Forum Discussion

astar's avatar
astar
Joining in
12 months ago

Virgin broadband delays and compensation

UK based. I switched to Virgin for broadband a few weeks ago. When the first engineer came, they said there was no cable to my property (a block of flats) so a 3rd party company would need coming to do the pre installation.

A few weeks and 3 engineers later, I still don't have WiFi. The other company keeps cancelling the job because they need permits, then showed up with one guy for the job but needed 2, then looked at the building and decided the installation was probably done internally so there was nothing for them to do.

They've given me another date in 2 weeks time again, but reading reviews online, I can see people with the same issue going without WiFi for months, and then being told they can't be connected. I've given up at this point as I need internet to work, and will be joining another company.

However , I'm owed compensation due to the delay - £6 per day. This would cover what I've spent on an alternative service in the meantime.

If I cancel my contract with Virgin, would I still be able to claim compensation? I've read it'd usually come as credit on the bill, but I'll have no bill. I'm prepared to raise a complaint and go through the Ombudsman if needed, but wanted to check if cancelling means I would give up on the compensation.

Thanks!

2 Replies

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  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    12 months ago

    The compo scheme is explained here

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

    and

    https://www.virginmedia.com/legal/fibre-optic-services-terms-conditions/automatic-compensation

    You will be eligible for compensation up to the point where you cancel.

    VM frequently tries to dodge or significantly reduce payments, as reported in topics on here, using a variety of excuses ('council permits' is the default go-to excuse they will use). Often the customer has to go to the ombudsman for the correct payment. If you never become a customer, VM has to pay you by cheque.

    Keeping accurate records of all VM's failures as you go along is important so you can present a clear timeline (along with accompanying evidence) as/when/if you need to go to the ombudsman.

  • Megan_L's avatar
    Megan_L
    Forum Team (Retired)
    12 months ago

    Hi Astar, 

    Thanks for posting this on our Community Forums, I am sorry you're getting frustrated with your delayed installation and want to know more about your Compensation entitlement. 

    I have a link to our Compensation Scheme if you want to have a quick read through what it entails.

    If you do end up cancelling the installation before your services get up and running, you will still be entitled to Compensation, but the amount varies for multiple reasons. We have a Specific Team dedicated to looking into this aspects which we can contact on your behalf. 

    I can also raised an Installation Complaint for you on our system, which I'm more than happy to do today. 

    I'll send you a Private Message now so we can get started and talk more in depth about any concerns you have 😊

    Speak soon!

    Megan