Potential billing issue

[jayandfoo]

I'm writing on behalf of my mum who has gone a little stir crazy at being passed from pillar to post by people at the VM call centre.

Today she tried to access the internet and found that she couldn't get a connection. She checked the cable modem, etc and all was ok so rang 150. when she eventually got through, she was told that she had been cut off as she had an outstanding broadband amount of just over £50 - around 3 months of service.

My mum questioned this as she signed around last February on the 3 for £30 - they have always been billed for all 3 services on the one bill. They disputed this and said she had always had a seperate bill. Apart from the fact that she has never received a seperate bill, if this was the case, surely the outstanding amount would be much higher!!

She was then passed through to someone else (all this at a cost of 25p per minute!) and told that there were no issues with her account and nothing was outstanding. She was passed back again to technical help who said she DID have an outstanding balance.

She still remains without an internet connection but the most concerning thing is that she signed up for 3 for £30 and now is being charged £18 for Broadband - is it possible that Virgin have changed the terms of the contract without her knowing?

I wonder if there is anyone at VM who can help as she was on the phone for just under 50 minutes and got nowhere.

specifically she wants to know why she is no longer on the 3 for £30, which is what she had signed up for and why they have suddenly dicided to charge her Broadband seperately.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hayley

[chickendippers]

Calls to 150 are free

If Manchester is anything like Liverpool we don't actually get a bill for broadband, they money is just taken from our bank account.

1. Is the right amount being debited from your mum's bank account? Check there aren't two charges per month.
2. Is broadband itemized on the bill you receive?

[jayandfoo]

Originally Posted by chickendippers

Calls to 150 are free

If Manchester is anything like Liverpool we don't actually get a bill for broadband, they money is just taken from our bank account.

1. Is the right amount being debited from your mum's bank account? Check there aren't two charges per month.
2. Is broadband itemized on the bill you receive?

Hmmm.....she originally rang 150 and was put through to 'somewhere else' and was advised that she was being charged 10p connection and 25p per minute. Or that's what she told me...mothers, eh!

I have VM BB and pay £18.00 per month and get a bill every month. In fact, mine has just come today.

I have asked her to find me her most recent bill and am seeing her tomorrow to see exactly what it says.

The thing is, she has never paid £18.00 per month for BB, never came out of her bank and when she signed up last year she was told it was 3 for £30.

As she has never paid the £18.00 per month, surely her overdue amount would be higher.

if she signed up a year ago back then all offeres were time limited. so the 3 4 30 would come off after a year. They've changed this now and the deals stay on because they realised that people just ring up and say they will disocnnect to get the offer back.

[jayandfoo]

I thought this may be the case but it's actually trying to get any sense from anyone at VM to see exactly what has happened.

Just spoke to her and she did ring 150 but then was told she had to ring another number, hence the high call costs.

If there are any VM employees that could have a look for me to see what has happened, I would very much appreciate it - I know from experience how frustrating it is dealing with the overseas call centre.

[BenMcr]

Even if she was on the 3 for £30 the broadband does always bill at £18. all adjustments are made on the tv and phone account.

So even now those people on a 3 for £30 Virgin bundle (and have a seperate broadband account) get one bill of £12 per month and the broadband bill of £18

The seperate broadband computer, by default, doesn't paper bill. When people are on a d/d it should e-mail a notification to them every month (to the e-mail address they registered at modem activation)

[jayandfoo]

See this confuses me as we have VM BB and pay £18 - it comes out each month religiously by DD and we always receive a bill. is the billing consistent or does it differ for each area?

I have just spoken to her to try and clarify some issues and we are going to attempt to contact VM again.

She's checked back on her online banking for the past 6 months which is all she can view and £18.00 has never been taken. Her phone and TV bills are both up to date and not in arrears. She claims never to have received an email from them either with the BB bill attached - if she had done, I am sure she would have addressed this issue before now.

[johnemyr]

I have seperate DD's for BB and TV/Phone. I get a paper bill for the TV/Phone but nothing by post or email for the BB payment.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by jayandfoo

See this confuses me as we have VM BB and pay £18 - it comes out each month religiously by DD and we always receive a bill. is the billing consistent or does it differ for each area?

In Area reference 20 21 and 22, yes the broadband billing can be all over the place. Paper/Not Paper billed. Billed with TV & Phone (if you have STB Broadband)/Not billed with TV & Phone (modem broadband) etc

Virgin are trying to get rid of that as soon possible. Should be gone by the summer