Moved into refurbished estate but AMP moved but not connected

[johmyb]

I recently moved into my new refurbished home in Windsor where I was told Virgin Media is present on site.  I had an engineer come around yesterday (24 Oct) to connect my TV and broadband services, however he spoke to some of the builders on site who advised that Virgin Media moved the existing AMP (main box I assume) a few metres away but did not connect the old AMP with he new AMP.  This was reported to Virgin Media and they offered me a free O2 dongle in the meantime since I am working from home and need broadband connection.  It is necessary for me and I assume the site to know when Virgin Media will come do the connection for me to effectively work from home.

[goslow]

Not sure what an AMP connection might be.

Are you in a flat which has some kind of shared distribution system for VM in the building?

VM frequently makes offers of a mobile dongle but these often do not turn into a reality delivered to the waiting customer. Those who get them tend to be people who are likely to have a very long wait. Reports on here suggest their performance is basic, at best.

[johmyb]

According to the engineer, the AMP is the main box in the road that connects all the houses in the area.

I got the dongle today and looking on O2 site, 5G reception outdoors and 4G indoors.  4G is what I am receiving.

Virgin Media, please come complete the work you started!!

[goslow · Accepted solution]

The fact that you have actually received the dongle may not be that encouraging as regards getting a connection. See reply from Kath_F below from a past topic

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Forum-Archive/Installation-at-new-house-and-customer-service/td...

[johmyb]

I got a call from Virgin Media yesterday to advise that they are sending out 2 engineers to set up my connection on 13 Nov.  I was assured that they will get my connection working even when I explained the amount of work that might be involved (info from previous engineer).  I will be suitably impressed if they manage to set me up on that date and I will be a  happy man.  To be fair, they have been trying to do everything possible to get me connected so far. 

[Tom_W1]

Hi @johmyb thanks for your post here in the Community although we're sorry to hear of the concerns you've raised here.

Since you have posted originally, you have confirmed here that you've been given an alternative date of 13th November so we do hope and trust that this will be honoured for you.

If you do need any further help or support from us in the meantime though, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Many thanks

[johmyb]

I stupidly ignored every warning sign people have given me when I tried to sign up to Virgin Broadband and TV.  I overlooked these warnings in the hope that Virgin will connect me as I was explicitly promised.  I recall a telephone conversation I had with a Virgin Media helpdesk person when I had an engineer visit planned for 13 Nov.  Her words to me were "Do not worry sir, your connection will be up and running when the 2 engineers arrive on the 13th Nov."  Working from home this was very important to me.

The 13th Nov came and went but no engineer visit, not even a call to let me know that nobody will visit my property.  I called Virgin to be told that the case has been escalated to the Area Manager.

Several calls afterwards, and I still did not get any answers on connection dates.  In my last call to Virgin, I  was advised that I should call Virgin and close my account because there are no plans to get me connected since the work to move the connections to the new box is not planned, and it is not likely to be planned for just one customer request.  This made me so angry, the fact that I was given empty promises, keeping me holding on whilst there was no plan to connect me.  The dongle that O2 kindly sent me to connect as a temporary measure started to run out of data and I was told by O2 they cannot add more data unless I sign up to one of their contracts.

Virgin told me today that my property has now been marked as non-serviceable and it is only my property in the area marked as such.  Again, going by what the first Virgin Engineer told me, this is another lie since all the houses in my street need to be connected to the same, new, not-connected box.  Be careful people, Virgin Media cannot deliver on their promises.

I might have dodged a bullet here and maybe I am better off not being a Virgin Media customer.  I can only recommend that people investigate thoroughly before going with Virgin Media - save yourself the trouble and increased blood pressure.  One very unhappy (potential) customer here.

[goslow]

Sadly, this story has been recounted before on here where VM strings the customer along with promises of an installation, only to cancel some time down the line.

Your only consolation is that you will be entitled to a small amount of compensation for the failure.

You need to find the record of the 'date initially confirmed in writing' when VM first said it would 'activate' your services.

From the info you have provided this sounds like it might have been 24 October when the VM tech appeared but could not install.

If that is so, you will be entitled to £5.83 per day

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation

VM has to keep paying this until your service is activated.

If VM decides it is not going to install, cancel the job and stop paying compensation then VM has to issue you with a 'cease notice' and must pay you compensation for a further 30 days from the cease notice.

VM is hopeless at following the compensation rules as described in the topics on here so don't expect any of this to happen 'automatically'.

If we take 24 October as your installation date and let's say (charitably) that 13 Nov is your cease notice date then VM must pay you from 24/10/23 to 13/12/23 inc which is 51 days
@ £5.83 per day which is £297.33

Adjust the calculation accordingly if the dates are wrong

Refer to paras 36 to 39

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

VM should pay you this automatically but, in all likelihood, they won't and you will have to fight to get it.

This will involve a formal complaint to VM first of all followed by escalation to arbitration via the appropriate routes/timescales

https://www.commsombudsman.org/our-process

[jpeg1]

I note that you were advised to call and close your account. 

Do not do this because the compensation will then stop.  Wait for them to formally cancel, and you will get much more. 

[Zoie_P]

Hi @johmyb, 

I am truly sorry for your experience with us, I can take a look into this for you, I will pop you over a PM, please keep an eye out for the little envelope 👀📩
Thanks,

Zoie