgin has now sent us a bill for £631, we are pensioners and unable to pay such a large amount, is this Legal, is there any way we can get this reduced.

Ayr_Rage

If you were still in the minimum term of the contract then the cancellation charges will be valid and you'll also be required to return any equipment as they direct or you may incur further charges

You'll have to dig out the last contract your agreed with Virgin and check.

Baldytyke88

robert_purnell said:

We have been with Virgin Media for more than Thirty Years, due to the loss of the Winter fuel payment we have been forced to cut our Expenditure, E-E offered us a package for our T.V, Broadband and Telephone, reducing the amount we paid Monthly from £112.00 Virgin to £53 with E-E, Virgin has now sent us a bill for £631, we are pensioners and unable to pay such a large amount, is this Legal, is there any way we can get this reduced.

Such a large bill, is it because you were locked in a contract with Virgin? Did you speak to Virgin about cutting down on TV options?

I have just signed up with Virgin for £25 per month, so I am guessing at least half of your £112 on TV options.

DullGreyGuy

robert_purnell said:

We have been with Virgin Media for more than Thirty Years, due to the loss of the Winter fuel payment we have been forced to cut our Expenditure, E-E offered us a package for our T.V, Broadband and Telephone, reducing the amount we paid Monthly from £112.00 Virgin to £53 with E-E, Virgin has now sent us a bill for £631, we are pensioners and unable to pay such a large amount, is this Legal, is there any way we can get this reduced.

Normally you speak to VM periodically about charges, they offer to reduce the cost if you sign up for another X year minimum contract. If you want to exit early then you have to pay the remaining instalments for the minimum period. Yes it's legal for them to charge an early exit fee.

Hopefully you haven't signed up for EE before finding the cost of terminating your current arrangement in which case defer the EE until you've completed the VM minimum term. 

robert_purnell

Ayr_Rage said:

If you were still in the minimum term of the contract then the cancellation charges will be valid and you'll also be required to return any equipment as they direct or you may incur further charges

You'll have to dig out the last contract your agreed with Virgin and check.

We have not signed a contract, but they will say you agreed a new contract when we changed your package, cant win.

robert_purnell

Baldytyke88 said:

robert_purnell said:

We have been with Virgin Media for more than Thirty Years, due to the loss of the Winter fuel payment we have been forced to cut our Expenditure, E-E offered us a package for our T.V, Broadband and Telephone, reducing the amount we paid Monthly from £112.00 Virgin to £53 with E-E, Virgin has now sent us a bill for £631, we are pensioners and unable to pay such a large amount, is this Legal, is there any way we can get this reduced.

Such a large bill, is it because you were locked in a contract with Virgin? Did you speak to Virgin about cutting down on TV options?

I have just signed up with Virgin for £25 per month, so I am guessing at least half of your £112 on TV options.

We have just e mailed Virgin Media stating we can not afford to pay them £631 in one payment, dont know when they will reply.

iniltous

If you were benefiting from any discount, which remarkably would mean £112 wasn’t full price , but if that’s the case you are  inside a minimum term , given the early termination  fee they are requesting, it suggests  you are quitting 6 months early ( this may give a clue as to when you re-contracted  , 6 months ago if a 12 month deal  , or 18 months ago if it were a 24 month deal ).

If you are within the EE cooling off period you may be able to cancel that without penalty, and stick with VM for 6 more months , but it appears you are liable for ETC ….companies don’t give discounts for nothing , even if it’s not explicitly stated , a reduction in price comes with a cost , that is extending the minimum term 

Ayr_Rage

robert_purnell said:

Ayr_Rage said:

If you were still in the minimum term of the contract then the cancellation charges will be valid and you'll also be required to return any equipment as they direct or you may incur further charges

You'll have to dig out the last contract your agreed with Virgin and check.

We have not signed a contract, but they will say you agreed a new contract when we changed your package, cant win.

It's the same with most media companies, a change of package results in a reduced price deal for a defined minimum term, you are effectively entering into a new contract whether you sign anything or not, you do win but have also locked yourself in.

Most people completely switch off when the agent says " I now now to read out the terms to which you have agreed".

housebuyer143

You are required to pay if you are leaving the contract early. You don't have to sign a new contract, but agreeing a new fixed price is you essentially agreeing to a new term.
Assuming you haven't taken EE out over 14 days ago I would call them and cancel this, then go back when your contract is up. 

DullGreyGuy

robert_purnell said:

Ayr_Rage said:

If you were still in the minimum term of the contract then the cancellation charges will be valid and you'll also be required to return any equipment as they direct or you may incur further charges

You'll have to dig out the last contract your agreed with Virgin and check.

We have not signed a contract, but they will say you agreed a new contract when we changed your package, cant win.

With only a few exceptions there is no legal requirement for a contract to be signed, doesn't even need to be written down. In England there needs to be three things, an offer to contract, acceptance of the offer and consideration. You've changed your product or got a discount etc, they've offered a price based on a minimum term, you've accepted and you've made payment and received the service so you have all three parts required to form a contract

born_again

robert_purnell said:

Ayr_Rage said:

If you were still in the minimum term of the contract then the cancellation charges will be valid and you'll also be required to return any equipment as they direct or you may incur further charges

You'll have to dig out the last contract your agreed with Virgin and check.

We have not signed a contract, but they will say you agreed a new contract when we changed your package, cant win.

When you sign up to a new contract, you get sent a email with the details, you have to reply to get that offer. So that is your agreement. Unless you have just been on a rolling monthly contract after the initial contract 30 years ago. This is a digital signing of your contract.