Landline Disconnected - 15 year customer told to take new contract to get Landline back.

[Anonymous]

I cant believe what I was getting told after a forty-five minute wait on my mobile phone at my cost as my landline was diconnected back in March due to a Fibre upgrade. To re-instate my Landline they want me to take out another NEW 18 month contract with an increase in a monthly cost. Fifteen years I have had that number, the router that I have been provided with many years ago by Virgin wont support a phone, so they want me to re-contract me to get my Landline back - only then they will re-instate my Landline, I have paid them every month without fail for fifteen years, now I have no home phone, but my monthly cost is the same.

Has anyone else had this problem? Or did they send out new equipment for long term customers to meet their requirements?

[Anonymous]

I really do not understand why I am getting charged for a Landline when now I actually do not have one.

[Alex_RM]

Hi QQ1,

Thanks for posting and welcome to our forum 🙂

Sorry to hear the line has been disconnected, we can look to reconnect this, then look at getting your old number back.

So I can go through things in more detail, I've popped you over a private message.

Alex_Rm

[Anonymous]

Hi Alex, thank you for your message and quick response.

I have sent you a private message back.

Please Note: I wish to stay on my origanal contract and do not want to take out any new contract.

Best Wishes.

[Anonymous]

Hi Alex, I have manage to get through via the phone to an agent and cancelled that new contract as it was NOT what I was wanting. I will live without a landline, this is too complicated. Thanks for your help.

[goslow]

Seems like a troubling and unwelcome outcome reading through this topic.

If you are remaining on your original package/price then VM will be charging you still whilst not having access to your 15 y.o. landline number (or any landline number for that matter).

That doesn't sound like a very satisfactory outcome IMO and has more than a suggestion of make-it-up-as-you-go-along telephone support as part of your 'customer journey'.

I'd suggest you try to continue with the VM forum team on here who should (hopefully) get you to a better outcome.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the input goslow, indeed no landline and paying my current package as I have always done, it appears VM senior management have no interest supporting their long term customers. 16 years with Cable, then 15 years within this property going with VM when they took over Cable. So a 31 year customer, no landline for 7 months now. I do not want and have stated that I do not want another 18 month contract due to possible caring needs, however am happy to continue with what I presenlty have and pay for, if I could just get my landline sorted.

[goslow]

You have mentioned on another topic, "I know how much a landline and fall alarms are required."

Was that just a general observation or have you also lost use of care/medical devices, which you require, while the landline has been out of use?

March was a long time ago for the line to be out of use (even accounting for any VM-factor in the delay).

Has the obstacle to reconnection been VM telling you that you have to take out a new contract or were there other issues too which stopped the line being reinstated?

[Anonymous]

This whole Fiber optic upgrade is actually not as transparenet as it seems, I have still copper running into my property, so therefore it would be VOIP using copper and not (pure) Fiber. Does VM provide a schematic diagram or a graphical representation where the Fiber optic termination's are and their end points - then where the copper lines are still present within your area code?  If I had a landline I would call 150 and ask, currently I have no credit on my mobile as I have been on hold for so long over the last day or so using a non VM number to try and get help.

Hi goslow, I will get back to you on your questions however there were no other issues which stopped the line being reinstated, I was not present at home using the landline at my own home due to caring requirements for a relative over the other side of Scotland for some months (However I was back home every third day or so). Therefore never noticed the disconnection in March (I find energy companies and service providers those days just expect you have read a 20 year old email account and comply without checking up on you by other means)

I did make this comment: "You have mentioned on another topic, "I know how much a landline and fall alarms are required." "      It is imperative that vulnerable people have 24 hour access to emergancy services. How many people are going to cut this cost out to get a "TV Internet Phone Bundle/Package"

[Anonymous]

@ Alex_RM as you have my details within our private messages can you please confirm that any new contract has been cancelled please, the agent on the telephone at 4pm GMT, 18th October 2023 has confirmed this, but I would also like this confirmed within a correspondence message please. As stated all along within my first message within this community. "Please Note: I wish to stay on my origanal contract and do not want to take out any new contract."

The new contract that was emailed to me was not as what I was sold or described/discussed to me through this community forum.

Best Wishes.