A grieving widower has revealed a three-month ordeal with Virgin Media, where he was unable to transfer his late wife's account into his name and was left paying double the necessary cost.
A distressing administrative battle
The customer wrote to the Guardian's consumer champion, Anna Tims, explaining that his wife died suddenly 18 weeks ago. He promptly contacted Virgin Media to have their shared phone and broadband account moved from her name to his. Seeing on the provider's website that he could alter the package simultaneously, he requested a shift to a deal costing half the price.
He was then presented with a stark choice: cancel the existing contract and wait 14 days without an internet connection before signing a new deal, or transfer the current package to his name and change it after 30 days. Needing to work from home, he chose the latter option.
The cycle of frustration and failed promises
After the 30-day period, he logged into the Virgin Media app, only to be confronted by his late wife's name, a deeply upsetting experience. A webchat agent directed him back to the bereavement line, forcing him to explain his situation all over again.
He was then told the system had not updated to reflect his name, preventing the move to the cheaper package. A promised callback within three days never materialised. Three weeks later, a subsequent webchat sent him back to the bereavement line to repeat the entire painful process, with the same result.
Resolution after prolonged distress
"It's now three months since I first contacted Virgin and I'm paying twice as much as I need to," the customer stated. He expressed the emotional toll, saying he could not face calling the bereavement line again to explain his wife's death once more.
Following the Guardian's intervention, a Virgin Media spokesperson said: "We apologise for the delay in resolving his query. We've now agreed a new package at a lower monthly cost." The case highlights the challenges customers can face with administrative processes during bereavement.
