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
