Comments on: Reasons to be unhappy with Virgin Media http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/ Business, Communication, Technology Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:11:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: neville http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72854 neville Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:20:03 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72854 That's quite a story, Pete. I keep hearing about people's different experiences with Virgin Media service itself, ie, the broadband. Some good, some not so good, some bad. All different. Yet the consistent story I hear everywhere is this company's truly awful customer service, such as you've experienced. Here's hoping you get a solution. That’s quite a story, Pete. I keep hearing about people’s different experiences with Virgin Media service itself, ie, the broadband. Some good, some not so good, some bad. All different.

Yet the consistent story I hear everywhere is this company’s truly awful customer service, such as you’ve experienced.

Here’s hoping you get a solution.

]]> By: Pete Buchanan http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72830 Pete Buchanan Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:40:25 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72830 Hello there Neville I have experienced nothing but lamentably slow broadband from Virgin. I was in a cabled area in Colchester and moved to its outskirts. I am at the mercy of the dreaded telephone line. "Just plug in and Surf" was the jingle on the box of goodies that arrived. 46 minutes and many £'s later Virgin's "technical Team" got me kind of up and running st 2 speeds, reverse and stop. Because of the atrocious speed.. all BT's fault of course, Virgin decided I needed to be downgraded to a package that costs £14.99 p.m. I received notification that Virgin would be removing 170.09p from my bank account, £156.50 because THEY had changed my package with them. I extracted a promise that this would not happen and was told not to worry because the error was an accounting one and guess what? It happened and I am now the proud owner of an overdraft. I am a pensioner and although money is always tight I have NEVER been in the red with my bank! Virgin reacted to my story as if I had just told them my pet budgie had escaped. I shall have to wait for 5 days for them to send a cheque......my direct debit of course is removed at the speed of light. My utter disgust and anger at being treated in this fashion is of course unrivaled. I have written letters to their customer care and don't hold out much hope of being re imbursed for the damage they have caused me credit rating wise.....I currently have a 92 credit rating score with my bank. Not for much longer I daresay. I shall let you know the next chapter of my saga when it happens With kind regards Pete Buchanan Hello there Neville
I have experienced nothing but lamentably slow broadband from Virgin. I was in a cabled area in Colchester and moved to its outskirts. I am at the mercy of the dreaded telephone line.

“Just plug in and Surf” was the jingle on the box of goodies that arrived. 46 minutes and many £’s later Virgin’s “technical Team” got me kind of up and running st 2 speeds, reverse and stop.
Because of the atrocious speed.. all BT’s fault of course, Virgin decided I needed to be downgraded to a package that costs £14.99 p.m.

I received notification that Virgin would be removing 170.09p from my bank account, £156.50 because THEY had changed my package with them.

I extracted a promise that this would not happen and was told not to worry because the error was an accounting one and guess what? It happened and I am now the proud owner of an overdraft. I am a pensioner and although money is always tight I have NEVER been in the red with my bank!

Virgin reacted to my story as if I had just told them my pet budgie had escaped. I shall have to wait for 5 days for them to send a cheque……my direct debit of course is removed at the speed of light.

My utter disgust and anger at being treated in this fashion is of course unrivaled.

I have written letters to their customer care and don’t hold out much hope of being re imbursed for the damage they have caused me credit rating wise…..I currently have a 92 credit rating score with my bank. Not for much longer I daresay.

I shall let you know the next chapter of my saga when it happens
With kind regards
Pete Buchanan

]]> By: Amazing customer service is the new marketing : NevilleHobson.com http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72700 Amazing customer service is the new marketing : NevilleHobson.com Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:01:39 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-72700 [...] experiences from companies in recent years which I’ve blogged about - Dolphin Music and Virgin Media, to name but two [...] [...] experiences from companies in recent years which I’ve blogged about - Dolphin Music and Virgin Media, to name but two [...]

]]> By: Just a paying customer : NevilleHobson.com http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-68617 Just a paying customer : NevilleHobson.com Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:29:18 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-68617 [...] October, I jumped over hurdles and through hoops in getting online after my broadband net connectivity disappeared for almost four [...] [...] October, I jumped over hurdles and through hoops in getting online after my broadband net connectivity disappeared for almost four [...]

]]> By: Virgin Media’s myopia : NevilleHobson.com http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-67184 Virgin Media’s myopia : NevilleHobson.com Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:14:45 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-67184 [...] I told them what I thought. [...] [...] I told them what I thought. [...]

]]> By: Alastair McKenzie http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65844 Alastair McKenzie Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:03:56 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65844 I well remember the sinking feeling I had when I received a chirpy letter from 'the bearded one' (who I've met professionally a couple of times and quite like) telling me how lucky I was going to be as a Virgin Media customer. I was really quite happy with Telewest supplying my cable tv and Blueyonder broadband. It all pretty much worked. By binary logic ANY change stood a good chance of messing that up....especially since the bearded one was bringing all his existing phone customers to the party. So far - reaches for large piece of wood - nothing has stopped working. But I dread the day when it does. I well remember the sinking feeling I had when I received a chirpy letter from ‘the bearded one’ (who I’ve met professionally a couple of times and quite like) telling me how lucky I was going to be as a Virgin Media customer.

I was really quite happy with Telewest supplying my cable tv and Blueyonder broadband. It all pretty much worked.

By binary logic ANY change stood a good chance of messing that up….especially since the bearded one was bringing all his existing phone customers to the party.

So far - reaches for large piece of wood - nothing has stopped working. But I dread the day when it does.

]]> By: neville http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65477 neville Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:29:24 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65477 That's an alarming story, Mike. I hope you manage to get a clean conclusion. Who did you switch to? That’s an alarming story, Mike. I hope you manage to get a clean conclusion.

Who did you switch to?

]]> By: Mike http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65404 Mike Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:18:01 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65404 If you think being with Virgin Media is bad, then just try getting away from them. I have been receiving threatening letters from them for the last six months because I had the temerity to cancel my contract. Apparently they want to take me to court for non-payment and are going to blacken my credit rating. The thing is, though, I also have a letter from them confirming the cancellation and giving me a termination date. But in typical NTL/Virgin style they are too incompetent for the disconnections people to communicate with the accounts dept., so the letters just keep coming and coming. No amount of writing to them - even recorded delivery - will ever get a reply. I've called dozens of times, and they always agree that it's a mistake and promise to fix it. Yet a couple of weeks later the next letter arrives. Truly, the worst company I have ever had to deal with. If you think being with Virgin Media is bad, then just try getting away from them. I have been receiving threatening letters from them for the last six months because I had the temerity to cancel my contract. Apparently they want to take me to court for non-payment and are going to blacken my credit rating.

The thing is, though, I also have a letter from them confirming the cancellation and giving me a termination date. But in typical NTL/Virgin style they are too incompetent for the disconnections people to communicate with the accounts dept., so the letters just keep coming and coming.

No amount of writing to them - even recorded delivery - will ever get a reply. I’ve called dozens of times, and they always agree that it’s a mistake and promise to fix it. Yet a couple of weeks later the next letter arrives.

Truly, the worst company I have ever had to deal with.

]]> By: neville http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65368 neville Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:47:31 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65368 Jed, my only experience of Virgin Media is their broadband service, which I've been quite happy with. Obviously I don't say the same about their customer service. I'm considering what to do, ie, continue or cancel. Much depends on whether I do hear from anyone at this company re my experience over the past few days. Jed, my only experience of Virgin Media is their broadband service, which I’ve been quite happy with. Obviously I don’t say the same about their customer service.

I’m considering what to do, ie, continue or cancel. Much depends on whether I do hear from anyone at this company re my experience over the past few days.

]]> By: Jed http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65365 Jed Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:49:28 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/10/23/reasons-to-be-unhappy-with-virgin-media/#comment-65365 I was thinking of moving provider from BT/Demon Internet to a bundled service too. Your experience has really put me off looking at Virgin seriously. We had lots of problems with TeleWest in the past like this, broken promise after promise, never made a proactive call or rang back when promised. Just cancel the contract and claim in the small courts! I was thinking of moving provider from BT/Demon Internet to a bundled service too. Your experience has really put me off looking at Virgin seriously.

We had lots of problems with TeleWest in the past like this, broken promise after promise, never made a proactive call or rang back when promised. Just cancel the contract and claim in the small courts!

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