compensation

[jilldee]

My landline was out between September 2021 and May 2022. 8 months. I was expecting substantial compensation as per Virgin Media's website message which is said to be automatic credits but when I called Virgin was told I would get £40 which I refused. They said it would go up the manager chain and phone me back but nobody did. My next bill is the usual amount. What options do I have now? Ombudsman? Ofcom?

[Ryan_N]

HI jilldee, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to the forums 🙂 

Sorry to hear about the experience you've had, and for the issue at hand. All information relating to this can be found through this link: https://virg.in/autocomp. When you have called - what did the team advise, did they say of a reason why this wouldn't be the case? 

Cheers, 

Ryan. 

[jilldee]

Thank you but I think the link you sent doesn't work. I have seen the compensation information. It's supposed to be automatic credit but a new full bill just came in to my inbox.

Last week I phoned and was offered £40 for 8 months of outage which is derisory and no idea how this was calculated. Nothing for it really I have just raised a complaint about the lack of compensation and terrible service. 

[Ryan_N]

You know what that's my fault that - I had put a full stop at the end of the link for some reason, this should work: https://virg.in/autocomp

What was the fault, what happened? Is it possible you can expand on the situation so that we can help please 🙂 

Cheers, 

Ryan. 

[jilldee]

My land line cable was blocked I was told early on. I was told all sorts of things over the months to explain delays including problems with rain, getting permission from LA to dig up the road, different names for the subcontractor companies one of whom I phoned and who denied having the job; then I was told the subcontractor had gone bust and then they were getting a team from Virgin's own engineers to dig up the pavement and in between long periods of nothing at all. Now to be offered £40 when a previous Virgin person said Ofcom calculated it automatically is a kick in the teeth really.

[John_GS]

Hi @jilldee

Thanks for coming back to us. I'll send you a PM with this so we can look into it further.

Best,

[jilldee]

My complaint to Virgin about lack of compensation for no land line service for 8 months has been denied by Virgin. They call it an issue with my landline whereas it was a complete outage, and tell me to read Ofgem's lengthy explanation as to when people get compensation. I suspect it is to do with the fact that land lines are analogue not fibre optic but Virgin don't say this so am guessing and they just refer me to the document. The fact is I've been paying for a service for 8 months as part of a package and part of the package didn't work. Surely some self examination by Virgin about customer service and good will is in order. The complaint is still open so I have written back to contest their non-offer. Be useful to hear if anybody got compensation for a land line outage.

[-tony- · Accepted solution]

the £40 sounds like a fob off - is your last post in response to the pm sent by staff if not then work it through with them and see what they offer - i dont think they will actually offer anything just suggest who you should call

you have a complaint in as far as i can see - if thats 8 weeks old regardless of what VM say - closed it - fobbed you off - ignored you you need to open a case with CISAS - give them all the facts and let them sort it - add a couple of hundred for the inconvenience and the rubbish you have had to put up with etc and let it run - if the complaint is not 8 weeks old let it get to that or ask for a deadlock letter to go to CISAS now

the thing is free to you but will cost VM £400 or so for the pleasure of fobbing you off - most cases work out in the customers favour

VM may make you an offer once they know you are taking it to CISAS - whether that will be the £40 again or what you are actually due i have no idea but from other examples it will be as little as they think they can get away with - have non of it unless its near what you know you are owed and let the case run with CISAS

[jilldee]

I still have the 28 days on the complaint, they didn't close it and I will definitely be going to CISAS if nothing happens to my satisfaction because

I think it would be good to clarify whether they consider land line outage is considered a loss of service or not. If not, why not? And also question of taking money from me for 8 months for a package that is only partial rather than the one I signed up to. Also I haven't been through 8 months of frustration just to sit back and say thank you for restoring my phone line.

[John_GS]

Thanks for joining me on PM @jilldee

As stated via the PM, this has been sent for review. I shall be checking the system over the next few days for the full and final amount owed and will come back to you via PM as and when I know more.

Best,