You can cancel your Virgin Media broadband at any point, but you may have to pay a penalty if the minimum term of your contract has not yet expired. Virgin Media offers some of the fastest broadband packages available in the UK, but that does not mean it will be the perfect internet provider for you. You might think the price is too high, the customer service is not up to scratch or that you can get a better deal elsewhere. In this article, we explain how to cancel your Virgin Media broadband package, what it might cost you and why you might not need to pay a penny.
How to cancel Virgin Media broadband if you’re out of contract
Once the minimum term of your contract has expired, you can cancel your Virgin Media broadband package without needing to pay a fee, though you will have to give 30 days’ notice. Virgin Media packages are usually 18 months long. If you are unsure when your deal ends, you can check your contract details in the ‘My Virgin Media’ section of the website. Alternatively, you can call customer services to find out your end date.
Cancelling Virgin Media broadband is a little more complicated than cancelling with an Openreach provider, such as BT, Sky or Vodafone. You cannot just sign up with a new provider to take over your existing connection, as Virgin runs its broadband network off its own cabling system. Instead you will need to cancel with Virgin Media directly and sign up for a new package with a competitor. If you have already signed up to a new broadband service, make sure to tell Virgin Media your activation date when you cancel. This can help minimise any internet downtime by getting your Virgin Media broadband end date as close as possible to your new provider start date. If you are unsure what different types of home broadband are available in the UK, read our article ‘Which broadband is best?’.
Cancelling Virgin Media broadband over the phone
The best way to contact Virgin Media to cancel is over the phone. You can dial 150 on a Virgin Media telephone or call 0345 454 1111 from your mobile or landline. There will be multiple options to select from once you are connected, including one that asks “If you’re thinking of leaving Virgin Media”. After you are through to the customer services team, you may need to answer a few questions to prove you are the main account holder. The call handler will likely try and persuade you to sign up to a new deal at a discount rather than cancel fully.
Cancelling Virgin Media broadband online
If you do not want to call Virgin Media to cancel, the next best option is to use the Live Chat facility on its website. Keep in mind that you may still need to speak to someone over the phone in order to confirm your identity and other details.
Cancelling Virgin Media broadband by post
It is also possible to contact Virgin Media by post, though this will make the cancellation process longer. The address you will need to send correspondence to is Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA. Make sure you include your account number, home address, full name and contact number in the letter.
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How to cancel Virgin Media broadband if you’re still in contract
You can still cancel your Virgin Media broadband if you are under contract, but you may have to pay a cancellation fee. The cancellation process involves the same principle as if you were not under contract: you will need to call Virgin Media to give 30 days’ notice that you would like your service to end. How much you need to pay as a termination fee will depend on how long is left on your contract and what your monthly payments currently are.
Virgin Media broadband deals come with a particularly harsh cancellation clause, so you may find yourself needing to pay almost your entire monthly fee, multiplied by how many months are remaining on your contract, in order to cancel.
Despite this, there are a few situations where Virgin media broadband customers will not need to pay to cancel their deals. For example, if you are still in your ‘cooling off period’, you will be able to end your connection for free. Internet providers are legally required to offer customers a cooling off period of at least 14 days. This means that you will not need to pay a penalty if you cancel up to 14 days after you sign up, but you will still have to pay one-time set up fees if your connection is active.
It is likely that your monthly price will rise during your initial contract period with Virgin Media broadband. Many broadband providers will schedule an increase and include details of how it will be calculated in customer contracts. However, if Virgin Media broadband puts its prices up and it is not referenced in your contract, you should be able to cancel without paying a penalty. If you think your tariff has been increased unfairly, contact Virgin Media broadband directly as soon as possible.
Do you have to pay a cancellation fee with Virgin Media broadband if I move house?
No, you should not have to pay a cancellation fee if you are moving house, so long as it is to an area or property where Virgin Media Broadband is unavailable.
Can I cancel Virgin Media broadband if it is too slow
Yes, you can also cancel Virgin Media broadband without paying a penalty fee if you are not receiving at least the minimum speed listed in your contract.
How to cancel Virgin Media broadband if it is too slow
Virgin Media is signed up to Ofcom’s ‘Broadband Speeds Code of Practice’. This means that it must always provide you with at least the minimum guaranteed speed that is specified in your contract. It is important to contact Virgin Media if you think your broadband connection is too slow. This is because Virgin will then have 30 days to fix any issues with its network that might be causing the problem, for example by arranging an engineer visit or other repairs. If this does not resolve the issue, you should be given the opportunity to leave Virgin Media without paying a penalty at the end of the 30 days.
You can find out more about broadband speeds in our article ‘What broadband speed do I need?’.
In some circumstances you may find that even though a speed test on your phone or laptop shows a speed below your guaranteed minimum, Virgin Media are not obliged to release you from your contract. That is because the guaranteed speed refers to the broadband speed supplied to your home, not what eventually reaches your device via your router and Wi-Fi network.
Before you cancel Virgin Media broadband
Before you cancel Virgin Media broadband, it is important to check you are happy to get rid of your entire package. Virgin Media TV deals are only available to customers with Virgin Media broadband. So if you cancel your broadband, you lose your TV package too.
If you have decided to cancel Virgin Media broadband because it is too expensive, it might be worth trying to haggle down your price before committing to leaving. It is likely Virgin will offer you its latest deals and discounts in order to keep you as a customer, as it makes sense to charge you less rather than lose you to a rival provider.
To get a better idea of the pros and cons of cancelling Virgin Media broadband, read our ‘Virgin Media broadband review’.
It can be worthwhile to research what else is out there before you commit to changing providers. You can use the ‘Ofcom broadband checker’ to see what types of broadband and range of download speeds are available in your area. Virgin Media broadband is one of the fastest providers in the UK, so you may need to take a step down in speed to switch to a new provider. If you are set on moving to a new provider, it can be a good idea to compare broadband deals and find a new package before you cancel Virgin Media.
How to compare broadband deals
You can compare a range of providers by using a comparison service such as Uswitch* to find out exactly what is available in your area. It is worth comparing broadband deals online via a comparison site prior to cancelling Virgin Media broadband, so that you know what price you could be paying elsewhere. Comparison sites help you to compare the best deals from multiple broadband providers at once. Results can be filtered by personal preference, usually with options to tailor results by factors including price, speed, reliability, Wi-Fi coverage and customer service. If Virgin Media is then not able to match that price, you could cancel and switch to the cheaper deal.
After you cancel Virgin Media broadband
The Virgin Media broadband equipment sent to you when you sign up – such as the router or TV box – is on loan to you, so may need to be returned if you cancel. In some cases, Virgin Media will not want old equipment back. If you do need to return anything, Virgin Media will notify you and provide any necessary prepaid packaging.
If your final monthly bill covers any time after you were disconnected, you will be due a refund. Virgin Media pays refunds by cheque, which you should receive within 35 days of your account being closed.
Virgin Media broadband operates using its own cabling network, so any alternative you choose after you have cancelled will use different infrastructure. This means that you may need to have other cabling or a phone line installed in your home, if you do not already have one.
