To be fuming at Virgin Media

[ImNotAFlower]

Signed up with Virgin Media seven months ago for fibre optic broadband and tv, really pleased with the service, and then found out our landlady was selling our house.
We have ended up buying a new build property (long story) We knew that there was no fibre optic availability on the new estate yet but that broadband was available. No problem we thought, we will downgrade (who can see what is coming next?)
Oh yes there is broadband availability but not with Virgin Media. So we contact them to ask what next. They advise we close the account then talk to the finance department about how to repay them as we are required to pay until the end of the contract. Felt a bit put out by that- they can't provide the service but we still have to pay.
Anyway we come to terms with that only to find out tonight that we had to close the account because we moved BUT because we closed it and weren't in any arrears we cannot pay them back in instalments they want the whole lot within a month.
The only way to pay in instalments is to let it go to debt collectors.
I am so angry. My husband has taken to twitter to try to solve it but seriously I would like to throttle the person who wrote their policy!!!

[DEATHcameforSirPterry]

I'm not sure if this was the right way to go but we had a similar situation. We moved out of rental accomodation to go abroad for a short while and owed them for the remainder of the contract. We could afford half one month and half the second month but they wanted a lump sum. We paid just the half and by the time they had processed it and sent out reminder letters and final demands it was the second month so we then paid the balance. Nothing more was said. They happily let us sign up again a year later and it doesn't appear to affected our credit rating.

[Littletabbyocelot]

But the ts and cs someone posted said the most they can charge you is the full amount you would have paid MINUS the savings they make by not providing the service. So by charging the full amount they are either a) saying it costs nothing to provide their services and its 100% profit or b) breaching their own terms and conditions.

[Shakey1500]

It's correct but it does sound unfair and "not cricket". Is there anyone that could lend you the amount?

[19lottie82]

OP - yes but if you were in arrears it would have already had a negative impact on your credit rating.

[madreloco]

Even if that is true, it doesn't matter. You are being held to the contract you signed up to, including the lump sum repayment. You need to get over it.

[ImNotAFlower]

Nope apparently if we had closed the account with arrears they would have offered a payment plan for the whole lot, that is what the supervisor I spoke to told me.

[madreloco]

Only if you still have a contract with them, not if you have ended it Standard practice to require full payment when you have severed the contract.

[ImNotAFlower]

*behind

[ImNotAFlower]

They are if you owe them money ie are begin on monthly payments

[pennygirl26]

i also work for virgin. they will not accept installments in any circumstances. it isnt something they are able to offer. if the contract is broken they will expect contract to be paid in full. i deal with this on a daily basis. also the other person who said to send your details will lose their job if found out.

[chocolateyy]

It's my understanding that all T&C's have to be fair and reasonable.

So, had you not cancelled, VM would have expected to get monthly fees from you until the end of your contract period, therefore, it doesn't seem unreasonable that you would continue to pay monthly until the date that your contact would have ended.

If you pay it in a lump sum now, they will effectively make more of a profit than they would have expected to.

I would send them a letter, stating that you accept the fees are due, and that you are willing to pay them at the same amount you were paying until you cancelled, on the understanding that they accept this, and therefore no adverse information will be passed on to any Credit Reference Agencies. I would also copy that letter onto Ofcom.

Ofcom
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA

[ImNotAFlower]

Tainted it will be on the credit rating for seven years the VM person confirmed that.
This thread was really a vent about the "fuck off pay me" attitude of VM. At no point have I said I don't want to/ feel I shouldn't have to pay/ or won't pay them. I will find a way.
I am impressed at how many people would just suck it up and pay them, I take on the chin that in my first AIBU post I am indeed being unreasonable

[ImNotAFlower]

Tainted it will be on the credit rating for seven years the VM person confirmed that.
This thread was really a vent about the "fuck off pay me" attitude of VM. At no point have I said I don't want to/ feel I shouldn't have to pay/ or won't pay them. I will find a way.
I am impressed at how many people would just suck it up and pay them, I take on the chin that in my first AIBU post I am indeed being unreasonable

[TaintedAngel]

also in response to another poster they do not have a responsibility to move with you if you change address. the t&c's state that they will move with you if your moving to any UK serviceable property. it's not VMS fault if you move somewhere they don't service. Your contract was for that address. if you change the address you change the terms of contract. That's why when you move house you enter into a new 12 month contract (unless you are able to wangle a shorter length).
VM don't waive EDF'S unless it's a very exceptional circumstance.

[madreloco]

You might have convinced them to give you a payment plan but now this has been tweeted I doubt it!

[ImNotAFlower]

Chicken- these tech savvy kids scare me

[ImNotAFlower]

I have said this a lot now. I am NOT disputing giving them their money. I agree I broke the contract. my problem is the lump sum that I cannot afford. I WILL pay them somehow but I feel it is unfair that if I had been in arrears I could have had a payment plan.

[TaintedAngel]

It's in your t&c's that if you change the contracted agreement then your in breech and therefore liable for any charges. It is annoying that you need to pay the full balance. I don't think that's really fair but even taking to twitter won't change that. it's all an automated process. the system holds your debt for so long then it's automatically forwarded on to Moorecroft debt collection. Even after it gets sent to Moorecroft VM can't take any payments from you unless your clearing the full balance - payment plans need to go through the DCA. I think any impact on credit rating can be reversed upon request though once balance is paid. VM have a department for that.

[madreloco]

It doesn't matter. The only way to get out of paying is by the discretion of the company. Bad mouthing them online (and now on twitter...bad move) is not going to get you off the hook.
You signed the contract, you owe the money. It really is as simple as that.

[chickenfuckingpox]

when i moved house to an area they didnt supply they offered to give me a landline phone and internet down the phone but they told me it was not as good as the service i was getting in my old home therefore they offered to break my contract early because i have been a valued customer of theirs off and on for 15 years and they know as soon as i move again i go back to them again (and i did)

the thread has been put on twitter by the way my tech savvy dd did it she thinks its disgraceful

[ImNotAFlower]

I can prove that I have moved to somewhere they don't supply?

[KatoPotato]

To be fair to vm, anyone and everyone could say they were moving house/leaving the country to get out of contracts. Hopefully they can goodwill something for you but as others have said, that's the terms of the contract!

[ImNotAFlower]

No problem Lottie .

[19lottie82]

OP - Sorry, I'm just getting frustrated with all the people who are advising (wrongly) that you should be able to get out penalty free because you're moving house. I appreciate this isn't the point of your post and apologise for hijacking the thread .

[londonrach]

We move all the time. If i remember rightly one provider couldnt give us continued broadband at new address so just cancelled contact no penalty. Have you seen cab. You certainly should be able to pay instalments if they cant cancel it. Sadly you cant keep the contact going if not at address as next person could use it and if they used it for bad reasons you in trouble as your broadband.