Clarifying Virgin Media Policy on Exit Charges for Off Net Home Moves

Some of Virgin Media’s (VMO2) UK broadband and TV customers have complained that the ISP, which recently scrapped exit fees for those that move into off-net areas (here), is now sending mixed messages by failing to clearly communicate the change and instead stating that Early Disconnection Fees (EDFs) “may” apply.

The change, which was introduced in mid-February 2022 (note: not everybody reads such announcements), was widely welcomed and has been viewed by many as an indication that the newly merged company (VMO2) was taking steps to improve its support and foster a much more consumer friendly image (not unlike the decision to continue offering free EU roaming on the O2 mobile platform). So far, so good.

Previously the operator had tended to hit off-net home movers (i.e. when you move house into an area where Virgin is not present) with Early Disconnection Fees (EDF), which are based off the remaining months of your existing contract term and can add up to hundreds of pounds in additional charges.

The only small catch is that those concerned would need to provide proof of their new address, albeit with a wide range of readily-available documents accepted (e.g. mortgage and rental agreements, utility bills, bank statements and driving licences) – this is necessary in order to prevent abuse (e.g. faking off-net house moves to avoid such charges).

Playing Spot the Policy Change

However, since then a number of Virgin Media’s customers, specifically those facing an off-net move, have told ISPreview.co.uk that they’ve found it difficult to confirm that the change actually exists. Instead, many of the relevant pages on Virgin Media’s website still give the impression that customers are likely to be charged for such a move, which is achieved by failing to mention relevant details and context to the contrary.

For example, at the time of writing, the EDF page still says this – “If you move to a property outside our network area during your minimum period, you may have to pay an Early Disconnection Fee for ending your contract early. So, before taking a new service, if you think that you may move to a property outside of the Virgin Media network area before the end of your minimum period, one of our 30 day rolling contracts may be more suitable for you.”

The above statement is technically correct, as those who fail to provide evidence that they’ve moved into an off-net area may still be charged EDFs, but the paragraph makes no mention of this key detail whatsoever and fails to clearly indicate that related exit fees have been largely scrapped- a vital piece of context.

The operator’s most recent Terms & Conditions for fixed home broadband packages are similarly uninformative: “If you are moving to a property outside of our network we will no longer be able to provide services to you. If this is during your minimum period it will mean that you will be asking to end your services early, so you may need to pay an early disconnection fee. Please visit the early disconnection fees area of the Virgin Media website by clicking here for further information.”

The ‘Moving Home‘ page is also devoid of any FAQs to cover the aforementioned situation when moving outside of Virgin’s network area. Suffice to say, customers could easily be forgiven for feeling a bit confused or thinking that related charges still apply, since that appears to be the impression that Virgin Media gives through its failure to clearly communicate the alternative.

What Does Virgin Media Say?

We raised this with Virgin Media, and a spokesperson informed us that they use the wording “early disconnection fees may apply” because that remains the case to reflect the fact that the customer must provide proof of the off-net move for the charge to be waived (you of course won’t get that crucial context from their website or T&Cs).

The operator added that it was “incumbent on the customer to provide evidence in a timely manner because the charge will be applied by default unless they do so” (another detail that should be put on their website or, at the very least, inside the T&Cs).

“There are certain limited exceptions (e.g. moving abroad), but as a general rule, customers moving to an off-net address who provide proof of their move within 30 days of cancelling will not be charged an EDF,” added the operator. This is fine, but the primary complaint was that the operator is not making the policy or its implementation clear – via their website or terms – to customers who might be considering an off-net move. Customers shouldn’t have to contact VM directly in order to get such details.

Virgin said they weren’t trying to “hide” this from customers and added that those who speak (phone) their movers team will be advised about the process, as well as being sent a written communication to cover it in more detail.

However, the operator did say they’d look at the FAQs to see if “something” could be included in order to make everything clearer. It’s unclear how long that will take, but adding a few extra words of context should be extremely easy – a 5-minute job.