Forum Discussion

TBorNOTTB's avatar
TBorNOTTB
Tuning in
12 months ago
Solved

NO LANDLINE SINCE FRIDAY

I'm in the GU21 postcode area and have been without a landline since late Friday - with a brief back in service late Saturday for a couple of hours - and all I am getting from the Virgin reps on the 0345 number is that there is an exchange fault in the area. I was assured yesterday that the fault would be fixed that day. It wasn't. 

I have in the house a 86 year old with stage 4 cancer who relies on the landline. So to be told by one of the Virgin "help" desk team to get her to use a mobile was not helpful. Then this person tried to upsell me a new package! (yes I've made an official compliant in writing).

I have phoned the help desk each day since Friday only to be told that the engineers are working on the problem at "the exchange". Anyone know where the exchange is so I can go down there and see what work is being done?

  • Hi TBorNOTTB 

    Sorry to see the phone issue has recurred.

    Have you used the /check-services/i  function to see if there is any update?  

    You could also try the automated Service Status number  0800 561 0061 rather than 0345 number.  This often gives details of more local issues down to postcode level.

  • BillD's avatar
    BillD
    On our wavelength

    Hi TB

    I am also in the GU21 postcode area (St Johns) and i've been without my landline since the same amount of time. I've been in touch with the Virgin reps also, only to be fobbed off with sending out an adapter for the new changeover to fibre, which hasn't happened in this area yet and doesn't work. I wasn't told anything about an exchange fault here in Woking and nobody at Virgin seems to want to do anything about it. It's disgusting they way they've treated your 86 year old by asking her to use a mobile phone instead, most elderly people neither have one or aren't too keen on using one.

    However, if you want to go to the exchange to see IF any work is being done, I can tell you that the exchange is located in Oriental Road, opposite the Coroners Court and just before the train station.

    Hope this helps.

    • TBorNOTTB's avatar
      TBorNOTTB
      Tuning in

      Good morning BillD,

                                      Thank you; and yes I'm staggered at the lack of any action by Virgin, and for that matter, the worrying fact that their reasons for the outage seem rather opaque. And having been transferred to their "Customer 2" service level team (no I have no idea what that means either!) who each time assured me that the line was about to come back in service shows me that all I'm getting - after waiting on the mobile phone for 15 minutes to be connected to them - is guesswork on their part.

      Thank you BillD, I will go down to the exchange and take a look, and if this continues, and I don't receive a satisfactory answer from Virgin, then I will have to escalate this.

      • Lee_R's avatar
        Lee_R
        Forum Team

        Hi BillD 

        I'm sorry for any inconvenience that the telephone outage may be causing you also.  In regard to the time being taking to resolve the issue, I am sorry.  Sometimes an issue is more complex than our field teams first believe it to be.  I am certain they will be working hard to get you all back up and running as swiftly as possible.  In the meantime have you ensured the full loss of service is registered on your account from day one?  I'd like to take a look to ensure it has been.  I am going to send you a private message. Please keep an eye on your inbox in the top right of your screen.

        Regards

        Lee_R

    • Lee_R's avatar
      Lee_R
      Forum Team

      Sorry BillD I can see you're already liaising with my colleague Matthew.  I will therefore leave you in his very capable hands.

      Regards

      Lee

    • nodrogd's avatar
      nodrogd
      Very Insightful Person

      BillD wrote:

      Hi TB

      However, if you want to go to the exchange to see IF any work is being done, I can tell you that the exchange is located in Oriental Road, opposite the Coroners Court and just before the train station.

      Hope this helps.


      If you have a Virgin Landline it will connect directly to Virgin’s Guildford headend exchange. Oriental Road is the BT exchange, so a fault there will not take Virgin’s phones out. The only problems you would have if it were was if trying to phone a BT connected number in Woking.

  • Hi TBorNOTTB thanks for reaching out and welcome to our community.

    Sorry to hear of the impact that the telephone outage in your area is having.  And sorry to hear of any poor customer experience you've had when attempting to establish what's going on, etc.  I would like to take a closer look on your behalf.  I am going to send you a private message. Please keep an eye on your inbox in the top right of your screen.

    Regards

    Lee_R

  • BillD's avatar
    BillD
    On our wavelength

    Hi Lee.

    Many thanks for the update, though just goes to prove all along that there has been. and still is, a telephone outage in the Woking area. Hopefully this estimated time of fixing it will turn into a reality at 3.10pm and my landline will be back up and running again.

    Can you please also confirm that, since I reported my landline fault on Monday via one of your Virgin team who I called and should be on your system, if I will be entitled to a refund or compensation off of my bill for loss of phone service which I pay for and have been unable to use.

    Many thanks.

    • Lee_R's avatar
      Lee_R
      Forum Team

      Thanks for getting back to us BillD 

      Please see here, for any compensation that may be due.  Have you also been without telephone since before Monday 4th?

      Regards

      Lee_R

  • BillD's avatar
    BillD
    On our wavelength

    Yes, I believe I have because the phone was working fine up until Friday/Saturday of last week and it was only brought to light because my girlfriend tried to phone me on the landline over the weekend. Obviously, she couldn't get through as the line and phone were dead, I had no knowledge of this until she sent a text message as to why I wasn't returning her calls.

    Regards.

    • Lee_R's avatar
      Lee_R
      Forum Team

      Thanks for confirming BillD

      I can see you're still liaising with Matthew.  I will leave you in his capable hands.

      Regards

      Lee

  • After I posted yesterday about my landline being down since Friday last, and my journey through the hell known as Virgin customer service on the 0345 number, I was informed that the "exchange fault" would be rectified by 3:10pm yesterday. In fact it came back at 3:00pm. Yipee I thought......got excited too soon. This morning it is DOWN AGAIN.

    Can anyone at the Virgin Forum team give me an estimated time for the line to be fixed....and...will it stay fixed? PLEASE.

    • newapollo's avatar
      newapollo
      Very Insightful Person

      Hi TBorNOTTB 

      Sorry to see the phone issue has recurred.

      Have you used the /check-services/i  function to see if there is any update?  

      You could also try the automated Service Status number  0800 561 0061 rather than 0345 number.  This often gives details of more local issues down to postcode level.

      • TBorNOTTB's avatar
        TBorNOTTB
        Tuning in

        Was told expected time for the line to be fixed was 16:15...it's now 17:51 AND ITS STILL NOT WORKING

        WHY NOT? PLEASE!

  • Have just noticed this thread.  I am also in the GU21 area and have had no landline since Friday.  I have attempted several times to sort this out with Virgin on the phone but have got nowhere.  Seven days later, I still have no phone line and there seems to be no end in sight.  I am a full-time carer and really don't need this additional stress.  Still, good that Virgin have managed to overcome their inability to communicate by emailing me a couple of days ago to say that the cost of my failing package will be increasing next month!