I am bored of spending time on the phone to Virgin Media's completely hopeless customer service droids, only to end up worse off than before. The precis, as the full story is too lengthy for anyone to care to read, is this... An issue developed a few weeks ago whereby the sound on many-if not all- channels went very harsh and tinny, and the volume would fluctuate not just between channels, but on the same channel. To the point where some channels were barely audible with the television volume set to near maximum. To rule out the television as a cause I tried Netflix and other services built into the TV, no issues there, I also tried Freeview via antenna, again no problem. Rang VM to report the problem and got sent a new box. I installed the refurbished box I was sent only to disorder not only has it done nothing to fix the issue, it is running the old TiVo software dating back to before the 360 platform was introduced. So now I have this box with ugly old software, and which does not support the voice search feature on the 360 remote I have. I once again ring Virgin Media, and after a frustratingly long conversation in which I felt the agent understood maybe 1/10th of what I was saying I was told I was being sent ANOTHER replacement box. I asked why can't they just send an update for the one I have, not possible apparently. I asked if this other replacement will be running the correct software, the agent wasn't sure but said we could deal with that problem after it arrived (by presumably sending yet another box). Between ongoing issues, regular protracted outages, and a guaranteed fiasco whenever I call customer services, after being a customer since the Telewest days, I'm ready to call it quits. A contract enjoins the parties concerned in a respective set of commitments. Mine is to pay the bill, Virgin Media's is to provide the service. I would contend that given the inability to resolve the issue, and indeed exacerbating it, that contract is in abeyance.

There's a few alarm bells in your post, but one particular one is how you can have been sent a V6 as a replacement for a TV360.The conversion from V6 > TV360 is as much an account one as it is box software. So how an account setup for Horizon-software, can have been sent a replacement V6 is a mystery. Not only that, but box faults are usually performed by tech visit for numerous valid reasons - one of them being, to check the box is working and fault is resolved, before leaving your home.And I'm also left wondering how the V6 even worked - you should have got numerous error messages pointing at an activation error, if your account was setup as Horizon.The forum staff should be along in due course.

It did generate an error pertaining to a failed update during setup, but then proceeded without further issue.

Any chance of getting some help with this? Phoning CS at this point is completely pointless as they speak English in the same way I speak Spanish, which is to say not very well.

The fact that you have the problem with two boxes suggests that it's not a box fault. Why haven't you tried a different HDMI cable or HDMI input on the TV?

Getting nowhere useful with 'customer service' | Virgin Media Community

19 Replies

Mr_K

Knows their stuff

2 months ago

'Which' agree with you assessment of VMs CS.

https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-i...r-awLXz0F7OWMO

Quote:

Hat trick of horrors: Virgin Media

Poor customer ratings and an expensive price rise sees Virgin Media awarded a Shoddy for the third year running. Virgin Media was the worst-ranked provider in Which?’s annual broadband survey, with poor ratings for customer service and support.

This year, Virgin Media also introduced the biggest mid-contract price rise for broadband-only customers of £3.50 a month, compared with the £3 a month announced by most other providers. The company has also been under investigation by Ofcom since 2023 following customer complaints that Virgin Media is making it difficult for them to cancel their services. This case is still ongoing.

japitts
Very Insightful Person
2 months ago
There's a few alarm bells in your post, but one particular one is how you can have been sent a V6 as a replacement for a TV360.
The conversion from V6 > TV360 is as much an account one as it is box software. So how an account setup for Horizon-software, can have been sent a replacement V6 is a mystery. Not only that, but box faults are usually performed by tech visit for numerous valid reasons - one of them being, to check the box is working and fault is resolved, before leaving your home.
And I'm also left wondering how the V6 even worked - you should have got numerous error messages pointing at an activation error, if your account was setup as Horizon.
The forum staff should be along in due course.
- revans
  On our wavelength
  2 months ago
  It did generate an error pertaining to a failed update during setup, but then proceeded without further issue.
revans
On our wavelength
2 months ago
Any chance of getting some help with this? Phoning CS at this point is completely pointless as they speak English in the same way I speak Spanish, which is to say not very well.
Roger_Gooner
Alessandro Volta
2 months ago
The fact that you have the problem with two boxes suggests that it's not a box fault. Why haven't you tried a different HDMI cable or HDMI input on the TV?
- revans
  On our wavelength
  2 months ago
  I did.
  The new box was installed with its new HDMI cable.
  As mentioned I have tried various apps built into the TV (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+) and there is no problem. There is also no issue when connecting an aerial and using Freeview.
  - japitts
    Very Insightful Person
    2 months ago
    As mentioned I have tried various apps built into the TV (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+) and there is no problem
    I wondered about this with your first post, but let it go. So now I'll bite..
    Have you tried using apps & onDemand from your TV360? You cite that this issue exists on live-TV source, fine. But how about other sources - recordings? OnDemand? Streaming apps? Different source material, but the same common video output - meaning some variables removed.
revans
On our wavelength
2 months ago
At least VM is consistent. Rubbish CS over the phone, and non-existent CS on their official forum. Promised callback with some resolution unsurprisingly did not happen, and as of tomorrow I'll have another refurnished box running the wrong software to add to my growing collection.
- japitts
  Very Insightful Person
  2 months ago
  This community forum has never been intended as a real-time support service, but for non-urgent issues will often be a lot better option than calling in.
  Historically, the staff team have worked on an "oldest first" basis to responses, meaning that trying to bump posts to the top of their list often has the opposing effect.
revans
On our wavelength
2 months ago
Still nothing from customer services here.
- japitts
  Very Insightful Person
  2 months ago
  Historically, the staff team have worked on an "oldest first" basis to responses, meaning that trying to bump posts to the top of their list often has the opposing effect.
  - revans
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago
    Well that seems ridiculous as it means customers get penalised when non VM staff for example make posts trying to help.
    Just had another wasted 45 minute conversation with the "I'm leaving" team. The 2nd replacement box sent, still running the old Tivo software, for some reason they can't reprovision the original box. Now I'm getting sent another voice remote, despite me explaining at length that it won't make a difference because the voice remote I had originally worked perfectly on the original box. The issue is the 2 replacement boxes sent don't know what to do with the voice search because they are running old Tivo software that never supported the voice search feature.
    This is insanity, I'm just building a collection of boxes and remote controls here, and nobody but nobody seems to grasp the fact that the box is running the wrong software and either isn't updating or cannot be updated. Why is there nobody working for VM who has a clue what the hell they are doing?
    Hours and hours I've spent trying to solve the original issue, only to spend more hours trying to resolve a secondary issue caused by the sending of an unnecessary replacement box.
    For reference I have attached a picture of my remote control with voice search (which worked fine with the original box running the correct software and up to date UI) and the TV guide on the 2nd replacement box I am now stuck with which runs extremely out of date software
revans
On our wavelength
2 months ago
This place was my last ditch effort before going nuclear and cancelling the direct debit. I have spent somewhere around 15 hours on the phone trying to resolve an issue, and then and other issue caused by VM's attempts trying to fix the initial issue. I posted a thread 2 days ago, and nothing from VM since then.
I may be in contract, but that contract has responsibilities for both parties. I have spent hours and hours dealing with staff who lack even functional English skills, who plainly don't have a clue what they are doing, and don't know much of anything about the platform for which they are supposed to be providing support.
- japitts
  Very Insightful Person
  2 months ago
  I posted a thread 2 days ago, and nothing from VM since then.
  The general rule on this forum is one problem = one thread. Having multiple posts for the same issue causes confusion with replies going in different places, and can also duplicate staff effort. Your separate post has now been merged into your existing thread.
  One small bit of advice regarding your direct debit. Whatever you may think of VM-CS thus far, their credit process is notoriously efficient - this forum is littered with previous examples of where customers have cancelled their regular payments due to service issues, and ultimately ended up making them worse.
  Only cancel your DD if you're aware of the consequences and are willing to accept them.
- Vikki_M
  Forum Team
  2 months ago
  Hi revans,
  
  Thanks for your post and welcome to our community.
  
  We're very sorry to hear about the issues you're having with the TV service.
  
  You will likely need an engineer visit.
  
  Have you spoken to the team since posting to arrange this?
  
  Please pop back to us when you can.