VMO2 (Virgin Media and O2): misrepresentation of complaints and outcomes

si_ludes_invenitur

I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this, as it happens across both Virgin Media and O2:

📬 You file a complaint with Virgin Media or O2 about an issue, making it crystal clear.
🔄 They change & distort your complaint, making it different from what you originally reported.
📧 You receive an email that is a mix of automated text and, often, false data.

• It claims they’ve tried to contact you (even when they certainly have not).
• It sometimes claims information is missing (usually what you originally provided).
• It says they’ve provided a proposed resolution 'to be helpful'.
• It sometimes claims you have agreed this (even when it says they failed to reach you)!

⚖️ The email ends with a statement that implies they are following and enforcing a formal process:

• “If we don’t hear from you within 28 days, we’ll close the complaint.”

🔁 If you complain (as you should) about this email, you get the same again, repeating the same process.

This happens across all complaints on O2 and Virgin Media.

It happens whether what's been complained about is:

- Routine

- Regulatory (e.g. ICO / OFCOM / Trading Standards)

- Legal (e.g. they have done something that is truly unlawful) 

And it has the effect - one they are fully aware of - that if you ever do manage to speak to someone, they will claim that 'the notes on the system' say something that should by now be known to be untrue because they will favour any account they have written over yours, and they'll even say that the original complaint has been closed or marked resolved and can't be opened.

What is the intent behind completely altering and miscategorising complaints like this, especially when serious issues are involved?

Is it an attempt to evade regulatory scrutiny, or simply a case of implausibly poor and inefficient practice?

I’m interested in reading if anyone else has experienced this, as it could be that they are deliberately trying to confuse the situation for me alone…

... or it could be that this is a systemic and deliberate policy designed to prevent proper investigation of complaints. The policy would push complaints to an Ombudsman, who has no authority to investigate anything beyond the process, relying on the fact that most people will give up.

If it’s the latter, that would be a truly serious deception.

gee9fam

I've had the same experience when raising a complaint with VM. Received numerous emails advising they had tried to contact me when they hadn't. I replied to each one questioning their response and requesting the complaint should not be closed. My advice to anyone dealing with VM is to record all conversations or use their WhatsApp service and retain a copy. I believe they regularly lie and contradict their colleagues on purpose. This has occurred on numerous occasions with my dealings with them over the years. Contract renegotiation is always an unpleasant experiene. 

I'm assuming this approach does result in many complainants giving up so you need to persevere until you are satisfied that your package reflects what was offered and agreed by you. Check all contracts in detail and cross reference them to your previous package.

I do question why I am still a customer!

movedto03

Welcome to your new AI overlords.

This is the coming future - for everything.