Trespassing, broken fence and V Media!

[S83]

Virgin Media Installation team came without any prior notice in my absence and yes they fixed my phone. I am over the moon about it. After 5 weeks and 5 days I got my Virgin Media Phone Line. 

As I was not informed as when will they come to fix our phone, so obviously I was not at home.  So to fix our phone line they climbed our locked back garden (side) gate and also damaged the overhead intruder safety fence which after the job they just placed next to the wall, amazingly lazy people. 

Is this a normal day to day routine for your installation technicians to climb into someone’s property without any prior notice and cause damage?

This broken overhead fence is an open invitation for anyone now and it needs an immediate fixing so who will be responsible for this?

[danpalmer1993 · Accepted solution]

I would look at the terms and conditions

d. Direct physical damage to your property (including any of your equipment upon which we have set up the services) unless it has been caused by Virgin Media Ltd's negligence or the negligence of their employees, agents or contractors while acting in the course of their employment (and even then our liability will not be more than £100,000 for any one event or series of connected events).

You are legally entitled to have this fixed for you

[S83]

Sadly, after 23/01/12 the first ever call which I was forced to make via my working Virgin Media phone line was on 25th of January 2012, to Virgin Media 150. Someone named Sandy dealt with my call I told him my phone line is working now but I am very upset and gobsmacked about how Virgin Media installation technicians intruded my premises.  They climbed over our locked side gate (mud form their shoes is still on the gate) and also damaged it, broke the overhead fence, fixed the telephone wires to the hub and took the previous visible temporary black wire out, closed the telephone hub put the broken overhead fence on the side, climbed over the gate once again (as my gate was still locked from inside) and our phone started to work.  According to Sandy I was assuming all of this. 

Then he inquired if someone saw this?

I told him I am so sorry but I was not there to take notes if someone is watching this or not.

After that Sandy put me on hold for 20 minutes, and then he came up with the new trick that the letter was sent to me regarding services on 18th of January 2012.  I was so P off at this point and I told him that the only correspondence which I have ever received from Virgin Media after 16th December 2011 installation is the letter of 18th of December 2011, from Executive Director of customer care, Mr Mark Davidson. Stating that we have a faulty telephone wire and VM will replace it on 13th of January 2012. So I told Sandy that he must be assuming this. He snapped at me and said no, it is a fact, I told him clearly that your fact is an assumption for me as I never received any letter this year from Virgin Media. So sandy put me on hold for another 30 minutes (good job I was calling through VM telephone line).

Now according to Sandy, Virgin Media site manager will call me within 5 working days, then he will arrange a suitable time to visit and look at the damage.

So I will keep you guys posted.

[AMD87]

so i take it you cant prove it was vm that did it then no? your just assuming?

[S83]

Ok 5 days are passed no one called me from Virgin Media, regarding trespassing and our broken gate.

AMD87, Virgin Media left the black temporary telephone cable in the outside telephone hub and left  it open on 13th of January 2012. On 23rd (the day phone started to work) the telephone hub was closed the black wire was removed no one could do that without coming into our back garden  which was locked from inside. 

[S83]

Today I posted a letter to Mr N Berkett, the CEO of Virgin Media.

Dear Mr Berkett,

We signed for Virgin Media bundle on 16th of December 2011. On the same day, after the installation technician's departure, our phone line never worked at all.

On 18th of December 2011, we received a letter from Mr Mark Davidson, Executive Director for Customer (not) Care of Virgin Media that our phone line is faulty and on 13th January 2012, installation technicians will fix everything. But unfortunately on 13th of January 2012, they placed a very thick and visible temporary cable into our behind the gate hub, left the hub wide open and told me that this temporary measure was a fault and they can’t do much about it and they left. So still no working phone.

After that I never received any correspondence as what was happening with our phone line or whether our internet connection will get any better, even though I have sent two recorded delivery letters, on different dates to Mr Davidson inquiring about the status of our phone line, But unfortunately, I never heard anything back from him. On 23rd of January 2012, I was not left with any other choice but to leave a post on Virgin Active Forums Telephone section under the heading

39 Days no Phone, Bad Internet Connection, Mark Davidson?

Just like any other day I picked the phone and to my amazement it was working, I was very happy about it. Yes, right after posting on Virgin Media forums, on 24th of January 2012 our phone started to work, but our internet connection is still worse than our previous ISP, AOL.

I was bit puzzled as what time Virgin media Installation technician’s arrived?  How did they come inside the locked gate as I was not at home? Did they shut the telephone hub which was left wide open previously? To find answers for all of these questions, I went to our back garden and I was so shocked to notice that our overhead intruder fence, which was placed on the gate, was damaged and sitting on the floor, black visible thick cable was replaced, and all wires from behind the locked gate were neatly stapled to the wall and previously left opened telephone hub was now shut. Not only this but there were very visible signs that someone climbed over our side gate ( fresh mud was present on the both sides of the gate). I was gobsmacked and still confused so I went outside (front of the property) to check the gate and it was damaged from outside too.

Our back garden (side)  gate was still locked from inside and there is no way that your installation technicians could connect, alter, replace or remove wires to the main hub without entering  into our premises.

On 25th of January 2012, I rang on 150 and spoke to one of your representative, Sandy. He assured me that Site Manager will call me and arrange a time to visit our premises. But I never heard anything so far from Virgin Media, Northampton Site Manager.

According to virgin media terms and conditions I authorised Virgin Media employees, agents and contractors to enter my premises, not to trespass the locked doors and cause a direct physical damage to our property.

Mr Berkett, I want a written assurance from you that your Virgin Media site manager will visit our premises as soon as possible and carry out a full investigation regarding this matter.

The direct physical damage to our property was caused by Virgin media Entertainment employees while in the course of their employment; therefore I am liable for a full compensation.

I can't stress enough that after causing a direct damage to our property, your employees have left our premises and us in a very vulnerable situation. If something happened to my children and me, you as a CEO of Virgin Media will be held, fully responsible for that.

I look forward to your reply as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

S83  (posting the same message on Virgin Forums and The Consumer Action Group Forums too)

[S83]

I sent this via an email to Mr Neil Barkett, CEO of VM.

[S83]

Finally, on 30th of January 2012, I received an email from CEO office (Tracey) and from Virgin Media (Steven).

I returned an email on 31st January 2012 to CEO office and told them that after reading so many negative views on consumer action and virgin media forums and according to my own previous experience with Virgin Media.  I refuse to discuss anything on the phone with above mentioned people and whatever they have to discuss they should do in writing or via an email so I have enough evidence to back up my position. Like always Virgin Media avoided anything in writing.

On 1st of February 2012, I sent a 3rd e-mail to Mr Neil Berkett, that still I am waiting for a site area manager of virgin media to arrange a date or time to visit our premises and assess the damage. In the evening Steven, Virgin media called to arrange a visit for a site manager. When I agreed for site manager to come and assess the damage tomorrow. At first he agreed and assured me that he will come between 10 and 12 O’ clock, and then he changed his mind and said that he needs to speak to an area manager so he will call me back. After 25 minutes he called again and told me that as area manager doesn’t have a diary with him so he will call me and arrange a meeting himself.

I waited for area site manager call on 2nd of February 2012; no one called or arranged time to visit the damage.

Why can’t Steven send me an email? Why area site manager can’t send me an email and arrange a time?

All what I want is bloomin area site manager to come and assess the damage and answer my questions. Why is this big deal? 

[S83]

Craig Swails and Derrick Kevitt, from Virgim Media visited our house and took pictures of the damaged gate and broken overhead intruder fence on 4th of February 2012.

On 10th of Feburary 2012 right after a phone call from CEO's office ( Tracy),  Derrick Kevitt rang me and said that Virgin Media is conducting an interview with the technician on Sunday 12th of February 2012.

After that I never heard anything from Virgin Media.

Not only our house but also our next door neighbour’s house is very unsafe due to this broken overhead fence damaged gate and we are very concerned about our safety.  

Any feed back from you would be appreciated. 

[Peter_]

You are aware that posting on here is of little point due to the inability of being able to clear DPA, plus no one on hhere would be able to help with this issue as you are already in contact with the CEO's Office which would be the best place to forward any concerns to as only they will have any authority with regards rectifiying the issues you have.

This forum is primarily a faults forum and the team will be unable to help in this matter due to the need to clear DPA with yourself, so you really need to write into the complaints department the relevant information is below.

I would advise you to put your complaint in writing, include as much information as possible and address it to,

Complaints,

Virgin Media,

PO Box 333,

Matrix Court,

Swansea.

SA7 9ZJ 

If you do not get a response you may need to go down the legal route and speak to a solicitor.