Virgin Technician Will Not Show Up

[sjoseph123]

I'm stuck in a never-ending loop with Virgin Media and could use some advice on how to get them to fix my internet. Here's the rundown:

Technicians have been booked for a cable repull 4 times (all between 8 am and 1 pm). No one ever shows up, I get no call nothing. This is causing me a lot of stress and financial difficulty as I need the internet for my work.

I keep calling them. They say "sorry" and promise someone will call me back in a few hours. No call ever comes.

On one occasion they gave me a number for the technicians. I was on hold forever, and then an automated message said they couldn't talk because of an "evacuation" ??

Eventually, I decided to ask if they could email communications to me so I'd have a record of what's going on. They told me they couldn't do that because of data protection. 

Just now the customer service rep has said it's outside contractors and there is nothing Virgin can do and that I'm the 3rd person he's dealt with the same matter. 

The fact that they can send you a text telling you they'll be there between 8am and 1pm and then not even have the decency to let you know if they can't make it is pretty low. You'd expect better from such an established provider.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Any tips on how to break this cycle and actually get some help?

[Ashleigh_C]

Hi there @sjoseph123 

Thank you so much for your post and welcome to the community forums, it's great to have you here. 

I am so sorry to hear that you have faced this issue with your service and the repull, I can fully understand how frustrating this must be. 

I would like to take a closer look into this with your via a private message. I will pop you a PM across now, please keep an eye out for the envelope at the top of your screen alerting you to a new message.

[goslow]

Unfortunately, I don't think you will find any past topics on here which explain how to break out of a VM installation cycle of despair.

As you have found out, the work is allocated to a sub-contractor. From that point VM seems to have no contact or influence over how/when/if the job happens.

Typically installation dates seem to automatically cycle on one day at a time but the date has no relationship to any reality of an installation taking place. When you phone VM the call handler is telling you nothing more than the next automatic date (the day you are calling) that is shown on the screen. Typically the line repeated in topics on here is that the call handler 'guarantees' the installation will take place on that date but, of course, nothing happens.

If you have a total loss of service of broadband or phone you will be eligible for compensation. An intermittent connection is not covered by the automatic compensation scheme.

You should start keeping a detailed record of events (dates, times of all calls, messages, texts etc. along with any missed appointments and failed appointments where someone turns up but no work was carried out). Keep the record in a timeline format with links from the timeline to each piece of recorded evidence. This will make it easy for you in the future to put forward a case to arbitration for the correct compensation, should that be necessary and if you are eligible.

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

If you are having a cable replaced, you would not typically be expected to be in for that AFAIK, unless VM specifically states you have to be

You should consider some alternative means of connection while you wait such as an unlimited data SIM on a rolling monthly plan.

Sometimes the wait for a cable to be replaced can be a very long wait.

[sjoseph123]

Thanks for this. I will keep a detailed record as suggested.

An update - on Thursday, Virgin Media informed me that someone had been to inspect the line earlier that day and concluded there was nothing wrong with it. The issue was attributed to my wall socket, and a separate visit was scheduled for Saturday to examine this socket.

The technician has just been and has said that unless the person doing the repull was telepathic there's no way he could know that the cable was fine as they aren't properly labelled. He said he couldn't look any further into this as he's only allowed 40 minutes for each job.

Unbelievably the technician has now had to order another cable repull. So here I am back in the never-ending loop.