Hi Newbe Here - Virgin Media - Defaults

[stu14t]

Hi, I'm new here, so please be gentle.

We are currently in dispute with Virgin Media over offers they made and never actually delivered. It’s a long story and we are disputing all charges made.
I do, however, have a question:
Under what agreement /contract / T&C’s do Virgin Media have the right to place a default on a credit report with a CRA? My understanding is you do agree to the default process within a credit agreement under the Consumer Credit Act (CCA), which allows creditors to place defaults on credit files under certain conditions. Virgin Media do not, as far as I’m aware, fall within the CCA 1974 or do you agree within the T&C agree for them to update your credit files.
If anyone can offer any advice on any of the above or put me right, any information would be gratefully received


Read more at: Virgin Media - Defaults - Legal Beagles Consumer Forum

[CleverClogs]

Re: Hi Newbe Here - Virgin Media - Defaults

Do you owe those mutton-heads any money and, if you do, for how long have you owed it?

Is the dispute still stuck in their dispute resolution or complaints procedure, or have you referred the matter to OFCOM?

[stu14t]

Re: Hi Newbe Here - Virgin Media - Defaults

It’s a long story, so I’ll try to summarise as best I can. Last November, we moved to a new property. At our old house we had cable TV, phone and broadband from Virgin Media. Unfortunately, our new home had no cable so we could no longer have the TV. However, Virgin said they would still be able to supply the phone and broadband on their national service. Further to that, we were offered free connection, and six months line rental and broadband as a good will gesture for staying with them. Great, we thought. However, every month a spurious charge for either connection or line rental was added to our bill and only after spending hours on the phone did they refund these charges. After 5 months of this we basically got sick of this and decided we were going to leave stating they had failed to meet there promises.

To date, we wrote to them telling them why we disagreed with the charges to which we go a lovely call from their dispute resolution team telling us they considered the dispute to be over and we owe them the princely sum of £62.

I tried to argue with the guy that the credits to our account, made over the past few months, were an acknowledgment that an error was made on their part. He said they were just good will gestures and not an admission. When I used the words “ex gratia” he hurled abuse at me stating he was not a university professor and didn’t understand foreign words.

That was just over a month ago now and yesterday we received a letter threatening debt collectors who may visit our home. A credit reference agency will be contacted, which may prevent us from gaining credit for 6 years and the worst of all, our email address will be cancelled so we won’t be able to contact friends and family.

Thanks for reading this far as I feel this has turned into a rant.

Can Virgin state that any credits to an account should be considered as a good will gesture and not in recompense or acknowledgment of an error?

Do they have any right to contact credit reference agencies (CRA) if they do not fall within the Consumer Credit Act? I have read their terms and conditions and there is a part about sharing information with CRA’s to prevent fraud but nothing like what is written in a credit agreements about the default procedure and placing defaults on a account.

No, I have not contacted OFCOM as yet.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Hi Newbe Here - Virgin Media - Defaults

Have they told you how they've worked out that you "owe" £62?

You might have to pay some or all of that but, as they seem to believe that the dispute is over, prove them wrong by taking it to OFCOM and emailing their CEO, Neil Burkett - neil.berkett@virginmedia.co.uk - who some might say has a rather appropriate surname.

Be sure to tell him of the abuse and ask him if such is standard company policy.