Virgin Media - Useless

[Amethyst]

I telephoned Virgin Media on the 2nd February to raise concerns over an issue with my online bill payment. When logging in to my account I found that my card details stored there had vanished and been replaced with someone elses - someone who I do not know, and who supports the Nottingham Panthers ( I can put in a made up CSV code and it takes me to the verified by Visa page which features odd details of the card holder).

After being on hold for over half an hour, and ringing again, and talking to the social media team extensively on Twitter, and again telephoning, NO ONE has rang me about the issue, the other persons card details are STILL on my account and my card details are still missing.

Yesterday I received an email from the social media team. 15 days after first informing them of the issue. This letter is full of assurances and an explanation of what happened, like it doesn't matter at all and I shouldn't worry about it.... but seems to just be guff and bluster.

I'm a little bit cross.


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COM100401203

Hello Sharon,



Thanks for getting in touch with us regarding your concerns around your card details and the incorrect ones showing on your online account.



I would like to reassure you that we do take Data Protection very seriously and would like to apologise that you haven’t heard anything back from our team after speaking to us about the matter.



I can see from the account notes that the issue was raised with our IT department but there have been no other instances in which customer details have been incorrectly logged against another account.



The card details belonging to Mr xxxxxxxxx were stored on your online account after an automated payment was made over the phone and those details then replaced your card details stored on your online account as a Quick Pay method. When a payment is made over the phone the customer is asked for their account number and area reference before a payment can be made. I will contact our automated payments team so they can investigate this and review this method.



We do look after your card details very carefully and I would like to put your mind at rest that any future payments made online would be safe. The card details you give us online are encrypted and sent to us using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. This is industry standard encryption technology that protects the card details whilst they are being sent over the internet and prevents them from being intercepted and misused by anyone else.



I hope I have been able to put your mind at rest that your card details haven’t been passed on and I have been able to answer your concerns yet if you need any more information please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.



Kind regards





Social Media team

Virgin Media
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[Nibbler]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Err. yes the card details may be given to them securely (supposedly) but once they have them all bets are off by the looks of it.

NTL/Telepest were just as useless in their day if I recall.

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Wonder if they are reassuring Mr xxxxxxx that his details are safe, despite them being on my account.

[Nibbler]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Wonder if they are reassuring Mr xxxxxxx that his details are safe, despite them being on my account.

Yes, I expect they are telling him that his details were transferred from your computer screen to your eyes in a stream of semi random photons that would be near impossible to intercept and decode.

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Or like this...

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Lesson there is don't put your description on verified by visa the same as your password !

[ostell]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

What a load of rubbish from Virgin. About the same quality of response when I challenged Tesco about someones acccount being used to make an online order.

[leclerc]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Sharon, email the chief executive of Virgin Media. Enough is enough, state that there is a good chance that they are breaching the data protection act 1998 plus the fact that they are not doing enough to investigative this serious issue.

Things to mention: told friends and they think you should leave VM cos that sounds like they cannot look after personal data, emphasise your own loyalty to VM ie and the great customer service you have received HOWEVER mention how frustrated you are at how long it is taking to sort this out and that perhaps your friends are right in what they are saying.

Remember the three R's we are hitting on: Reputation(word of mouth) Repurchase(you buying onto more products from them) and Retention(they keep your account) .

It works a treat for me

Try the following email and state that you are one of the owners of a consumer forum ie this one(it will help)

tom.mockridge@virginmedia.co.uk

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

I am very loyal to Virgin and have stuck up for them many times before - and still would but they are really beginning to get on my tits with this one.

I'll write to Tom as suggested, will let you know how I get along.

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

For now reply from Social Media


Hi Sharon,



Thanks for getting back in touch with me regarding your card details.



I do want to assure you that your details have not been compromised in any way yet I do understand your concern. It appears that when Mr Neville made a payment he has entered the incorrect account details which has linked his card details to your account and overwritten your online payment details.



You would need to remove Mr xxxxxxxxx’s details from your account as this is not something we could do from our side and if you wish to make any further online payments, these details are encrypted so it is a safe and secure method.



I would be unable to help you any further from this side yet if you do wish to take this matter further you can find out how to do this within our complaints code of practice : http://virg.in/compscop



Kind regards



Rose

Social Media team

Virgin Media

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

So shouldn't Mr xxxxxxxxx be informed that he has inadvertently changed the card details on an incorrect account and possibly made a payment to the wrong account ??????? Why do I feel like I'm being weird for expecting them to take this a bit more seriously. Isn't it worrying that he managed to change the card details attached to my account, without errm, being me ?

[leclerc]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

So shouldn't Mr xxxxxxxxx be informed that he has inadvertently changed the card details on an incorrect account and possibly made a payment to the wrong account ??????? Why do I feel like I'm being weird for expecting them to take this a bit more seriously. Isn't it worrying that he managed to change the card details attached to my account, without errm, being me ?

yep

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Phew ! thought I was being weird.

I emailed Tom, let you know if he ever responds.

[leclerc]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Phew ! thought I was being weird.

I emailed Tom, let you know if he ever responds.

His office should respond within about 48 hours but if you've included the stuff I have said then maybe they might respond a bit more quickly. It's seems very very dumb that it can happen because it's a flaw in the system. What would happen if they had paid your bill and you thought you'd paid it yourself only for it later to be deemed to be an incorrect payment? Does your VM stuff stop? Are you accused of fraud? Do you then get charges?

The consequences are immense.
Also if your payment details were over ridden why would you not get an automated email saying that you have changed your payment details so that you can query this earlier?

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media - Useless

Still nothing Nats. I've chided them a little on Twitter although Rose has already said they can't do anything further.

ICO ?

And have you read Virgins complaints 'code of practice' - its utter pants.