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Virgin Broadband billing...please help!

Last post Thu, Nov 22 2007, 11:43 AM by Michael Harper. 1 replies.
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  •  Mon, Nov 19 2007, 10:43 PM

    Virgin Broadband billing...please help!

    Please advise me on what is the best thing to do in this situation:

    I was initially an NTL broadband customer paying £10 a month for broadband  when I signed up in 2005, then, everytime the £10 promo was expiring, Virgin would ring up asking why I was leaving, and then agreeing to keep me on £10 bundle which would have to be renewed every 6 months. ANYWAY....my £10 a month 6 month promo bundle with Virgin was ending once again last month so I told them that if they couldnt keep me on it I wished to terminate my broadband with them.

    The person I spoke to on the phone told me that Virgin Media was losing a lot of money by keeping their customers on the £10 a month plan and that therefore I would have to pay £18 from october onwards, so I said "Fine, I'm not interested", and gave in my 30 day notice. In the meantime I organised broadband with plusnet..then a couple of weeks later surprise surprise! A Virgin rep calls me asking why am I leaving, then the same old story, they offer to keep me on £10 for a further 6 months and I agreed to so went on to cancel plusnet.

    NOW... I overpaid last month's broadband by about £6.50 at the beginning of this month by D/D as it was calculated BEFORE they put me back on the £10 plan. Therefore, my next D/D should only amount to £4.50 to make up for the additional money taken out last time.

    Well today I received my broadband statement and they are charging me £18 still, instead of £10, so I rangthem up, got told that they had no record of me being put back on the £10 plan and so I was transferred to another department and spent a good 30 mins on queue.

    After much talk, they agreed to put me back on £10 plan HOWEVER they dont know what will happen to the next D/D which according to the system is meant to take out £18 out of me AND they said that they cant refund me with the additional money they charged me for last month because their system doesnt work that way blah blah. This, in my opinion is theft because I  never agreed to pay £18 a month.

    The question is: Should I cancel their D/D straightaway in order for them not to take £18 out of my account at the next billing date (beg of december)? Wil I get into trouble for doing so?

    Should I write to them a letter and send it off by recorded delivery? Asking them to make themselves liable for the extra they have charged me?

    How valid are these verbal agreements between customers and company when there is nothing in writing?

    • Post Points: 20
  •  Thu, Nov 22 2007, 11:43 AM

    Re: Virgin Broadband billing...please help!

    Hello jumbobeer,

    In answer to your questions:

    I would advise against cancelling a direct debit with any company as an automatic adim charge will appear on the bill for a few pounds extra which will just add to the problem. It's best to let them take it then get the credit back afterwards also you could jeopardise your arrangement with the company by showing unwillingness to pay.

    I would also advise not sending a letter, they have lost money providing you with this service and given that they have been generous despite the offer being long gone you could mess that up by complaining. (They are loosing money from you, not likely to bend over backwards to resolve a minor billing issue)

    The verbal agreement is recorded on outbound sales calls so it should be enough but never hurts to request it in writing or emailed with a PDF doc.

    Kind Regards,

    Michael.





    ALWAYS CHECK ANY ADVICE GIVEN AGAINST AN EXPERT BEFORE YOU PROCEED
    • Post Points: 5