Virgin Media’s haphazard data governance has been exposed once more after a schoolboy error led to one woman being hounded by bailiffs for a debt even though she had never been a Virgin customer.
The exasperated woman wrote to the Telegraph Money section after nearly a year of being badgered by letters chasing a Virgin Media customer for a debt. Initially she sent them back marked “return to sender”, as she had never been a Virgin customer during the 35 years she had lived at the address.
The matter then escalated when a debt collection company visited the property on two consecutive days, leaving an “Urgent Notice of Attendance” in the letter box.
At this stage, she was forced to hire a solicitor to try to sort out the mess.
However, following an intervention from the Telegraph, it transpired that that two people who she received letters for had been living one after the other at an address that had been wrongly entered into Virgin Media’s system.
A Virgin Media spokesman said: “We apologise to Ms W for the length of time it has taken to resolve her query and for any inconvenience she has experienced.”
Following an investigation, the Information Commissioner’s Office decided that no action should be taken against the company.
Virgin Media has now agreed to pay compensation of £150, but this does not cover the solicitor’s bill of over £500.
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