Forum Discussion

na09's avatar
na09
Joining in
2 years ago

Unusable internet in evening / new cable from exchange

Hi Virgin Media Community,

I have a reoccurring internet issue that happens every 6-12 months, whereby my 125mb connection becomes unusable in the evenings consistently between 5pm-1am, with download speeds of 0-15 mbps with very high packetloss. It unfortunately makes things like gaming and live streaming not possible, and is incredible frustrating.

This issue has occurred on 5 separate occasions over the years. When it happens, I immediately report the issue via the Virgin Media Service Status webpage, "wait 24 hours" as the website advises, report it again, then it allows me to book a slot and I wait 1-3 days for the engineer to arrive.

When the engineer arrives, they carry out some quick tests and quickly agree that the signal is terrible with a lot of noise (as a side note; these tests have always taken place during the morning, which is when the connection feels comparatively 'fine' to me!). Then, the engineer normally locates and 'splits' another internet cable from the bunch of cables hanging off my balcony. I live in a flat on a main road in London, and hanging from my balcony are presumably a lot of potential other cables than can be used...

This will typically fix the issue for another 6-12 months, before I can expect it to occur again.

So, jumping to 11th Jan 2024, the issue unfortunately has occurred again for the 5th time.

This time, when the engineer visited on the 18th Jan, he advised me that he is not going to split another cable, and instead he has booked in a team to run a new cable from the exchange to my flat, which he said should take place on 1st Feb.

I have no further detail than this date, and no way to follow up. Customer service phone team also unfortunately haven't been able to answer my call after several long attempts.

I feel I have been very patient each time this issue has happened, and I'm obviously pleased if I am actually getting a new cable because I'm hopeful that will actually solve the root cause of the problem. That being said, the situation is becoming ridiculous and a huge drain on my time. Can someone help me with the below questions?

 

  • How do I receive some more detail or any sort confirmation about next steps? The communication is really frustrating. I feel like my only solution is to report the same issue online yet again, and book a slot with an engineer just to speak to someone about it (and likely end up wasting both of our time).

 

  • Do I need to plan to take another day off work on 1st Feb to allow access? In other words, will the process involve an engineer just running a cable from the exchange to outside my address and then booking another appointment with me for a different date? Or, do they ALSO install the cable in my home on the 1st Feb?

 

  • Can I change/improve the install date? I'm meant to be in a different city with my work on 1st Feb.

 

  • Am I going to be offered any help or solution to not having useable internet for 3+ weeks? A USB dongle?

 

  • Am I entitled to a refund for the 3+ week period that my internet is not useable? What is the process to do this?

 

  • Is it worthwhile to request to replace my HUB 3 router?


Thanks VM community for any help 😵
Nathan

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 years ago

    The Feb 1 is very likely an estimate. Don't rely on it. 

    You will get 'automatic' compensation for a period when there is no service at all. If there is just a very poor service they will offer nothing. You'd have to fight for it.

    4g dongles are often mentioned but rarely seen. Apparently they don't provide much of a service.

    Replacing the Hub is not going to solve this problem. 

     

  • Akua_A's avatar
    Akua_A
    Forum Team
    2 years ago

    Hi na09 

    Welcome to our community forums and thank you for your first post. Sorry to hear you have been having a reoccurring issue over the years. We can understand the frustration caused and we want to best help. We are glad to hear an appointment has been booked for you to action the required work. You can check the time slot in your My Appointments section https://www.virginmedia.com/my-virgin-media This will indicate the duration of the appointment. You can also amend the appointment date and time there. Please also read the technician appointment section here https://www.virginmedia.com/legal/price-guides In cases like this we typically do not offer dongles. You can also check here to see if you are eligible for compensation https://virg.in/autocomp The engineer will do their best to resolve the issue at the appointment. Is there anything else we can help with today?

    Thanks,