Virgin: another money-making scam

[allen-uk]

Whatever you do, DON'T phone the operator on 100 if you've got a Virgin phone.

 

We did, to report a fault on a disabled neighbour's line, and got charged £6.23 for the privilege (we were connected by the operator on a Saturday which is supposed to be FREE for local calls).

 

When we complained they said that 'they' (someone else) charged them for the service. When we pushed and pushed, they admitted that it was in fact VIRGIN who charged for the call, and not someone else.

 

Slippery eels. Not nice people. We're going to look at Sky instead.

 

 

Allen.

[buzby]

Not quite. First of all - why would you call an Operator to report a fault? Why not 'faults'? (on 151).

 

Virgin do not offer an Operator service, and subcontract it to BT. BT cannot readily put call throught to Virgin faults, so as the call didn'r result in a chargeable service, BT would charge Virgin for the call, and they in turn charge you.

 

If you misdialled and called Directory Enquiries instead of Faults, you would get billed, even though you never asked for a number - this is no different!

[allen-uk]

Wrong.

 

Virgin do NOT have a facility where you can report faults on someone ELSE's phone, unless it TOO is a Virgin line.

 

Virgin's 151 USED to give several choices; now it only allows you to choose Virgin-related options, and nothing about other firm's services. Try it.

 

A.

[buzby]

We're getting booged down in technicalities, but whene did the OP say they neighbours line wasn't also a Virgin line? If this was indeed the case, (that it was a BT line) then the number to call is 0800 800 151. You don;t call Virgin to fix a BT fault - but then, you shouldn't call an Operator to fix a fault!

 

Further, faults can be reported on the BT.com website. Additional info is available here;

 

http://www2.bt.com/static/i/media/pdf/repair_guide.pdf

[allen-uk]

I suppose I could have sent a postcard to every line provider in the UK, plus one to my disabled neighbour telling her we couldn't get through and asking for a letter by return telling me who she used.

 

Different generations, I'm afraid. I grew up in an era where if you had a phone problem, you asked the operator.

 

Perhaps I should get you to nail down the coffin lid and have done with it.

[Bazooka Boo]

Perhaps I should get you to nail down the coffin lid and have done with it.

A) That isn't constructive

B) Vent your spleen on some other website which isn't designed to provide constructive comments in order to help people out.

[allen-uk]

Well, Bazooka Boo (nice name, probably masking a true alpha male lurking in the shadows), try reading my original post, which was a warning to other unsuspecting Virgin phone users; and in fact if you read on, looking with intelligence and discrimination at the subsequent answers and my comments, you might see how the discussion ended where it did.

 

Allen, London.

[allen-uk]

And a 'good news' rider to the above.

 

Not that a fiver is a lot of money, but there was a principle involved, so we complained (and got nowhere) until my partner remembered an email address she had from a year or so back of a salesman at Virgin who had tried to get us to recommend Virgin to neighbours.

 

Anyway, she told him about the problem, and he 'sorted' it, getting our account credited.

 

Moral: a) still DON'T phone the operator, even if you are old and grey and think phoning the operator is a Good Thing.

 

b) if you DO get calls from salespeople, particularly Virgin ones, get a note of their email address: it might save you money in future!

 

 

 

Allen.