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pbarneybarnes's avatar
pbarneybarnes
On our wavelength
2 months ago

Engineers Never Show Up - Every Day Installation is cancelled

Hello

My broadband went down last Wednesday. After challenging experience on customer support where the person was extremely hard to understand, then phone went dead, I used the site and booked appointment for engineer.

On Friday engineer visited, said the cable outside was damaged and said they'd be back the next day to arrange getting my internet back up.

Every single day since, I have a message in the morning saying that they are coming to replace my cable today, in the evening, I get a message saying:

"Hi there. Your appointment to have cable replaced outside your property has been moved to 3 (then 4,5,6!) March 2025. We're sorry for the change of plan." 

I need internet to work from home, so it's been a challenging week. Every day they cancel.

Yesterday, I reached out to the Chat and got this response:

"i can see that , please report on customer care , i have taken a note of it , there is a skilled labour
requried for the job that is why job is not happening"

Of course, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Then this:

"first please try to ask that why visit is not happening ? we are not happy to visit and not do the works, there are barriers in the route"

Again, doesn't make sense. Then:

"as this is a chat line so therefore we dont call, as no calling access, the engineers are third party
contractors, you are not understanding this only, what you will understand when engineers speak ??"

I genuinely - in good faith - don't know what this means.

So, every day I am promised a visit, I never get one. If there is something wrong, surely someone should contact me.

I'm over a week without internet now.

Is there any way I can get some proper communication from the company and take mitigating steps if I need to?

I absolutely need to know where I stand here - my means of income is being affected.

Thanks

26 Replies

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  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    Keep a record of all contacts with VM, to ensure that you get the compensation you are due.

     https://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/i-l-ckhdkud-wklhinik-m/

     But if your income relies on the broadband, get a standby connection like 5G, because VM do not offer any guarantee of continuous service on the residential contract.   

    • pbarneybarnes's avatar
      pbarneybarnes
      On our wavelength
      2 months ago

      Thank you - I've paid for tethering on 5G but it's intermittent.

      I'd just like to know if there's anything I can do to expedite this - I'm just getting nothing.

      • -tony-'s avatar
        -tony-
        Alessandro Volta
        2 months ago

        I'd just like to know if there's anything I can do to expedite this - I'm just getting nothing.

        there is nothing you can do - what you have is the way it works - its normal for VM - the job will have been passed to outside contractors who will get round to it as and when - days/weeks/months - longest is over a year - vm's call centre poeple have not a clue whats happening so they lie and lie some more to keep you happy or thats their hope

        ringing is pointless - any help from staff on here is meaningless - they are more likely to ask you for updates than give you any

        £9 odd a day you are due - you might have to go to the arbitrator to get it it but you will get it less a few days - have non of their rubbish that permits [if needed] take 7 to 10 days so they want to reduce any compo by that - 2 days max

        open a complaint - it will do not a bit of good but you need to have one thats closed - they are good at that or 8 weeks old to go to arbitration to get your money as and when

        and when that time comes you want the payout by cheque - how quant in 2025 not credit on your account

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    …and it’s happened again after the advisor saying they were definitely coming today.

    Are there any better customer support channels than the call centre and WebChat?

    • pbarneybarnes's avatar
      pbarneybarnes
      On our wavelength
      2 months ago

      It's really quite incredible that something that looks so professional on the outside can be so terrible as far as service. 

      What really grinds my gears is that every day they email and say that they've tried to contact me but couldn't get through - my phone's been on and with me at all times. It's just out-and-out lies. 

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    And 9 days later - every day they still text me to say someone will show up, then they don't come.

    The only customer support is via DMs on Twitter, where I've been told: "However, our team has assessed that it didn't result in liability for total loss of service" RE: compensation.

    Really at the end of my tether now. It's Kafkaesque and I work online, from home, so I need a resolution.

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    This is Virginmedia. They will get around to it eventually, when they are ready. Since they have apparently decided they are not going to pay compensation, they have no incentive to hurry. 

    You should be prepared to take this to the Ombudsman. 

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    After absolutely 100% guaranteeing Saturday was the day, no one showed up and zero communication.

    the only consistent responses I get are on twitter DMs.

    this service is mind-bogglingly bad. It’s not just the repeat cancellations, it’s the lack of communication and follow-up. 

      Absolutely at my wit’s end with it.

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    I thought outside the box and texted the second engineer that visited for a second time (I had his number from when he texted me), and I got a call back.

    He's telling me that the council aren't allowing the work on the concrete outside of the house. He's speaking to his boss, but this is all still up in the air. 

    How does it take me to speak to a contractor to get a legible response?

    How does the role of the council affect the possibility of compensation?

    It's been a month now. Proper draining.

    • -tony-'s avatar
      -tony-
      Alessandro Volta
      2 months ago

      that maybe true or on the other hand it may be complete BS - it gets rid of you which is rule number 1 with VM - think further outside the box and contact your council - you will either get confirmation or [more likely] be told no one from VM or their contractors have even contacted the council

      its unlikely a tech would even have that info - digging holes in the road is is the work of sub contractors and the communication between them and VM is non existent

  • Belfastgirl69's avatar
    Belfastgirl69
    Tuning in
    2 months ago

    Oh god I’m in the same boat! I think the fact that they don’t employ an outside company like open reach is the problem. So many companies up and down on cherry pickers who is to say they don’t cut wires or know what is what? Also the excuses they give are lies. The virgin media man who came to my place and is the only huy to work in my area says no he has t been ill or held up at another job etc etc. they are incapable of booking correctly. I’m waiting for the cable people to come also as the line is dead. I’m not feeling optimistic after reading your post. Over a week with no internet now and hardly any data left. 

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    29 days ago

    And still I wait.

    once again, nothing on Saturday plus no communication. 

  • pbarneybarnes's avatar
    pbarneybarnes
    On our wavelength
    28 days ago

    So, they didn't arrive on Saturday, now are telling me it's going to be April 25.

    Obviously, I can't go on like this - it's well over a month without internet now. 

    I've asked for options RE: closing the contract and using another provider. 

    They've said: 

    "Once we've failed to restore your service after 26 April, and you wish to cancel your service. We have to review and depend on the discretion from our team whether we'll waive off the early disconnection fee"

    Does that mean IF they fail to restore service after 26 April?!

    Why, when I've been waiting since 26 Feb is 26 April any different? Is there a two-month cut-off or something? Or is it just more deflecting?

    • jpeg1's avatar
      jpeg1
      Alessandro Volta
      28 days ago

      As you guessed, they are just deflecting, saying anything to get rid of a caller who keeps bothering them.  It's the normal Virginmedia way, and the reason why they are at the bottom of all the tables for customer service.

      You need to make a formal complaint and say that if they cannot restore the service you will take it to the Ombudsman.