Forum Discussion

joekoruk's avatar
joekoruk
Joining in
15 days ago

Virgin Media: A Masterclass in Incompetence

Virgin Media, the company that can’t figure out how to install their own broadband, yet still insists on pretending they can.

It started simply: I asked for fiber. Virgin said yes. They gave me an install date. Then the circus began.

The Never-Ending Clown Show

For months, Virgin’s engineers have arrived, yanked on the conduit like confused cavemen, watched it fall apart, and then run away—only to reschedule and do it all over again.

  • December 23rd: Failure.
  • January 9th: Failure.
  • January 21st: Failure.
  • February 5th: Failure.
  • February 21st: Failure.

At this point, it’s not even incompetence. It’s performance art.

Blame Everyone but Themselves.

Rather than just admitting they’re useless, Virgin Media has mastered the fine art of pointing fingers:

  • “It’s Avonline’s fault!”
    • You hired Avonline, you absolute muppets. That’s like hiring a dodgy builder and then acting shocked when your house collapses.
  • “The council won’t let us access the road!”
    • Funny, since Avonline’s engineers have been out there working on the road. In fact, one of them even said:
“Virgin Media on this road? Not a chance. The conduit’s knackered. Not gonna happen.”
  • Then they tried anyway, snapped the fiber, and left the conduit even more broken.
  • Genius. Truly. I hope the person responsible gets a bonus.

I would just leave and give up, but they insist they will only send me all of the money they owe me (for multiple missed appointments, and an agreement to cover the difference between my Virgin bill price and the extortiantate out of contract BT price in the meantime) if I stay and wait to be connected - is that even legal?

Lies, Lies and more Lies

Meanwhile, their customer service team—trained, I assume, by a group of concussed pigeons—kept assuring me that everything was fine.

Me: “Can you install fiber at my house?”

Virgin: “Absolutely!”

Me: “Then why are you literally paying my neighbours to leave because you can’t install fiber?”

Virgin: “Uhh… unforeseen circumstances?”

And speaking of my neighbours, I find out they were actually PAID TO LEAVE VIRGIN MEDIA because the company knew it couldn’t provide service - due to a broken conduit!

Let me repeat that: They gave people money to go away rather than just fixing the damn conduit. Then they continue to sell this knowingy broken service to others on the same road. Even going so far as to send sales reps door-to-door!

We have been waiting for installation since November 2024. Other neighbours have been waiting since October 2024. It is now nearly March 2025.

Gaslighting 101

And just when you think Virgin can’t sink lower, they send me an email implying I haven’t been in touch.

I’ve spent more time chasing these clowns than they’ve spent actually doing their job. At this rate, I could hand-dig a new conduit myself before Virgin Media figures out what’s happening.

Final Thoughts

Virgin Media, just be honest:

  • Either fix the conduit and install the fiber, or
  • Admit you can’t do it and stop wasting everyone’s time.
  • Stop selling products you cannot provide.

Instead, you’re stuck in an infinite loop of lying, blaming, failing, and rescheduling—like some kind of broadband time-wasting machine.

Virgin Media: The only thing they connect is excuses.

Avonline
clowns
false advertisement
false advertising
Idiots
incompetence
incompetent
Lies
ofcom
useless
  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    14 days ago

    Sadly, this is just 'business as usual' in the wacky world of VM installations.

    Brush up on the compensation scheme if you have not done so already. OFCOM version below is more readable than the VM versions

    https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/uncategorised/98684---automatic-compensation/associated-documents/industry-code-of-practice-for-automatic-compensation.pdf

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

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

    Day rate for a delayed installation is £6.10 and £30.49 for a no-show appointment if VM says you have to be in and fails to give you 24 hours notice of a cancellation.

    You are eligible for the compo whether you become a VM customer or not although you may need to go to the ombudsman to get paid what you are owed. The compo continues until you, or VM, cancels or the installation happens so it is in your interest to let VM do any cancelling as far as the compo goes.

    Keep detailed evidence of everything, as you go along, in a timeline format and link evidence (texts, emails, screenshots etc.) to each entry on the timeline.

  • Akua_A's avatar
    Akua_A
    Forum Team
    11 days ago

    Hi joekoruk 

    Sorry to hear you have had such a poor experience when trying to get our service installed. We can assure you this is not the level of service we look to provide especially to a new customer. We would be happy to take a further look into this if you wish? We have sent you a private message. Please keep an eye out for an envelope at the top right corner of your Forum page. Let me know if you have any issues locating this. 

    Thanks,

    • -tony-'s avatar
      -tony-
      Alessandro Volta
      10 days ago

      Akua_A wrote:

      We can assure you this is not the level of service we look to provide especially to a new customer.

      surely you jest - it is exactly the level that VM repeatedly manage with success after success - thats certainly the pattern of such threads on here

      would be interesting to know what you can look into - opening a complaint maybe for it to be immediately closed or a suggestion to ring the install people

      the OP is in the VM loop of despair - best he can hope for is a good compensation amount  

    • joekoruk's avatar
      joekoruk
      Joining in
      10 days ago

      How are you going to fix the ethics of an entire company? Virgin media is souless and flawed to it's very core.

      I ring up or go on the chat most days. Every time they just lie to me. Saying all they need to do is a cable pull and that is happening today/tomorrow. It has been happening today/tomorrow since November 2024!

      If I kick up enough of a fuss, well then they admit there is an issue in the road with the conduit. And promise to call me back within 24 hours with a solution (e.g. compensation or a plan).

      NO ONE EVER CALLS BACK!

      I got the number for the pre installation team specifically, thinking they would know more. They are clueless, just read from a script and insist it will happen soon and to be patient.

      I don't mind taking my business elsewhere. But why promise some of my neighbours and I broadband, whilst simultaneously paying off other neighbours to leave as you know your conduit is broken?!? It's like the left hand of your company doesn't know what the right hand is doing!

      I can see now that all these complaints on this forum are definitely justified. 

      Virgin media is an awful company and cannot be trusted. 

      • Cardiffman282's avatar
        Cardiffman282
        Trouble shooter
        10 days ago

        In its own peculiar view of itself VM reckons it has outstanding ethics https://community.virginmedia.com/discussions/chatter/outstanding-ethics-at-virgin-media/5550810

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    10 days ago

    Sign up with a different provider as a new customer, and leave VM to fiddle about.

    When they finally connect you, you'll have 14 days to cancel without penalty and collect the compensation. Or if they finally give up you will still collect the fully compensation plus another 30 days. 

    You win either way.