[hedgie]

Update; Spoken to the Insurance team in the UK today. Gets worse.

Because I have two failed phones in under a week they wont process the third until they get one back. I offered to take the handsets to my local VM store where their condition could be verified and VM could send them back. I am not trying to rip anyone off by claiming they have posted when in reality they are on fleabay, just thinking of an obvious solution.

I was told that this was not possible, stores can't send phones back because they are a different company. This really isn't good enough, so far I have dealt with an offshore call centre and third party insuracne firm when I want to deal with Virgin Media. The high street stores present an integrated one brand apporach so why can't the business deliver what it presents at the point of sale.

VM really need to look at how other stores such as Halfords, Argos B&Q and the like integrate their stores on on line/telesales operations. The VM store network is an asset that simply isnt being used. If they had been able to say I'm really sorry please take both failed phones to you rlocal store and they will send them back to us and arrange an account credit I would have been quite happy.

My partner took her phone back to a Vodaphone store, they took care of the return process and gave her a loan phone. OK It was a dead basic phone but at least it was sorted out there and then.

Based on this experience I can't recommend Virgin Mobile to anyone. Its a shame as I get a good TV and Broadband service, but for me the brand is now tarnished with a negative experience that has a simple customer focussed solution but no one is prepared to make it happen.

Grumpy of Warrington