Back in I had an account with NTL. Due to their appalling and chaotic billing and collection system (including deducting monthly payments twice, losing payments, crediting my payments to someone elses account etc. etc.) I decided to close my account with them and move to Sky. I duly wrote to them giving the required 30 days notice.
Imagine my suprise (not) when I received letters saying that no monthly payment had been received and requesting immediate payment. I contacted NTL who told me that they had no record of my letter and that they would sort matters out and close the account as requested. Lo and behold, another month went by and another letter arrived asking for payment, threatning disconnection (a bit late for that) and placng the 'debt' in the hands of a collection agency. Despite numerous phone calls and being passed from pillar to post, this error on the part of NTL was never sorted out, I have had conversations with a debt collection agency who accepted that I was no longer a customer of NTL and that there was no point in them taking the matter forward.
To hammer this point home, I have had no contact with any debt recovery firm on this matter since that time. If this was a legitimate claim then surely they would have carried on pursuing the debt?
Fast forward 6 years and I am interested in getting my TV service from the Virgin Media Group. But hang on; what's this? There's a debt of £70.87 still showing against my address. The very helpful chap in the Virgin shop in Northmpton called 3 times in the space of 15 minutes as he kept getting cut off. He was told to tell me to call the laughingly named 'help-line' number and to ask for collections. I duly called the number (twice - got cut off the first time). The person I spoke to, who had all the customer service skills of Pol Pot, wasn't interested in solving the problem and that if I wasn't going to pay the outstanding debt then there was nothing she could (or would) do.
I would have to write to head office as they were the only people who could do anything. There is no phone number I could call to speak to anyone on (maybe they should try getting a line installed by Talk Talk who offer free UK calls 24/7 unlike VM).
As far as I can tell after 6 happy and blissfull years of not having to deal with this company, it seems to me that the accounts and customer service side of the Virgin Media business is just the same people who were in accounts and customer service with NTL. Their reputation as a bunch of dunderheads who couldn't organise the proverbial in a brewery is very well deserved. I have a feeling that I am destined to continue my relaionship with Mr Murdock.
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