Virgin Media - moved house cancellation charges

[maramelia]

Well, as things stand we are looking at a final bill of £240. What would be the best email address to send the complaint too?

[coco21]

I am having the same problem ... moved house 6 months into the contract ... no cable in the area ..... now threatened with the bailiffs for £264 !!

[marconini]

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.

[AndyOrch]

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.

[marconini]

Interesting, if true then there may be a case to put together a class action, ie bring together a large number of people overly charged to bring a case against them

[worldwide3rider]

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.

[marconini]

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.

[worldwide3rider]

The email I used to get out of my contract was [email protected] one of his team called me within a few hours

[saffasmum]

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.

[Yaeco]

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!

[amsaradaya]

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,