I've taken out a contract with Virgin Media for TV Broadband and mobile (Nov 2023).
Installation of TV and Broadband was due at the beginning of December. The sim for the mobile arrived first week of December and is in use. It costs me £25 per month (rather than £6 on my previous Sky sim) and is part of a bundle deal, I didn't want the mobile sim but it is a requisite of the bundle so it's active and in use. The TV and Broadband installation has been put back 6 times and is currently committed for the 24th Feb 2024, nearly 3 months late already. From reading the forums here, I see this is nothing compared to delays up to 1year!
I've spent many hours on frustrating calls with the pre-installation team who promise the next date and then of course it doesn't transpire. Each time I have to roll on another month with my previous provider (Sky) to have TV available for my family and Broadband for my business at home. I'm out of contract with them so they are charging me £100 more than I was previously paying per month.
I spoke to Anna in the pre-installation team during my last cancellation (prior to two I've just received today) who was very transparent. She told me in her experience this date (even if committed) is not fixed and may well keep getting moved back. She's told me it could be up to 6 months in her honest experience. Whilst I appreciate her honesty, I'm very disappointed with every other Virgin representative who I've had to go through this nightmare install with. They have continually assured me my installation will be completed by each extended date. Reading the forums I now see this is very common.
My situation now is, I'm stuck with both hiked-up out-of-contract costs with Sky, plus an expensive sim that I never needed but had to take, with no clear end to this in sight.
On top of this, I've been told by Virgin I can not be helped in terms of any compensation for not only the extra expenses I've incurred through no fault of my own, or time lost dealing with difficult and inconsistent customer services as I'm not technically an active account – even though the mobile part of the package has been active since December.
It sounds like I'm locked into this nightmare in the hope the next install date is honoured. I've got no idea what to do. Apparently, a complaint has been raised and I might be able to request compensation IF I ever get this activated!
I was due a call back from the complaints department within 72 hours, 2 weeks later I'm still waiting and have just received two further cancellations.
This latest cancellation was two days before the most recent install was due.
How is any of this fair or reasonable? It sounds like it is a case of continuing like this for many months or cutting my losses, with £250 down the drain (so far) – thanks Virgin.
I'd at least appreciate the callback from the complaints department as I was promised, I've got a complaint Ref no ready.
