Forum Discussion

abcd123's avatar
abcd123
Joining in
7 days ago

Complete Install Failure

I wanted to share the experience I've had with Virgin Media's 'installation', as a word of warning to those considering joining.

I'm a new Virgin Media customer, so the property required a full fibre installation, including running the cable from the pavement to the house. I noted the 'Preparing your property' section of my online account stated that their partner engineer will contact me to arrange the external work.

To my surprise, I came home on Wednesday last week to discover they had 'completed' the external install already. As part of this, they fitted the external cable box to a chimney breast, and added a horrible looking concrete dam across the drainage channel that's part of the pavement, which still left a loop of cable sticking out. Somewhat fortunately the unset concrete forming the dam washed away in the rain, leaving even more exposed cable on the pavement.

I phoned the customer support line to explain this install wasn't completed correctly, and that they would have to reroute the cable for it to be possible to complete any internal installation. I was told the external reinstall would be rebooked for today, and the previous internal install rebooked to also occur today. Apparently this would "put everything right" and ensure it would all be done on the same day.

I phoned again to confirm this a few days ahead and was then told the previous advisor was mistaken, the internal install hasn't been booked, and can't be done today. I am rebooked for two weeks time as this is the next available slot, but can still expect the external reinstall to occur today.

This morning, a very helpful engineer arrives to complete the internal install only. The one that was apparently never booked, and cannot be completed. He does what little he can in the time slot he has (drilling the cable through the wall in a sensible spot and leaving a length outside the property to be connected into the street) and suggests it's unlikely the external install engineer will appear.

Sure enough, no external install is completed. I phone again, to be told they'll have to rebook a second time, and am again offered a date over two weeks away.

In the meantime, I have two lots of trailing cable, a damaged wall, a trip hazard in the pavement, wasted a day off work, face having to take even more time off (with associated cost), and am without service for over two weeks. Naturally I've raised a complaint, but so far have been offered a pitiful amount towards my next bill and no actual resolution. I'd leave Virgin Media if I had any faith they'd restore my house to its previous condition.

All the above is clearly dreadful customer service in response to a frankly idiotic install attempt. I post this in the hope Virgin Media get their act together, and to make prospective customers aware of how they sometimes operate. I have no doubt new customers don't usually suffer this, but the way Virgin Media have handled this case is something they should be aware of.

 

Anon

Broadband
complaint
installation
new customer

4 Replies

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    7 days ago

    Sadly, this is just 'business as usual' for some unlucky victims of VM's flawed installation sub-contracting processes. I'm afraid it is a regular source of complaint on here and has been for many years.

    I would suggest you post up a few pic's of the installation. VM people on here may be able to refer those on via a complaint.

    Don't expect too much but by documenting it you will have started an evidence trail with a view to receiving compensation that you are entitled to

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

    if VM misses its go-live date.

    Keep good records of everything, such as dates, times, emails phone calls, texts etc as evidence. This often works best as a timeline with linked pieces of evidence. This should help ensure you get paid the correct amount due.

    • abcd123's avatar
      abcd123
      Joining in
      7 days ago

      Hi there,

      Thanks for the above, it really is a shame this occurs and I agree the sub-contracting is clearly to blame. I can only imagine an engineer was expected to do too many installs in a day to be able to do them properly.

      I've chosen not to post any pictures publicly for now, but thanks for the suggestion. Hopefully VM get in touch so I can share these directly with them. At the very least they'll make for some great 'don't do this' training examples...

      The compensation link is very helpful, and I'll be sure to keep recording my interactions with them as we go. I'd recommend any customers braving joining VM do the same.

      Thanks again

      • -tony-'s avatar
        -tony-
        Alessandro Volta
        7 days ago

        you are over thinking VM - what you have is typical as said above - they have taken years to get to this level of incompetence and its known and deliberate - read cheap - a VM agent will get to the thread and depending on who it is will apologise in their own way and likely tell you this is not the level of service they expect - sorry its is - the offshore people you are talking to will tell you anything to get you off the phone thinking something will happen - most or all of what they say is made up on the spot to get rid of you

        so accept it or leave - but if the latter dont cancel the install - let them blunder on and when they finally sort it claim your compensation and leave in the 14 day cooling off period

        the record on here is well over a year from order to install so you are not anywhere close but you certainly not on your own

        they will learn nothing from this - how can they when whats happened is normal in their eyes