Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015
Escalate your Virgin Media complaint to CISAS
You complained. Nothing happened. There is a free, independent scheme that can order them to put it right, and a deadline they cannot talk their way out of.
The law on your side
Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015
SI 2015/542
- Regulators do not settle individual complaints. Ofcom and Ofgem license and fine companies; the ADR scheme is the one that can order your money back.
- Which scheme you use is decided by the company, not by you. Telecom providers are split between CISAS and Ombudsman Services, and applying to the wrong one gets the case refused.
- You can escalate once the deadline has passed OR when you have a final response, whichever comes first. It is not both.
- ADR is free to consumers. A company or claims firm charging you to refer a complaint is charging for something you can do yourself in about ten minutes.
- The decision only binds the company if you accept it. Rejecting it leaves your right to go to court intact.
What you are owed
| Situation | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Cost to you | Free. ADR schemes are paid for by the company |
| Binding on the company | Yes, if you accept the decision |
| Binding on you | No. You can reject it and go to court instead |
| Typical remedies | Correction of the account, refund of wrong charges, apology, goodwill payment |
| Time limit | Usually 12 months from the final response |
Source: SI 2015/542.
Copy-paste letter template
Replace anything in [SQUARE_BRACKETS] with your details. Keep the tone factual - the citations do the heavy lifting.
Dear Virgin Media Complaints Team, Reference: [ACCOUNT_OR_COMPLAINT_REFERENCE] Original complaint date: [DATE_FIRST_COMPLAINED] I first raised this complaint on [DATE_FIRST_COMPLAINED] and it remains unresolved. This letter is a formal request for your final response. What I complained about: [ONE_LINE_SUMMARY] What has happened since: [WHAT_THEY_DID_OR_DID_NOT_DO] What I want: [SPECIFIC_REMEDY_AND_AMOUNT] Under your complaints code of practice I am entitled to a final response, commonly called a deadlock letter, which allows me to refer this matter to [ADR_SCHEME] at no cost to me. Please either resolve the complaint as set out above or issue that final response. If I have not received either within 14 days, or once [ESCALATION_WINDOW] has passed since I first complained, I will refer the matter to [ADR_SCHEME] without further notice. Yours faithfully, [YOUR_NAME] [YOUR_ADDRESS] [YOUR_CONTACT_DETAILS]
If they ignore the first letter
- 1
Ask Virgin Media for a final response
Put it in writing and use the words “final response” or “deadlock letter”. That document lets you go to ADR immediately instead of waiting out the clock.
6 weeks from your first complaint
- 2
Wait 6 weeks from the day you first complained
Once 6 weeks has passed you can escalate whether or not Virgin Media has replied. Silence counts. You do not need their permission and you do not need a deadlock letter as well.
6 weeks
- 3
Refer it to CISAS
Free to you. CISAS is the approved scheme Virgin Media is signed up to, and if you accept the decision it binds them.
- 4
Tell Ofcom separately, if you want to
Ofcom will not resolve your individual case and cannot order Virgin Media to pay you. It uses reports as evidence to fine and regulate. Worth two minutes after your ADR case is filed, never instead of it.
Final stop: CISAS.
Quick answers
Can I complain to Ofcom or Ofgem about a company?
You can report them, but it will not get your problem fixed. Neither regulator settles individual disputes or awards compensation to you personally. They use reports as intelligence for enforcement, and they can fine a company for systemic failures. The route that can actually order your money back is the ADR scheme. Report to the regulator as well, not instead.
Which ombudsman does my provider belong to?
The company chooses, and it varies within a single sector. In telecom, Ofcom's approved schemes are CISAS and Ombudsman Services: Communications, and providers are split between them. In energy it is the Energy Ombudsman for everyone. Applying to the wrong scheme gets your case refused, so check before you file.
How long do I have to wait before escalating?
Six weeks in telecom and broadband, eight in energy, counted from the day you first complained. Ofcom cut the telecom window from eight weeks to six, so older guides still say eight. You can go earlier if the company issues a final response or deadlock letter.
Does it cost me anything?
No. ADR schemes are funded by the companies that belong to them, and the consumer pays nothing whatever the outcome.
What if I do not like the decision?
You can reject it. The decision binds the company only once you accept it, and rejecting it leaves you free to bring a claim in the county court. Accepting it usually means giving up the right to sue over the same issue.
How long do I have to wait before escalating a Virgin Media complaint?
Six weeks, not the eight that Virgin Media’s own complaints code states. Ofcom’s rule is that you can go to an approved dispute scheme once at least six weeks have passed since your complaint, or sooner if you have a deadlock letter. Virgin Media’s published code is the May 2022 edition and predates the change, so following their document means waiting two weeks longer than the regulator requires.
Which ombudsman handles Virgin Media complaints?
CISAS, run by CEDR, not the Communications Ombudsman. Ofcom approves two schemes for telecoms and providers are split between them: CISAS covers Virgin Media, O2, Sky, Three, TalkTalk, Vodafone, NOW, SMARTY and VOXI, while the Communications Ombudsman covers BT, EE, Plusnet, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and others. Applying to the wrong one gets your case refused, so it is worth checking before you file.
What is Virgin Media’s complaints email address?
Virgin Media does not publish one. Their complaints code names three routes: phone on 0345 454 1111 for broadband, TV and home phone or 0345 600 0789 for mobile, the online complaints form, and post to Complaints, Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA. Addresses like complaints@virginmedia.com appear on complaint directories but on none of Virgin Media’s own pages, so a complaint sent there has no route to their team.
How do I complain to Virgin Media?
We haven't found a complaints email address that Virgin Media publishes itself, so start from the complaints route on Virgin Media's own site: https://www.virginmedia.com/help/complaints. Put "Formal complaint" at the top, with your account or order number, what went wrong, and the outcome you want. Keep a copy of what you send, or a note of the call with the date, so you have a paper trail. If Virgin Media hasn't sorted it within 6 weeks, you can escalate free to CISAS.
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Build my Virgin Media complaintDisclaimer: NoReply is an independent consumer advocacy platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Virgin Media. This page summarises Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/542) for general guidance and is not legal advice. Always check the current statutory text before acting.