I've been a Virgin customer for just over 6 months, and I took the introductory deal of £15 a month for 6 months on the 250Mb fibre (moving from SKY)
I have never had a consistent internet connection and had them out to check, swap router etc... Stragely enough for a couple of weeks after that visit it was OK, but the main issue I have is this - my home is HARD WIRED, so it goes from the router to a swtch in the loft and then distributed. The wiring is fine as if I restart the router I will get 250Mb upstairs (proving that the wiring is correct) then during the day the speed will always drop, often down to 10-15Mb and it happens all the time. Restart the router, back to 250 (sometimes)... even replaced the switch in the loft as thought that could have been the issue... 2 switches, problem same on both. Replaced CAT5 to the switch, same issue.... Apparently this isn't a problem Virgin side, that seems rubbish to me!
They are coming out again today, no doubt new router and then same problems again. I cannot think of a single day that I have not had to restart the router or the switch to get speed on the fibre again, does anyone else have this issue?
NOW here is the thing that I want to make ALL Virgin customers aware of. The contract that I agreed was over the phone, that is just over 6 months ago. I said during that phone call "So, when I come off the £15 a month it goes to £30 a month and stays at that for the rest of the 18 months?" - Answer "Yes".... This week I am notified that my bill is going up to £36.50 because of APR etc... That is not what I agreed or was told, so I asked for a SUBJECT ACCESS DATA REQUEST (SADR) this is a legal requirement of any company that holds your data, they MUST provide all records, be that written or electronic and all recordings of phone calls. TURNS OUT that Virgin only keep their phone calls for 6 months (so they cannot provide the phone call recording of the verbal contract that was made)... that is NOT ACCEPTABLE. I've had this same problem with Vodafone, they are happy to sell you something on the phone and then put it onto their system in the knowledge that by the time the new pricing kicks in you don't have a leg to stand on because that recording of the phone conversation is NOW NOT AVAILABLE.
We as customers are getting systematically shafted by these big companies and they should by rights (AS THEY ARE A PHONE COMPANY) keep these recordings for the duration of your contract, after all VERBAL contracts stand in law and they should be upheld. Vodafone have just refunded me £250 because they cannot provide the recording of a conversation.
I urge ALL customers to record the calls you make to them with their salespeople... you just might need them as evidence. I urge Virgin to respond to this as I have raised an official complaint, and I will be forwarding this complaint to the ICO once my SADR comes through. It is unacceptable on so many levels and I want to know if any other customers out there have suffered the same fate as me, have you been told one thing on the sales call for the billing to change and then they say "well it was all confirmed in an email to you afterwards, you should have checked it more carefully".... Well Virgin, I have news for you, a verbal contract is still a contract. RECORD YOUR CALLS people OR as soon as you have signed up for anything with ANY big telecoms or TV company or ANYONE like British Gas etc... immediately ask for a SADR and the call recording to be sent to you, they cannot refuse.
ANYONE else had the same problem??
