Virgin Media excessive cancelation charge
Discussion
Been a Virgin Media customer for over 9 years and now moving home at the end of the month. Sadly, no fibre optic broadband in the area or even standard Virgin coverage.
They want to charge me £190.00 (!!) to come out of my contract. Even though I'd happily stay with them if they could offer me the service. Quite a bizarre stance seeing as they'll no doubt cover the area in the future, talk about burning bridges!
I currently have 2 promotional discounts saving £28.00 a month which expire on the 11th August. Does anyone know if this upcoming increase allows me to cancel under the 30 day rule, without incurring me paying their exorbitant fee? I can't really find anything concrete that suggests promotional discounts are covered under this rule?
They want to charge me £190.00 (!!) to come out of my contract. Even though I'd happily stay with them if they could offer me the service. Quite a bizarre stance seeing as they'll no doubt cover the area in the future, talk about burning bridges!
I currently have 2 promotional discounts saving £28.00 a month which expire on the 11th August. Does anyone know if this upcoming increase allows me to cancel under the 30 day rule, without incurring me paying their exorbitant fee? I can't really find anything concrete that suggests promotional discounts are covered under this rule?
If you’re coming out of a promotional period that doesn’t mean you’re having a price rise - very different so be careful of thinking that’s a way out.
Unfortunately I don’t think you’ll be able to avoid the fee as they aren’t making you move house & break the contract. But often if you are nice to people in call centres they’re more likely to offer a goodwill gesture.
Unfortunately I don’t think you’ll be able to avoid the fee as they aren’t making you move house & break the contract. But often if you are nice to people in call centres they’re more likely to offer a goodwill gesture.
I had this just 12 months ago with them, we were moving to a new build that had opnereach as a must have. The charge wasn't that much but in the end Covid delayed the move 3 months and it came to a natural end, I found them ok to deal with. I recommended the people who moved in and we both got £50 incentive.
NelsonM3 said:
Even though I'd happily stay with them if they could offer me the service.
Blimey. I didn't have any choice when I moved and after being with them a few years it feels like being held hostage. I can't wait to get away. The latest thing was having to do the stupid dance of ringing them to challenge the random price rise and the best they could do was offer offer me a deal ten quid cheaper. I eventually agreed to that but when the next bill came it was the same as before.
I contacted them again and they said there was no record of the conversation. This was all done through online chat so there's no way it wasn't recorded. I've used smaller companies for broadband for the 20 years previous and had no problems whatsoever. I can't wait for them to install the infrastructure so I can get back to them.
Edit: err apologies for this not being in any way helpful to the thread. I got a bit carried away
I went through this recently due to moving house and virgin do not supply the new address. Highly frustrating practice as you pay very nearly the full contract price to leave them. They were useless throughout with the service also but that's another side of it!
Have a look at BTs deals, they covered my exit fees which were circa £250 from virgin and BT put it as credit on account with them.
Some details here - https://community.bt.com/t5/Bills-Packages/Want-to...
But cannot see it on the website anymore so maybe they've stopped it, Hardly surprising. They gave me £250 to join them on an 18mth contact paying about £25/mth. Madness really.
Have a look at BTs deals, they covered my exit fees which were circa £250 from virgin and BT put it as credit on account with them.
Some details here - https://community.bt.com/t5/Bills-Packages/Want-to...
But cannot see it on the website anymore so maybe they've stopped it, Hardly surprising. They gave me £250 to join them on an 18mth contact paying about £25/mth. Madness really.
This comes up on other forums a lot. People move to an area where they can’t get service and then think they are hard done by because “Virgin can’t supply the service”
Virgin make it quite clear in the terms and conditions that they don’t cover the whole UK and if you move house to an area not covered, you are terminating the contract and will be subject to any early termination fees.
Virgin make it quite clear in the terms and conditions that they don’t cover the whole UK and if you move house to an area not covered, you are terminating the contract and will be subject to any early termination fees.
Yes. You are correct
But the 'early termination fees' are about 90% of just staying with them, but they aren't providing any service etc.
The costs are seemingly unjustifiably high, which is what gets people wound up. If it was say a £50 cancellation fee rather than having to pretty much pay the whole contract people wouldn't be so frustrated.
But the 'early termination fees' are about 90% of just staying with them, but they aren't providing any service etc.
The costs are seemingly unjustifiably high, which is what gets people wound up. If it was say a £50 cancellation fee rather than having to pretty much pay the whole contract people wouldn't be so frustrated.
Jakey123 said:
Yes. You are correct
But the 'early termination fees' are about 90% of just staying with them, but they aren't providing any service etc.
The costs are seemingly unjustifiably high, which is what gets people wound up. If it was say a £50 cancellation fee rather than having to pretty much pay the whole contract people wouldn't be so frustrated.
The providers need to recover the cost of sale and installation of service and recovery of your set top box and router so terminating early means there is a hole in the finances. But the 'early termination fees' are about 90% of just staying with them, but they aren't providing any service etc.
The costs are seemingly unjustifiably high, which is what gets people wound up. If it was say a £50 cancellation fee rather than having to pretty much pay the whole contract people wouldn't be so frustrated.
coetzeeh said:
The providers need to recover the cost of sale and installation of service and recovery of your set top box and router so terminating early means there is a hole in the finances.
Would that not have occurred during the initial contract? They don't claim installation costs if you leave at the end of a contract. The OP has been with them for 9 years.Recovery of set top box is relatively straight forward. Pop back in box and send it back to them.
NelsonM3 said:
Been a Virgin Media customer for over 9 years and now moving home at the end of the month. Sadly, no fibre optic broadband in the area or even standard Virgin coverage.
They want to charge me £190.00 (!!) to come out of my contract. Even though I'd happily stay with them if they could offer me the service. Quite a bizarre stance seeing as they'll no doubt cover the area in the future, talk about burning bridges!
I currently have 2 promotional discounts saving £28.00 a month which expire on the 11th August. Does anyone know if this upcoming increase allows me to cancel under the 30 day rule, without incurring me paying their exorbitant fee? I can't really find anything concrete that suggests promotional discounts are covered under this rule?
There was actually a letter about this in the Torygraph Money supplement a couple of weeks ago. Someone in the same situation as you, the "consumer champion" woman from the paper got in touch with VM, and they wouldn't budge. They want to charge me £190.00 (!!) to come out of my contract. Even though I'd happily stay with them if they could offer me the service. Quite a bizarre stance seeing as they'll no doubt cover the area in the future, talk about burning bridges!
I currently have 2 promotional discounts saving £28.00 a month which expire on the 11th August. Does anyone know if this upcoming increase allows me to cancel under the 30 day rule, without incurring me paying their exorbitant fee? I can't really find anything concrete that suggests promotional discounts are covered under this rule?
I agree it seems like slightly sharp practice (and pretty stupid from a customer relations point of view), but apparently it's all legal.
Edited by outnumbered on Monday 5th July 15:12
outnumbered said:
There was actually a letter about this in the Torygraph Money supplement a couple of weeks ago. Someone in the same situation as you, the "consumer champion" woman from the paper got in touch with VM, and they wouldn't budge.
I agree it seems like slighty sharp practice (and pretty stupid from a customer relations point of view), but apparently it's all legal.
Just read the article. I know the VM contract say "may" which legally could be interpreted that it is not a finite position. Seems the thing to do with VM is change to a rolling contract prior to cancelling and there is chuff all they can do. May have to pay a little more short term but not an extortionate "exit fee"I agree it seems like slighty sharp practice (and pretty stupid from a customer relations point of view), but apparently it's all legal.
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