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.
