Virgin.net's Consumer Code of Practice
Purpose
This Code provides you with information about Virgin.net, our services, how to contact us and other useful Internet industry bodies. The Code does not form part of any contract which you enter into with Virgin.net. The Code may be updated from time to time as Virgin.net and the industry changes.
What other formats are available?
You can write to us and we will send you a copy free of charge. The Code is also available in Braille, audiotape and large print upon request.
What is Virgin.net?
Virgin.net is an Internet service provider to residential consumers. We provide access to the Internet by providing the following packages:
Virgin.net Pay As You GoVirgin.net 24sevenVirgin.net Broadband Bundle Plan One
Virgin.net Broadband Bundle Plan Two
Virgin.net Broadband Bundle Plan Three
Virgin.net Broadband Plan One Virgin.net Broadband Plan TwoVirgin.net Broadband Plan ThreeThese services, and the support options available in relation to the services, are described in more detail below.
Our services
Virgin.net Pay As You Go
"Pay As You Go" is the name for our Internet access package where you get access to the Internet on a "pay per minute" basis. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you only pay for the time that you are online. When you call, or dial in to, a number (which will normally start with 0845 or 0844) from anywhere in the UK, calls will be charged by the minute. Those charges will then appear on your phone bill. The service includes five email addresses, email forwarding, and 10MB (mega-bytes) of Freespace to create your own website, a Webmail service, spam filtering and email virus protection.
Virgin.net 24seven
Virgin.net 24seven is our unmetered dial up Internet access option. Virgin.net 24seven gives you access to the Internet for a fixed monthly fee which is paid directly to Virgin.net. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and there are no restrictions about when you can use the service. The service includes five email addresses, email forwarding, and 10MB (mega-bytes) of Freespace to create your own website, a Webmail service, spam filtering and email virus protection.
Virgin.net Broadband
Virgin.net Broadband is a Internet access package with a permanent, high speed connection to the Internet for a fixed monthly fee. It has typical download speeds of up to 8 Mbps on Plans One and Two and up to 1 Mbps on Plan Three. The service includes five email addresses, email forwarding, and 10 MB (megabytes) of Freespace to create your own website, a Webmail service, spam filtering and email virus protection.
Our Bundle services all come with free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines
Pricing
You can obtain up to date prices for Virgin.net services by visiting http://www.virgin.net/customers/internetaccess/compare_pop.html.Repairs and faults
We endeavour to fix faults with the service as soon as possible with the minimum possible impact on you. You can check for service announcements by calling 0800 052 4329 or by visiting http://www.virgin.net/customers/helpme/announce_launch.html.Billing and disconnection
You can pay for our services with Direct Debit, MasterCard, Visa or Delta. Please note that if you pay by Direct Debit we will still require your credit or debit card details. This is because your first month's payment may have to be made by credit card depending on how long it takes your bank to set up the Direct Debit. We do not issue you with an invoice and we do not provide itemised billing.If you fail to make a payment with us, we will send you an email before we disconnect your service explaining what has gone wrong and how you can update your details or make payment to us.
Cancellation
You can only cancel your account with Virgin.net by telephone. You will need to supply us with your security password for telephone cancellations. Full details of our cancellation policy can be found at http://www.virgin.net/terms.Reconnection
If you cancel your account with us you can reconnect and receive your old username if reconnection is made within 180 days.Terms and conditions
Our services are provided in accordance with our standard terms and conditions. The terms and conditions are available on our website at www.virgin.net/terms.Privacy
We take our customers' privacy very seriously. We have a Privacy Policy which sets out how we protect your personal information on our website at www.virgin.net/terms.Data protection
We comply with the provisions of the Data Protection 1998 and are registered with the Information Commissioner - our registration number is Z7323793. Our Privacy Policy set out at www.virgin.net/terms details how we use any personal information you provide to us.How to contact us
You can contact Virgin.net for advice or assistance by telephoning, writing to, or emailing us. The best way of contacting us is online.To email or phone us please go to www.virgin.net/customers/contactus. Phone us
To find the right phone number to call in on (this will depend on the issue that you have) please go to www.virgin.net/customers/helpme.
Write to us
You may also contact us in writing. If you would like to write to us please do so at: Virgin.net, PO Box 219, Newport NP10 8UG.
What to do if you have a complaint
At Virgin.net we are committed to providing you with a first class service. If something has gone wrong with the service or you are not satisfied, we want you to tell us so that we can resolve the issue as soon as we can.When you call us a call centre agent will take the call. In most instances the call centre agent will be able to resolve the issue. If you are not happy with the response or the agent does not have the authority to deal with the complaint it will be escalated within the call centre. If you feel that the call centre has not been able to assist you appropriately, you will be referred to our Head Office.
If you have gone through our complaints procedure set out above and do not believe we have adequately resolved your issue, we are registered with the Otelo (Office of Telecommunications Ombudsman) for alternative dispute resolution. Copies of the Otelo booklet "Two sides to every story" can be requested by calling Otelo on 0845 050 1614.
How are we a socially responsible ISP?
We have an Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") which is included in each customer's contract. The AUP sets out what we believe is appropriate Internet behaviour and the action we may take if our customers do not comply with the AUP.Useful contacts
There are a number of organisations related to the Internet industry who may be of interest to you. Contact details for those organisations are as follows:Ofcom
Ofcom Contact Centre
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Telephone: 0845 456 3000
Fax: 0845 456 3333
Website: www.ofcom.org.uk
The Advertising Standards Authority
2 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 7HW
Telephone: 020 7580 5555
Fax: 020 7631 3051
Email: enquiries@asa.org.uk
Website: www.asa.org.uk
Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services - ICSTIS
FREEPOST
WC 5468
London
SE1 2BR
Telephone: 020 7940 7474
Fax: 020 7940 7456
Complaints Telephone Number: 0800 500212
E-mail: secretariat@icstis.org.uk
Website: www.icstis.org.uk
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545745
Fax: 01625 524510
E-mail: data@dataprotection.gov.uk
Website: www.dataprotection.gov.uk
Otelo
PO Box 730
Warrington
WA4 6VW
Telephone: 0845 050 1614
Fax: 0845 050 1615
Email: enquiries@otelo.org.uk
Website: www.otelo.org.uk
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