Appalling Tech Support

[pga_uk]

I am so fed up with the lack of support from VM - 

Desperately trying to talk to a human to discuss really poor wifi

This is affecting my work, its cosying me money

Webchat redirects to WhatsApp. WhatsApp send out a link via sms, the link test fails

The support line endlessly goes round in a loop or eventually cuts me off with resolving

How the hell do I get to talk to someone !!!!!

Dreadful service, so close to switching to City Fibre - VM you need to sort this!

[jbrennand]

A VM person will respond here in a day or two when they get here. In the meantime......

.... can we check… are the issues only evident on wifi connections or do you see them at the same times on devices connected on ethernet cables? If you don't know, can you check to help diagnose whether it is just a wifi issue or it could be network connection/Hub related?

What Hub model is it? What are the various Hub lights showing/doing when this happens if a Hub3 is the base light a steady white(ish) or flashing green?

If it is just a wifi issue - see this....
_____________________________

To address the wifi issues, VM now supply “wifi Pods” (no longer doing cheap and cheerless “boosters”). However, their Pods are only free to customers on the 1GB, Volt (or old Ultimate Oomph) packages - is that you? If so they are worth trying - they should work for you. Its now called… Wifi Max see…….

https://www.virginmedia.com/wifi-max

You can call  0800 064 3850 to order the first one - or follow instructions on that website - or just wait here for a VM person to respond in a day or two and they will sort the first one for you . If you call dont get fobbed off by the offshore CS agents' saying you aren’t eligible it will be £5 or £8 month - you are… and it wont be - just look on the webpage.

If not free to you… you will be charged £8/month (note - BT charge £10/mo for their whole home wifi solution). It’s a simple solution and should work for you. However, you would soon pay off that cost by buying your own wireless solution that will be yours to own and use forever, although the VM Pods should be a simpler option.

If you want to invest in your own equipment, you would need to get either a… (1) Mesh System, (2) Wireless router, (3) Wireless access point (4) A combination of (2,3).

£30-100 (that’s ~4->12 months of Max Pod rental) should sort it for most customers with an average property and usage.

[pga_uk]

Hi, thanks for responding - apologies for the  long email

So to put some context around this issue, my background was IT support, enough knowledge to setup port forwarding / firewall rules, config IP, etc - by no means an expert, but enough knowledge to have rebooted routers, and tried basic fault finding, etc.

So, back in 2020 (or there abouts), I was hitting WiFi issues around the house, but particularly in an outside office less than 3m from the house / Hub 3.  Using the VM Mobile Connect Tool, worked out the WiFi weak areas and received FOC VM WiFi Booster kit.

Looking at the kit, seems to consist of DLAN connected extenders, with the remote extender (PG-9072LG-VM) having build in WiFi. All set up by me and all working satisfactorily at the time.

Roll forwards to late August this year and noticed that the WiFi connection in the office started dropping totally. The drop was intermittent (during which time, I was able to connect from office to the WiFi indoors on the Hub 3, so was not a generic broadband issue. 

Now I do not seem to have any WiFi from extender at all.  I am able to run directly from Hub 3 at about 20Mb, but flakey signal (at times having to tether 4G).

So, few issues here:

1) The VM Mobile Connect cannot see the Hub 3 at all, so cannot run any diagnostics on Hub 3 (although, on the setup page within Hub 3, it shows WiFi up and  connected devices). The VM Website could not run diagnostics, but was advised that on top of my issues, that today there is a local BB issue.

2) Have tried resetting / pairing WiFi extender, but cannot get it paired. Also as a side note, the button that enables / disables WiFi has no indication as to whether it is on/off.

3) The Hub 3 has internet, as was able to connect with some devices.

4) Over the deterioration period, there have been no additional devices or users added to network, nothing has changed. The connections are all VM (I.e. Cable to Hub3 to VM extenders)

Frustratingly, the only support options seem to be the chatbot, through WhatsApp, through to no help.  The telephone platform if followed correctly advises of a local fault, informs to come back if not resolved in 'x' - sends an SMS that takes you back to the site again.  I know this is a WiFi / equipment issue, not a local fault - my issue has been deteriorating over about two months. Local fault is only a day or so.

After selecting options to leave VM and finally speaking to someone, I was offered a faster connection FOC, I pointed out that it was a kind offer, but the speed not the issue. Finally put through to tech support, who asked me to hold in the reset on the back of the Hub 3 (thought that was factory reset, so asked if I could just power cycle instead). tech support could not find the issue, offered to replace the extenders if I send out first. (I wanted to do a swap out and return old upon receipt of new as when it does work, I get 20Mb and not using 4G).

Was then advised that I cannot book an engineer until the local fault had cleared, that I should ring back in a couple of days.  After asking to be put through to cancellations and stating that I want the contract cancelled FOC as the Broadband was not fit for purpose, got put through again to tech and had to explain again. Finally got an engineering appointment for the 19th October (can't book earlier due to local issue).

It really should not be this difficult to speak to someone at a high enough technical level to understand what is going on, nor shluld it be this difficult to book an engineer, after all, I am paying for this 'service'.

I am so close to ditching VM all together, buying my own kit and brining in City Fibre.

[Nathan_B]

Hi there @pga_uk, welcome to our forum and thanks for your post.

I'm sorry to see you have been having issues with your WIFI not working as expected. I can certainly understand the frustration with this, especially with the difficulties speaking with the team for them to help resolve this.

I'm glad to see you have got an engineer appointment booked in for the 19th, as this is the case, the team will have determined this is the best course of action to have this issue resolved. Please keep us updated with how this appointment goes.

If you need any help after this visit has taken place we will be happy to assist.

Regards

Nathan

[pga_uk]

Thanks for messages!

So latest now us that Engineer did attend. Advised that the Virgin Media Boosters were faulty and that VM no longer supply the Boosters, that they supply WiFi Pods instead now.  The engineer gave  me a number to call to arrange for the WiFi pods.

So having called, I was advised that as stated by the Engineer, the boosters are no longer available and even though the boosters we credited on my account (supplied FOC as WiFi was not good), the new WiFi pods would be charged at £8.00 per month.

30 minutes later after escalating the call, I eventually managed to get the WiFi Pods supplied FOC (as per the boosters) - again, not a great service from VM having to argue for something that was already supplied FOC due to issues with WM Wifi. 

Enough is enough, I have now purchased a TP-LINK Archer A53 WiFi router and TP-LINK AC1200 Mesh Extender, total cost circa £90.00.  No comparison, speed is now 130Mbps in doors and 125Mbps in the office.   As soon as the contract expires, i'll be moving away from VM.

Advice to anyone, get your own router and ditch the hub 3 router (or rather use it as modem only)

VM - you really need to improve tech support / customer serviec

[Natalie_L]

Hi pga_uk, 

Thank you for updating the thread. 

We are very sorry for your experience when speaking to the team. 

We are happy you have been able to get this resolved and were able to get the Pods free of charge. 

Please reach out if we can assist in the future. 

Thanks,