Charging more than quoted when we signed up

[beccahf]

When we signed up to Virgin we were told we'd get:
XL Broadband: £15
Line Rental: £12.24
M Phone: Free

We're actually being charged:
XL Broadband: £20.40
Line Rental: £13.90

I have the email they sent as proof of this. Would this be enough for us to cancel our services with Virgin? From reading the contract technically this is a price change, with no advance notice, so we should be able to end the contract. I want to cancel instead of trying to get the price lowered as the service isn't exactly great and I've found a much better deal, although if all I can do is get the price lowered then I guess that'll have to do.

I phoned the billing department, and the man I spoke to said that what we're being charged is the right amount, and that he can do nothing but put us on the L package to get the price we were told.

Before I go phoning them to cancel, can I have some opinions on whether I'm right?

[rickyg01]

was it an introductory offer?

[BenMcr]

The line rental price changed on the 1st August. This was a price change for everyone

When did you sign up for services? If it's recently you should be paying £18.50 for BB XL

[beccahf]

Fair enough about line rental, I wasn't aware of this.

It wasn't an introductory offer - we've only been signed up for two months. For the first month I thought the extra might just be because it was the first bill but seeing it again has made it clear it wasn't a one off.

I checked the email again and it says the previously posted prices were what we should see on the bill, and clearly they aren't.

[New to cable]

The reason I left VM is because of the lies they tell about pricing.

I got a call just yesterday telling me for £2.50 extra a month I could add tv and phone to my package. Seemed a good deal so I took it and the install was booked for Tuesday.

Then because of past problems I decided to ring up and go through everything in detail and it turns out...
After 2 months if I don''t reduce the TV it will be billed at the normal XL price. After 6 months the phone pack will be billed at the normal XL price. I will be in a new 18 month contract.

So my £2.50 increase will actually be a £40ish increase and a new contract. Not a chance in hell of me going into a new contract with VM although I am very happy with my 50mb bb service.

I told them I wanted to cancel the install and they kept offering different things untill finally it was a free TiVo with free activation a few months of free xltv and xl phone free for 6 months and a £40 bill credit. I DECLINED .

[photodude]

Welcome to the club!!! I was offered a "Free" upgrade on BB, free hub activation, monthly bill discount and a package reshuffle, which was meant to cost me no more than I was currently paying. What I got was bills that were at least £20-30 more than I've been paying for the last 8 years+ (11 years with TW/VM), a superhub that I had to fight to get the activation fees back, increases in my general service charges, and a new 18 month contract. When my bill came through this month (2nd since change), I decided enough was enough, and cancelled everything on the grounds of being mis-sold the package. Whether they view it as a good enough reason or not, is no concern to me. I told the guy I spoke to, that I was happy to go to county court over it, should they wish to pursue any outstanding debt or contractual obligations.
VM services are good on the whole, and my previous years of dealing with them on billing etc have been good too. But recently it seems their billing, sales, packaging, and general customer relations, has just gone to pot :-( I'm now a happy BT customer, with Sky on it's way, better phone package, BT Vision for upstairs, and in total it's costing me less than VM.
I was gutted to leave VM, but I'm not willing to pay more, and receive less :-(

[beccahf]

I think that's what I'm going to try and do, cancel on the grounds of being mis-sold the package. When did you do that photodude, and have there been any consequences yet?

[photodude]

Couple of weeks ago now, so no time for any reaction from VM as yet ;-) To be honest I'm expecting debt collectors letters etc through the door, because I've refused to pay the final bill, until they sort it out and correct it. Plus I didn't give them chance to say they would not accept my reasons for cancelling. I just told them that is what I wanted, why I wanted it, and ended the call ;-)
But having dealt with several thousands of debt in my dark distant past, VM's collectors or county court action doesn't bother me in the slightest. 12 years ago I said I would never use credit again (was stung by Lloyds bank PPI, who refused to make payments), so credit ratings etc don't effect my life ;-)

[beccahf]

Ah, I'll probably do it the long way as I don't really want to ruin my credit rating yet, but I'm certainly going to see what I can do. I'd be interested to hear how things go for you!