Forum Discussion

hoffingtons's avatar
hoffingtons
Just joined
9 days ago

Damaged external fiber wires

For the past week, there have been roadworks going on down my road and directly outside the front of my house (Openreach). Yesterday (3/02/2025) my internet abruptly cut off arround 13:00. As you can imagine, I speculated it had something to do with the roadworks and they had damaged the fiber. I contacted Virgin, initially they had said I would need to be in for them to inspect the internal systems, but after giving them my speculation that workmen had cut through the optic cable as a reasoning why my internetis out, they then informed me I do not have to be in, as it is external work. I explaind that the work area is still open and easily accessible for a field engineer and hey booked me an engineer for today (04/02/2025), with the window of 08:00 - 12:00.

The engineer arrived at 08:30, he confirmed my theory of the fiber cable being cut, and explained that he himself cannot repair it. (Why send an internal engineer out who can't resolve the issue, when they knew it was the external cables?) He informed me he will book a repair for today. He entered my home to double check as standard procedure, then left.

I called customer services at 09:34 to double check my appointment time. They informed me that an engineer is booked in for the 08:00 - 12:00 window, I asked them if this was a technician for the external repair and not my first slot from this morning, they confirmed it was a second engineer, who was to repair the external cables.

At 12:20 I contacted virgin using the online chat service. I informed them that there was no sign of an engineer to fix the external cables, they replied informing me that the engineer will be arriving before 18:00 today. I attempted to query as to why the time window had changed, to this they informed me they cannot give me that information as the external engineers operate on a different system. I requested the contact information for the external engineers/ contractors, they gave me a number stating that it was for direct contact to the contracts department.

12:55 I called the contractor direct line the chat agent had given me, but, it was intact the phone number for customer services. It was a short wait on hold and I got through to a representative pretty fast. I explained the situation, that the external optics had been cut by openreach workmen, and that an engineer had visited me today confirming this. I then asked what time the external engineer will arrive, and asked why my window had been changed from 08:00 - 12:00 to 13:00 - 18:00. The gent I was speaking to was a bit confused with my questioning and had told me that the engineer visited at 08:30 this morning and that the issue had been resolved. I informed him that I still don't have Internet access and that the customer chat representative had told me a second engineer will be out today, arriving before 18:00. 

After a 50 minute conversation, the resulting information was; The engineer this morning had marked the job as complete, no contractors had been sent a workload, he was unable to give me a direct line to contact the contractor/ external engineers (Not third party, all Virgin media employees), Virgin doesn't have internal comunication software for direct messaging, Virgin doesn't have internal comunication regarding departments (He told me this when I asked him if he can call and confirm, he also told me he wasn't authorised to do so), Virgin doesn't have a human resources department (I asked him if he can put me through, because they are more likely to hold the infomation of direct lines for the contractor department). When asking to speak with someone, who is authorised to contact the external engineers, I was informed that there is no one authorised in his branch. I asked if I can be put through or have my call redirected, I was informed again he does not hold the authorisation.

An updated time frame for my fiber to be fixed was given to me. It was no longer 08:00 - 12:00 or even 18:00 when the engineers/ contractors will arrive, but it will be 72 hours before they come, as the contractors haven't yet accepted the workload. The gent then wanted to book me a re-visit from an internal engineer (Why?) I asked as to why I had been informed twice today, that the engineers will fix the cables if the workload hadn't been accepted, to which he couldn't give me any information.

I thanked him for everything that he had done/ attempted to do. I don't belive in being rude to people who are part of a corporation, especially if there is no internal comunication system or HR department. He asked me if there was anything else, to which I said no and we ended our conversation.

At 14:30 my fiber was reconnected, I don't know if this had anything to do with the openreach workmen, but I couldn't see a virgin media van.

Why don't Virgin have internal comunication systems? It would of saved me hours of time!

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta

    Many have tried to circumvent/speed up the VM support process but very few have ever succeeded, based on many past topics on here.

    The support numbers 150 from a Virgin Media landline (free) or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone (call costs may apply) are the primary means to contact VM. Phoning in a fault should also start the clock ticking on any compensation which might be due (inc missed appointments), if applicable.

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

    For a general fault (where the cause is not obvious) the automated service status number 0800 561 0061 is useful to check for any faults in your area and (if it acknowledges an outage) should also log a compensation claim AIUI.

    Endless topics on here (usually to do with installation problems) have described minimal communication between VM and its sub-contractors.

    If your connection went off yesterday afternoon and came back on this afternoon, that's about as good as it gets!

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta

    Yesterday (3/02/2025) my internet abruptly cut off arround 13:00

    The engineer arrived at 08:30 [ must be today ], he confirmed my theory of the fiber cable being cut,


    to

    At 14:30 my fiber was reconnected

    No ground excavation to find / repair a damaged micro fibre tube,
    no re-blow of the fibre,
    just a wave of the wand and voila it is all working again.

    It's a kind of magic ... mushroom. 

  • i guess be thankful its back - im at 60 days without internet after they chopped it and then found a collapsed tunnel somewhere - the communication between virgin media and Kelly (or whoever is doing the work) is non existent.  Customer service dont know one end of a cow to the other and read off sheets and will always promise they are on the way guaranteed( never are). you will ring the next day and they will say he is booked between 08:00 - 01:00.  they never turn up. you ring later and they say up till 18:00 (you get the picture here)

    • -tony-'s avatar
      -tony-
      Alessandro Volta

      been there - was 90 days in my case - i got some joy by bypassing CS and going via the CEO's office - search for an email address on line - not the CEO but elevated CS and UK based - they can do a little more but are still subject to the inbuilt incompetence that is VM and its sub contractors -

      £500 richer from the 90 day fiasco and now with City Fibre which is chalk and cheese to this lot 

  • Hi hoffingtons 👋

    Welcome to our Community Forums and thanks for your post. 

    We are sorry for the poor experience. Appreciate it hasn't been the best journey and we are glad your services have now been reconnected.

    If there is anything else you still require help with, please let me know.