Forum Discussion

baz___m's avatar
baz___m
On our wavelength
9 months ago

Finally opened the box with my replacement 360 Set top box!

Hi all,

Just like the title says and I wouldn't mind a bit of help on this please.

I was sent a replacement 360 box due to my box deleting its recordings and having other issues, all good so far, but ,and I know we don't own the equipment BUT the replacement box looks like it has just been hard drive wiped (I hope),repackaged and sent and sent out. Its scratched, has finger prints and I might be being a bit over critical but the top perforated panel seems not as secure as the one it was going to replace.

Also there is no returns label for the failing box to be returned!

So could I ask, might anyone know if the "technical department" would of done anything other than, yes it turns on, yes it records so off it goes. I fully understand this "replacement" has cost me nothing, BUT I am paying a fair amount per month to VM to have someone else's scratched cast off! 

Thank you.

 

  • japitts's avatar
    japitts
    Very Insightful Person
    9 months ago

    As an aside, faulty replacements are usually actioned by tech visit - which would have given opportunity to query this before the tech leaves.

  • baz___m's avatar
    baz___m
    On our wavelength
    9 months ago

    Hi thanks for replying but as an aside, this was sent out to myself and due to work commitments today was my first day that I would of had time to "replace it", so I didn't see the said set top box until I opened the package up.

  • baz___m's avatar
    baz___m
    On our wavelength
    9 months ago

    And just to follow on and hopefully someone might know this but the cardboard box it arrived in also contained an old TiVo remote control, so would this box be an old box that hasn't been upgraded to 360 as of yet and the older style remote control would be needed for the initial operation?

    If that's the case how would Virgin Media' Tech department know it is all working well on the 360 platform?

    • roy247's avatar
      roy247
      Superstar
      9 months ago

      Hi baz___m,

      I believe all the "refurbished" boxes are sent out with no software preloaded so they can be used in either a V6 TiVo or 360 environment, you would have thought if it's being sent straight to a customer not via an engineer it would have the correct remote or no remote because you don't need one.

      If it's an Arris made box it would have been originally a V6 but can run the 360 software, hardware is basically the same apart from version revisions, the 360 boxes were made by Humax.

      Still waiting for your pictures to get cleared to see how badly scratched it was.

       

       

      • baz___m's avatar
        baz___m
        On our wavelength
        9 months ago

        Hi thank you for replying, you where also one of the people who replied to my original post a couple of weeks back regarding the 360 box deleting its recordings etc. So thanks for that, I am not sure whether it will show up on one of the pictures but there is a small stain/blob? That has slid down the plastic with the emblem on, and it doesn't look like any cleaning fluid! That and the finger prints all over it would suggest it has not even been cleaned. Seriously though if the "box" can be either V6 or 360, it gets back to one of my points how can they (Virgin Media) tell if the software will run on that box? Also the hard drive will no doubt be a good few years old. One thing I have just noticed in an email from VM asking why the box has not been activated yet it states, other than the serial number that it is an Arris TiVo box 1TB, fair enough so is my box, but then again mine has been well looked after and cleaned regularly unlike the so called replacement box!

        Cheers 

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta
    9 months ago

    Swapped boxes are often refurbished ones, it's not just VM that does this. Why should ISPs only provide new boxes and dump used ones which work into landfill?

    And if it's dirty you can wipe it clean.

    • baz___m's avatar
      baz___m
      On our wavelength
      9 months ago

      Honestly waiting for this type of reply. I am not bothered if it's new or refurbished just one that looks fit for purpose and passed

      any or all electrical safety tests that are required. The one that was sent to me looks like it might of been missed and just been repackaged. 

    • roy247's avatar
      roy247
      Superstar
      9 months ago

      If you were buying a refurbished item from somewhere it would be cleaned, graded and any imperfections listed, the fact that it's only on loan shouldn't mean you just expect to receive something that looks like it hasn't been touched apart from just having the hard drive wiped, the hard drive should be wiped and read/write tested to reduce the amount of early failures when sent out again it should also be clean, unless the refurbish policy doesn't have any quality control standards to meet which would reflect badly on whoever is doing the work and the company employing them.

      Edited to add it doesn't really fall into this category from the link that Cardiffman282 posted,

      Over the last year we’ve managed the collection and return of more than 1.5 million set-top
      boxes and modems - of these we refurbished, repaired and reused over 1.3 million, meaning
      that if a box is returned to us with a fault, we work with our repair partners to do everything
      possible to ensure it’s as good as new for our next customer to use.

  • HavencroftKev's avatar
    HavencroftKev
    Rising star
    9 months ago

    I certainly would not be impressed if I was sent this.

    I agree it looks like it's come straight from someone's home, sadly someone who doesn't look after their equipment.

    Hopefully someone from the forum will pick up your message soon and agree that the condition of the box sent to you was unacceptable. 

  • baz___m's avatar
    baz___m
    On our wavelength
    9 months ago

    Hi Folks,

    Just a quick update. after being in contact with an extremely helpful VM team member I have an engineer visit booked this time, at least I will be able to ask and look at what I am getting. So hopefully it will be sorted on the 25th May when the engineer has delivered the replacement box.

    Thanks all for now.

  • baz___m's avatar
    baz___m
    On our wavelength
    8 months ago

    Hi folks,

    Another update, Waited all day to be told 10 minutes before engineer visit that the engineer had been cancelled! Allegedly due to staffing shortages.

    The saga goes on!

    Cheers.