Does VM need to pressure me into a contract when I'm just changing addresses?

[Pofadda]

We're in the throes of moving house and are puzzled by at aspect of VM's business model.

If I ring VM and say I'm moving they say 'tell us when and we'll transfer your services, over the phone'. I also get phone calls from breathy young men who want to sign us up and will offer a 'discount' and insist on coming to the house to get our signatures on a new contract. First would-be move failed and we had to stay put and cancel the contract we'd signed (in person) and, now that a second chance is about to happen, the gel-head is back with inducements. I'll take them, but I'm not a mover. Been with (cable) since it was laid in the street.

Is it usual for VM to employ pressure selling of contracts to existing customers in this situation? Who's right the 'sign here please' guy or the 'over the phone' one?

Anyone else subjected to this needless (commission-chasing) procedure?

[BenMcr]

It should be 'over the phone' one - if you're an existing customer there is dedicated team that deal with moving home.

First time I've heard of the direct sales teams get involved when moving existing services.

[spiderplant]

Agreed. Plus if you took out a new contract at the old house, then it turned out they couldn't provide services at the new house, you'd be lumped with having to pay off the contract.

http://store.virginmedia.com/the-leg...ices.html#home

[Pofadda]

The colleagues of yours (??) are at
Virgin Media -NMC OUTBOUND LOYALTY (Gateshead)
Customer Concern, Matrix Court, Siemens Way, Swansea. SA7 9BB,
said a followup email from the nice young man with a Newcastle phone number.

I assume this is part of the customer retention exercise and they, poss. thanks to the dodgy internal communications at VM** , saw me a ship-jumper to be saved from BT or the like. It may show they're keen, but it doesn't cement customer relations!

** Our original call to 'moving home' resulted in a very similar call from a chap with a similar name who was inordinately keen to get our signatures on a contract. Soon after signing, the seller of our new house pulled out and out house hunting had to restart. A call to the original salesman cancelled the contract, which was predicated on the move. a few weeks thereafter we lost B'band service twice on insignificant (moving-wise) dates when VM said 'I see you're moving' and our services were to be switched off and billed to the new occupants' account! They did sort it out, but the Customer Services chap who was to see to it didn't ring as he promised when it was done. </moaning>

I wondered if VM outsourced their sales or maybe, even, this was a scam between in-house VM folk and outside commission agents.

[BenMcr]

Gateshead is a Virgin Media office, so it's a VM staff member phoning you.