No compensation for loss of service

[downunder]

Hello

We were without broadband from the 17th October when there were broadband issues in the area with a single web page taking 1-2 mins to load and no service at all the majority of the time. This lasted at least 2 weeks before speeds started to pick up but were still very slow for a further 3 weeks.

Spoke to the VM team multiple times and on each occasion they said would be compensated for the loss of service and it would be £8.40 a day and that I was registered for it. Given my bill had already doubled as my initial contract sign up offer had expired, I was told a "goodwill gesture" of £10 credit would be applied to my account. Neither compensation or the credit have been applied.

My latest bill has arrived and its still the full amount. 

Been on WhatsApp chat with VM again this morning and getting absolutely nowhere.

What can I do for a next step?

[goslow]

Refer to paras 30b and 31 below for timescales in which VM must apply any credit due (note that the rates of credit are out of date in this doc)

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

so, if the issue has only just been fully resolved, you may not see any credit yet.

The issue you might run into is VM arguing that the fault was an intermittent one, or one affecting speed, rather than a total loss of service which the compensation applies to (if the service did actually work sometimes).

Having a good record of your own of all the dates, times, comm's, TLS periods of time etc. is key to ensuring you get the correct amount of any compensation due.

If you don't see any future credit applied, or you think the amount is incorrect, then you will probably have to submit a formal complaint to VM via its complaints process (a required formality) before taking it further to CISAS for arbitration.

[Andrew-G]

VM staff will point to the automatic compensation scheme, but this probably won't work well for your complaint, as the automatic compensation only refers to full days without any service at all, and with each instance having a grace period of two full working days, that probably won't offer much if anything.  VM are notorious for miserly goodwill gestures, and for trying to ignore consumer rights.  However, under both Ofcom requirements and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 they're potentially liable to pay up.  Raise a formal complaint, wait for VM to fob it off (they usually do), reject their fob-off resolution and ask for a deadlock letter and then take the matter to CISAS.

I'd suggest there's a partial or complete refund due in respect of around what, six weeks of very poor connection?  In addition to a refund you'd reasonably be entitled to compensation for that poor connection, and possibly additional compensation if there was any poor customer service in terms of getting the problem diagnosed and fixed.

[Tom_W1]

Hi @downunder, thanks for your post although I'm sorry to hear of the concerns you've raised here regarding auto-compensation.

So to be clear, the automatic compensation must be a clear loss of service (so not intermittency as you have explained here), for over a 48 hour period before this is assessed as outlined here.

Can you advise what date the call took place about the £10 credit and the date of the bill, as there may have been a slight crossover where the credit missed the cut off, and is instead being applied to next month's bill?

Many thanks

[downunder]

Thank you for the replies, I managed to escalate this matter with the WhatsApp team further today and they increased it to £20 before eventually saying they will do £30 to be credited in the next 24 hours (to be confirmed via email which I'm waiting for) and escalated to their manager.

Also thank you Tom for the reply here, but its very frustrating because my service was effectively unusable for at least 2.5 weeks, taking a couple of mins to partially load a single webpage at random times throughout the day, the majority of the time I had no service at all. I didn't expect compensation for the further 3 weeks where it was still very slow but partially usable, but for the initial period where I had to go out and buy data from a mobile provider to tether leaving me out of pocket.

Im sure you can see my initial frustrations, paying £54.50 a month for a service which I couldn't use, and I get offered initially £10 credit as a goodwill gesture instead despite having been told multiple times I would be eligible to get compensation for the loss of service. (The chat was on 10th Nov regarding the credit, but had previous conversations prior to that), bill date is the 30th. Further chats were via WhatsApp.

[Andrew-G]

and they increased it to £20 before eventually saying they will do £30 to be credited in the next 24 hours (to be confirmed via email which I'm waiting for) and escalated to their manager.

Believe that when it happens.  Has the hallmarks of the Make It Up As You Go Along approach routinely adopted by the clowns that answer phones in the offshore call centres.  The agents are only interested in one thing, and that's getting you off the phone as quickly as possible so they can chalk it up as a resolved call and take the next call with the same plan. 

[Vikki_M]

Hi @downunder

Thank you for your further reply.

Could you screenshot and post the section of the WhatsApp chat where the £30 credit was offered please?

Please ensure no personal information is visible.

We can then send you a private message to ensure this is added to the account for you.

Please pop back to us when you can. 

[downunder]

Hi Vicky, as requested:

[Natalie_L]

Thank you for providing the screenshot downunder. 

I am sorry this has not happened but we will be able to help. 

I will pop you over a private message to the purple envelope on the top right of this page now.

Speak soon, 

[Natalie_L]

Hi downunder, 

Thank you for joining me on private message. 

I am very happy we have been able to get this matter resolved for you. 

Please do get in touch if we can assist in the future. 

Thanks,