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I wondered if anyone else has had issues with Virgin attempting the con of charging the annual fee early ? I know Rob had an article in the archives about someone who had the same experience as I’ve just had, and won via the ombudsman. I’ve not had chance to call them yet, to start the query / complaint, but we didn’t get the card until early October 2021.
The Sept 22 statement was on 4th, and they have already charged the annual fee, typically when we planned to pay this last statement and then close the account. SOoclearly didn’t want to pay the annual fee.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
My approval date was 24/9 last year and they notified me in August that the Sept statement (on the 24th) would have next year’s charge.
What is concerning is that it’s been 30 days since I hit the spend target and no sign of the voucher yet. I’ve not spent anything on it since then and I want to cancel before the 24th.
The start date isn’t when you receive the card, it’s the date your application was accepted. It took over 3 weeks for my card to arrive last year.
Player 2 and I cancelled our cards last month, just ahead of renewals. Both confirmed closed within 3working days of submitting here:
https://uk.virginmoney.com/credit-cards/manage-your-card/close-your-account
This was the article, probably best to read that and the accompanying comments to see what people say/have done previously:
https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/03/09/virgin-credit-cards-annual-fee-appeal/OH’s card anniversary is October, we got an email about a week ago saying the charge was imminent but it hasn’t been taken yet. Going to keep the card for the time being as most of our non-Amex spend currently goes on it so it’s not an issue for us yet.
My approval date was 24/9 last year and they notified me in August that the Sept statement (on the 24th) would have next year’s charge.
What is concerning is that it’s been 30 days since I hit the spend target and no sign of the voucher yet. I’ve not spent anything on it since then and I want to cancel before the 24th.
The start date isn’t when you receive the card, it’s the date your application was accepted. It took over 3 weeks for my card to arrive last year.
Thanks for the info. Our application date was 28th Sept 2021. So in my opinion, the fee should be charged once we reach that anniversary, which would put it on the next statement. As this is a card in my wife’s name, it’s very possible that she has had an email about the impending renewal fee and missed it.
I had an email a few days ago informing me that the £160 annual fee would be added to my October statement. My statement date is the 8th of the month, so on Friday, when my points have been issued, the card will RIP and I will reapply for free version, get declined, call up, explain that I’m downgrading…blah blah blah.
My approval date was 24/9 last year and they notified me in August that the Sept statement (on the 24th) would have next year’s charge.
What is concerning is that it’s been 30 days since I hit the spend target and no sign of the voucher yet. I’ve not spent anything on it since then and I want to cancel before the 24th.
The start date isn’t when you receive the card, it’s the date your application was accepted. It took over 3 weeks for my card to arrive last year.
Thanks for the info. Our application date was 28th Sept 2021. So in my opinion, the fee should be charged once we reach that anniversary, which would put it on the next statement. As this is a card in my wife’s name, it’s very possible that she has had an email about the impending renewal fee and missed it.
That’s not how Virgin operates! They collect the fee so that it is paid by the renewal date, not afterwards as would be the case for you. In the case about which there was an HfP article of an Ombudsman win, the customer won only on the basis that he had been reducing his spending so it was clear he was planning to close his account, not on the basis V isn’t entitled to charge the fee in month 11. Thus you want yo avoid using the card and to get on and cancel the card, asking for a refund of the full fee, otherwise you will miss the boat and have a tedious fight that you may not win.
We also had our approval through on 27th Sep 2021. The fee got taken this year on 4th Sep. Also no sign of the voucher we’ve definitely spent enough to earn. So if we get on and cancel as @JDB says, is there any hope of still getting the voucher through?
Where are you looking for the voucher? All you get is a zero points entry on your points statement with a cryptic reference.
Player 2 and I cancelled our cards last month, just ahead of renewals. Both confirmed closed within 3working days of submitting here:
https://uk.virginmoney.com/credit-cards/manage-your-card/close-your-account
This was the article, probably best to read that and the accompanying comments to see what people say/have done previously:
https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/03/09/virgin-credit-cards-annual-fee-appeal/I was planning to do the same, and close it before the fee was due. But as they have applied it now, I can’t close just yet. Managed to speak to a fairly helpful guy on their helpdesk, who said that if I pay the spending balance, leaving only the fee, they will then remove it, and then I can close the account. Let’s see if that happens.
Same has happened to me. I had planned to cancel a few weeks ago but wanted to extract the cashback I had earned first before cancelling. For the last 2 weeks not been able to access the cashback page via the app. It just goes to a blank page. While less than the annual fee so would bist asking them to credit that back, i would like to claim it. Is there another way to get other than the app?
Where are you looking for the voucher? All you get is a zero points entry on your points statement with a cryptic reference.
Yes I know but you do get an email notifying of the award. Not had that and there’s no zero entry visible on the Red app and the earnings table on my VS account on the web has been empty for a year despite me earning regularly.
Same has happened to me. I had planned to cancel a few weeks ago but wanted to extract the cashback I had earned first before cancelling. For the last 2 weeks not been able to access the cashback page via the app. It just goes to a blank page. While less than the annual fee so would bist asking them to credit that back, i would like to claim it. Is there another way to get other than the app?
When you see the blank page, hit the X, then open the cashback page again, repeat process until it actually opens.
Utterly apalling for this bug to still be present on the app since last year.
Where are you looking for the voucher? All you get is a zero points entry on your points statement with a cryptic reference.
Looking for that cryptic 0 point line but nothing on statement so far and nothing in red app that I can see.
Virgin have been doing this for years; they charged me 5 weeks early Fortunately back then I had asked via secure messaging when it was due and after I quoted this they refunded the charge and then closed the website with its secure messaging !
It’s ridiculous really, you only get at most 11 months before you need to cancel to avoid the 2nd year fee.
It’s ridiculous really, you only get at most 11 months before you need to cancel to avoid the 2nd year fee.
I’m not sure why the card companies should design their systems around the small number of people who are constantly chopping and changing cards to extract some benefit. Amex bizarrely seems positively to encourage it, but HSBC, Virgin and Barclaycard don’t make it that easy to downgrade or cancel. The vast majority of us who take out cards to keep don’t suffer these apparent travails.
It’s ridiculous really, you only get at most 11 months before you need to cancel to avoid the 2nd year fee.
I’m not sure why the card companies should design their systems around the small number of people who are constantly chopping and changing cards to extract some benefit. Amex bizarrely seems positively to encourage it, but HSBC, Virgin and Barclaycard don’t make it that easy to downgrade or cancel. The vast majority of us who take out cards to keep don’t suffer these apparent travails.
Because when they advertise and I pay £160 for a year I expect 12 months
Resolved the voucher award issue, this may help someone.
VS Twitter – no longer exists, wont answer queries, just a bot that sends you to useless web pages – Shame, VS twitter used to be amazingly helpful.
Virgin Money – Vouchers nothing to do with us, please call VS on 0344 412 2414. (option 4, then 2, then hold for an operator).After an hour a guy with a very strong accent who sounds like he’s talking from inside a bucket answers and confirms there is a voucher ob my account and it was awarded 22/8.
I can’t see that zero entry on either Virgin Red app or on the VS website, so be aware that poeple aren’t being notified and they’re even more invisible than they used to be.
I knew I’d seen it somewhere – log in to Virgin Flying Club (not cc or Red account) then Account – Activity. There is one line on mine with the date and 0 points.
I knew I’d seen it somewhere – log in to Virgin Flying Club (not cc or Red account) then Account – Activity. There is one line on mine with the date and 0 points.
I just said it’s not on there at least twice in this thread 🙂
The My Activity page on the VS account on the website says “No data available in table” and has done for a year.
Doesnt matter what activity I do nothing ever appears in that table no matter what filters I use in the dropdown.
I’m just saying where mine is, might help other readers!
I knew I’d seen it somewhere – log in to Virgin Flying Club (not cc or Red account) then Account – Activity. There is one line on mine with the date and 0 points.
Thanks @Anna! I see this in my Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account now, whereas nothing on CC statements or transactions in Virgin CC app, and nothing in Virgin Red account.
Thanks @Anna! I see this in my Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account now, whereas nothing on CC statements or transactions in Virgin CC app, and nothing in Virgin Red account.
Have you linked your Virgin Red account with your Virgin Flying Club account? If not, in your Virgin Red account go to Account and then choose the Link Accounts option.
For what it’s worth I have a 0 point entry that in the activity column says “You have qualified for a credit card reward voucher”.
Previously that description wasn’t there, its been added some time in the last couple of months. The 0 point entry has been there since late March.
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