on 13-10-2021 12:11
Hi, I hope someone can help as I'm getting nowhere with customer service.
My 89 year mother has had her phone line disconnected due to you "migrating " her to a new fibre service which she neither asked for or needs. This occurred yesterday and I have made several calls totally over 3 hours to try to get this resolved & her line reinstated.
Unfortunately she has dementia so has no idea what her password is and on most occasions I have been unable to get past the initial "customer service" without it. On 2 occasions yesterday I did manage to speak to 2 people who were helpful & took me through security/data protection protocols without having her password. The first managed to get the "block" on her line lifted and told me her phone should work again within 4 hours. We are now over 20 hours later and it still isn't back on. the second person who tried to help, again asked me a series of security questions & told me that he couldn't see a reason for her phone line to still be out & that he would escalate the issue & try and get it resolved. Sadly neither has been able to sort this problem & today I have been met with a wall of "data protection & security" issues that can't be penetrated or circumvented by a manager without a password, in fact the most recent call even refused to transfer to a manager without the password.
I do not require any information so there can be no security breach, I just want someone to reconnect an elderly & very frail old lady's telephone line so that she has some means of communication. I do not think it's at all acceptable for Virgin to cut her off in the first place, but to leave her with no way of communicating in an emergency until a password is received by post is bordering on negligent & is putting her at serious risk. She also has an emergency "Lifeline" alarm button that is now out of action as it uses her phone line as well.
I refuse to believe that there is nothing that can be done to sort this issue, which is of your making, not ours, without a password. This makes a mockery of your statement that calls may be recorded to improve our customer experience, obviously no one is listening to them or something might get done.
Can someone please contact me urgently to resolve this matter
on 13-10-2021 12:19
Hi markmonksfield, thanks for the message. I am sorry to hear about the issues with the phone line and we want to get this resolved for you. I will send you a private message so that this can be looked into further for you. - Chris.
on 13-10-2021 14:17
Hi markmonksfield, thanks for the message. Can you take the phone out of the phone socket and plug it in the back of the hub to see if you can make a call. Thanks Chris.
on 13-10-2021 14:35
Hi Chris, do you mean the TV box? If not she doesn't have a hub. The phone was disconnected by you as you are migrating it to a fibre network & a code put on so that the only outgoing call goes through to "customer service" This code was removed yesterday but the phone still isn't working so I think the problem is at your end, not ours. Getting increasingly frustrated & angry that she has been left in such an unsafe & vulnerable position by Virgin through no fault of her own. The constant sandbagging & hiding behind so called data protection/security protocols isn't helping. How about someone actually providing some proper customer service and getting this sorted - NOW!
on 13-10-2021 15:06
If your mother's phone was disconnected as part of a general move in the area to the 21CV connection, then I believe the process is that VM will need to come and install a hub for her (assuming she has been just a TV/phone customer previously). AIUI, the hub provided is set up for a phone-only connection (no broadband provision).
You have also mentioned a care alarm device. Check out the info in the link below on operating this kind of equipment via a 21CV connection as there is no guarantee that the phone connection will work during a power outage or hub outage, which might have implcations for the reliability/operation of the care alarm.
on 13-10-2021 15:07
Hi markmonksfield, thanks for the reply. As you have said that this is being migrated to the fibre network and this can only done with the phone line connecting to a hub. We would have or will install the hub. Would you be able to contact her to see if this is the case and if so to plug the phone line into the hub. ^Chris
on 13-10-2021 15:33
Chris, no hub has been installed, there is a booking for an engineer on 13/11, she can't be left with no phone till then, it leaves her completely cut off in an unsafe & vulnerable position. Your colleague told me yesterday that she was being reconnected on old copper cable until then and it should take upto 4 hours, it's now more than 24!! What is going on??
on 13-10-2021 15:45
I understand this and have sent you a private message which contains further information. Can you check for the purple envelope and look over the details in the private message. Chris