I lay awake at night after Virgin Media harassed with debt collectors over faulty sim – my wife wouldn’t open the door
VIRGIN Media customer Darren Franklin had "sleepless nights" after he was chased for £238 in fees for a phone sim and broadband that didn't even work.
He was sold a Volt package by Virgin Media O2 in 2022, which was supposed to offer him a cheaper mobile sim card and faster broadband.
But instead, it led to a stressful ordeal that lasted more than a year as he battled the company to let him exit his contract.
Months after he bought the new Virgin Volt package for £95 a month - £10 more than his previous package, Darren, 53, found his sim card still didn't work and he had never been set up on faster broadband.
"Eventually Virgin and O2 agreed the sim didn't work and they couldn't understand why, so I had to revert to my old provider," the retired project manager from Glasgow told The Sun.
Then in January 2023, Darren found out during a visit from an engineer that he had never been upgraded to the faster broadband he had been paying for.
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Since he wasn't getting any service from the company for either his phone or broadband, he decided to cancel his contract and look for a better deal.
However, as several months had passed since he first tried to get the issue resolved, Darren had missed the window for free cancellation.
This meant he was hit with early cancellation fees totalling £238.99.
He refused to pay the charges as he had never received any service from Virgin Media O2.
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But, as a result, his debt was passed to a debt collection agency and he was threatened with a County Court Judgement (CCJ).
Darren said: "The debt was causing me and my wife sleepless nights and untold stress."
Darren's wife, Louise, 55, is a retired teacher and was so anxious that she was scared to open the door when she was home alone.
He added: "We had done nothing wrong and were being harassed by a debt agency and threatened with CCJs.
"My wife got scared to open the door when I wasn't home".
A CCJ is where a court has formally decided you owe money and demands that you pay the cash back.
Receiving a CCJ can have devastating consequences for your credit score and if you don't pay up, it could also leave you facing bailiffs at the door.
After a year of going through this "nightmare" Darren decided to contact The Sun's Squeeze Team to see if we could help.
When we contacted Virgin Media O2 on behalf of Darren, a spokesperson said: "We apologise to Mr Franklin for the issues he has experienced.
"We have now waived the £238.99 and offered to send him £136.44 as a gesture of goodwill, which he has accepted.”
Our Squeeze Team has won back more than £159,657 for our readers in total.
What should I do if I find myself in a similar position?
If you think that you are being unfairly charged for a service you've not been getting, there are steps you can take to get compensation.
The first thing you should do is contact your provider's customer service department and explain what the problem is.
If, as in Mr Franklin's case, this does not resolve the issue, you should make a formal complaint to the company.
You should be able to find details of how to do this on the back of your bill, or you can also ask customer services.
Make sure to use the words "formal complaint" when you contact them so it's taken seriously.
Phone and broadband companies are regulated by Ofcom and there are rules in place to ensure they treat customers fairly.
Make sure to keep a record of any correspondence with the company in case you need to use it as evidence later.
While they may not always be able to give you the outcome you're looking for, it benefits everyone to make them aware of any problems so it's still worth making a complaint.
Another way to complain is via social media. Most companies have teams that respond to queries on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook during office hours.
Also, The Sun's Squeeze Team is always ready to fight your corner and make sure you get heard.
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To get in touch, send an email to squeezeteam@mcb777.site.
Or, you can read our full guide on how to complain like a pro.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories.