Forum Discussion

ConstantReader's avatar
3 years ago
Solved

Using extension phones after switch to fibre

A Virgin engineer recently visited us to connect our landline phone to our hub. That was OK. Our main phone is working normally.

But our various extension phones no longer work. I phoned Virgin, but I was told that extension phones cannot be used after the landline is plugged into the hub. I find this hard to believe.Was this advice correct? And, if not, is there anything we can do about it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

CR

 


  • ConstantReader wrote:

    ....Snip

    I phoned Virgin, but I was told that extension phones cannot be used after the landline is plugged into the hub. I find this hard to believe.Was this advice correct?

    ...Snip


    No it wasn't correct, you were basically misinformed; to put it lightly, or, and let's be honest here; outright lied to - yet another example of VM's offshore (and probably the world's cheapest and least competent) customer service staff employing the usual 'I don't know the answer to this, not having had any training in it, so I'll just make something up, anything will do to get the customer off the line'. They chalk up another 'successfully closed call to make the stats look a bit better - and, if you were too call back, it'll be someone else's problem.

    I can't help but notice that the above post from a VM staff member, failed to make any mention of, or apology for, the failure of their CS people to properly advise you - possibly hoping it'll just be forgotten and you'll just be grateful to have your extension phones working again!

    Something, you might want to bear in mind when wondering if you want to continue being a VM customer.

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta

    ConstantReader wrote:

    A Virgin engineer recently visited us to connect our landline phone to our hub. That was OK. Our main phone is working normally.

    But our various extension phones no longer work. I phoned Virgin, but I was told that extension phones cannot be used after the landline is plugged into the hub. I find this hard to believe.Was this advice correct? And, if not, is there anything we can do about it?

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    CR

     


    Ask VM (via the VM forum team on here) to modify your home phone wiring so you can use your existing landline extension sockets via the phone connection from the VM hub.

    VM should offer to do this free of charge for you as part of the switchover process.

    Make sure they make modifications to your phone wiring so you can keep each piece of equipment in the same place (rather than the offer which sometimes crops up on here to move the hub to a different location)

    Refer here

    https://www.virginmedia.com/help/landline/switchover

    Do I need to book a technician visit?

    You’ll need to book a free technician visit if...

    • You rely on your landline for accessibility needs or don’t have a mobile to make an emergency call – we’ll provide you with an Emergency Back Up Line so you’re always able to call emergency services.
    • You’ve got connected devices such as a burglar alarm linked to a control centre, use a telecare device, or have other phones connected to extension sockets. You’ll need to contact your provider and let them know about the switch if you have any of these to make sure they’re compatible with a fibre service.
    • The Hub and your home phone can’t be placed near each other.
  • Hi ConstantReader 

    Welcome to the community forums. 

    Sorry to hear that your extension landlines are not currently working. I can see that you have spoken to our team already have steps in place to have this resolved for you. 

    Please let us know if you are having any further issues or have any questions at all. We'll be here to help on the community forums if needed :). 

    • ConstantReader's avatar
      ConstantReader
      Tuning in

      Thank you all for your very helpful replies. Yes, I have now booked an engineer visit.

      I must say that this has been a most unsatisfactory experience. I had to sit around for five hours waiting for the first visit, and now I have the prospect of having to do that again. Meantime I can't use the extension in the bedroom, which is important in case of emergencies. And all this for little or no benefit to me.

      Ah well. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

      • Paulina_Z's avatar
        Paulina_Z
        Forum Team (Retired)

        Hi ConstantReader,

        Thank you for coming back to us. Glad to hear that you've been able to have a technician appointment arranged to have this issue resolved.

        You can manage your appointment on your online account and see what time slot you have booked for your visit.

        Please let us know what we can do to help going forward. We're here if you need us.

        Thank you.

    • normherm1's avatar
      normherm1
      Tuning in

      Hi

      Like many people, we have been unable to use our landline extensions since the switch to fibre. Also, really inconveniently, the landline has been moved to another room to be near the hub.

      Hoe do we get a landline back in the kitchen, plus extensions in other rooms? The engineer who connected landline to hub was totally clueless and had no answers apart from 'your extensions won't work now'!We now have a landline totally misplaced next to the hub in the sitting room!

      You should have realised these problems were going to surface before unrolling this stupid 'update'.

      Hope you can offer some realistic solutions!

      NH

      • Paulina_Z's avatar
        Paulina_Z
        Forum Team (Retired)

        Hi normherm1,

        Welcome to our Community Forums! Thank you for your first post and I'm sorry to hear that you've had issues with your landline set up location.

        We'd be able to have a technician appointment arranged so that you can have your landline moved to a better place and the technician can assist you further.

        Is this something you'd be interested in arranging? Please let us know and we'll be happy to assist.

        Thanks! 😊 


  • ConstantReader wrote:

    ....Snip

    I phoned Virgin, but I was told that extension phones cannot be used after the landline is plugged into the hub. I find this hard to believe.Was this advice correct?

    ...Snip


    No it wasn't correct, you were basically misinformed; to put it lightly, or, and let's be honest here; outright lied to - yet another example of VM's offshore (and probably the world's cheapest and least competent) customer service staff employing the usual 'I don't know the answer to this, not having had any training in it, so I'll just make something up, anything will do to get the customer off the line'. They chalk up another 'successfully closed call to make the stats look a bit better - and, if you were too call back, it'll be someone else's problem.

    I can't help but notice that the above post from a VM staff member, failed to make any mention of, or apology for, the failure of their CS people to properly advise you - possibly hoping it'll just be forgotten and you'll just be grateful to have your extension phones working again!

    Something, you might want to bear in mind when wondering if you want to continue being a VM customer.

    • ConstantReader's avatar
      ConstantReader
      Tuning in

      Jem101, I agree with you 100 percent. Many thanks for confirming what I already suspected.

      CR

  • I had almost exactly the same experience as Normherm1. When the engineer connected the landline to my hub, he told me that the extensions would work OK. I later discovered that they weren't working at all. When I phoned the support line, the agent swore blind that it would be impossible for extensions to work with the new system. I refused to believe that, and after a lot of hassle, I spoke to a supervisor who arranged for another engineer to visit. That engineer discovered that the first engineer had actually cut the wires that connected the extensions to the rest of the system. Fortunately, he was able to reinstate them without much difficulty.

    So now everything is working fine. But what a hassle. Long hours on the phone; contradictory stories from different people; and worst of all, having to hang around at home for several hours waiting for the engineer. And all for no benefit whatsoever to myself.

    In summary: a most unhappy experience.

    CR

    • Kain_W's avatar
      Kain_W
      Forum Team (Retired)

      Hi ConstantReader,

      Thanks for the response and welcome back to the community.

      Sincere apologies for the issues faced with this however I'm glad everything is working fine for you now.

      Do let us know if you require any further assistance.

      Thanks,

  • Ianpb's avatar
    Ianpb
    On our wavelength

    I'm due for this change on February 2023, but resent having VM engineers having to invade my home when I've already paid for a working phone service that connects to my extensions. For the sake of us who are a bit more technically savvy, why does VM not publish instruction on how to adapt domestic extension wiring networks for the 'upgrade'? Can this be done merely by fitting a two-way adaptor at one of the phone sockets and then connecting this into the hub? Who knows? Virgin Media needs to stop treating all its customers as if they are technophobic dimwits.