topic Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam in My O2

Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:23:32 GMT

I need to talk to somebody there about an Unwanted Virgin Sim Card - This has been going on for weeks! The Virgin Team have told me to contact you and quote the number #45270256 - Can somebody please respond urgently. I have spoken to endless people at O2 but am getting nowhere.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

jonsie — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:31:04 GMT

We’re just customers like you but it sounds like you’ll need someone to access your account which can’t be done from here. If you message O2 using the links below, they should be able to help you with this

or give them a call on 202 or 0344 809 0202

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:45:46 GMT

Thanks jonsie.... don't really do social media. i can get on the website but can't see much of a way to communicate other that a robot assistant. I've spent pointless hours on the phone to O2. Customer Service, customer complaints, the Fraud Department... it's just hopeless. Virgin Media have told me to speak to them via their 'social media channels' What do I do?????

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

Enlli — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:54:06 GMT

Sounds like Virgin have signed you up to a Volt Package where the cost of your broadband depends on you having an O2 SIM. That should have been explained to you by Virgin.

Have you received the SIM?

As this has been going on over 14 days now, technically you are tied into the contract.

As customers here we can not access accounts and can only recommend the ways of contacting O2

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:11:29 GMT

I believe you are correct. No I didnt know this, it wasn't explained to me. I only realised when I found Direct Debits set up in my Bank. Nobody at O2 could even tell my why, so I cancelled them. Now they are demanding money for something I don't have and didnt ask for. Even O2 thought it was Fraud, so there is a fraud case pending. It's pretty much impossible to speak to anybody there or at Virgin... they just want money. they send me texts that I can't reply to. Ive written and emailed customer services, customer complaints, the fraud department... and nobody ever replies, but the texts and threats keep coming

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:25:56 GMT

With the headlines they are getting today, they will be lucky to have any customers soon... https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/feb/28/virgin-media-o2-clients-hit-with-88-price-rises-or-crippling-exit-fees

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

Enlli — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:31:49 GMT

Once it is with either the fraud or complaints department it's out of the hands of customer services.

Did you cancel the direct debit for the phone or did you cancel both?

If both then your broadband will be disconnected and everything passed to debt recovery. They will trash your credit files and you will find it difficult getting service anywhere else.

Same goes for O2. They are quick to put things into the hands of debt recovery agents

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:41:02 GMT

No I'm still paying Virgin for my broadband and O2 for the 2 mobile sim cards that I do have with them. I didnt understand anything about extra SIM cards... I have 2, why would I want another?

Virgin just seemed desperate to prove that I knowingly agreed to having one when I renewed my contract last year... I didnt!!! I have asked them for the recording of my conversation. That was over a week ago and no sign of that!

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

Enlli — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:24:48 GMT

Yep, no need for an extra card to get Volt.

Sorry to say Virgin's sales tactics border on misselling

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:07:26 GMT

Well just to update this thread as Im sure there are many people tricked by this scam....

I did speak to somebody at O2 via their App. A sort of disjointed text message conversation that went on over 5 hours. They had no information from Virgin, they didnt recognise the Reference that Virgin had given me and initially they didnt even recognise the Account number. After a few hours they did find the account but all they can do is Escalate this with the Fraud Dept. Who have had this for over 5 weeks and I've never heard a word from them, despite progressing myself... not a word.

But I'm 'not to worry'... well the thing is, even if the Fraud Department are looking at this, it doesn't stop the accounts department chasing payment... for something I've never had, or wanted. It doesn't stop them threatening with a Dept Recovery Agency.... for the sake of £10.00, they would send the boys round.

O2... what a Sham. I asked that this be escalated to a ‘Resolution Specialist’ like it says in O2s Code of Practice, but she is not allowed to do this. Only the Calls team have that option... Mostly they can't find this account number either and they wouldn't even speak to me last time I rang.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:26:15 GMT

Mmm, OK, Update on an update…. Spoke to a guy in customer services… He actually found the account and says..... This account has been cancelled, I can ignore any notifications I receive, it takes a while to work through their automated system. The fraud team are on it and he apologises….. I wonder when they were going to tell me this?

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

madasaf1sh — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:28:12 GMT

@JohnB10

You would have been better speaking to direct to Virgin rather than o2, as they are the ones who possibly mis sold you, and you can log a complaint over the phone on 0345 454 1111

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:35:55 GMT

Been there, seen that, done that... Dealing with them is no better than O2. The only thing they are interested in is desperately trying to prove that I knowingly wanted some SIM card when I renewed my contract. I didnt. I already have x2 O2 SIM cards, why on earth would I want another?

I have requested the audio of the conversation with their 'Representative'... I don't expect to ever get it.

Virgin just tell me to speak to O2, they even gave me a reference number to quote... a number that is totally meaningless to anybody at O2

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Fri, 10 May 2024 08:41:07 GMT

So as a Final Update, I hope.... Despite all efforts to contact or resolve this with O2, they just gave my name to their Debt Recovery company. However, I took my case to the Communication Ombudsman. They phoned me the next day, immediately took up my case and shortly ruled in my favour. O2 have been forced to zero and cancel the account, stop any debt recovery action, ensure no negative markers are made against my credit history, send me a letter of apology and also a financial gesture of good will.

If you've been caught out by this, don't stand for it, there are so many others complaining about this.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

MRM1 — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:24:12 GMT

Hi JohnB10, I have been caught in a very similar situation. I was offered a free sim when I updated my Virgin media package to a volt package. I told them I didn't want or need another sim because I already had 2 Virgin/02 sim cards, and I remember vividly the guy saying to me, its free, you can use it on a tablet or something. Anyway, a sim card duly arrived from o2 and I put it in my drawer, didn't even open it. 6 months or so later I was looking at my bank account and saw that o2 were taking an extra £25/month (recently gone up to £27+). More than double the price I am paying for my existing sim cards. I made contact with o2 and they did not know what the £25/month was for. After a bit of backwards and forwards between o2 and Virgin it was assumed that the £25 was for the 'free sim' - I have never received any type of bill or contact for this sim nor the £25/m I am paying, I don't even know what the number is. I asked o2 to cancel this 'contract' and they said "sure, but it will cost you £290+". I have complained to Virgin and they tell me to take it up with o2, I complained o2 and they say take it up with Virgin . So I have also reported to the ombudsman but they have got nowhere, they seem pretty toothless, which is a surprise considering I have given them evidence of dozens of others people that have been caught by the same Virgin o2 scam. I am not going to give up, its not the money issue I just want to expose these 2 communication giants for clearly using a scam to trick people into paying more. I just wonder if you have any advice or contacts I can use in my quest. Thanks

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

MI5 — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:27:13 GMT

@MRM1

The deal with these oomph? sims when the merger took place was that Virgin would deduct the sim cost from your broadband price.

Chase Virgin if they are not doing this.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Sat, 18 May 2024 10:07:08 GMT

Hello MRM1 - This sounds just like my experience, except I don’t recall being told anything when I renewed with Virgin and I didnt ever receive a SIM card. I just happened to notice an extra O2 Direct Debit had been set up in my bank. When I queried with O2 they had no idea what it was either, so I cancelled it. That’s when I started getting text messages asking for overdue payment. You can’t reply to these messages and I never received an actual ‘Bill’ online or by post. I got many text messages then asking for payment for an account number that was different to my existing one. I didnt have access to that account and most of the times I rang O2, even they didnt recognise that account number. Even they thought it was dodgy and raised a fraud case… against themselves!

I too played Virgin to O2 ping pong. It took a while to even work out that it was all about a ‘SIM Card’ They just play you off against each other. I asked Virgin 4 times for a copy of the recording they make of their telephone calls - I never did get that. Apparently you can make a Freedom of Information Request if you need to.

It’s a total con as far as I was concerned, I played this game for 4 months. I made so many pointless phone calls, sent emails, wrote letters, went on community boards… luckily I kept copies and detailed records of all of these attempts to resolve this. I didnt get one response from anybody, they just kept sending ever more threatening texts and then letters saying they would and then had passed my account to a Debt Recovery firm. That’s when I raised a complaint with the Communication Ombudsman. In my case, they were excellent, they phoned me I think the next day to say they would take on my case. I submitted my evidence which was details of all my calls, emails, letters, transcripts of online conversations, copies of O2s threatening letters, and dozens of screen shots of things I found online of other people with similar complaints. It didnt take O2 long to come back and offer me £50 to close the case. I declined as I wanted the Ombudsman to do a full investigation, which they did. I also wanted a full letter of apology, my credit history cleared and to know that it had been fully looked into. I wasn’t too bothered about the money but the Ombudsman ruled a larger sum be given to me.

I’m sorry to hear that whoever is handling your case isn’t getting a similar result, have you got any feedback from them?

Have you cancelled your payments? This will get a reaction from O2… which will doubtless be threatening you! but I wonder if the Ombudsman will take your case more seriously.

I hate that O2 and Virgin operate like this, fleecing their existing customers for a few extra pounds each month and pretending they are not… and they don’t even need to! I don’t have a problem with either of their products, its just their dubious sales tactics which need to be called out and exposed.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

JohnB10 — Sat, 18 May 2024 10:17:40 GMT

It's not a 'Deal' if you are not told about it! ....It's a CON - They were trying to take money for a non existent SIM card that I knew nothing about. That's fraud and illegal in my world and they should be exposed for it, just like the Post Office.

I just bet the people who phone you to renew your Virgin contracts are paid on commission

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

MI5 — Sat, 18 May 2024 13:54:38 GMT

@JohnB10 wrote:
I just bet the people who phone you to renew your Virgin contracts are paid on commission

They are, but it's not me. I'm a customer the same as you and yes, it's a cleverly worded con if they don't do what they say they will with regards to the discount.

Re: Unwanted Virgin Sim Card Scam

Johnny21 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:06:57 GMT

I wish I'd seen these posts months ago. It ould have saved me hours wated trying to get basic information from 02's hopeless customer service,

My experience is exactly the same as MRM1 and John B10. I agreed a new Broadband/TV package with Virgin a couple of years ago. I was told that the monthly charge would be split between Virgin and 02 as the companies had now merged - this was just an internal accounting measure I believed. I was also told that I could have an additional free SIM which I said I didn't want but was encouraged to believe that I might as well take it and might want to use it in future. A SIM duly arrived in the post and, like MRM1, I put it in a drawer and forgot about it.

Eventually, because I was unable to reconcile my monthly payments to 02 (now over £30pm) with any contract or statement, I queried this with 02 and after much coming and going I was advised that the payments were for a "Volt Sim-only Airtime Plan" which referred to the unwanted and unused SIM and mobile number. 02 said they would cancel this contract and take a final payment from my bank account. In the meantime I had cancelled the direct debit and am now being pursued by 02 and their Debt Recovery Agents for the outstanding balance.

I've already complained through 02's online complaints service, but I'm encouraged by John B10's experience to take this up with the Communications Ombudsman. This looks like a bare-faced scam which must have been approved at a fairly high level in the 2 companies.

There was an extra quirk in my case. Around the same time as I got the "free"SIM, I received from 02 a brand new top of the range mobile phone, totally unsolicited and unwanted. I couldn't get any explanation from 02 and although I was tempted to sell it on Ebay (as an unwanted gift!) I eventually took it into a city centre 02 shop and insisted that a reluctant staff member took it off my hands. Presumably if I hadn't done this, I would have been billed for this as well.