Another Rant About Virgin Media

[hongkonguk]

Hi all,

I noticed that there was a thread about VM but I couldn't contribute because it was closed. However, I wanted to let you know what they have done to me.

I have been a customer of what is now VM but was NTL for about 4 years. In all of that time I have never missed or made a late payment.

Last month I was having a few money worries, so as they advise, I contacted them in the hope of changing my direct debit date so I could pay the bill without going overdrawn and incurring the dreaded bank charges. Anyway, the girl at the customer services said I couldn't do this and had to cancel my DD and then pay over the phone when I could and resetting my DD at that point. I agreed.

A couple of days later (and I mean a couple - well before my next bill was sue to be issued) I contacted VM to pay the bill. They took my debt card no and confimred the payment had gone through. They set my DD up again too.

About a week and a half later, I got a letter saying my card payment had failed and I should contact them to ay the bill. The account had enough money in it and so I can't understand why the payment failed, unless, as I suspect they had input the wrong card no. I rang them to check and they couldn't confrm the no they had input was correct. I said I wanted to pay the bill again, but then they told me what had been a £37 bill was now £97!!! They said I now owed 2 months payments plus a £10 late payment fee plus 2 £5 fees for paying in a method other than DD!!

My point is that I don't believe it was my fault the payment was late as I paid it on the date I agreed - if they took the wrong card no then it's their fault, although I can't prove this. Also, no one told me I would have to pay an extra amount because I had not paid by DD. All the financial institutions and advisors make it clear to contact the company if you have difficulty paying a bill,and I did this and was honest and up front and all it did was cost me more in the long run.

Needless to say I have written a very strong letter to complain. I would have thought given all the bad publicity with them and Sky they would be keen to keep customers happy rather than getting everyone's backs up!

[make_me_happy]

They are absolutely crap VM!!! I am 2 days now with my telephone line broken, have spent over 45 minutes on my mobile trying to speak to them in total and have spent all morning waiting for the engineer that never came!"! Are they going to compensate me in any way... let me see....NO!

[Bookworm]

Going to move this to telecoms forum.

They will be unlikely to justify the £10 charges, they will be unlikely to justify the £5, and if Bong a user on here is about, he(i think) will advise the next thing you need to do.

[hongkonguk]

Thanks Bookworm!

The other thing that has got my back up over this though is that i have had to pay each time I have phoned their customer service, so not only have they charged me £20 but they have charged me for the phone calls I have made to sort out their c**p service!

[make_me_happy]

if Bong a user on here is about, he(i think) will advise the next thing you need to do.

Bong is a girl!!!!!!! Please.... We have already clarified that!