Annoyed With Virgin!!

[martinrmn]

Some of you may recall I posted that we have booked a holiday for November with Virgin using Tesco vouchers. When I queried that the vouchers had not come off my invoice I was told that because I had booked a megadeal? that I could not use them! I have tried to explain that I did not book this deal I simply rang Virgin enquired about prices and used the vouchers. Currently I am awaiting a return call from Virgin to explain this. When I booked I was not told that it was a mega deal and the vouchers were accepted without question! Now that I have paid my deposit and received an invoice there are problems. Surely this is some sort of trade descriptions crime? It has taken me several phone calls to try and remedy this. First I am told I will be rung back today then when I rang back I was told that it may be tomorrow! I always thought Virgin were a professional company with professional staff. This proves to me that they are no better than anyone else and in fact are a damn sight worse. As I am typing I am awaiting a call. Even if this is resolved it has certainly damaged the Virgin name in this household.

 

[arieliwish]

Oh no, I feel so sorry for you, there's nothing worse than trying to sort something important out and waiting for them to ring you. I've been thinking about using tesco vouchers for virgin to orlando in a couple of years time, but each time I check prices against others we've used such as first choice, they always seem about £500+ more expensive anyway, so I'd have to have a hell of a lot of tesco vouchers before I saw a 'real' money saving.

Used them for blackpool a couple of weeks ago, off to flamingo land and lightwater valley with them in next couple of weeks.

Hope you hear from them soon, and they get it sorted properly.

Lynn

 

[fuse04]

Some of you may recall I posted that we have booked a holiday for November with Virgin using Tesco vouchers. When I queried that the vouchers had not come off my invoice I was told that because I had booked a megadeal? that I could not use them! I have tried to explain that I did not book this deal I simply rang Virgin enquired about prices and used the vouchers. Currently I am awaiting a return call from Virgin to explain this. When I booked I was not told that it was a mega deal and the vouchers were accepted without question! Now that I have paid my deposit and received an invoice there are problems. Surely this is some sort of trade descriptions crime? It has taken me several phone calls to try and remedy this. First I am told I will be rung back today then when I rang back I was told that it may be tomorrow! I always thought Virgin were a professional company with professional staff. This proves to me that they are no better than anyone else and in fact are a damn sight worse. As I am typing I am awaiting a call. Even if this is resolved it has certainly damaged the Virgin name in this household.

Whilst not a legal expert I beleive that once they have advised that you can pay for your holiday using your vouchers, and you have booked your holiday on that basis, a legal contract exists betwwen you and virgin. However as it was a verbal agreement, with nothing in writing, it is difficult to prove.

I suggest that you write to virgin asking them to honour the original booking with a copy to your local Trading Standards department, indicating in the letter that you have done so.

Fuse04

PS Personally I have found Virgin customer services poor and very inconsistent in the advice they give, that is whn you can get through to them....having said that we continue to fly with them.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

martinrm,
If you have an invoice and the invoice is wrong, then that is your first port of call.
How can it be a trades descriptions problem if you have an invoivce which states "megadeal" and the price?

Did you first off telkl them you had Tesco vouchers and they then gave you the price or did you get a price and then state you had Tesco Vouchers?

If the invoice is wrong, cancel it!

 

[Miffy2003]

I do really feel for you; it must be so frustrating.

I know that the Clubcard deals Virgin bit does state very clearly that you may not use Deals vouchers against MegaDeals bookings, or other discounted holidays, so this may be the way they try and justify this.

Having said that, there's no excuse for them misadvising you so I hope you do get it sorted. Good Luck!

Oh no, I feel so sorry for you, there's nothing worse than trying to sort something important out and waiting for them to ring you. I've been thinking about using tesco vouchers for virgin to orlando in a couple of years time, but each time I check prices against others we've used such as first choice, they always seem about £500+ more expensive anyway, so I'd have to have a hell of a lot of tesco vouchers before I saw a 'real' money saving.

I totally agree, areliwish. The prices for Virgin seem to have really jumped since they joined the Deals scheme.Might be my imagnation, of course

For our holiday in April it was approx £1,500 more to book with VH than it was booking DIY for the four of us, but we had almost £3,000 worth of vouchers so it was still good value for us to use them.

 

[martinrmn]

I have double and triple checked the invoice and nowhere does it say megadeal. Once again I have been on the phine to India call centre. This time I spoke to a supervisor who agreed it was their mistake. I should have been told it was a megadeal and they will honour the agreement. Once the new invoice is sent with the correct prices I will repost. In response to obiwan I did first enquire about prices and did explain that I have vouchers. Even if that was not the case surely someone should say sorry we cannot accept those vouchers this is the new price? I would have thought that common sense.

 

[Beep]

Glad to hear you got it sorted.

A bit off topic this I know, but we are so not impressed with Virgin customer service. Nothing to do with flights or holidays this time (although we have had 'experience' of that with them too), this is to do with their broadband and tv.

It's a shame because we always thought Virgin to be a good company. Then they took over from Telewest and, well, we don't really think that anymore.

The bad experience(s) we have had with them and their prices would be enough to put me off booking with them again.

Anyway, most important is that you're sorted

 

[Miffy2003]

That's great that you got it all sorted, well done!