Forum Discussion

Dreadpirate's avatar
Dreadpirate
Joining in
3 days ago

Timeframe for install?

Hi.

Ordered virgin a few weeks ago for installation on the 10th.
I was told someone would come out to cable pull late november, he came, looked at the driveway then drove off (virgin media van)

after several chats on live chat I was told I had already got virgin box so no need for a cable pull. this house has never had virgin.

Another engineer then booked to come on the 29thm and I was told he was 100% doing the cable pull and it would be completed saturday.
Engineer came and he told me he needed to lift up part of my driveway to get the cable to the house. all fine.

After 10 minutes though he got in his van and drove off, no work done.
I assume there was an issue but zero communication. 

Virgin website then showed an engineer coming today, but that has now disappeared and there is now an engineer coming Saturday. 
Virgin are now claiming that the dude saturday (and the one before) were just surveying, and the cable pull hasn;t been booked yet and will probably be done on the 6th after a 3rd survey today. :/

TLDR, I have no idea why i haven't had the preinstall, and virgin are a tad useless. and just wondered if this is normal? lol.

When my next door had their virgin installed a few weeks ago it was all done within a week with no issues. 

installation

4 Replies

  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person
    3 days ago

    If the outside Omni box and cables are already there, the install should be very quick.  If there is any 3rd party dig work, ducts or cable pulls, then how long is a piece of string?  There are many post here you can read with the same situation.

    • Dreadpirate's avatar
      Dreadpirate
      Joining in
      3 days ago

      They aren't only ever been BT at this property. 

      I hadn't been told i needed any 3rd party work though I would have assumed the dude doing the cable pull would have informed me. obv not.

      Virgin are now saying on live chat the engineer reported a blockage, and it's "100% going to be sorted today or next saturday"

      Seems unlikely after reading many of the other comments on here... 

      • goslow's avatar
        goslow
        Alessandro Volta
        3 days ago

        If you have read some of the other topics, you will have realised that failed cable installations are a matter of routine complaint on here.

        Problems stem from what seems to be a totally dysfunctional contractual relationship that VM has set up with the cabling sub-contractors. Once the sub-contractors have been tasked with the job, they are left to get on with it and the VM agents you speak to on the phone have no knowledge or influence over how the work proceeds. Dates given out by VM are nothing more than a number shown on a screen which is provided by the sub-contractor and often these dates roll over one day at a time on a 'next day' basis. VM's agents routinely tell customers the installation is 'guaranteed' to happen on a certain day but there is no basis whatsoever for such a claim or guarantee.

        If the date 'initially confirmed in writing' when VM said it would 'activate' your services is 10 Dec, then there is still time for VM to install a cable.

        In the meantime, refer to the compensation scheme below if VM misses its activation date

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

        and keep detailed records (dates, times etc.) along with evidence such as screenshots, emails, texts etc. which will help ensure you are paid any compensation which may become due.

        Usual advice on here (if feasible/affordable) is to keep any existing broadband services running while waiting for VM and overlap the two services until VM is up and running to your satisfaction. This avoids being cut off due to delays caused by VM's bungling cable installation antics.