Minions in idocratie

[nordine]

Because I didn't find ant way to raise the attention of Virginmedia management and stakeholders, this case is going to be submitted to social media (Facebook & Twitter) and a large media in the UK and badly affect the reputation of Virginmedia.
I have a very good friend of mine who is a successful freelance columnist for some British media.
She has +100,000 followers and is more than happy to publish my story on social media networks and one of the popular British news.
I have all the audio and chat records with Virginmedia's so-called support.
All large companies have a monitoring system like RepSM and likes (most of the time outsourced to cyber security companies) of all social media networks and the press to prevent and mitigate risks of bad reputation, so VM will quickly realize how their poor customer service is going affect new subscriptions.
I will also publish my case below story in LinkedIn because I have a network of +700 connections who will be happy to enjoy the story.
I will execute this plan, unless Virginmedia takes corrective and appropriate actions.

=============

My Virgin broadband router was faulty, and I send a message online to notify them and I requested a replacement.

A few days later, on 4th November 2022, I received an email stating that a collection team is going to pick up my device the same day, see email below (identifiable information redacted with XXXXX):

-------------------------
Our Ref:XXXXX

Hello XXXXX,

One of our equipment collections team will be popping over today to pick up our kit from you at this address:

XXXXX

You'll be visited by XXXXX, and they'll be happy to show you their ID when they arrive.

As soon as you can, please unplug and gather up the kit ready to hand it back.

What we're collecting today

Item Type Item Description Serial Number
Broadband Router Sagemcom Hub 5 XXXXX

Don't worry about packing up the equipment in a parcel or box – we use our own packaging to keep the kit safe while in transit. We also need to jot down all the serial numbers of each piece of kit we collect for your receipt.

At a different address?

If you're living at a different address to the one above, please reply to this message to let us know. We'll try to pick up the kit from your new address when one of our technicians is nearby.

If you've already returned the kit to us by post within the last week, please just ignore this email. We'll look out for it arriving over the next few days.

Just so you know, our technicians can’t answer questions you’ve got about your account – but you can check out your details by heading to My Virgin Media

Thanks for your help,

The Virgin Media team
-------------------------

I thought the broadband router was going to be replaced, and when I asked the Virginmedia courier to provide me another one, he said that he was not aware and told me to call Virgin because all he knows is to pick up the device.
I asked him to provide me a receipt with the serial number of the equipment which he did, so I have a Virginmedia document as a proof with me.
At that moment I was far from conceiving out the nightmare I was going to experience.

The situation now is that since 4th November 2022, I am still paying almost £60 per month, but I no longer enjoy the service.
Having Internet is crucial for my job which has been hampered, and as an alternative I am using internet from my mobile.

I called the support several times, and when I could get someone I explained the purpose of my call.
But the agents I spoke with could never understand my situation. The last one I spoke with on the phone was just able to say, like reading the same script over and over:
We at Virginmedia can send you a new broadband router if you sign for a new 18-month contract.
The conversation lasted for more than an hour and it is nothing else but just blackmail.
I was extremely outraged.

At the end I couldn't continue and I immediately cancelled my contract which had already ended in July and I was just continuing to pay outside a contract.

The cherry on the cake was that he didn't forget to mention that I need to return my broadband router when requested at the end of my notice period.

I was speechless and couldn't find the energy to explain him over and over that I no longer have any router at home because it's been picked up by a Virginmedia courier and was never replaced.

Given the poor handling of my case I couldn't imagine a single second continue paying Virginmedia anymore.

The next days I spent countless of hours using the chat (now they use WhatsApp for their support because their in-house chat system doesn't seem to work properly) and I asked to speak with a senior manager or director, but to no avail.
I just wanted to explain that my broadband router has been taken by a Virgin courier (therefore I won't able to return it as it's been taken by Virgin), and I want to apply for the Virginmedia Automatic Compensation scheme because I am still paying for a service that Virgin fails to deliver until now.

Every agent I chatted with was absolutely unable to understand this extremely simple fact, that since my broadband router was taken by Virgin courier I no longer have it at home.
According their system I still have have the broadband device at home, so why they don't escalate the case to a manager or director when I asked?
At that moment Virginmedia has turned into an idiocratie with minion employees and never ever they can be trusted as an ISP.
Their successive agents (and bots personifying humans) continued to ask me over and over for my name, address, contract number, amount of my last bill, the 3rd, 5th and last letter of my password, and asking me what is my my problem (to save time I copied this information on a text file so I just had to paste into the chat).

I contacted them again a next day and this time I had an agent with a bit more neurons than the previous ones.
However, I didn't want to waste my precious time so I had to make sure this agent was able to understand my situation, so I asked him very simple and basic questions, for example:
"my broadband router was faulty and taken by a Virgin courier to some Virgin premises, so where do you think is my broadband router physically?". I asked other "challenging" questions, and for the first time was happy to speak with this agent.

He promised me that a Virgin engineer will come at home to install a new broadband today (it's all in my chat history), that is 20th Nov. 2022 (why send an engineer and not simply a new device by post that I can install myself?).
Having a doubt because I didn't received any confirmation by email, I contacted the support again, and I got a new installation date, that is 28th Nov. 2022.
I insisted to have details by emails but the agent told that Virginmedia's system is unable to send emails (not able to send emails??? I can advise Virginmedia how to integrate some very efficient and secure open source support ticketing systems having full email integration to all their systems).

To make the story short, I am sure about 3 things;

Nobody will come to install the broadband router
Virginmedia will claim the return of their broadband device over and over, even though one of their agents confirmed that he understood my situation
Virginmedia will never agree to pay me their "Automatic Compensation" for total loss of service.

I will not only file a complaint for the damage caused but also make sure my story reaches the public through social media and my LinkedIn network.
That will finish with the Ombudsman, ISPA or other equivalent bodies.

[goslow]

Your description is a bit confusing. About half way down you say

At the end I couldn't continue and I immediately cancelled my contract which had already ended in July and I was just continuing to pay outside a contract.

but later on you talk about arranging a technician installation for broadband on 20/11/22, then revised to 28/11/22.

VM often struggles to do very simple things (such as swap out a hub). If you have said you want to cancel your services part way through this process (and VM has actually acted on that request) then you may well have created a whole heap of VM 'confusion' which probably only the VM forum team will be able to try to unravel for you.

What are you wanting to do at the moment? Are you wanting to leave VM or obtain a replacement hub for your existing VM service or are you trying to re-join VM again having already started the cancellation/leaving process?

[Roger_Gooner]

It sounds as if you've been on a rolling 30-day contract since July after the end of your contract. When you called VM I think that the agent believed that you wanted to cancel, hence the collection of the hub. If you wait awhile a forum team member should be along to help, or you can call Retentions.

[Tudor]

You are always in contract with VM unless cancelled, it’s either a 12/18 month one and when that ends a 30 day rolling contract. 

[nordine]

Thank you for responding to me.

Before clarifying what you may find confusing, I will remind the most important thing to understand, and it's the very first thing to have in mind.

First of all, the most important thing to understand the situation is that since November 4th, 2022 I am paying for broadband service but I DO NOT HAVE THE SERVICE, that is it's TOTAL LOSS of SERVICE.
The next part seems extremely difficult to understand by Virginmedia (VM) staff, and I spent hours both on the phone and chatting in WhatsApp to try to explain.
So to make sure you understand and appreciate the situation, I will explain you step by step in a form of questions and answers, and believe me it is pure logic and common sense.
And please if you find anything difficult to understand or confusing then I am happy to clarify:

Q1: Why do I no longer enjoy the broadband service that I am still paying?
R1: Because my broadband router was faulty and was collected by a Virgin courier (I have a VM receipt from the courier with his name and serial number of my broadband router). Unfortunately the device was never replaced.
I have an email from VM confirming that a courier will be collecting the broadband router.

Q2: If my broadband router was picked up from my home by a VM courier on 4th November 2022, is it physically still at my home or is it at some VM premises?
A2: The broadband router cannot be at 2 different locations at the same time. If it is no longer at my home, it must be somewhere else at some VM premises. I can provide that name of the courier at VM to investigate.

Q3: Do I qualify for "Automatic Compensation"?
A3: Yes because since my broadband device was taken by a VM courier, and it is considered as TOTAL LOSS of service (see conditions at https://store.virginmedia.com/the-legal-stuff/terms-and-conditions-for-fibre-optic-services/automati..., and I checked with a lawyer).
What I wrote above is the MOST important to understand, everything else can be considered superfluous.

About your comments:

Number 1:
At the end I couldn't continue and I immediately cancelled my contract which had already ended in July and I was just continuing to pay outside a contract.

Answer 1:
When the agent wanted to force me to engage in a new 18-month contract I couldn't continue speaking with him (I was outraged) and I told him that now I just want to cancel my contract.
Then he told me that if I cancel my contract I have to pay 1-month notice and at the end of the period I have to return my broadband kit.
I was speechless because I spent an hour explaining him that I no longer have any broadband device at home because it's been collected by a VM courier, so I just hanged up because I no longer expected any ounce of intelligence from him (I was angry, tired and outraged).

Number 2:
but later on you talk about arranging a technician installation for broadband on 20/11/22, then revised to 28/11/22.

Answer 2:
I know that at the end of my contract I should return my broadband kit, that means even if I no longer have the broadband kit I will be harassed and threatened by VM to return it of face £40 fee and other whatnot like destroying my credit score (just search online for Virginmedia reviews and you will understand VM's practices against weak people who are just afraid to confront a giant, but not me because I already successfully sued 2 companies for malpractice and abusive conditions).
Hence it's the very reason I insisted to get a replacement broadband kit just to be able to return it to VM when requested, and avoid unnecessary problems.
It's a VM agent I talked with who proposed me to send a technician on 20/11/22.
I checked for an email confirmation to no avail, then I contacted VM support 1 or 2 days later just to confirm that a technician will come on 20/11/22 to install a new kit, and the agent told me that the date has change and it is been now re-scheduled for 28/11/22.

Number 3:
What are you wanting to do at the moment? Are you wanting to leave VM or obtain a replacement hub for your existing VM service or are you trying to re-join VM again having already started the cancellation/leaving process?

Answer 3:
I already cancelled my subscription with VM  and I am at my notice period which I pay, but since the 4th November 2022 I am not enjoying the service because my broadband kit was collected by a VM courier.
IMPORTANT: At the end of my notice period, VM will ask me to return the broadband kit, that I will be unable to do (remember the kit was picked up from a VM courier). So it is the VERY REASON why I absolutely want to have a new kit delivered or installed by a VM technician to make sure I can return it back to VM. I know all seems extremely stupid, but it's the only way I found out to avoid unnecessary time-consuming and hassle.
If I had been able to speak with a senior manager or director who has a bit more neurons than the client support guys I wouldn't need to deploy all these efforts. 

I hope I was clear enough.

[nordine]

At first I didn't realise that I was in a rolling 30-day contract, and I realised it only when I started to have issues, but at the time I didn't intent to cancel anything.
After I spoke with an agent the first time, I clearly understood that Virginmedia are just interested by my money, and collecting money which has never failed, and I find unacceptable to pay £60 per month for such a poor client service.

[goslow]

Thanks for clarifying. In summary then

• You were a VM customer and you were outside of any minimum term agreement with VM
• Shortly before 4 November 2022, you had a fault with your Hub 5 which your reported to VM via online means
• VM collected the faulty hub (for which you have a receipt and proof of collection)
• During one of your conversations with VM support you cancelled your VM services and decided to leave
• You are currently working out your 30 days' notice period with VM
• VM tried to get you to start a new contract, which you have declined
• The hub was not replaced and, since that time, you have had no service because you have no VM hub
• VM offered to send a technician to fit a replacement hub but an original date of 20 November 2022 was cancelled and has now become 28 November 2022.
• You are expecting VM will pay you compensation for the total loss of service period with no hub
• During your 30 days' notice period you want a replacement hub (presumably so you can still use the service) and in the expectation VM will demand you send back a hub (which you no longer have) at the end of the 30 days.

I am not sure why VM asked you to return the VM hub via a courier if it was faulty. This sounds more like a cancellation collection as suggested by Roger_Gooner at # 3 above. The normal process would be to send a technician to investigate a fault and change the hub if required. 

You will need the VM forum team to unravel this for you. They will reply here within a few days.

[nordine]

Thank you for your answer.

I think you understand the case, so let me provide more details.

The very first time, when my Hub was faulty, I sent a message via Virginmedia (VM) portal to notify that my Hub has faulty WiFi and I can't seriously work properly.
My previous Hub was actually replaced by a new generation one a few months ago (offering access to Netflix and other TV programs), but since I got it I always had issues with WiFi working sporadically, and I lost some important meetings online, that is the WiFi never worked properly.
So I requested my latest Hub to be replaced with the old model which always worked perfectly, and as I planned a very important online meeting with my client that I couldn't miss, I said in the message that if my Hub is not replaced by 7th November I will simply cancel the service (why continue to pay £60 for bad quality).

On 4th November 2022 I received an email from VM saying that on the same day VM will collect the Hub.
I gave the Hub to the VM courier and asked him for the replacement, which he had not, and advised me to contact VM.

Just to be clear, at the time when all started I wasn't aware yet that I was in a monthly rolling contract.
After I received an email confirmation I was confident that the Hub will be replaced, but unfortunately all went awry since the VM agent told me that the Hub replacement is subject to contract renewal.
That immediately infuriated me because I always paid on the dot without discussion and he should remember that he is paid every month thanks to clients like me.
I wasted a lot of time unnecessarily, a simple email confirming that a technician is booked, that the Automatic Compensation is applied would have been enough (still not confirmed yet by email btw).

I understand that the normal process was not followed by VM and the situation should never have escalated.

But I still think that the customer service at VM is really bad and inefficient.
VM should have a Customer Advocacy service to manage all non-standard requests and problems.

[Chris_W1]

Hi nordine, thanks for the message and sorry to hear about the experience which you have had with us and this is not the experience which we want you to have. I have looked into this and can see that you have a engineer visit to resolve things for you. - Chris.