Complaint Review: Virgin Media - Internet

To save duplicating my complaint about Virgin Media, I am copying the text from a letter I recently wrote to Virgin Media Complaints department. They make it very difficult to complain and do not publish a satisfactory complaints procedure on their website. Their CSRs say they can take your complaint, but nothing happens. I am sure many reading this will recognise the experience. I wish I had not moved away from Sky, and I am now stuck in a lengthy contract, which their t's & c's state I needed to have cancelled before I actually had a thorough appreciation of their service... why am I not surprised!

07 January 2013

Complaints Department

Virgin Media

PO Box 333

Matrix Court

Swansea

SA7 9ZJ

Dear Sirs,

Subject: Complaint  

I am so angry at this situation, that I am compelled to complain formally. I have been on holiday and had hoped, but not expected, to see a response on my return. You have not even had the decency to respond.

The following is the text from my online complaint: 

I went through this whole complaint form a few days ago, only for it to fail when I tried to submit it. If I was an unhappy customer before, I am even more unhappy now, having to write this again.

I was an existing customer for Virgin Broadband and Phone. After much discussion, and agreeing to what I believed to be an acceptable price, I agreed to move my TV from Sky to Virgin on 6/11/12.

At the time, Virgin was offering the VIP package for 6 months at half price. I requested that package and was told it was for new customers only. I said I would be a new customer for TV, but was still refused the package. 

I asked if I could cancel my broadband and phone package and then apply for the VIP as a new customer. I was told I could but would have to wait 3 months (I think). That would have been acceptable to me, but CSR asked if I could be transferred to
someone who could help. I agreed. 

The CSR I spoke to finally worked on a package which she said would be almost the same as VIP and we agreed a price. I was told the package would offer unlimited calls throughout the week including mobiles and 0845/0870 numbers. It was the phone
package which persuaded me to move to Virgin.

The service was installed the following week, but in the interim, I received the paperwork, but simply assumed I could trust to the Virgin Brand to deliver what we agreed, and I did not check the paperwork. 

I have just checked my bill, and found I am paying for weekday calls, etc... and on checking online, I see my phone package was not changed.

I assumed it was just an error and called Virgin, only to be told I do not have unlimited calls on my package, and I would have to pay extra if I wanted it. 

I tried to explain it should have been included, but the CSR said there is a note on file saying I had agreed to stay on the same phone package as I already had.

By that time, I was getting annoyed, and asked for something to be done. I was told there was nothing she could do.  

I needed the phone service, so agreed to take it, but registered the fact that I would be complaining.

Virgin clearly believed I was lying when I said I had negotiated my package to include unlimited phone. The note on my file is wrong!

Why would I go to the trouble of negotiating what I thought to be the equivalent of the VIP package, but specifically stay with a phone package that is unsuitable for my needs? 

I am spending 100+ per month, yet for the sake of just a few s, Virgin has now lost a happy customer.

I believe whoever agreed my new package deliberately misled me in order to stop me leaving and re-applying. Virgin has cheated me.

I trusted the Virgin Brand, and you have destroyed that trust.

I will cancel my contract with Virgin on principle and return to Sky just as soon as my contract allows.

This is not the first time I have had lousy service from Virgin. You will see from my file that my Broadband and phone installation was a disaster. There was damage to my property, and it took ages to resolve. I was not offered any recompense for the
damage and inconvenience and did not pursue it.

To say I am angry is an understatement!

I will tell my friends, family and work colleagues and contacts that Virgin is not to be trusted, and will recommend they do not consider Virgin.

I will post this on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other forums I subscribe to.

Having looked online at what others are saying about Virgin, I now see that you are not customer-oriented in any way, so posting my experience online is unlikely to make any difference to you whatsoever.

I should have checked this before committing to Virgin Media, because I certainly would not have moved from Sky if I had known just how appalling your service is, and that your CSRs actually lie to secure business. All I can do is try to prevent others making the same mistake I did in moving to Virgin Media.  

Yours Faithfully,