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Lightning- everything blown up - virgin washes their hands

Gillyathome
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Can anybody help me with a contact number / email address for the zero harm division ?

 

the chief exec's office is blaming "god" for lightning blowing up my TV and Computer...

does "god" only pick on 12 virgin customers at the same time ?

I've never had such a poor experience from any customer care team. been bounced

from head office to cisas, pointless waste of time.... they can't help.

 

457 REPLIES 457

I've been following this thread with interest because I'd like to understand the risk to my equipment.

I found an interesting US case where the customer was compensated for damage from a lightning strike to a neighbouring property which sent a spike down the CATV cable. The US standards on cable tv/broadband seem to differ from the VM practice in that it appears that they do not have a fully isolated connection to the STB/Modem but they bond every customer outlet to their main electrical earth. In this case the customer had paid for a satellite dish to be installed after the cable installation. The dish installer incorrectly assumed it would be replacing the cable connection, so he bonded the dish installation by moving the cable company's protective bonding cable to the dish installation. In the end the dish installer paid for the damage caused by the cable surge because they had removed the protective bond.

See www.avsforum.com/forum/35-cable-digital-cable-non-hdtv/899730-cable-company-s-responsibility-regardi...

The VM installations do not have such a protective bonding cable, relying instead on isolating capacitors. I wonder whether VM has ever done a risk assessment on their alternative method.

Hi Eric_T

thanks for your input, it's very helpful and nice to know that the company admitted liability.

call me mad or crazy, I tend to follow some simple rules in life

spill somebody's  drink - I say sorry and buy them a fresh one.

cover somebody in food - I say sorry and offer to pay for dry cleaning.

damage a mates car - i'll pay to put it right

shame everything in life isnt that simple. it could have been simple 3 months ago if virgin offered to help me...

now they have 3 different organisations dealing with them.... maybe one of them will make them see sense.

 

a couple of weeks ago I knocked my colleges glass water bottle over on his desk (sorry Mr D) hitting his phone.... screen smashed.... £120 that cost me

I didn't moan or complain, it was my fault so I paid him the full price of the repair.. no fuss - no legal advice..

I still believe when your in the wrong you stick your hands up and say sorry and make it right. I DO !

 

Gilly

 

 

 

 

A couple of sources of technical information on lightning protection:

LIGHTNING AND.... SURGE PROTECTION: Tutorial by Kenneth Schneider PhD (A fairly brief description of the issues.) 

Lightning Protection Guide from DEHN (UK) Ltd (A really technical set of info. Sections 7 and 9.5 are the most relevant, but the focus is on commercial premises rather than domestic installations.)

I've failed to find relevant information on the subject from the IET.

There seems to be a general view that local ground bonding is key. That is not provided in a typical VM installation. 

No precautions can guarantee that there will never be a case where lightning causes damage. In section 7 of the Dehn paper we find a guideline sentence "A final risk analysis must prove that the residual risk is less than the tolerable risk" which leaves the assessment of a tolerable risk open for discussion.

 

Hi again Eric_T, your a top bloke - gold star for Eric_T   🙂

I had taken every precaution that I could have taken, to stop surges taking my kit out.

I'd spent a lot of money on equipment to protect myself. all useless in this case.

I definitely don't tolerate one of my suppliers zapping my stuff, walking away smiling , like nothing had happened.

my day will come soon enough...

 

thanks again

Gilly

 

Hi Again Eric_T

 

Your post had me thinking last night…the link to lightning and surge protection.

I started to think about the isolator again, and the 3 different devices that can be used.

Gas tubes – very good for Direct hits.

Silicon diodes – good but slow to react.

Metal oxide varistors (MOV’s) – fast but have a shelf life and must be checked / preventative maintenance.

 

From checking the video at the top of page 6 , I can see – silicon diode and several MOV’s

Inside the isolator… I think

virgin took the one I had away so all I have is that video.

 

The engineer that visited me told me since mine was fitted 10yrs ago the power feq had changed.

And the isolator was past it’s replacement date.

After reading this website, I’m pretty sure why they are now so important to virgin to replace.

 

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7800668/

 

My isolator hadn’t been checked in 10yrs.

 

Gilly

Amazeballs

Virgin had another 7 days to comply with my request, after missing the original 30 day GDPR deadline.

Guess what ?

they missed the 2nd deadline also.

I’ve contacted the chief exec team & Information Commissioners Office again by phone call and email today. Just to keep them both up to date.

The ICO have a bit of a back-log so it may be some time before I hear from them.

 

Thanks again to eric_t .. very interesting Sunday morning reading.

 

Gilly.

1 week - 1 day late, past the original deadline.. the GDPR pack arrives..

Lots and lots of A4 pages that I’m now busy looking though.

Virgin haven’t included a single voice recording of any of my calls for help.

how convenient for them.

 

how is this even possible - virgins privacy policy.

https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/the-legal-stuff/privacy-policy.html

 

and reading this section……

 

How do you keep my information?

 

How do you keep my information? How do you keep my information?

We collect and store your data safely and only for the time strictly necessary to operate services provided to you by Virgin Media and/or based on the reasons that we process your personal data.  Afterwards it’ll either be destroyed or anonymised.

When determining the relevant time we store information periods, we take into account factors such as: 

  • Legal obligation(s) requiring data to be kept for certain periods of time
  • (Potential) disputes
  • Guidelines issued by the UK’s data protection authority.

______________________________________________________

 

I’m pretty sure I count as a dispute. My calls should have been preserved in my opinion. and sent to me under the GDPR request.

 

I still have the GDPR bundle to work though, the history goes back years..

 

I still believe rightly or wrongly that Virgin hold my voice recordings.

Virgin offered to pay for my blown up kit in the first conversation I had after the disaster. now I cant have the recording... fishy smell.

 

I’ll more than likely go back to the ICO saying I’m unhappy with what ive been sent.

Saying I think Virgin are withholding extra data. Voice recordings and maybe other info after I've checked the pack.

Then leave it in the hands of the ICO.

 

Will this ever end ????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Gilly.

Virgin called today.

they have now found my voice recordings.... and are posting them out today.

 

Gilly

A CD arrived password protected, with 12 wav files on today, asked a friend to convert the disc as my laptop doesn't have a CD/DVD

I've listened to them...

there are various calls ive had to customer serv, talking about my zapped broadband line.

the 2 recording ive been waiting for are missing, the first call, for help from me, when virgin did the decent thing and offered to pay.

the 2nd call is the call from virgin where they offer me 2 months free internet&tv for >£2,000 worth of damage.

 

very strange both those are missing....

back to the ICO again I suspect.

 

Gilly

 

 

As you can see, from virgin’s history of my calls. (broken down)

I’ve never needed much help from NTL/Virgin support, working in IT myself for - 30yrs

 

2008 = 0 calls

2009 = 0 calls

2010 = 0 calls

2011 = 0 calls

2012 = 0 calls

2013 = 0 calls

2014 = 0 calls

2015 =  9/2 line fault – fixed 10/2

2015 = 14/7 speed issues.

2016 = 16/12 phone fault. (NO ISOLATOR CHECK)

2017 = 0 calls

2018 = 4/6 complaint.

9/6 BB issue

14/6 BB issue

16/6 BB issue

26/6 BB issue

1/7 BB, rubbish tech in support – I Asked to cancel as no engineer would be sent out to help

23/7 BB issue

26/7 BB issue

Gave up calling after this. My internet is still bad even today. 3+ months later.

I’m still loggin the speedtests, but just not reporting anything.. pointless.

 

GDPR pack -The emais / reports from the customer services manager & network manager are missing

The Customer Serv Mgr said he would be recommending compensation. During his visit my home.

I’d like to see that email / report following that visit.

2 voice recordings are missing. They are only 2 I’m looking for… as I said before.

 

That smell of fish has returned.

 

I found a couple nuggets in the GDPR pack.

A note saying I’d been directed to CISAS in ERROR !!!!

 

Another note asking for the illusive Virgin Claim Pack to be sent to me.

That would have been great, if they did, i sent them 2 reminder emails. gave up

Waiting after 2 weeks and visited the CAB instead.

 

I’m about to write back to the ICO asking them to ask virgin for what’s missing.

 

Gilly.