I took on VirginMedia - and I won!

[SoggyFox]

Nice one. I had a running battle with EDF electric over my bill and the fact they were reading the wrong meter finally after 11 months i got a huge cheque back from them for the money. It helps to know how the call centre systems work and who to ask for when you get annoyed. Asking for a centre manager IMO is a bit of a waste of time, give the call centre a month to resolve your problem then find out the CEO of the companies email or address and write them presonally a snotty letter, chances are they will want to deal with it quickly to stop you writing to them again.

I'm at the other end of this chain of events and i can tell you we react quicker to a letter from the directors office than anything else. i don't want a director getting stroppy with me so i drop everything and focus on that problem.

if all else fails go the regulator for that industry.

[hogen-deifar]

Originally Posted by Richard Mason

No point in being taken by a Virgin. Better with someone who knows what they're doing.

Ooo, I don't know about that!?! You can train a Virgin to do exactly what you want!!!! Takes a few goes but bloomin' marvelous!!!

[Jay_Benson]

As it happens I work in The Mailbox in Birmingham and in the offices across the way are VirginMedia and as I look into their offices I can see grown men weeping uncontrollably - I cannot say what the women are doing but hysterical is a mild term. There are people wearing black armbands and there is a general air of resignation about the place.

Hogen-deifar - I hope you are satisfied now.

[Richard Mason]

Actually, in all seriousness, I think ChristianG (spinster of Terigal NSW Aus) had enormous problems with the Australian arm of the same company. He went off air/line for about 3 or 4 weeks; I was seriously wondering if he'd suffered a major, possibly terminal catastrophe of some sort. In desperation, I even phoned his LDS to make sure I shouldn't be sending flowers. I was seriously worried that my trip to Terrigal and planned demolition of his wine cellar could be off the cards.

I'm pretty sure it was Virgin; he wasn't best pleased, I can tell you that much.

[hogen-deifar]

Originally Posted by hogen-deifar

If you've ever dealt with Virgin Media you'll understand that getting out of a contract with them is nearly impossible. Even if you wait until the end of the term of contract and submit the 30 days notice. I've know people who have done everything the "right" way and have been threatened with court action for payments of unpaid bills that were charged AFTER the notice expired. They've had it noted for non payment on their credit report too, so that's given them a slightly adverse credit history.

Personally I'm waiting for that stage of the game!!! However, I've told the manager when it finishes on 15 February I want an email from him telling me what my full and final bill is and that once I've been paid there is nothing more due. As long as I get this IF they took me to court I'd let them, because I've got all the documentary evidence to get it kicked out by the judge. I've nothing to lose on this respect, so I'll happily let them take me! Because I know I'll be in the right and they in the wrong! Then I'll seek compensation!

See, don't mess with me VirginMedia!!!

Well, by way of an update, I was right, sadly! Today I received a Default Notice AND a Disconnection Notice. Surprised??? No. Not at all. I've got it in writing my contract had finished etc. And now they're demanding over £100 from me, court action AND disconnection (for a service that was officially disconnected on 15th February).

And so the battle commences.

I emailed the manager I'd previously discussed this with. But, bearing in mind he didn't reply to my last email I was a bit dubious it'd do me any good. So I googled to find out who their CEO was. Good old Google told me, so by using the other people there that I'd personally emailed I thought I'd forward my email to the CEO, Neil Berkett.

Guess what?!? He's reading his emails today and he's replied! All his email said was "I'm sorry; let me look into this for you." And I've copied and pasted it. That's all he said!! In all honesty I didn't think it'd even reach him, let alone get a reply! Oops!

Oh well, watch this space. Despite taking it to the top, I was fully intending on letting them take me to court. I don't owe anything, I've got that in writing. My contract has been cancelled. I've got that in writing. So I was going to attend the court hearing armed with my evidence. I wouldn't have been charged costs they would've. If the "boss" can't resolve it then I WILL go to court and fight back. Perhaps even counter claim for some random reason. Not thought of a specific one yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to think of something spurious!

Please, if anyone does get grief from a major player like this don't give up. Mine's not over yet, but I was completely expecting this. I am disappointed I was right in my assumption, but that's life, I guess. Gone are the days of real customer service.

[nickb]

I've been with VirginMedia for my broadband since they took over from NTL. I did have NTL telly but it was shite and I eventually went to $ky.

I must say in their defence that their cable broadband is excellent and, although it's expensive at £25/month for 4Mbit, it's worth it to me for the service. I had an issue late last year with the speed dropping right off and losing connection but it turned out that the cable modem was shagged and they sent a guy straight out to replace it AND credited me with £50 for the hassle

[hogen-deifar]

Originally Posted by nickb

I've been with VirginMedia for my broadband since they took over from NTL. I did have NTL telly but it was shite and I eventually went to $ky.

I must say in their defence that their cable broadband is excellent and, although it's expensive at £25/month for 4Mbit, it's worth it to me for the service. I had an issue late last year with the speed dropping right off and losing connection but it turned out that the cable modem was shagged and they sent a guy straight out to replace it AND credited me with £50 for the hassle

Oh, don't get me wrong. The TV (apart from not getting Sky One), broadband and phone service was superb. Didn't have any issues with any of them. It was their billing and customer service related to that. From the onset my bills were wrong. The dates they tried to claim the instalment changed regularly. They claimed twice in some months. The list was never ending. And that's why I ended up having my service cancelled. From what I can gather the whole thing is improved since it was NTL, but it's still bad service.

Been with Sky just over a month now and I asked to change my payment date to coincide with my pay day. I received a letter confirming when it'd be effective, how much the next instalment would be and then the payments monthly on which date thereafter. That's all Virgin had to do, but they couldn't get it right and they screwed up on customer service.

From a package perspective I'd recommend Virgin completely. I personally suffered due to their admin side of things and I know there's others on here who'll say the same thing. IF they get it right then there's no problem with them at all, but it seems if they fail they fail big time!!!

[nickb]

Originally Posted by hogen-deifar

Been with Sky just over a month now and I asked to change my payment date to coincide with my pay day. I received a letter confirming when it'd be effective, how much the next instalment would be and then the payments monthly on which date thereafter.

Yeah. It pains to to admit it but Sky's service seems to be first-rate. I did all I could to avoid having to line Murdoch's pockets, but they got me in the end.

[fatlaz]

Originally Posted by Richard Mason

I was thinking that maybe an "Duff Airfills Ombudsman" could be handy

too.

They would be busy busy people, may be a 3 person job, per area

[MattS]

Originally Posted by hogen-deifar

Please, if anyone does get grief from a major player like this don't give up. Mine's not over yet, but I was completely expecting this. I am disappointed I was right in my assumption, but that's life, I guess. Gone are the days of real customer service.

Call me a cynic but this sort of thing happens so often with utilities these days I am sure they are using crap customer service as a revenue centre. They keep getting away with it too.

We just got a summons from British Gas, because we have not paid for the units they estimated over the meter reading, when they finally managed to relinquish our supply, some 9 months after taking it over without our agreeing to it.

It annoys me no end that we are all now expected to waste our lives hanging on the phone to talk to incompetents? Someone must be bloody accountable because it sure isn't these corporates. If I tried to do business the way they do I would end up on a fraud charge.



Hope you get the barstewards. Could you counter claim for the time they have cost you?