Moving flat - a bit of a nightmare

[Chospo]

Hi guys,

Me and my flatmate moved pretty recently. We called the care line about 3 weeks ago to let them know that we were going to move and we wanted to move the Virgin Media XL package with us.
They asked for the landlord's address to get her permission to install everything (there was not the cable in the house). We gave them all the details.
So far the landlord hasn't received anything. We're still paying for a service we don't receive. We're quite ****ed off and we would cut the direct debit if we didn't have a contract to honour.

Now, do you know if there is anything we can do in order to speed up the process or even to cut the contract because of their negligence?

Thanks in advance!
Chospo

[Sephiroth]

Your contract should state:

K Moving home
If you move to another address within our and/or Virgin Media Entertainment's service area, you may ask us and Virgin Media Entertainment (as applicable) to provide the services to your new address. You must provide at least one month's written notice to do this, but neither we nor Virgin Media Entertainment can guarantee to provide you with the services at your new address.

If you move to another address during any minimum period paragraph J3 will apply, unless you continue to receive Virgin Media Ltd and/or Virgin Media Entertainment services at your new address (in which case paragraph K3 will apply).

If we and Virgin Media Entertainment (as applicable) agree to provide the services to your new address, you will have to pay a service transfer charge (to be paid to Virgin Media Payments). Details of the service transfer charge are set out in the price guides . We and/or Virgin Media Entertainment will also send you a new contract for the services at your new address (which will include the contract for premium television services as applicable) and you will have to keep the services for the minimum period . The service start date will be the date that the services are installed at your new address. You may not be able to keep your phone number if you move house.

It should also state:
If Virgin Media Ltd, Virgin Media Entertainment and/or Virgin Media Payments break the terms and conditions of these agreements , you're free to end these agreements.

So, subject to legal advice that you should take, it strikes me that VM are in breach of their own terms and you can cancel your contract. of course the postal strike might have interfered with delivery of their letter or whatever to the new landlord.

You should call retentions at VM and let them know that you're thinking of cancelling the contract in breach and then asking them for their suggestions. Note date and time and name of the agent and take notes which you should confirm back to VM by e-mail.

[oliver1948uk]

My lad (with VM for only about 5 months) was moving from one rented property to another. He sent an email from the VM website to the MOVING HOUSE section on the Monday, an email soon came back confirming, they cut off his current address on the Thursday and an engineer set up his new address with two lots of new internal cabling (admittedly already with a VM external connection) on the Friday . . . and did not charge anything! The whole thing implemented and completed in 5 days. Brilliant!

I realise this does not help Chospo but at least it shows there is the capability for the system to work efficiently.

[BenMcr]

Now, do you know if there is anything we can do in order to speed up the process or even to cut the contract because of their negligence?Have you spoken to Virgin again about where the forms are?

They can be sent by email as well as post or fax. Did you give them your landlords e-mail address?

[Chospo]

Guys. Thank you very much for your help. You've been great.

There is a sad update. Eventually the letters have been sent to the landlord (twice in two days - over a week late as I've seen the post stamps) and after more weeks the technician came (at this time we are talking about a month and a few days). After almost five weeks of waiting time the technician said that since there was no virgin cable he had to come back another day.

I called the call centre to complain, they were late, over the 30 days and I wanted to cancel the contract. They said I couldn't - at least without paying £180 fine - because the contract states that the customer can cancel it if Virgin are not able to provide the service, it doesn't matter how much time is required to provide it. It doesn't make much sense, but I bought it, especially because they said that the payments were frozen till the new installation.

We booked another installation date for yesterday. And, surprise, yesterday the technician called to cancel the installation because of severe weather. I called the call centre to complain about that - London was 100% sunny based on what I could see and on the BBC website - but she explained to me that all the contractors came from outside London (the biggest city in the country is served by contractors based somewhere else?).
At the same time, I discovered after the call centre call, I had received a £110.00 bill stating "balance brought forward", nothing else. To be paid immediately. That's weird since I've a Direct Debit agreement with them. Since everything seems confused and messy - not to say almost-a-scam - I cancelled immediately the Direct Debit.

After a month and a half of no-service don't you think it should be legal to cancel the contract for Denial Of Service? To me it looks they are abusing their so-called powers as ISP.

I really need your help guys, to avoid taking a stupid decision and ending up paying for a big lawsuit.

Thanks!
Chospo

[Sephiroth]

For what my opinion is worth, unless VM relent on your problem the revenue department will continue chasing you. In my opinion, you need to write a registered letter to the Chief Executive with an openly declared copy to the ISPA (http://www.ispa.org.uk/).

In your letter, you would want to be calm and to the point and ask him to do two things:

1/
Set aside the charges levied on you and assure you that you won't be pursued

2/
To fix the installation issue and give him a date by which he should comply. I suggest two weeks maximum to respond. After that you will formally complain to the ISPA under section 2.5 of the code.

Hope that helps

[huyi]

hah! you think 1 month is bad? try 2 months! that is how long i had to wait for my internet connection to be setup when i moved, on top of that i have to pay £44 connection fee because the area dosn't support cable so i am stuck with ADSL.

[Chospo]

Thanks again Sephiroth, I'm going to try to write them.

Huyi, I understand your point, but I believe Virgin Media are sort of abusing their power. A proper letter, where you underline these abuses, should help letting them understand you are not going to accept that too easily.

...I hope.