Have reported Virgin Media to BBC Watchdog - do the same

damian78 · 22-11-2009, 13:17

Hi All,

Due to ongoing billing problems I've been having with Virgin Media, dating back to 2005, I have now reported them to the BBC Watchdog programme in the hope that they can be investigated.

I'm aware of a number of other customers having billing issues, such as charges (e.g. late payment fees) being wrongly added to bills. A call to Virgin Media sometimes resolves this, however, what about those who don't notice the extra charge, or the occasions where Virgin Media simply add it onto the next bill instead. They could be making a lot of money out of these incorrect charges.

If you are having problems with this, then I would recommend you also make a complaint to BBC Watchdog so that they can investigate this serious matter.

You can complain at http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/.

Thanks.

Damian

esdxc37 · 24-11-2009, 16:54

Rather than posting a link to watchdog why dont you present your problem here and see if it can be sorted out here,
I am sure watchdog get tens of thousands of complaints against numerous companies and only pick the ones which will give them the shock factor.
By using the forum I am sure that you will get a more satisfactory outcome than a hope that watchdog pick up on your complaint.

devilincarnate · 24-11-2009, 17:21

So reading your post you have had problems with VM that have dated back to 2005 ( not sure when you got the install ? ) . But i used to work in a telecommunication company for billing and if this had been happening for so long and that you had been calling up to get this sorted you could have said and they would have looked over the notes on your account to see that there has been a problem .

Then what they will have been able to do is hold the account until there has been a investigation in to what has been causing the problem ( and have any credit added to the account if there has been a genuine mistake or a complete f*@kup when the account was set up .

Or are you fishing so that you will be able to get your 15 minutes of FAME ?

Rik · 24-11-2009, 17:35

Ive just contacted Watchdog and complained to them that im only receiving 49Mb speeds, when in fact Im paying for 50Mb!!
Its a total rip off and disgrace im telling you!

24-11-2009, 17:42

I would support any concerted effort to get VM to get them to alter the billing system to advertised prices being the ones you pay without bullcrap clauses that allow them to charge a bull crap sum if you alter a package

devilincarnate · 24-11-2009, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rik

Ive just contacted Watchdog and complained to them that im only receiving 49Mb speeds, when in fact Im paying for 50Mb!!
Its a total rip off and disgrace im telling you!

What you are getting 49 MEDIA BOYS IN YOUR HAMSTER WHEEL , INSTEAD OF THE 50 MEDIA BOYS THAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR .

Sirius · 24-11-2009, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rik

Ive just contacted Watchdog and complained to them that im only receiving 49Mb speeds, when in fact Im paying for 50Mb!!
Its a total rip off and disgrace im telling you!

You to.

We need to form a hate group and start a website about the lack of speed

**Stuart** · 24-11-2009, 18:05

Guys, can we not attack the OP? Judging from his PM he sent to me, he is having serious problems with VM (obviously I will not go into details), and I have referred his case to our contacts.

damian78 · 24-11-2009, 18:39

Hmmm, no replies for a couple of days and then they all come along at once (much of it abuse, thanks for that). Check my previous posts and you would see the problems I have been encountering (if you can be bothered of course). In brief though, I have been chased for outstanding payments dating back to 2004/05, which I was told several times had been cleared, however on requesting bills to prove I owe these amounts, I was told this could not be done as they are no longer on the system. Therefore they wanted me to pay almost £100, even though they could not prove I owed it.

Anyway, thanks Stuart for your reply, wasn't sure if you'd received my PM's as my sent count still shows as 0 (hence I sent them a couple of times, sorry about that). Just in case you have replied my PM I also can't see that. I am still having these issues, though have got slightly further in that I have now been sent details of bills from the period (by the guy who previously said he couldn't do this as they are not held on the system). However, the format this has been sent in is not easily readable (just a long list, no separators between bills etc.), and it took a lot of messing around last night trying to get them into a readable format.

I'm still disputing this, mainly because as I said above I have been told several times it was cleared. I cannot check by bank statement previous to November 2004 as they were with a previous bank to which I'm with now, and due to financial difficulties I was experiencing at the time some payments were made on my parents cards, so again I can't check. However, once I've finished going through everything, if it turns out I do owe the money then I'll obviously be willing to pay it.

I don't expect companies to do this, obviously we are (quite rightly) expected to pay for the services we receive. However, on a couple of occasions when I was with Sky I missed a bill and had my service cut down, they then called and offered to clear the outstanding balance if I set up my direct debit again. Virgin Media on the other hand are now hassling me for a balance that I've previously been told has cleared, there is difficulty proving that the money is owed, yet they aren't willing to budge in order to keep a customer (I was close to signing up for an increased package (VIP) when I got the call to say I still owed the money). I'm sure it's costing their money having staff spending time hunting down bills and payments to deal with this.

SMG · 25-11-2009, 02:18

Problems like yours are not isolated cases m8. I have had issues, as have others I know. VM billing is a joke. Perhaps if Watchdog did investigate they may find a system that needs updating. Its only when complaints like yours are put forward, that companies take notice. Keeping a problem "Isolated", or "In house" helps no one.

After saying that, this Forum has helped many members with problems, me included, & most of them with billing queries. However, after years of complaints it seems VM are happy with their existing system, perhaps they need a bit of a shake up.

damian78 · 25-11-2009, 13:18

Just want to say thanks to Stuart for the assistance with this matter.

I've been speaking to someone in the Chief Executives office at Virgin Media this morning (I won't mention his full name, but thanks J.N. for sorting this), and they've now agreed that as they have no concrete proof that I owe this money then it's being written off.

I just wish this had been done sooner to avoid all the hassle.

Thanks again, and another good result from CableForum

bonzoe · 25-11-2009, 20:15

I trust that you will let Watchdog know, won't you?

Pleased that you got the result you wanted.

damian78 · 25-11-2009, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonzoe

I trust that you will let Watchdog know, won't you?

Pleased that you got the result you wanted.

Already have, as well as the other forums I posted in

P.S. Just in case anyone wonders (I'm not saying this is what you meant though bonzoe by "result you wanted"

), I am quite sure I had paid the money off originally, and was told so several times by NTL/VM themselves previously (conversations that were later denied by them). My posts and complaining weren't about getting away with money I owed, as I'm very confident I didn't owe it, and if they did prove concrete proof I did owe it I would have paid it.

Welshchris · 25-11-2009, 21:17

Its only now that after over 2 months a friend of mine has had £100 refunded from Virgin.
He upgraded his box to a V+ box and the old box was taken away by the tech that fitted the new box but they left it on the system as a second box for him and where ever the box now is someone keeps ordering Adult Movies on Pay per View and was being billed to him! Took them over 2 months to notice the mistake made.

alchemist_bs · 07-12-2009, 00:18

Ha fantastic! Well I've just joined after reading through this post as I too have problems with VM billing. Was not happy (angered) at people slating the thread starter, WTF?! Some of you people are, well I'll let you work out what I'd like to put but can't. So big up to the Admin that stepped in against this - if he hadn't I wouldn't be joining this forum. I mean jesus! your slating him but you are sooo proud of your super speeds! Cant you see the irony?

So, just to congratulate damian78 on getting somewhere, and to the people in this forum that have helped him, looks like a nice place, hope I settle in and dont get bullied lol