Virgin Credit File Dispute

[newportstu]

Hi all,

 

I want a bit of advice about a complaint/credit file dispute I have with Virgin media. I had an account whilst at university that I believed to have paid, I called and spoke to an agent at Virgin who confirmed that no further payments were due. Only upon checking my credit file recently have I noticed a default of £50.14. I disputed this at Equifax and the information was removed, however, when I did the same with Experian, Virgin media came back to me (about 3 months after logging the dispute) to state that the info was correct.

 

I raised a complaint at Virgin media about a week ago. I received a call back from the same person based in India that I raised the complaint with, stating that as I need to have calls listened to, the complaint needs to come in writing as I need to give my authority for them to action this. Now, I work in complaints myself so I know this isn't the case with my organisation. Has anyone heard of this type of thing happening before? It doesn't seem right to me and seems like a cop out.

 

Its such a small amount and I would happily have just paid it at the time. This is now stopping me from getting a mortgage.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

[IdaInFife]

No they don't require a signature for a call to be listened to but VM are under no obligation to listen to the calls as calls are recorded for training and monitoring and are not there to verify conversations, however,

 

I would reply to them requesting to escalate this issue if the agent dealing with it has not authority to listen to calls as nowhere does it state in their terms or any regulatory bodies terms that a signature is required.

 

The agent either cannot be bothered to pass your account to someone that can - or was leaving for the day.

[newportstu]

Thanks for your reply IdaInFife.

 

To be honest, I'm in agreement with you on this. I have even requested for the agent in question's manager to call me back but this has never materialised. I think I will put this in writing anyway and send it recorded delivery. That way there's no comebacks or delays about it. What I think the agent is getting confused with is a SAR request, which is not what I asked for. I stated that phonecalls will need to be listened to but AT THIS STAGE I don't require a copy and all I wish for them to do is investigate my complaint. Not sure if anyone would be interested but I will post up my final response once I get it.

[IdaInFife]

I would agree with what you propose is the best action but let me see if we can find a decent email address maybe to send rather than via customer services.

[newportstu]

Letter has gone off to Virgin Media today via recorded delivery. I'll await their response and post it up here when I get it.

[IdaInFife]

[newportstu]

Still yet to receive acknowledgement of this complaint despite it being signed for on the 25th July.

 

Does anyone have experience of Virgin Media complaints? Should I have received acknowledgement at the very least by now?

[newportstu]

FINALLY had a response from Virgin.

 

They have said that they don't have records of the calls made back in 2009 but they only have the notes on the system to go on. Those notes say different from how I say the conversation went. I stated what's to say the agent didn't realise his error and then put different notes onto the system? They said that I can't prove otherwise!! Unbelievable.

 

I asked that surely in this circumstance, you would as a gesture of goodwill look to remove the default showing. They advised that they weren't willing to do this. So I asked for my final response to be sent to me so that I can go to the ICO.

 

Absolutely incredible.

 

Can anyone advised how best to proceed with this? Would it be best to go to the ICO or an MD?

[newportstu]

Ignore that.

 

EDIT

 

Well, what a difference a phonecall makes.

 

I called back through to the complaints team to get my account number to take the complaint to the CISAS and ICO. I spoke with a completely different agent within the customer relations team. This agent advised that due to the amount and in light of the circumstances, she would recall this from the DCA and remove the default completely from my credit file. Now why this couldn't have been done with the previous agent I spoke with, I don't know.

 

Lyla in the complaints department at Virgin Media I can't thank you enough!

 

My faith in humanity is restored!!

[IdaInFife]

I hope you recorded that call.

[newportstu]

I hope you recorded that call.

 

I didn't to be honest. There was a message saying that calls are recorded when making the call so they should have a record of it...

 

Well...hopefully!

[Sarrahk]

Did this come off in the end? I am having to do this over phone at moment as they don't much respond to emails or letters!!