No phones compatible with our VM Hub

[Ginger1]

None of the phones we have tried are compatible with the Hub. The ones we have tried are all modern (some almost new). Even the emergency back-up phone installed by the VM technician will NOT connect. Any ideas if there is a way of telling which phones will work with the Hub as we have been told to buy a new phone?

We have no mobile signal in the house so according to the VM website we should not have been migrated. We now have no mobile and no landline, just an emergency phone at the top of our roof which is impractical to reach.

[Matthew_ML]

Hey Ginger1, thank you for reaching out and I can see you are currently in DM with my colleague please do send them a message if you wish for any more support on the matter.

[Client62]

A few hints to try...

1) Login to the Hub menu at http://192.168.0.1/  Check Telephone is ( Enabled )

2) Make sure the RJ11 to BT Socket adaptor is connected to Hub port TEL 1   ( no other port will work )

3) Only use a BT style of telephone with the original factory supplied cables.


The connection to TEL 1 looks like this :

[goslow · Accepted solution]

Am I right in understanding that your issue of no phone line has been going on continuously since 4/9/23? If so that is staggering (even by VM's low standards of support).

Your Binatone B100 phone is a 'modern' phone and is as simple as you can get. I use one myself for basic landline testing because it is so simple.

If you have used three of your own phones plus the VM FW500 backup phone and can't get the landline to work then it is pretty unlikely you have a phone handset problem.

I hope you have kept good records of all VM's bungling antics with your phone switchover fault because you will be eligible for compensation

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation

which was £9.33 per day in the last financial year so from 4/9/23 to date that will be something of the order of £2425.80 that VM owes you

I think if my phone been cut off for that long I would be complaining to anyone who would listen! As this appears to be a bungled telephone switchover (which has been a recent hot topic in the news) I would suggest seeking advice from OFCOM and also your local MP!

[Ginger1]

Just to update the community

We still have no landline and have been cut off for over a year. Now they are saying it is too late to get our landline repaired as they have removed the equipment. Anybody else stuck in this loss of phoneline mess. We are still being charged for a line that does not work for over a year. Copy and paste below is our last response.

Re: No phones compatible with our VM Hub

Thank you for your reply, I am unable to support your complaint by email, but I can provide my final review over the community

I have chased the Manual review by the Auto Compensation team however this will not change the resolutions already offered.

1) We book another appointment and complete the re-wire within your home for the landline services. 

2) We cancel your services with 30 day disconnection notice and you can go to an alternative provider. 

We have made you aware that we are unable to revert your service to the old copper line, this no longer is an option in your area.

We have also given advise about the EBUL system that works as a backup line, I do understand that you have stated you have limited mobile signal in your house. I am not sure who your mobile provider is, but our coverage checker shows O2 has 4G Good indoor and outdoor mobile signal at your house. 

This coverage would give you the ability to make and receive calls in the event of a power outage I do appreciate that this can vary depending on the property but will always remain open to you.

I can see that you have declined to offer to re-wire your house to reposition the equipment, but this offer also remains open and will ensure you have a working Land line powered by our router (VOIP)

Once I have received the review back from out Auto compensation team if you remain unhappy with the resolution offered all I will need is the resolution you are seeking and if we are unable to agree on a resolution we will be at deadlock, and I will send over details on how to have your complaint taken to independent adjudication.

If I have missed something you feel is relevant to your complaint, I would be happy to answer those questions over the community.

[Ginger1]

Just to update anyone else who has been cut-off by the transition to internet/hub connected phones. We are still waiting for a solution. Looks like there is only the EBULv3 available even if you have an unreliable phone signal. So our landline has been stuck in the roof where we can't get to it for over a year. Anyone else going through this?

[Ginger1]

Thank You, Its been a long fight and still seem to be getting no where on getting it fixed. Been told we have no way of having the old line put back in place and so far no way no way of having the phone line put back in the house just in the roof. The roof is mad for disabled mother in law or our daughter. Virgin have now offered compensation but no solution. I will check out and try and find the main topic as I was told it was just us. Graham

[Ginger1]

Do you know the thread I should join as told OFCOM are already involved for some

[goslow]

Certainly one of the more interesting and unusual accounts related on here. I imagine the exact details of everything are more involved than as they appear in this topic. I'm not aware of any particular general topic on here regarding switchover issues and OFCOM.

If VM has provided you with a deadlock letter, you have 12 months in which to take that to the ombudsman. But the ombudsman can't compel VM to install a landline for you nor go back to a conventional landline arrangement AFAIK. The ombudsman could assess the compensation offered if that is unsatisfactory to you.

VM's offer above seems to have covered the options that I am aware of (including an option to cancel services and a technical option to rewire). There is a clause in the compensation scheme which may limit compensation if the customer 'prevents the service issue from being resolved'. I imagine VM may possibly cite the offer to rewire the connection as part of that if it seeks to limit compensation.

If you move to another provider though it is highly unlikely you will get a conventional landline installed. It will very likely be some variation of a phone-via-router connection in some form or other.

The fact this has dragged on for so long seems very unusual.

Has VM ever managed to provide a working landline connection via the VM hub (even if the hub is not in a suitable location)?

VM's rewiring options generally seem to involve moving the hub as a first choice but they should also offer reconnecting existing telephone extension sockets in the home so the hub did not have to move if the hub location is a sticking point. That, however, also might involve some rewiring of the extension sockets.

You should probably contact OFCOM in regards to what extent VM has to go to in order to provide an emergency connection. The EBUL phone is their default offering but, if it does not work in your home, then it won't be much use. I wonder if there is some means of connecting an external aerial to the EBUL unit to place the aerial outside, via an aerial extension cable, and the EBUL inside in an accessible location or some kind of mobile signal booster. An alternative battery backup for the VM hub may be of limited use when a power cut extends to a wider area as the connection may still not work.

You should perhaps speak to OFCOM to establish what the limits of the provider's obligations are for emergency backup when the local mobile signal is poor.