Jump to content


  • Tweets

  • Posts

    • An update to this case as I’ve not been on in a while.    I am still awaiting a charging decision in the case. The two police officers involved have said their personal belief is a section 47 ABH charge is the most likely outcome but this isn’t a sure thing of course.    The EA certificate from the issuing court has now lapsed. The court have refused to recertify him until they’ve had a hearing in to the case, and the district judge has issued orders to surrender all evidence, footage, photos etc.    I have done so promptly.    the EA, not so much . Equita have claimed they cannot provide his bodycam footage as the camera he was wearing is the EA personal one not one of theirs.   the EA has claimed he has asked Equita and the police for the footage as he claims he doesn’t have it.    the police have confirmed they didn’t seize his camera and they don’t have it.    so they are basically pointing the finger at each other all the while failing to comply with the district judges order to provide all evidence they intend to rely on at the rescheduled hearing.    The district judge has stated the hearing for his certification will NOT be the hearing for my complaint as there is no charge as of yet, and just as to whether he should be recertified or not.    I’m not 100% on why that can’t be done at the time, but I’m not about to question a judge…..      
    • Thanks FTMDave, I like the cut of your jib - I'll go with that and obtain proof of postage. Encouraging that NPE have never followed through and seem to blowing hot air, let's see where they go after this   Regards
    • Please see my comments in orange within your post.
    • no i meant the email from parcel2go which email address did they send it from and who signed it off (whos name is at the bottom)
    • I understand confusion with this thread.  I tried to keep threads separate because there have been so many angles.    But a team member merged them all.  This is why it's hard to keep track. This forum exists to help little people fight injustice - however big or small.  Im here to try get a decent resolution. Not to give in to the ' big boys'. My "matter' became complicated 'matters' simply because a lender refused to sell a property. What can I say?  I'll try in a nutshell to give an overview: There's a long lease property. I originally bought it short lease with a s.146 on it from original freeholder.  I had no concerns. So lender should have been able to sell a well-maintained lovely long lease property.  The property was great. The issue is not the property.  Economy, sdlt increases, elections, brexit, covid, interest hikes etc didn't help.  The issue is simple - the lender wanted to keep it.   House or Flat? Before repo I offered to clear my loan.  I was a bit short and lender refused.  They said (recorded) they thought the property was worth much more and they were happy to keep accruing interest (in their benefit) until it reached a point where they felt they could repo and still easily quickly sell to get their £s back.  This was a mistake.  The market was (and is) tough.   2y later the lender ceo bid the same sum to buy the property for himself. He'd rejected higher offers in the intervening period whilst accruing interest. Lenders have a legal obligation to sell the property for the best price they can get. If they feel the offer is low they won't sell it, because it's likely the borrower will say the same. I had the property under offer to a fantastic niche buyer but lender rushed to repo and buyer got spooked and walked.  It had taken a long time to find such a lucrative buyer.  A sale which would have resulted in £s and another asset for me. Post repo lender had 1 offer immediately.  But dragged out the process for >1y - allegedly trying to get other offers. But disclosure shows there was only one valid buyer. Again, points as above. Lender appointed receiver (after 4 months) - simply to try acquire the freehold.  He used his powers as receiver to use me, as leaseholder, to serve notice on freeholders.  Legally that failed. Meanwhile lender failed to secure property - and squatters got in (3 times).  And they failed to maintain it.  So freeholders served a dilapidations notice (external) - on me as leaseholder (cc-ed to lender).   (That's how it works legally) Why serve a delapidations notice? If it's in the terms of the lease to maintain the property to a good standard, then serve an S146 notice instead as it's a clear breach of the lease. I don't own the freehold.  But I am a trustee and have to do right by the freeholders.  This is where matters got/ get complicated.  And probably lose most caggers.   Lawyers got involved for the freeholders to firstly void the receiver enfranchisement notice. Secondly, to serve the dilapidations notice.  The lack of maintenance was in breach of lease and had to be served to protect fh asset. Enfranchisement isn't something that can be "voided", it's in the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 that leaseholders have the right to buy the freehold of the property. It's normal, whether it is a "normal" leaseholder or a repossession with a leasehold house, to claim this right of enfranchisement and sell the property with said rights attached and the purchase price of the freehold included in the final completion price. That's likely what the mortgage provider wished to do. The lender did no repairs. They said a buyer would undertake them. Which was probably correct. If they had sold. After 1y lender finally agreed to sell to the 1st offeror and contracts went with lawyers.  Within 1 month lender reneged.  Lender tried to suggest buyer walked. Evidence shows he/ his lawyers continued trying to exchange (cash) for 4 months.  Evidence shows lender and receiver strategy had been to renege and for ceo to take control.   I still think that's their plan. Redact and scan said evidence up for others to look at? Lender then stupidly chose to pretty much bulldoze the property.  Other stuff was going on in the background. After repo I was in touch by phone and email and lender knew post got to me.   Despite this, after about 10 months (before and then during covid), they deliberately sent SDs and eventually a B petition to an incorrect address and an obscure small court.  They never served me properly.  (In hindsight I understand they hoped to get a backdoor B - so they could keep the property that way.)  Eventually the random court told them to email me by way of service.  At this point their ruse to make me B failed.  I got a lawyer (friend paid). The B petition was struck out. They’d failed to include the property as an asset. They were in breach of insolvency rules. So this is dealt with then. Simultaneously the receiver again appointed lawyers to act on my behalf as leaseholder. This time to serve notice on the freeholders for a lease extension.  He had hoped to try and vary the strict lease. Evidence shows the already long length of lease wasn't an issue.  The lender obviously hoped to get round their lack of permission to do works (which they were already doing) by hoping to remove the strict clauses that prevent leaseholder doing alterations.  You wouldn't vary a lease through a lease extension. You'd need a Deed of Variation for that. This may be done at the same time but the lease has already been extended once and that's all they have a right to. The extension created a new legal angle for me to deal with.  I had to act as trustee for freeholders against me as leaseholder/ the receiver.  Inconsistencies and incompetence by receiver lawyers dragged this out 3y.  It still isn't properly resolved. The lease has already been extended once so they have no right to another extension. It seems pretty easy to just get the lawyer to say no and stick by those terms as the law is on your side there. Meanwhile - going back to the the works the lender undertook. The works were consciously in breach of lease.  The lender hadn't remedied the breaches listed in the dilapidations notice.  They destroyed the property.  The trustees compiled all evidence.  The freeholders lawyers then served a forfeiture notice. This notice started a different legal battle. I was acting for the freeholders against what the lender had done on my behalf as leaseholder.  This legal battle took 3y to resolve. Again, order them to revert it as they didn't have permission to do the works, or else serve an S146 notice for breach of the lease. The simple exit would have been for lender to sell. A simple agreement to remedy the breaches and recompense the freeholders in compensation - and there's have been clean title to sell.  That option was proposed to them.   This happened by way of mediation for all parties 2y ago.  A resolution option was put forward and in principle agreed.  But immediately after the lender lawyers failed to engage.  A hard lesson to learn - mediation cannot be referred to in court. It's considered w/o prejudice. The steps they took have made no difference to their ability to sell the property.  Almost 3y since they finished works they still haven't sold. ** ** I followed up some leads myself.  A qualified cash buyer offered me a substantial sum.  The lender and receiver both refused it.   I found another offer in disclosure.  6 months later someone had apparently offered a substantial sum via an agent.  The receiver again rejected it.  The problem of course was that the agent had inflated the market price to get the business. But no-one was or is ever going to offer their list price.  Yet the receiver wanted/wants to hold out for the list price.  Which means 1y later not only has it not sold - disclosure shows few viewings and zero interest.  It's transparently over-priced.  And tarnished. For those asking why I don't give up - I couldn't/ can't.  Firstly I have fiduciary duties as a trustee. Secondly, legal advice indicates I (as leaseholder) could succeed with a large compensation claim v the lender.  Also - I started a claim v my old lawyer and the firm immediately reimbursed some £s. That was encouraging.  And a sign to continue.  So I'm going for compensation.  I had finance in place (via friend) to do a deal and take the property back off the lender - and that lawyer messed up bad.   He should have done a deal.  Instead further years have been wasted.   Maybe I only get back my lost savings - but that will be a result.   If I can add some kind of complaint/ claim v the receiver's conscious impropriety I will do so.   I have been left with nothing - so fighting for something is worth it. The lender wants to talk re a form of settlement.  Similar to my proposal 2y ago.  I have a pretty clear idea of what that means to me.  This is exactly why I do not give up.  And why I continue to ask for snippets of advice/ pointers on cag.  
  • Recommended Topics

  • Our picks

    • If you are buying a used car – you need to read this survival guide.
      • 1 reply
    • Hello,

      On 15/1/24 booked appointment with Big Motoring World (BMW) to view a mini on 17/1/24 at 8pm at their Enfield dealership.  

      Car was dirty and test drive was two circuits of roundabout on entry to the showroom.  Was p/x my car and rushed by sales exec and a manager into buying the mini and a 3yr warranty that night, sale all wrapped up by 10pm.  They strongly advised me taking warranty out on car that age (2017) and confirmed it was honoured at over 500 UK registered garages.

      The next day, 18/1/24 noticed amber engine warning light on dashboard , immediately phoned BMW aftercare team to ask for it to be investigated asap at nearest garage to me. After 15 mins on hold was told only their 5 service centres across the UK can deal with car issues with earliest date for inspection in March ! Said I’m not happy with that given what sales team advised or driving car. Told an amber warning light only advisory so to drive with caution and call back when light goes red.

      I’m not happy to do this, drive the car or with the after care experience (a sign of further stresses to come) so want a refund and to return the car asap.

      Please can you advise what I need to do today to get this done. 
       

      Many thanks 
      • 81 replies
    • Housing Association property flooding. https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/438641-housing-association-property-flooding/&do=findComment&comment=5124299
      • 161 replies
    • We have finally managed to obtain the transcript of this case.

      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

      Frankly I don't think that is any accident.

      One of the points that the judge made was that the customers contract with the broker specifically refers to the courier – and it is clear that the courier knows that they are acting for a third party. There is no need to name the third party. They just have to be recognisably part of a class of person – such as a sender or a recipient of the parcel.

      Please note that a recent case against UPS failed on exactly the same issue with the judge held that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 did not apply.

      We will be getting that transcript very soon. We will look at it and we will understand how the judge made such catastrophic mistakes. It was a very poor judgement.
      We will be recommending that people do include this adverse judgement in their bundle so that when they go to county court the judge will see both sides and see the arguments against this adverse judgement.
      Also, we will be to demonstrate to the judge that we are fair-minded and that we don't mind bringing everything to the attention of the judge even if it is against our own interests.
      This is good ethical practice.

      It would be very nice if the parcel delivery companies – including EVRi – practised this kind of thing as well.

       

      OT APPROVED, 365MC637, FAROOQ, EVRi, 12.07.23 (BRENT) - J v4.pdf
        • Like
  • Recommended Topics

Virgin Media - moved house cancellation charges


Mike1983
style="text-align: center;">  

Thread Locked

because no one has posted on it for the last 2876 days.

If you need to add something to this thread then

 

Please click the "Report " link

 

at the bottom of one of the posts.

 

If you want to post a new story then

Please

Start your own new thread

That way you will attract more attention to your story and get more visitors and more help 

 

Thanks

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I had a similar issue recently whereby I was charged £237 for cancelling my broadband and telephone services due to the new address not being suitable for their cable solution. They had no interest in supporting the new property. I complained to their complaints department but they did not change the bill. They also said they met OFCOM requirements. Be careful taking out services with Virgin. Their maximum contract termination fee is £240 - far too much in my opinion. I've switched to BT now.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Appears to be a legal glitch in their T&Cs upon anyone moving in contract...there is no exit route.....not the customers fault VM cant transfer to the new property...its theirs and could/should be legally challenged.

We could do with some help from you.

PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING EVERY POUND DONATED WILL HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHER

 

Have we helped you ...?         Please Donate button to the Consumer Action Group - The National Consumer Service

If you want advice on your Topic please PM me a link to your thread

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I had this issue and I wrote an email to the CEO's office and they did release from contract, however in my case I had been a customer for about 5 years and had recently agreed to a new 12 month deal for a cheaper price, I think it will be harder in your case as you haven't even completed 1 contract cycle with them but it would be worth a go.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well done. Might be worth kicking up a fuss. For others who might be interested the following shows who to contact higher up at Virgin:

 

Tom Mockridge

Chief Executive Officer

 

Robert Dunn

Chief Financial Officer

 

Magnus Ternsjö

Chief Chief Executive Officer UPC Ireland

 

Paul Buttery

Chief Operating Officer

 

Gregor McNeil

Managing Director, Virgin Media Consumer

 

Peter Kelly

Managing Director, Virgin Media Business

 

Rob Evans

Chief Information, Network & Technology Officer

 

Maurice Daw

Chief People Officer

 

Brigitte Trafford

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

 

The address being:

VIRGIN MEDIA LIMITED

Media House, Bartley Wood Business Park, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9UP

 

My advise would be for as many of us as we can get together to write to all of them. Also a letter to the regulator OFCOM to point out the problem to them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

I am in a similar position and I was told today by customer service that the contract is for service to THIS address only and so if I no longer want the service at this address then I am terminating the contract. They are under no obligation to provide the service at another address - that would be a new contract. A quick glance over from a legal friend suggests that this sounds about right - if you contract a builder to repair roof and then move to another property, he/she is not obliged to repair the roof at your new address without charging you for the previously agreed work. I can see the logic in this - however, as many on here, I believe that there cancellation charges are unjust and their losses cannot be justified. I do not accept that 'Virgin do not make any money out of you until after 2 years'. If the new tenant at my property signs up for Virgin, they do not lose any money yet they only offer a £50 reduction in the cancellation fee if I manage to persuade the new tenant to take Virgin (not likely!). I have written to the CEO with my complaint and will keep you updated but I would be VERY interested on joining together to challenge the legality of their contract as unreasonable or to try and force them to justify their charge as mitigated losses in court.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Same thing here today,

I find it more than unfair. And I only moved 200m away, they just probably didn't want to service the new building...

 

Did anyone of you get their money back?

I really don't want to give them 240£ because they are incompetent. I'd gladly stay with them and would retake them anytime, but if they charge me 240 for them not being able to provide service, then I'll never deal with such a company, and friends and family will be advised against it.

 

If you guys are looking at doing a class action, I'm in!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi,

Thank you for posting your question. I have just been able to get my cancellation charges wavered. I am also moving home and complained that during the sales process I was specifically told I could move without consequence, which was absolutely true. I attach my formal letter of complaint below as it may be of help to others. I think this is an unfair practice by Virgin Media and aim to support others in their complaints. Good Luck and all the best.

 

 

Formal Letter of Complaint

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

In March this year I chose Virgin Media as my broadband supplier. When speaking with your representative about deals available, I specifically asked what would happen when I move home because I was aware at the time that I would be soon moving to London. I have a witness to this conversation and hopefully you will have a recording of it too. This was my main priority in choosing my service provider, it was imperative that the broadband could be taken with me to my new address and that I would not need to break to end the contract. At no point did your representative explain to me that should Virgin be unable to provide broadband at my new address, then I would have to pay out of the contract I had agreed to. There is absolutely no way at all I would have taken Virgin Broadband under the threat of a very large fee should I move address.

 

Even at the point of installation I discussed moving home with your installation person and he again assured me that moving services was easy and would be no issue at all. Again, I have a witness who was present who can corroborate this fact.

 

Now the time has come to move home and I have recently (6 June) discovered via your online chat tool that I will be charged approximately £240 to ‘end’ my contract.

 

Firstly, I do not want to end my contract, I would like to have your service at my new address. I have not requested to cancel the contract. I have requested to move service to a new address and you have stated that you have no coverage or infrastructure in that region and so are unable to provide the service to me.

 

I was expressly told when I spoke with your representative that moving home with Virgin Broadband was simple and easy and that my that broadband would simply transfer to my new address. That was not truthful. You have verbally stated only the benefits of this contract and not disclosed openly and verbally all hidden clauses or downside to the contract you put forward.

 

Your representative did speak of costs for terminating the contract. However, he limited the information he provided and failed to disclose a critical piece that would most certainly have seen me reject the service outright. When speaking of cancellation, he failed to disclose that there is situation that often happens whereby a termination of contract is ‘forced’ upon the customer if the customer moves home. To omit this detail is, especially given my stated intention to move home, is, I believe, a mis-selling of your product and a practice that serves only your company and not me, the customer.

 

I was advised that I could move home with Virgin Broadband and do so easily and without issue. This was a false and mis-leading promise. It would be great if your company offers your cable service to all addresses in UK. However, that not being possible, then it is only reasonable and fair, if you promise the ability to move home with your broadband, that you provide an alternative way of ensuring this is possible. On your complaint page it states that your broadband can even deliver down a phone line and so I am unsure why this has not been suggested as a solution? At the very least you should transfer the agreement to another provider without cost to the customer and certainly not with additional penalties.

 

You have a duty in the sales process to explicitly express this issue of moving services with your customers and not simply leave it unmentioned, especially upon being directly questioned regarding issues with moving home. This is not something that should be ‘hidden’ in the contract small-print.

 

I feel let down by Virgin Media and believe that this to be unfair code of practice.

 

I have stated to your representative that I am unwilling to pay to terminate my contract since I do not want to terminate it. I want to have the service that had been promised verbally when I agreed to take this contract with you.

 

I ask therefore that you uphold your promise to me that my broadband could move with me. As you are unable to do so via cable, then I feel it is only fair that you provide alternative solution without charge to me.

 

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to receiving your response to my complaint and the actions you will take.

 

Yours truly,

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 Caggers

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Have we helped you ...?


×
×
  • Create New...