Virgin Media Contracts

[ostell]

My daughter has Virgin Media for internet, phone, TV etc, the full package. Virgin have announced a price rise so my daughter has tried to cancel. They have come back saying that she has to pay Ł240 to be released from the contract. They also say irrelevant things like how much more she is getting for the increase, like more sports etc, which she is not interested.

They are quoting their terms and conditions, specifically H3. Opinions please. This is the web page The page in their letter is not correct.

Relevant parts, and those referenced in the letter, are

H 3 We and/or Virgin Media Payments may change our charges at any time. Any changes to our monthly charges will be published by us and/or Virgin Media Payments on the Virgin Media website and we will also give you notice of the change(s) at least 30 days before the changes take effect and you may cancel the services affected in accordance with clause J3.

J Ending this agreement
2 If you end one or more services during the minimum period for such services (other than in the circumstances outlined in section K or paragraph J3), or if you break this agreement and we and/or Virgin Media Payments end this agreement under section L (including for non-payment of charges) within the minimum periodapplicable to those services, you must immediately pay (to Virgin Media Payments) an early disconnection fee in respect of each cancelled service by way of compensation to us for ending those services early. You can find details of these charges on the Virgin Media website. The early disconnection fee will not be more than the charges you would have paid for your chosen services for the remainder of the minimum period less any costs we save, including the cost of no longer providing you with those services.

3 If we and/or Virgin Media Payments:
a) increase our charges under this agreement
b) make significant changes to the services so the services you are entitled to receive in return for the charges you pay are significantly altered or reduced; or
c) make significant changes to the terms and conditions of this agreement (including the other legal stuff),

you may cancel those services affected without penalty by giving us and/or Virgin Media Payments (as applicable) at least 30 days' notice. Such notice must be given within 30 days of the increase in charges or changes to the services or this agreement being notified to you. If you were not notified of these changes in advance, you must give notice of cancellation of the services affected to us and/or Virgin Media Payments (as applicable) within 30 days of receipt of your first bill following such increase in charges. If you do not give notice of cancellation within the specified period, you will be deemed to have accepted the increase in charges and/or the changes to the services and this agreement. You will no longer be able to cancel your services under this paragraph. If you cancel any services in these circumstances, the increased charges will not apply to those services during the 30-day notice period and paragraph J2 will not apply if you cancel before the end of the minimum period.


I read this as if they increase the charges then the agreement may be cancelled within 30 days without penalty.

Any one else got any comments?

[Tools]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

I agree with you

[dogtired]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Yes BT have done the same within 30 days of you getting the letter/email.

[ostell]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Thanks guys. The 2 page letter from Virgin is saying that there is a penalty for leaving.

[Amethyst]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Be interested to see the letter they have sent.

Either way reply quoting those sections you have quoted above, it is standard now for them to allow you to withdraw within 30 days of being notified of a price increase.

I haven't had notification of the price going up btw so I'm going to have to check out my contract now as I really do not want sports either.

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

VM is quite annoying in a sense that they keep on increasing their prices at least once a year. I believe this is the second time this year.

I'm with the and rang them up after receiving their letter notifying the latest increase. In the past, threatening to cancel the contract has worked wonders. Not this time. They said that I'm on a month by month contract and able to leave anytime; take it or leave it.

Of course, they gave me a few reasons to stay such as that they actually own their phonelines and don't use BT's, better value than Sky etc.

I decided to stay but downgraded my phone package.

Funny how many people still have landlines. In Finland very few do nowadays and they still manage to get broadband and TV services!

[ostell]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Letters look as though they are designed to frighten people into staying. The links they give are not correct, they go to a completely different set of T & C's. I have written a letter for my daughter to send that points out the relevant bits of the T & C's and requests that the account be cancelled immediately and without further charge. We'll see what transpires.

[judgemental24]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Not going off topic but i moved into my new place last week. It has all the connections etc already installed. All i have to do is pay Ł25.00 at my local virgin media shop for which it will come off my first bill, then walk out with the set top box.

With the comments already made i think i will stick with Free-view as i will never go back to Sky

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Not my intention to promote VM but there are some good points:

No extra for HD channels.
BT sports channels included in the XL package
YouTube on Tivo box (though some technical issues at the moment)
Music on demand (plus other on demands)
Free to add one or more Sky Sports channels and Sky Movies at extra cost
Broadband actually works (unlike TalkTalk)
Cheaper and better TV than BT

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

H 3 We and/or Virgin Media Payments may change our charges at any time. Any changes to our monthly charges will be published by us and/or Virgin Media Payments on the Virgin Media website and we will also give you notice of the change(s) at least 30 days before the changes take effect and you may cancel the services affected in accordance with clause J3.

J Ending this agreement
2 If you end one or more services during the minimum period for such services (other than in the circumstances outlined in section K or paragraph J3), or if you break this agreement and we and/or Virgin Media Payments end this agreement under section L (including for non-payment of charges) within the minimum periodapplicable to those services, you must immediately pay (to Virgin Media Payments) an early disconnection fee in respect of each cancelled service by way of compensation to us for ending those services early. You can find details of these charges on the Virgin Media website. The early disconnection fee will not be more than the charges you would have paid for your chosen services for the remainder of the minimum period less any costs we save, including the cost of no longer providing you with those services.

3 If we and/or Virgin Media Payments:
a) increase our charges under this agreement
b) make significant changes to the services so the services you are entitled to receive in return for the charges you pay are significantly altered or reduced; or
c) make significant changes to the terms and conditions of this agreement (including the other legal stuff),

you may cancel those services affected without penalty by giving us and/or Virgin Media Payments (as applicable) at least 30 days' notice. Such notice must be given within 30 days of the increase in charges or changes to the services or this agreement being notified to you. If you were not notified of these changes in advance, you must give notice of cancellation of the services affected to us and/or Virgin Media Payments (as applicable) within 30 days of receipt of your first bill following such increase in charges. If you do not give notice of cancellation within the specified period, you will be deemed to have accepted the increase in charges and/or the changes to the services and this agreement. You will no longer be able to cancel your services under this paragraph. If you cancel any services in these circumstances, the increased charges will not apply to those services during the 30-day notice period and paragraph J2 will not apply if you cancel before the end of the minimum period.


I read this as if they increase the charges then the agreement may be cancelled within 30 days without penalty.

Any one else got any comments?

Yes, it's quite clear, subject to the condition of giving notice within 30 days of being notified. The only argument I can see is if she didn't do it within that time, otherwise it's crystal clear that there should be no penalty. The idea of a contract for a fixed period of time is that you'd know you'll be paying the same throughout the life of the contract, whether it's a mobile phone, a data plan, broadband, web hosting, or even a lease for a property, you don't expect any increases until after the expiration of the contract, otherwise everyone would be offering us all sorts of services at a giveaway price on a fixed term contract where the giveaway price only applies for the first couple of months and then the price doubles or trebles and you can't leave till the end of the contract. :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

[ostell]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Thanks for the comments, that confirms what I thought.

The notice to leave was given within the 30 days and the response was the letter above.

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

Thanks for the comments, that confirms what I thought.

The notice to leave was given within the 30 days and the response was the letter above.

You may wish to write back, saying that you will be seeking legal advice. They should back off!

[ostell]

Re: Virgin Media Contracts

My daughter has confirmed that they have now agreed to send a post paid bag for the return of the equipment. I specifically asked if they had agreed that they would not be charging but no response to that.