Forum Discussion

pbarneybarnes's avatar
pbarneybarnes
Tuning in
16 days 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

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    16 days 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
      Tuning in
      16 days 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
        16 days 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
    Tuning in
    16 days 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
      Tuning in
      15 days 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
    Tuning in
    7 days 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
    4 days 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.