Forum Discussion

reecejones100's avatar
reecejones100
Tuning in
2 years ago

External Work to new property

Hi, I have been with virgin at my previous property and was told I can take my virgin with me to my new property. On 18th September I was expecting virgin to be up and running when the engineer came. However there needed to be digging done outside the property and wayleave form needed to be signed by my neighbour which had been done relatively quickly. Unfortunately there was still a problem and seemed to be a blockage in the way and was told further digging would need to be done in order to connect us up. Frustratingly another wayleave form had to be signed by my neighbour again and have had another team from Avonline networks (contractor) come out to look at the problem but couldn’t do anything as they weren’t there to do any digging. So since the 18th September I have been left without any tv, internet or landline and I had to fight with virgin to get an internet dongle. Whenever I call virgin they don’t seem to know anything and the lack of communication is awful! Has anybody experienced anything like this, I just don’t know what else I can do.. giving up hope to say the least! 

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    2 years ago

    Sadly, your story is repeated regularly on here.

    VM will happily keep you waiting until it gets around to finally installing or it decides to cancel your installation.

    You should be eligible for compensation for the delay

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

    You should start keeping a detailed record of events (dates, times of all calls, messages, texts etc. along with any missed appointments and failed appointments where someone turns up but no work was carried out). Keep the record in a timeline format with links from the timeline to each piece of recorded evidence. This will make it easy for you in the future to put forward a case to arbitration for the correct compensation, should that be necessary.

    You may be in for an even longer wait or your installation may happen very soon. Unfortunately you won't get any sensible answers you can rely on from VM due to the way their outsourcing and sub-contracting of the installation work has been set up.

    • reecejones100's avatar
      reecejones100
      Tuning in
      2 years ago

      Hi thank you so much for your reply. I have been told I can receive compensation each day until this is sorted. Believe it or not Avonline came out again today which is the third time and unfortunately wasn’t there to do any digging! So how many times do I keep telling them what needs to be done?! Now virgin today have cancelled my engineer appointment for Saturday and have now said they expect my services to be up and running on the 27th December! This was meant to be installed on the 18th September… we as a family just can’t wait any longer and I don’t prepare to allow my family with no proper internet or tv over Christmas. I am actually appalled by the level of poor customer service everytime I ring to find out what’s going on… I’m thinking they don’t want to do the digging maybe it’s too much? Having such a stressful and bad experience 

      • goslow's avatar
        goslow
        Alessandro Volta
        2 years ago

        Read this topic from yesterday which may help with further information

        https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Making-a-complaint/m-p/5428878#M238770

        If VM is actually telling you now that you are unlikely to be installed until December then you should probably start making some backup plans. Normally they just keep bumping dates into the future in 3 week increments ad infinitum.

        In so many of these topics, the issue is likely to revolve around cost, depending on the nature of the work that needs to be done and how much digging is involved.

        VM and its sub-contractor will quite happily just keep you waiting until they decide what to do and how to proceed. In some past cases on here (with many months of waiting and even some work in progress) VM has just given up on the job and cancelled the customer's installation.

        Nothing to say that will happen in your case nor how long you will actually have to wait but you won't get any sensible or truly reliable answers from VM or its sub-contractors, so keep that in mind while planning any next-steps.

  • reecejones100's avatar
    reecejones100
    Tuning in
    2 years ago

    Hi Guys here with a very disappointing update. So I received a random watts app message from Brandon who is part of the field complaints team. He informed me that the installation date for January has now been cancelled and they have deemed my property unserviceable. I couldn’t believe I was being told this after they had already agreed the budget for the works to be completed and also my next door neighbour has virgin media themselves! So now I am still awaiting a call from the area field manager which I dealt will happen. I have asked about the compensation which I am due for having to wait since the 18th September for them to install. I am told I have to wait and then if I am not happy with the resolution then I need to complain to the ombudsmen, which for the way I have been treated and lead to believe all this time we can have virgin I definitely shall be complaining if the compensation isn’t good. Should be a lot if they say it can be up to £5 per day! So there we are virgin media abysmal customer service for you, could have had an answer a lot quicker if virgin spoke to the councils/contractors directly. Back to being a sky customer I go then!

    • goslow's avatar
      goslow
      Alessandro Volta
      2 years ago

      Installation cancellations, even after a long wait, do get regular unwelcome mentions on here, unfortunately.

      Suggest you have a read through this similar recent topic

      https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Managing-Your-Account-Cable/Cancelled-installation-due-to-wayleave-expiry-request-for/m-p/5460384

      for further info.

      VM will, almost inevitably, try to dodge or reduce any compensation pay-out. There are links in the topic above to some past compensation cases where customers have won at arbitration which will give you an idea of VM's tactics to avoid paying. Hopefully they will give you some encouragement to progress to arbitration as well.

      From the topics on here, the main dodges by VM include 'council permissions', wayleave and the 'provisional installation' date.

      Also note from the above the mention of a 'cease date' ref the compo. Capture a record of the WhatsApp message which advised your installation was cancelled. VM should be paying you for a further 30 days beyond this at £5.83 per day.

      In the meantime, work out what you think you are due and start putting together your timeline of the installation along with all the evidence of VM's failure to install (dates, times, messages, texts, telecons etc.). This will help you to put forward a clear timeline of evidence to the ombudsman.

    • Gareth_L's avatar
      Gareth_L
      Forum Team
      2 years ago

      Hello reecejones100.

      We are very sorry that your property has now been deemed non serviceable.

      Sometimes the budget we have for construction costs would be greater than the actual cost of the contract that is supplied.

      I know you are still looking for compensation for a delayed installation, However this would only be credited if the service was to be installed.

      Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I did wish this want the case.

      Gareth_L

       

      • goslow's avatar
        goslow
        Alessandro Volta
        2 years ago
        Gareth_L wrote:

        Hello reecejones100.

        <snip>

        I know you are still looking for compensation for a delayed installation, However this would only be credited if the service was to be installed.

        <snip>

        Gareth_L

        I assume you mean it would only be paid as a credit if the OP eventually had an account with VM after installation.

        If the service is never installed then VM has to provide compensation as a monetary payment to the customer