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Virgin Media - House move not possible - cancellation fee

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  • 26-06-2017 6:11pm
    #1
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭


    So we're currently moving house. We have a contract with Virgin media for the next 6 months. Virgin don't offer coverage in the area we are moving to, despite it being only half an hour from Dublin city centre. They claim we have to pay a cancellation fee because of this, even though it's their fault. Is there any way out of this?
    Moving house is expensive enough as it is!


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    #2
    Cool_CM
    Registered Users Posts: 4,937 ✭✭✭Cool_CM


    You signed a contract with them, how is it their fault exactly?


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    #3
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    Cool_CM wrote: »
    You signed a contract with them, how is it their fault exactly?

    They don't provide a service in the new area. I have no problem with this, but it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee for a service they can't provide!


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    #4
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    blagards wrote: »
    They don't provide a service in the new area. I have no problem with this, but it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee for a service they can't provide!

    You signed a contract agreeing to pay for xx months of service at your current address. I assume Virgin are happy to continue to supply the service you contracted.

    Now you want to cancel that contract early.

    Why are you surprised they charge a fee for cancelling the contract early?


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    #5
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    blagards wrote: »
    They don't provide a service in the new area. I have no problem with this, but it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee for a service they can't provide!

    You signed up for a contract at your current address, it is not their responsibility to provide service at a random address that you choose to move to.

    Best you can do is look for some goodwill from them in allowing you to break the contract early, can't see that happening if you go at them with the sense of entitlement you are displaying here though.


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    #6
    Bubbaclaus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,461 ✭✭✭Bubbaclaus


    It's their fault you are moving house?

    What?

    You'll have to explain the logic beyond that one (hint: there is no logic behind it).


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    #7
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    Bubbaclaus wrote: »
    It's their fault you are moving house?

    What?

    You'll have to explain the logic beyond that one (hint: there is no logic behind it).

    It's not their fault I'm moving house. I have no problem that they don't provide a service at the new address. However, it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee because they don't provide a service at a new address.


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    #8
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    blagards wrote: »
    It's not their fault I'm moving house. I have no problem that they don't provide a service at the new address. However, it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee because they don't provide a service at a new address.

    They're not charging a cancellation fee because they don't provide a service.

    They're charging a cancellation fee because you are cancelling the service.


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    #9
    whiterebel
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,835 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    Or maybe they think its a bit unfair of you to move to a house that they can't provide a service for.....


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    #10
    BlinkingLights
    Closed Accounts Posts: 910 ✭✭✭BlinkingLights


    UPC used to allow people to leave without an issue if they were genuinely moving to an out-of-service area. Provided, you returned the equipment and they checked the new address.

    Have you actually spoken to them to confirm this is *really* the policy and they have not just made an error?


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    #11
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    In fairness to the OP I do think that Virgin can do better if you're moving to a house not served by them, such as a refund when provided proof of new address.

    I only got out of it myself as my move just happened to coincide with the price increase so I cancelled within that window without penalty.

    BlinkingLights, it is their policy alright.


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    #12
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    Vic_08 wrote: »
    You signed up for a contract at your current address, it is not their responsibility to provide service at a random address that you choose to move to.

    Best you can do is look for some goodwill from them in allowing you to break the contract early, can't see that happening if you go at them with the sense of entitlement you are displaying here though.

    "sense of entitlement"? I don't think being a bit surprised at being charged a cancellation fee when a service provider doesn't provide a service amounts to a sense of entitlement. I don't have any issue with them not being able to provide a service, but to charge a cancellation fee? When it's advertised on their site that moving home is easy?

    I'd be happy to stay with them otherwise, their broadband is fast, and their customer service team were helpful today (albeit they couldn't help on the cancellation fee).

    This is a civil thread to discuss the issues, let's not resort to name-calling (although I've been called worse!)


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    #13
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    BlinkingLights wrote: »
    UPC used to allow people to leave without an issue if they were genuinely moving to an out-of-service area. Provided, you returned the equipment and they checked the new address.

    Have you actually spoken to them to confirm this is *really* the policy and they have not just made an error?

    Unfortunately I have, I was on the phone to their customer service department today and I explained the situation. To be fair, they were very apologetic, but there didn't seem to be any budge on it.


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    #14
    BlinkingLights
    Closed Accounts Posts: 910 ✭✭✭BlinkingLights


    Seems they've really gone to pot since they became Virgin Media. UPC always seemed more reasonable to deal with an also better from a tech support point of view.

    Virgin in the UK was never wonderful and it seems British standards now apply here.


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    #15
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    How far in to a contract are you?


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    #16
    B00MSTICK
    Registered Users Posts: 1,917 ✭✭✭B00MSTICK


    This is standard enough tbh - they definitely build it into their pricing.
    It was worse when the usual contract length was 18 months - particularly tough on students that.

    I'm sure the first 4/6 months were at a nice discount.

    Think of it like a contract on a mobile phone - you get a nice discount (usually the handset is free or at a much reduced one off cost) and then you are stuck paying bills for X months.
    If you move house to somewhere where the coverage is patchy/no 4G signal they wont let you off the hook.


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    #17
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    June Important Shepherdess wrote: »
    How far in to a contract are you?

    Only 6 months unfortunately.


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    #18
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    B00MSTICK wrote: »
    This is standard enough tbh - they definitely build it into their pricing.
    It was worse when the usual contract length was 18 months - particularly tough on students that.

    I'm sure the first 4/6 months were at a nice discount.

    Think of it like a contract on a mobile phone - you get a nice discount (usually the handset is free or at a much reduced one off cost) and then you are stuck paying bills for X months.
    If you move house to somewhere where the coverage is patchy/no 4G signal they wont let you off the hook.

    It's not quite like that though. I'm not going to get to keep the virgin box or anything afterwards. And it's not just that the broadband isn't good in the new location. So this is more like a phone contract where I didn't get a new phone at the start, just a small discount, and then move to a location where you could reasonably expect service (it's a pretty built up area), and have no service at all whatsoever.


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    #19
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    blagards wrote: »
    Only 6 months unfortunately.

    Then tough. You committed to a contract and after only six months want out of it. Not their fault you are moving.


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    #20
    Bubbaclaus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,461 ✭✭✭Bubbaclaus


    blagards wrote: »
    "sense of entitlement"? I don't think being a bit surprised at being charged a cancellation fee when a service provider doesn't provide a service amounts to a sense of entitlement. I don't have any issue with them not being able to provide a service, but to charge a cancellation fee? When it's advertised on their site that moving home is easy?

    I'd be happy to stay with them otherwise, their broadband is fast, and their customer service team were helpful today (albeit they couldn't help on the cancellation fee).

    This is a civil thread to discuss the issues, let's not resort to name-calling (although I've been called worse!)

    You signed a contract and are now cancelling that contract. You are the one cancelling the service. You are the one not upholding your side of the contract. You are the one blaming the other party for you failing to uphold your side of the contract.

    For clarification, it is you cancelling the service, not Virgin.


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    #21
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    Bubbaclaus wrote: »
    You signed a contract and are now cancelling that contract. You are the one cancelling the service. You are the one not upholding your side of the contract. You are the one blaming the other party for you failing to uphold your side of the contract.

    For clarification, it is you cancelling the service, not Virgin.

    While I am cancelling it, I feel that it is not quite as simple as you make it out to be. I would like to continue with the plan. Obviously it is my 'fault' I am moving house, but it is Virgin who can't offer me a deal at the new location. I'm not demanding that Virgin offer me broadband at the new location, just that I feel that it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee


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    #22
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,384 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    This was policy before virgin media came along.


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    #23
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    blagards wrote: »
    While I am cancelling it, I feel that it is not quite as simple as you make it out to be. I would like to continue with the plan. Obviously it is my 'fault' I am moving house, but it is Virgin who can't offer me a deal at the new location. I'm not demanding that Virgin offer me broadband at the new location, just that I feel that it's a bit much to charge a cancellation fee

    I really don't understand why you think you are entitled to have the cancellation fee waived. Your contract with Virgin was to provide a service at your current location, they are providing it and will continue to do so. You are moving, not the service, they are not obligated to provide it at another location, but you are obligated to pay for it where you are. The terms are laid out in your contract, it cannot be one sided, if they withdrew the service and kept charging you, you would be very unhappy indeed.

    It is pretty simple, you are getting the service you agreed to when you agreed to the contract.


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    #24
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,329 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    blagards wrote: »
    "sense of entitlement"? I don't think being a bit surprised at being charged a cancellation fee when a service provider doesn't provide a service amounts to a sense of entitlement. I don't have any issue with them not being able to provide a service, but to charge a cancellation fee? When it's advertised on their site that moving home is easy?

    I'd be happy to stay with them otherwise, their broadband is fast, and their customer service team were helpful today (albeit they couldn't help on the cancellation fee).

    This is a civil thread to discuss the issues, let's not resort to name-calling (although I've been called worse!)

    I worry for the youth of today.

    Why didn't you sign up for their 30 day contract which would have suited your situation?


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    #25
    blagards
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭blagards


    jimmycrackcorm wrote: »
    I worry for the youth of today.

    Why didn't you sign up for their 30 day contract which would have suited your situation?

    'the youth of today'? Why do some people here have to resort to name calling and an air of superiority?

    Maybe because we didn't anticipate moving house quite so quickly? Maybe because the majority of locations we would move to are covered? Maybe because it doesn't include TV?


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    #26
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    blagards wrote: »
    'the youth of today'? Why do some people here have to resort to name calling and an air of superiority?

    Maybe because we didn't anticipate moving house quite so quickly? Maybe because the majority of locations we would move to are covered? Maybe because it doesn't include TV?

    Maybe that is not the service providers fault.


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    #27
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    blagards wrote: »
    'the youth of today'? Why do some people here have to resort to name calling and an air of superiority?

    Maybe because we didn't anticipate moving house quite so quickly? Maybe because the majority of locations we would move to are covered? Maybe because it doesn't include TV?

    Because you wanted the benefits of a 12 month contract but now don't want to take the responsibility of honouring your side of it which includes an early cancellation fee.


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    #28
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    davo10 wrote: »
    Maybe that is not the service providers fault.

    Well, it often is.

    There are a lot of dickish responses here.


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    #29
    AudreyHepburn
    Registered Users Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭AudreyHepburn


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Well, it often is.

    There are a lot of dickish responses here.

    In this case it isn't though. The OP cannot hold the provider responsible for her decision to move to an area they do not cover.

    The OP wants to break contract, of course she must pay a fee.

    Why is this so hard for people to understand? The sense of self entitlement in this country is staggering at times.


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    #30
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Well, it often is.

    There are a lot of dickish responses here.

    You are saying it is Virgin's fault that the op is moving away from the property where the provider is contracted to provide the service?

    Could you explain that? This I gotta read.


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    #31
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Well, it often is.

    There are a lot of dickish responses here.

    Most certainly not in this case. The OP went in to a contract and obtained a service only to want out of it just six months later. Fairness works both ways and in this case the OP is being unrealistic expecting to walk away from this.


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