Virgin media consistently taking too much money?

ballpointpen
ballpointpen Posts: 3 Newbie
edited 27 November 2019 at 7:06PM in Phones & TV
Hello,

For the 3rd month in a row virgin media have taken too much out of my bank account (I pay via direct debit). I have a deal to pay £33.50 every month and have just checked my bank and they have taken £107!!!! I am a single parent of three children, and that was to buy my food shop for the next 2 weeks!

I rang them and was cut off twice. Then the woman said she could not refund me, but could only credit my account with the balance so I don’t pay for the next few months. This is no good to me when my kids need feeding. Does anyone know where I stand? Last month they took £66 which I claimed back through my bank but they said if I do that again it will affect my credit rating!

I told her I wanted it all in writing the mistakes they have made and she said she didn’t have the facilities and couldn’t refund or write me a letter. I’m at my wits end. Does anyone know where I stand? I’m £107 down and my contract doesn’t run out until May 2020.

Please help. I have no idea what to do and I need to give my dad some money for a food shop. Any help appreciated.

Comments

  • What exactly are they charging you extra for? Long calls to mobile telephones ? Pay-per-view films? Mobile data?

    More information needs to be provided before any advice...
  • They say it’s just normal charges. No extras. Just their package. But I have a discount until May 2020 so I am not paying normal charges. This is just for broadband, tv and phone line.
  • Hello,

    For the 3rd month in a row virgin media have taken too much out of my bank account (I pay via direct debit). I have a deal to pay £33.50 every month and have just checked my bank and they have taken £107!!!! I am a single parent of three children, and that was to buy my food shop for the next 2 weeks!

    I rang them and was cut off twice. Then the woman said she could not refund me, but could only credit my account with the balance so I don’t pay for the next few months. This is no good to me when my kids need feeding. Does anyone know where I stand? Last month they took £66 which I claimed back through my bank but they said if I do that again it will affect my credit rating!

    I’m currently in hospital after suffering a breakdown (I have mental health problems) so ringing them constantly and being on hold for 40 minutes only to be cut off is so frustrating. I told her I wanted it all in writing the mistakes they have made and she said she didn’t have the facilities and couldn’t refund or write me a letter. I’m at my wits end. Does anyone know where I stand? I’m £107 down and my contract doesn’t run out until May 2020.

    Please help. I have no idea what to do and I need to give my dad some money for a food shop. Any help appreciated.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/bills-and-utilities/broadband/virgin-media-make-customer-services-listen-complaint/

    Look under the 'How to complain directly' & 'How to complain via social media' headings. If you use social media don't include any personal information except via a PM.
  • Tweeted them. They suggested a live chat which I did. Spoke to someone on live chat who rang me, put me on hold for an hour and 5 minutes and then cut me off. I am livid. I cannot wait to get out of this contract.
  • They say it’s just normal charges.
    Seems very unlikely.

    Your original post was edited for some reason, but the unedited original is quoted at post #4
  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,533
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    I have a deal to pay £33.50 every month and have just checked my bank and they have taken £107!!!!

    Last month they took £66 which I claimed back through my bank
    did you claim the entire £66 back through your bank meaning you paid nothing and were £33.50 in arrears?

    I’m £107 down
    if you were expecting to pay £33.50 and they took £107 then you are £73.50 down....if you were in arrears due to claiming last months back then you would be £40 down

    does your special deal end if in arrears?
    was there a penalty for reclaiming the previous months payment?
  • If they have made a mistake, as you say, and they agreed that they owe you. Contact your bank and invoke the Direct Debit Guarantee because amounts not agreed or contracted have been take out of your account. The FULL amount will be refunded, so you'll need to arrange to pay the amount actually due. Be careful to ensure you pay want is owing, or your Broadband could be suspended.
  • We have had virgin media contracts for basic TV package since February 2011 and every year before the cotract ends we renegotiate the contract price which you would assume they would stick to and charge - we have checked every bill, and the direct debits being charged and for a few years the amounts changed each month (some months we were over charged by as much as double).


    We logged a complaint several times on the phone, hundreds of calls and waiting endless just to be put through to someone that never exists and then being cut off.


    We wrote aletter and itemised all the bill amounts and asked for a copy of the contracts as we were told they never check the amounts they charge to the contract for any customers - hence they would not notice charging anything incorrectly - we have been told they do not have access to information older than 6 months. Then they claim to have 'contacted you' on old numbers that went out of service months earlier (they called an old mobile number that was disconnected in May 19 and claimed that they called twice in October 2019), they claim to email and text you and never do. They even had the cheek to say that they could not verify that the account holder sent the letter (insinuating that we are lying).



    Customer services are rude, obnoxious and have no idea about financial regulations, GDPR or basic verbal etiquette when speaking to customers, they never read the notes left on the account and often end up shouting at you.


    We have been threatened that they will close the complaints logged since Sep 2019 and raise new ones or issue Deadlock letters. They say they will contact you and never do, surely this is a breach of some sort of customer service standards or financial regulations and I am sick to death of being harrassed by them (they say they called at 10.25pm but were not sure if this was India or UK time?!!!!)


    Is there anyone in the UK that can genuinely help bring this huge organisation to account?


    One stop short of writing to their Chief Executive and posting on Social media (will register for an account just to highlight what a massive issue this is), anyone have any helpful suggestions?
  • rachel6188
    rachel6188 Posts: 413
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    Forumite
    If it happens again the morning they take the extra contact the bank and ask for it to be returned under the direct debit mandate I think it is. Iv had that by virgin a few times. X
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