Virgin Media
Increased charges after 2 months

I signed up with Virgin Media in Feb for a Broadband package sized M as advertised on its website for a payment of GBP10 for the first 6 months and GBP17 for the remaining 6 months of the contract. For the first 3 months, I was charged GBP13.50 and as this worked out to be the pro-rated charge for the full 12 months, I did made my payments peacefully. However, imagine my shock when the bill for my 4th month suddenly showed a 100% increase which also applies to the preceding month! I now have to pay GBP20 for the 3rd and 4th month without any prior notification whatsoever. I rechecked all the leaflets and bills Virgin Media sent to me and also their website, there is no mention of the price increase. When I e-mailed Virgin Media to query the increase, I was informed that Broadband M is no longer being offered and that I will be upgraded to Broadband L for GBP20 per month. I find it most unethical that Virgin Media should be allowed to offer consumers a product for a contracted period then withdraw the product and inflict a more expansive product on the consumer. To add injury to the insult, I was not even offered the other extras that come from choosing Broadband L instead of M for example, free wireless G router, free PCguard Total, etc. not to mention that Virgin Media’s website is currently promoting the Broadband L at GBP15 per month for the first 3 months and GBP20 for the remaining months. I am even loosing out on that and the pro-rata rate i was charged.

As a result, when I announced my intention to break from the contract I was told that I would have to pay the penalty which would ironically honor the 12 month contract. Incensed, I looked up and quoted to them paragraph J3c of the Virgin Media Terms and Conditions which states that I may cancel the service without penalty by giving 30 day’s notice if Virgin Media increase their charges.

My dissatisfaction with Virgin Media is the fact that I have signed up for it, paid the installation fees of GBP30, not to mention whole days waiting for the engineering team to install the router, received the service for only 2 months before they increased the price a whopping 100% without prior notification or additional benefits and now having cancelled the service I have to look again for another internet provider and hope that not all companies are as dishonest as Virgin Media. Plus the staff seemed to be trained to extract as much money from the consumers as possible even if it is illegal as long as the consumer is unaware of it.

Company: Virgin Media
Country: United Kingdom
Region: United Kingdom

  <     >