Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

Not sure where to put this as it is breaking news as well as VM but they are finally held to account . Loads of us I am sure have suffered this

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/..._eStxpLFZDQ-6A

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

This big fine should give them all a warning about such tactics.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

I said to my dad, it's hardly surprising to find out this, even after working there.

They would do anything they could to delay and stop someone cancelling, but I know things have changed because of when I dealt my grandads account.

What you want to do is try cancelling a Three account or an EE one, then you will have some fun if you count banging your head against a wall over and over and having them try to charge you £500 for kit, that you have returned!

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

I was missold a contract by EE. Did not open the sim told them I want to cancel in my cooling off period and made a formal complaint . Had to keep hassling because I kept getting communications .

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

I signed up to a Three "5g Home Broadband" system which came with a modem, eero router etc, only to find out after 2 weeks that you don't keep the items at the end of the contract.

I cancelled it within the 30 day cancellation period, sent the kit back via DPD and they tried to charge £500 for it, because they "couldn't find it" and were essentially trying to say I hacked DPD to fake tracking information, emails, and their systems to generate confirmation of receipt of the items.

It didn't work out for them because I told them that I would take them to court if they charged me, and low and behold 3 days late they magically found the items with the serial numbers matching what I had recorded of the kit that I sent back.

EE tried to cancel my Gamepass Ultimate which I have paid for because they charged for the full length of the contract in order for me to cancel, the direct debits (xbox console and gamepass), when I complained about it, it took them nearly 2 months to sort it out.

Now I have gamepass ultimate but I don't know when it's going to end as I don't know if they are going to monitor it.

£28 Million fine for VM
 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...from-cancelli/

About time.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

Sending back my VM kit was a nightmare, it took over 1 month for them to acknowledge they had received the kit and even billed me for it..... I'll never return to VM as long as I have FTTP options.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

I had to return a faulty modem to VM on receipt and installation of a new one. The code on the packaging was rejected at 3 locations.

In the end a tech visiting a neighbour took it and booked it as returned on the device he had. 2 weeks later I received a replacement modem which is still here because they won't give me a code to return it!

I wonder how much our bills will rise to cover this fine?

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

TBH, I have not had these issues.

I cancelled my VM using the online chat, no issue.
Someone came and picked up my return (modem).

I placed a switch order with EE last month.
A week later I decided against a move (for now).
I contacted EE and cancelled it, again no issues at all.

---------- Post added at 14:55 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------

(Two threads Merged).

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

Which is fine, the process worked for you. But, I’m sure you would agree that just because it worked for you, doesn't mean that anyone claiming otherwise is lying?

The, now defunct, probably never to return, VM forum had multiple posts claiming similar examples, difficulties in leaving. The fact that OFCOM has fined VM must indicate the truth of said claims.

I suspect that. like you, the majority of leave requests are honoured. The issue is when not all goes ‘Pete Tong’.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

Why do people feel the need to make things up, at no point did I claim/state/imply that anyone is lying. :dozey:

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

BRSK (now Youfibre) did the cancelling for me, when I switched over to them. All went smoothly, even returning the modem went well, and a week or so later got a cheque from VM for £38 they owed me.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

I am sure you are aware that you hear the squeaky wheels but the silent ones well they are silent also you are on NTHW MKII so you are going to be exposed to all the horror stories. Thing is with this report VM admitted they were doing it which is the biggest shocker of them all

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

They only admitted it to get the fine reduced. It would have been £40 million otherwise.

They claim to have changed their ways, but that doesnt ring true given the amount of people that still have the same experience. How many managers in CS have been sacked as a result? Are they abandoning overseas call centres? Are they totally removing incentives for staff to stop cancellations?

They may well think the fine worthwhile and carry on as usual. I"m sure this is why they closed their CS forum, so the amount of issues and complaints about their practices is hidden.

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

Lots of big companies/industries play the system because paying a silly fine every couple of years is cheaper than fixing the problem.

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

Dunno why you feel the need to ask me all them questions. You are more likely to have the answers than me because I think you care more

Re: Virgin media fined 28 million for cancellation delay tactics
 

They were questions for VM, not yourself. Since the closure of their forum they are not open to questions. They only respond when embarassed in the media, or fined.

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

I recall a fair number of people posting on the, now, defunct VM forum, claiming that the phone had been put down on them when attempting to cancel. The forum team members (VM employees) were quite vociferous in stating that ‘this just doesn’t happen, no call centre worker would do this, it was just a technical error for that call’. Did seem to be surprisingly common for these ‘technical issues’ to happen just when someone wanted to cancel.

And now we have an admission from VM that not only did this happen, but their call centre staff were actually incentivised to do it. Wow, just f***ing, wow.

Now I wonder who was lying, was it the forum staff, who knew but lied anyway, or their bosses who simply lied to them? It’s not really a good look either way, is it?

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

Have had this happen, anyone yet had anything reversed because of it. Somehow I doubt it.

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

Although there will always be some people who will claim that ‘I called up to cancel and it was processed immediately’, it does seem to depend on who you get.

By far the most effective (and legally arguable) method is my letter, quaint, yes I know. VM publish an address in Sunderland to send it to, in this letter make it absolutely clear that you want to cancel as of xyz date (bear in mind the 30 day notice period), include your name, address and account number.

But most importantly, keep a copy of the letter and send it by recorded delivery, signed for, post.

Now this doesn’t guarantee that VM will cancel your contract as requested, but, if they don’t then you will absolutely win the case when you escalate it to the AiDR service - currently CISAS. And, naturally you also request that they order VM to pay you an additional £100 for the inconvenience.

Re: £28 Million fine for VM
 

Yes, the past two times I've cancelled, I've used this method, and on both occasions had no problems.
However, I would add I've always kept the Yodel receipts for the kit returns and still have them. It's not that I don't trust the returns process or anything ... ;)