virgin media been taking money out for over a year by dd. service was cancelled

[sanepersongonemad]

i had a virgin media account where the contract ran out in may 2013 which i cancelled by post and phone. i then changed to sky.

 

i had not been receiving my bank statements for a long time and

went into branch on tuesday and got a print out of last 3 months.

 

 

i noticed on there a dd going out for £50 to virgin media which i then found out had been going out since may 2013 to vm.

i was confused as i have been with sky since june 2013 and been paying dd for them ever since.

 

i have had no coresspondance from vm that im their customer no bills nothing.

 

i contacted them by phone last night which was a foreign call centre. they have no record of this.

 

i contacted them by online chat today. spent ages talking to them and then was told to go to onlinee chat to complaints department.

complaints said theyd not heard from me since 2012 when broadband wasnt working.

previous online chat said phone was disconnected but not other services in may 2013.

 

 

why would only the phone be disconnected???

when its a sky broadband and tv package i have both with vm and sky?

 

i brought this up and complaints person said no it wasnt done by you but by another company and are refusing to give me my money back.

 

i explained i had called and written a letter.

they said i hadnt. and unless i have a recorded delivery tracking number tehy will not refund me.

i explained i had called them last night and they had no record of this.

so maybe they did not have the record of my cancellign.

they said 'no theyve done nothing wrong and they wont refund my money'.

 

it is my fault i didnt notice but i have been under a substanstial amount of stress.

i truley believe i did cancel it but did not cancel dd with my bank.

 

i have a clear credit record and am applying for a mortgage which i have worked very hard for.

 

i have spoke to my bank also who are refunding the money under the dd indemnity.

 

what shall i do now?

i dont want to messup my credit history but its £800 of payments for a service i did not use.

 

They have sent me no bills (they said theyve sent them by email but i have none and my email is active and i check everyday)

i have received no post from them nothing.

 

the online chat man said he is disconnecting it from today and started my 30 days notice.

 

i have no vm stuff in my house at all and it fully on sky. what i do please?

 

need help urgently with this please. worried it wil affect my credit status for my house.

[king12345]

Well, well well!

VM is up to the their old tricks again!

Unfortunately I have to welcome you to the VM screwed customers club.

Now, as a resolution: Don't waste time with online and telephone conversations.

Send an email or recorded delivery letter to ceo giving 14 days to refund your money.

After that go straight to county court.

The fact that you cancelled can be confirmed by the telephone call which will be on your phone bill, corroborated by your subscription to sky.

I know they can say that you didn't cancel and you just made the call for a chit chat and the recording have been deleted after 12 months, however no judge on this earth would be so stupid to accept VM lies.

Why would someone make a call to VM customer service and then get sky services 30 days later, strangely enough after the notice period?

Sorry to say, but these are usual tricks of VM.

For any VM customer past and present out there, check your bills and bank statement and I bet a nickel that you will find some 'admin errors' as VM likes to call them when caught red handed.

You've been warned!

[sanepersongonemad]

thankyou for your prompt response. i am so worried it will mess up my credit rating.

thankyou for making me a bit relived by saying these are their usual tricks.

i will have the money back from the direct debit indemnity today by halifax which leaves me to deal with vm by myself.

 

i dont have any records of phone calls as i would have made it from my personal phone which i dont have anymore.

 

they said the phone lone was the only thing that was disconnected so that would mean i would have a sky phone line and virgin media intenet and tv? how would this even be possible?

 

i have never even ever used my home phone call and never had a phoen connected to the line - it was simply always for the internet.

 

this has really stressed me out today and im worried this will taint my credit history.

 

should i contact ofcom?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

thankyou for your prompt response. i am so worried it will mess up my credit rating.

thankyou for making me a bit relived by saying these are their usual tricks.

i will have the money back from the direct debit indemnity today by halifax which leaves me to deal with vm by myself.

 

i dont have any records of phone calls as i would have made it from my personal phone which i dont have anymore.

 

they said the phone lone was the only thing that was disconnected so that would mean i would have a sky phone line and virgin media intenet and tv? how would this even be possible?

 

i have never even ever used my home phone call and never had a phoen connected to the line - it was simply always for the internet.

 

this has really stressed me out today and im worried this will taint my credit history.

 

should i contact ofcom?

 

 

Tom Mockeridge is the CEO VM.

 

Your approach should be considered and well thought out if you want the desired response.

 

 

Make a Formal Complaint to VM ( look up the name of MD/CEO and address the complaint to that person marked " private & Confidential".

 

 

Lay out clearly all the points of your complaint ( attach any evidence you may have re the cancellation) then layout exactly what you REQUIRE VM to putting arbitrary time limits on a complaint like this is pointless and may well get just an " off the cuff" rebuttal.

 

 

Don't go through customer (dis) service who prim task appears to be stopping customers from getting to a person who can actually do something about the complaint.

 

 

A formal complaint allows 56 days for investigation and response, it is well worth the wait and it works!!

 

 

Use signed for post.

[sanepersongonemad]

thankyou. will it affect my credit history though? i have got the money back from the bank but vm are disputing the cancellation. also i only have the phone line for internet - i never even put a phone into it so why would i have a sky phone line and a virgin media fro tv and broadband? surely this wouldnt work?

can i email the complaint? what exactly should i do? been very worried all day.

[sanepersongonemad]

i have found an email address fro tom mockeridge. could i have some further advice please?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

thankyou. will it affect my credit history though? i have got the money back from the bank but vm are disputing the cancellation. also i only have the phone line for internet - i never even put a phone into it so why would i have a sky phone line and a virgin media fro tv and broadband? surely this wouldnt work?rs

can i email the complaint? what exactly should i do? been very worried all day.

 

 

I've found that when dealing with media and phone service providers is best kept in writing e-mails are to easily ignored.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

i have found an email address fro tom mockeridge. could i have some further advice please?

What ever you e-mail please follow it up by letter, as you have seen VM tend " not to have received anything" so protect your self.

 

 

As to their challenging the refund your complaint will address this.

 

 

This "dispute" will have been raised by a desk jockey following the company "script".

[2ltr16valve]

I've just noticed something you have written regards to "having the phone line for the Internet only"

I'm not sure what area you are in but the Internet connection on virgin media is sent down the fibre coax to the house - not the phone line

If vm have led you to believe you had to have the phone line to get internet then they have also mis sold you the service !

The only time I can think of that you would need a phone line is If you were in non cabled area and was supplied their national service I think its called which is basic Adsl as far as I know - which does not tally with having the TV pack as you say.

[king12345]

If you contact your phone company and ask for the call list of when you cancelled with VM, they can surely give it to you, even if you are not their customer anymore.

There may be a charge for this, bare in mind.

The fact that VM admit you cancelled the phone service actually plays in your favour.

Why would you cancel the phone service and keep tv and broadband and then order the same services from sky?

It doesn't make sense.

Any judge would easily find in your favour.

As you have got your money back, now you have to write to the ceo and firmly explain that, should they try to screw your credit record (and they will) you will have no other option than sue them for damages accounting to all rent you will pay while you cannot obtain a mortgage.

Explain all your situation and future plans to get a mortgage very clearly so there's no misunderstanding.

Write in very basic English and in short sentences because these fools are all illiterate and rarely comprehend anything which deviates from the street language.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it will be a long and frustrating battle, but you will be victorious.

[king12345]

I've just noticed something you have written regards to "having the phone line for the Internet only"

 

I'm not sure what area you are in but the Internet connection on virgin media is sent down the fibre coax to the house - not the phone line

 

If vm have led you to believe you had to have the phone line to get internet then they have also mis sold you the service !

 

The only time I can think of that you would need a phone line is If you were in non cabled area and was supplied their national service I think its called which is basic Adsl as far as I know - which does not tally with having the TV pack as you say.

This is probably because the all package is cheaper than broadband and tv alone.

[sanepersongonemad]

this is the email i have wrote so far. i will also send this in writing recorded delivery. Please can you help me 'firm' up this letter ad make it sound better? i am in central birmingham b6. yes the initial package i had was back in the day of 3 for £30 but phone was only for bb. Like i said most worrying is my credit as if anything stops me getting my house il will be heartbroken. here what i wrote so far.

 

Dear Tom Mocekeridge

 

I am writing with reagrds to a complaint i have with virgin media as a result of getting nowhere with your complaints department.

 

i had a virgin media account for tv phone and broadband package where the contract ran out in may 2013 which i cancelled by post and phone. i then changed to sky for all three products as a package.

 

i had not been receiving my bank statements for a long time and went into branch on Tuesday and got a print out of last 3 months transactions. i noticed on my transactions a direct debit for £49.90 to virgin media which i then found out had been going out since May 2013 to VM. I was confused by this as i have been with sky for all three products since june 2013 and been paying a direct debit and receiving a monthly bill from them ever since.

 

i have had no correspondence at all from VM that may confirm im still an ongoing customer. This includes bills, any sort of paper correspondence etc. I was told by Adam in complaints that a virgin media bill was sent every month to my email. I check this email several times a day both on my laptop and phone and have no emails since 2012.I also have no virgin media set top box or broadband box and none of these services.

 

I contacted VM customer services last night on 08454 541 111 by phone last night twice. i gave my details and was identified through security. I asked to speak to a manager but was disconnected.When speaking to VM today they have no record of this.

 

After speaking to my bank, i contacted VM by online chat today as i would find it costly to stay again for a long period of time on the 0845 number. I went to the online customer service chat and after a substantial time was told i need to online chat with the complaints department.

 

Adam in complaints said they had not heard from me since 2012 when my broadband wasnt working. The previous online customer chat representative said the phone was disconnected but not other services in may 2013. Why would a package of 3 products only have the phone disconnected??? When moving from the 3 products from VM, i went with skys 3 product package.

 

I brought this up with Adam in the complaints department and he said no disconnection wasnt done by me but by another company and are refusing to give me my money back.

 

i explained i had called and wrote a letter to the Swansea address and even given my 30 days notice but Adam insisted i hadnt and unless i have a recorded delivery tracking number of the letter i sent 17 months ago, i will not get my money refunded to me.

 

i also explained i had called last night (from my company phone so i have a bill that will verify this) and there was no record of this, so maybe they did not have the record of my cancelling. I was told by Adam VM have done nothing wrong and they wont refund my money'.

 

Additionally how is it only possible to cancel a phone line and not the other services? that would mean i have a sky phone line, virgin media broadband and virgin media tv? is this even possible? I simply have a phone line for internet and have never connected an actual phone to it so therefore how would this be possible that only the phone line was disconnected?

 

I feel it very unfair to charge me monies for which i have not had a service for.

 

I have always made my payments on time and i have a clear credit record and am currently applying for a mortgage which i have worked very hard for. I am worried this will dent my credit history so would like to sort this out urgently as this is causing me a great deal of stress.

 

I apologise i have contacted you directly but seem to have little joy communicating with customer service or your compalints department.

 

I hope you can sort this out and refund my monies.

[sanepersongonemad]

i also contacted ofcom who told me to contact cisas who cannot really do anything till after 8 weeks but as i have just made a payment by dd, this will mean i will miss the next payment and get a default or late payment on my history which i have none of.

 

Im happy my banks got my money back but i dont want anything to ruin my credit history as just last year i lost a house where i couldnt get a mortgage for as i had a default which i didnt know about. i cannot go through this again. iv done everything ot boost my credit rating which is really good all for a house that is being builty that iv waited nearly two years for. sorry feeling worried

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

this is the email i have wrote so far. i will also send this in writing recorded delivery. Please can you help me 'firm' up this letter ad make it sound better? i am in central birmingham b6. yes the initial package i had was back in the day of 3 for £30 but phone was only for bb. Like i said most worrying is my credit as if anything stops me getting my house il will be heartbroken. here what i wrote so far.

 

Dear Tom Mocekeridge

 

I am writing with reagrds to a complaint i have with virgin media as a result of getting nowhere with your complaints department.

 

i had a virgin media account for tv phone and broadband package where the contract ran out in may 2013 which i cancelled by post and phone. i then changed to sky for all three products as a package.

 

i had not been receiving my bank statements for a long time and went into branch on Tuesday and got a print out of last 3 months transactions. i noticed on my transactions a direct debit for £49.90 to virgin media which i then found out had been going out since May 2013 to VM. I was confused by this as i have been with sky for all three products since june 2013 and been paying a direct debit and receiving a monthly bill from them ever since.

 

i have had no correspondence at all from VM that may confirm im still an ongoing customer. This includes bills, any sort of paper correspondence etc. I was told by Adam in complaints that a virgin media bill was sent every month to my email. I check this email several times a day both on my laptop and phone and have no emails since 2012.I also have no virgin media set top box or broadband box and none of these services.

 

I contacted VM customer services last night on 08454 541 111 by phone last night twice. i gave my details and was identified through security. I asked to speak to a manager but was disconnected.When speaking to VM today they have no record of this.

 

After speaking to my bank, i contacted VM by online chat today as i would find it costly to stay again for a long period of time on the 0845 number. I went to the online customer service chat and after a substantial time was told i need to online chat with the complaints department.

 

Adam in complaints said they had not heard from me since 2012 when my broadband wasnt working. The previous online customer chat representative said the phone was disconnected but not other services in may 2013. Why would a package of 3 products only have the phone disconnected??? When moving from the 3 products from VM, i went with skys 3 product package.

 

I brought this up with Adam in the complaints department and he said no disconnection wasnt done by me but by another company and are refusing to give me my money back.

 

i explained i had called and wrote a letter to the Swansea address and even given my 30 days notice but Adam insisted i hadnt and unless i have a recorded delivery tracking number of the letter i sent 17 months ago, i will not get my money refunded to me.

 

i also explained i had called last night (from my company phone so i have a bill that will verify this) and there was no record of this, so maybe they did not have the record of my cancelling. I was told by Adam VM have done nothing wrong and they wont refund my money'.

 

Additionally how is it only possible to cancel a phone line and not the other services? that would mean i have a sky phone line, virgin media broadband and virgin media tv? is this even possible? I simply have a phone line for internet and have never connected an actual phone to it so therefore how would this be possible that only the phone line was disconnected?

 

I feel it very unfair to charge me monies for which i have not had a service for.

 

I have always made my payments on time and i have a clear credit record and am currently applying for a mortgage which i have worked very hard for. I am worried this will dent my credit history so would like to sort this out urgently as this is causing me a great deal of stress.

 

I apologise i have contacted you directly but seem to have little joy communicating with customer service or your compalints department.

 

I hope you can sort this out and refund my monies.

 

 

 

 

If you wish I can edit this and refine it for you and post up in the morning?

[sanepersongonemad]

that would be amazing.i feel it doesnt demand action and sounds weak and unclear. just desperate for a resolution asap so everything goes smooth with the house. would greatly appreciate that. thankyou

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

that would be amazing.i feel it doesnt demand action and sounds weak and unclear. just desperate for a resolution asap so everything goes smooth with the house. would greatly appreciate that. thankyou

Happy to help should be with you 1100 tomorrow.

[sanepersongonemad]

your very kind thankyou.. should i call up and make any payments in meantime? a dd was just taken on 13 ctober next one due 13 november....i have cancelled dd with the bank. thanks

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

your very kind thankyou.. should i call up and make any payments in meantime? a dd was just taken on 13 ctober next one due 13 november....i have cancelled dd with the bank. thanks

I suggest no payments at present, let's get the complaint in and running.

[sanepersongonemad]

ok thankyou. i am happy that the bank have just confirmed iv got the money back now in my bank under the direct debit indemnity

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

ok thankyou. i am happy that the bank have just confirmed iv got the money back now in my bank under the direct debit indemnity

Good, that's safe and the DD is cancelled so no opening for them there!

[king12345]

This would be in my style:

 

 

RE: Account Number XXXXXX

 

 

Dear Mr Mocekeridge

Please consider this communication as a formal complaint which, despite numerous telephone calls to your expensive 0845 number could not be resolved.

 

I had a Virgin Media account for tv phone and broadband which i duly cancelled by post and phone on [insert date of cancellation here].

Following the 30 days notice period, on [insert date here] I subscribed to a Sky telephone, broadband and TV package which is still active.

For some administrative problems I had not been receiving my bank statements for a long time and therefore never realised that you completely ignored my cancellation to your services and kept on charging me via direct debit.

Since my cancellation I have not received any more bills (electronic or postal) from you and assumed that indeed your services and related charges had been terminated.

Your employee Adam from the complaints department advised me that a monthly bill was sent to my email address.

Needless to say this statement is inaccurate and could be easily proved by a subject access request under the Data Protection Act 2008.

I have also been informed that, accordingly to your record, you have indeed received my cancellation in May 2013 but only for the telephone service and not for the broadband and TV.

Common sense should prevail at this point: why would I cancel only the telephone service knowing that I was signing up to all three services with your competitor Sky?

I have recovered the money you have been collecting from my account using the direct debit guarantee by contacting my bank and therefore my request is not for a refund.

I demand confirmation that this matter is closed and Virgin Media will not contact me requesting undue payments.

Any attempt to place a default on my credit record and/or instruct a debt collection agency would seriously impact on my present plans to obtain a mortgage and purchase a property and will be vigorously opposed by all means.

Should you decide to pursue this matter further in your favour, I will have no other option than file a court claim to recover all my losses including any rent payable while not able to obtain a mortgage.

I trust that at least you as CEO of Virgin Media have some common sense to understand that this is an absurd situation and needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency.

Should I not receive any response from you in the next 14 calendar days I will consider this matter resolved.

Regards

[your name]

Edited October 16, 2014 by king12345
Spelling

[king12345]

Also don't forget to instruct your bank IN WRITING to block any attempt to start a DD or standing order by Virgin Media and all their associated companies.

They might re-instate a DD by using an old mandate (yes, I was told by the bank that it is possible)

Fortunately there's the DD guarantee.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The OPs plans for a mortgage are irrelevant here and may if quoted lead to it being used as leverage to get payments!

 

 

The para starting with " I trust you as CEO" is insulting and totally unnecessary.

As is the last para.

 

 

This is a Formal Complaint Not a " letter before action".

[king12345]

The OPs plans for a mortgage are irrelevant here and may if quoted lead to it being used as leverage to get payments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The para starting with " I trust you as CEO" is insulting and totally unnecessary.

 

 

As is the last para.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a Formal Complaint Not a " letter before action".

 

That's why I said that this would be in MY style.

Imo better to let them know that they're a bunch of robots (computer says no!) or they might think you're just the next victim.

However I agree that mentioning the mortgage might give them ideas, so I would cut this off completely:

"Any attempt to place a default on my credit record and/or instruct a debt collection agency would seriously impact on my present plans to obtain a mortgage and purchase a property and will be vigorously opposed by all means.

Should you decide to pursue this matter further in your favour, I will have no other option than file a court claim to recover all my losses including any rent payable while not able to obtain a mortgage"

[sanepersongonemad]

shal i go with this? what the liklihood of a reply and the matter being closed after 14 days? thankyou for you help. really apprecaite it. been sorting this all day sice first thing this morning.