Delivery Delays, Headaches + Feeling in the Dark

To summarise my own frustrating experience and echo that of some others on here:

I originally placed my order 29th November. Taking my order and payment details was silky smooth, Virgin were very good at this part.

I received a few messages confirming a delivery date of 3rd December. I thought, great! I made sure to be in all day on 3rd. 

At about 3.30pm on the day of delivery I received a message that my parcel was delayed and would now be arriving 3rd December (the same day). I could only assume this meant later than the original time window on the Virgin App (8am-7pm) so cancelled my evening plans as, like many of us these days, I really need the connectivity at home.

My old broadband coincidentally expired the day before the VM connection was being delivered and as I trusted Virgin Media would deliver when they said they would, I did not extend my old connection a further month.

The Virgin Media parcel did not arrive. The next morning I checked the Virgin Media app and it was now showing nothing in orders. I had no email update to say what was going on and I also checked my Yodel App... For those of you who don't use it, if you install the app and provide the same email address, house address and phone number as the details you use to order things, it automatically shows you any upcoming Yodel deliveries. This was also blank.

Yesterday I also went through the useless virtual chat before being able to get in touch with live chat. The polite customer service lady assured me my parcel has definitely been dispatched and would be with me anytime now. She said it more than once. I asked for the tracking number for my parcel which has been apparently dispatched but she had no tracking number to provide? Yet apparently my parcel was set to arrive with me anytime? And no tracking number? Hmmm.

She was as polite but unable to give me honest information. She also gave me a number which she said was for Virgins Yodel Team. She said this was open until 8pm. When I called them at 7.30pm they had already closed, despite the voice message saying they should be open until 8pm weekdays.

Fast forward to ths morning I called the phone number again and eventually spoke to a man in customer service. I now have a tracking number... Yay! And guess where my parcel is, that I have been assured was dispatched and due with me anytime?... It's sat in Virgin Medias Warehouse (if they have stock in)... Yodel are waiting for my parcel and have not received it yet. 

The man on the phone today basically parked all the blame at Yodels feet. Sure, perhaps Yodel have been stretched on Black Friday weekend - there could be some truth in this. But Virgin should have handled this differently by communicating with customers - and, I know this is a big ask, being honest from the get-go! A tracking number can be issued and not yet physically attached to a parcel. If Yodel haven't received the parcels it could be because Virgin Media got a lot of orders on Black Friday themselves and are waiting on stock? It's a distinct possibility it's a problem further up the supply chain.

Several paracetamol later and my monthly allowance of mobile phone data almost used up in just 2 days, I'm just hoping the parcel gets properly dispatched soon. I wish the same for all of you who have met with the same inconvenience 🤞