VM closed account in credit
cfp28342
Posts: 27 Forumite
in Phones & TV
I'm feeling very irritated about a recent experience with Virgin Media, and was hoping some kind folk on here could let me know what they think. I often find MSE is a good sounding board for figuring out if things are worth complaining about or, if it's me being unreasonable or having done something wrong!
I rang up to cancel TV/Broadband/Landlinein mid-April and by mid-May everything was disconnected. On 31 May they took £49.46 from my bank account by DD. I assumed this was the final amount owed and didn’t give it much thought.
This week I received a bill through the post that stated the account was £57.61 in credit. There was nothing in the bill that explained how this amount would be returned to me, which was itself quite irritating. I logged in to my account, but there was nothing useful there either.
I gave their customer services a call. They explained that the amount would be returned to me by cheque. While I appreciate I will get my money back, I find it very irritating that money, that wasn’t due, has been taken from my bank account via a means that is very convenient for them, and will be returned to me in a manner that is not at all convenient to me. I want to complain about this as I find it completely unacceptable.
I asked to speak with someone to complain about it, and was told the only way I could complain was to wait for someone from their complaints team to call me back at some point in the next seven days, or I could send a letter. So in 2018 they are telling me the only way to complain in writing is to send a letter!
Do people think this is worth complaining about or am I being unreasonable? Is this something that typically happens when moving provider for these services? Should I have done more to avoid this e.g. cancel DD rather than rely on them to get it right? By way of context, my working hours and where I live mean that having to physically take a cheque to be paid in is not at all convenient and will incur costs to me (albeit small costs).
I rang up to cancel TV/Broadband/Landlinein mid-April and by mid-May everything was disconnected. On 31 May they took £49.46 from my bank account by DD. I assumed this was the final amount owed and didn’t give it much thought.
This week I received a bill through the post that stated the account was £57.61 in credit. There was nothing in the bill that explained how this amount would be returned to me, which was itself quite irritating. I logged in to my account, but there was nothing useful there either.
I gave their customer services a call. They explained that the amount would be returned to me by cheque. While I appreciate I will get my money back, I find it very irritating that money, that wasn’t due, has been taken from my bank account via a means that is very convenient for them, and will be returned to me in a manner that is not at all convenient to me. I want to complain about this as I find it completely unacceptable.
I asked to speak with someone to complain about it, and was told the only way I could complain was to wait for someone from their complaints team to call me back at some point in the next seven days, or I could send a letter. So in 2018 they are telling me the only way to complain in writing is to send a letter!
Do people think this is worth complaining about or am I being unreasonable? Is this something that typically happens when moving provider for these services? Should I have done more to avoid this e.g. cancel DD rather than rely on them to get it right? By way of context, my working hours and where I live mean that having to physically take a cheque to be paid in is not at all convenient and will incur costs to me (albeit small costs).
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Comments
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Yes it seems to be the norm a lot of the time. You said the money went out on 31st May but what time period was that for? What was the billing date?
You mention you will have trouble paying the cheque in. See if your bank offers cheque imaging. A few offer this, or will do soon, in their apps. You just take a picture of the cheque rather than having to physically go to a bank.0 -
Bluntly put, you are being rather unreasonable in my opinion.They explained that the amount would be returned to me by cheque. While I appreciate I will get my money back, I find it very irritating that money, that wasn't due will be returned to me in a manner that is not at all convenient to me. I want to complain about this as I find it completely unacceptable.
in 2018 they are telling me the only way to complain in writing is to send a letter!
Do people think this is worth complaining about or am I being unreasonable?
Why didn't you cancel the Direct Debit? That's good practice regardless.
Why didn't you realise that Virgin had again taken a payment before they wrote to tell you?
You should be checking your statements carefully each month.
Why is is it such an imposition to write a letter of complaint? You can certainly complain in writing via E-Mail (using the Contact Us link on their website).
Be sure you include details of the costs you will incur by having the refund sent as a cheque. I would expect them to include a gesture of goodwill too, but don't count on it.0 -
Thanks for your useful answers.
You said the money went out on 31st May but what time period was that for? What was the billing date?
I'm not at all clear what time period the bill was for as all my bills have previously been online, and they have completely stripped back my account since the services terminated and I no longer appear to have access to prior bills. The most recent bill is the first one I have had via post, presumably sent this way due to the account being closed. This bill includes a statement about VM services being paid one month in advance, and that if you change your package during the month, they adjust the next bill to reflect those changes. I just find it nonsensical that they knew in mid-April that I was terminating yet at the end of May they are taking nearly £50 when they have the means to work out it's not even due.
Why didn't you cancel the Direct Debit? That's good practice regardless.
Why didn't you realise that Virgin had again taken a payment before they wrote to tell you?
Agreed. Lesson learnt. I naively assumed they would get it right. I didn't realise it was wrong because I work full-time, travel 2 ½ hrs round trip to work, and by the time I've then cooked my daughter's evening meal, bathed her, got her to bed, made tomorrow's lunch, I'm ready for bed myself and generally don't fancy poring over all the transactions in my bank account to ensure they are all correct. I understand this doesn't make it any less my responsibility to be making sure transactions that come out of my account are correct.0 -
It's all automated, you realise?I just find it nonsensical that they knew in mid-April that I was terminating yet at the end of May they are taking nearly £50 when they have the means to work out it's not even due.
As I said, next time you cancel services such as gym, telco etc you should also cancel the DD with your bank.I work full-time, travel 2 ½ hrs round trip to work, and by the time I've then cooked my daughter's evening meal, bathed her, got her to bed, made tomorrow's lunch, I'm ready for bed myself and generally don't fancy poring over all the transactions in my bank account to ensure they are all correct.
You can check Bank statements any time, of course. Not just after a busy day at work.
The consequences if you don't are now already clear to you.0 -
Moneyineptitude wrote: »It's all automated, you realise?
Yes I understand that. To me that's what makes it baffling; that they can't program things so that they aren't taking £50 that isn't due to them.0 -
It's automated simply to continue taking the payment until such time as the Direct Debit is cancelled. It could even be your bank which just continued to pay. Whatever the reason, you now know what to do in future.that's what makes it baffling; that they can't program things so that they aren't taking £50 that isn't due to them.0 -
DD and VM systems take time to be changed.
But you do get a nice cheque back
to pay into your account any time over the next 6 months !
Personally I would NOT recommend cancelling DD. Energy companies use it to return money. Shame VM don't0 -
I cancelled my DD with Virgin, rang them up to tell them, and got shouted at, and threatened.
Always cancel your DD then it's up to the company to send a bill.0 -
You shouldn't cancel the DD until you've received your final bill0
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