I was kept awake at night after Virgin started harassing debt collectors over a faulty SIM card
VIRGIN Media customer Darren Franklin had “sleepless nights” after being chased for £238 in fees for a phone SIM card and broadband that didn't even work.
In 2022, he was sold a Volt package by Virgin Media O2, 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 fought with the company to have him terminate his contract.
Months after buying the new Virgin Volt package for £95 a month – £10 more than his previous package, Darren, 53, discovered his SIM card was still not working and he had never used faster broadband.
“Eventually Virgin and O2 agreed the SIM wasn't working and they couldn't understand why, so I had to go back to my old provider,” the retired project manager from Glasgow told The Sun.
In January 2023, during an engineer's visit, Darren discovered he had never upgraded to the faster broadband he had paid for.
Since he was not getting 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 resolve the issue, Darren had missed the free cancellation period.
This meant he faced early cancellation fees totaling £238.99.
He refused to pay the charges because he had never received any service from Virgin Media O2.
But as a result, his debt was transferred to a debt collection agency and he was threatened with a County Court Judgment (CCJ).
Darren said: “The debts were causing me and my wife sleepless nights and unprecedented stress.”
Darren's wife, Louise, 55, is a retired teacher and was so worried she was afraid to open the door when she was home alone.
Darren added: “We had done nothing wrong and were harassed by a debt agency and threatened with CCJs.
“My wife became afraid to open the door when I was not at home.”
In a CCJ, a court has formally decided that you owe money and requires you to pay the money back.
Receiving a CCJ can have devastating consequences for your credit score and failure to pay could also leave you with bailiffs knocking on your door.
After a year of experiencing this “nightmare”, Darren decided to contact The Sun's Squeeze Team to see if we could help.
When we contacted Virgin Media O2 on Darren's behalf, a spokesperson said: “We apologize to Mr Franklin for the difficulties 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 recovered a total of over £159,657 for our readers.
What should I do if I find myself in a similar situation?
If you believe you have been unfairly charged for a service you did not receive, you can take steps to receive compensation.
The first thing you should do is contact your carrier's customer service and explain what the problem is.
If, as in Mr. Franklin's case, this does not solve the problem, you should file a formal complaint with the company.
Details on how to do this can be found on the back of your invoice, or you can also ask customer service.
Make sure you use the words 'formal complaint' when contacting them so that it is taken seriously.
Phone and broadband companies are regulated by Ofcom and there are rules in place to ensure they treat customers fairly.
Make sure you keep all 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 result you're looking for, everyone benefits from letting them know about any issues, so it's still worth making a complaint.
Another way to complain is through social media. Most companies have teams that answer questions on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook during business hours.
Plus, The Sun's Squeeze team is always ready to fight for you and make sure you're heard.
To contact us, please email squeezeteam@thesun.co.uk.
Or you can read our full guide on how to complain like a pro.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.
Moreover, you can join us Sun Money chats and tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.