Worst service for 25 years

[astarte]

Right now I'm paying nearly £70 per month for a service that is less reliable than the dial-up modem service I had at the end of the last century.

A cost increase of 8% has coincided with a 98% degraded connection.

Symptoms: HUB3 red light on permanently for at least 4 weeks - most of the time no connection, occasionally very slow for a few minutes - factory reset makes no difference - have tried everything - VM online tests tell me that nothing is wrong - remote chat support has not been helpful so far.

Technically competent, though now hindered by age-related visual impairment - but I don't think I have made a mistake.

Assuming I'm not the only one - can anyone suggest what I could do next?

Wisning you all a sunny bank holiday 😎

[jbrennand]

VM will replace a red light Hub3 - whether that solves your connection issues is another question.

But... are your 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 on one to help diagnose whether it is just a wifi issue or it could be network connection/Hub related?

A VM person will respond here soon re red light

[astarte]

Thank you jbrennand. It can't be a wifi problem. A cabled connection is just as bad.

[Megan_L]

Hi Astarte,

Thanks for posting on our Community Forums for the first time! I am sorry that the subject is around your poor connection and red light on your Hub. But as Jbrennand has mentioned, you've come to the right place to get it sorted 🤗
As your Hub 3 has a red light it will need replacing via a technician visit which I'll book in via a Private Message in a moment. 

As for your connection issues, we'll need you to monitor your connection after the replacement so that you can tell us whether it's still the same. We'll still be happy to help. 

I'll send you my Private Message now to get a technician booked in 👨‍🔧

Speak soon,

Meg

[Sephiroth]

Let us know if you get another Hub 3!  The go red light quite often.  The ones issued now are usually 'refurbished' items - possibly tested and nothing more done to it other than a factory reset and 1 day on the bench without a red light.

[astarte]

I discovered that I am not the only one. The Which report - at https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/virgin-media-named-worst-major-broadband-provider-for-customer-... - is interesting.

[Sephiroth]

VM always come bottom in Which surveys for customer service.  The state of play is static and will remain so until customers drift away to the likes of CityFibre & Gigaclear, etc.

There is another fact: it's called "hope" based on FTTP.  The Hub 5/5x are a different class of device from the Hub 3 and it is mainly Hub 3 (and to a lesser extent Hub 4) users that are having problems.

The ultimate goal should be FTTP with XGS-PON - the non-DOCSIS service which will reduce VM costs and increase service reliability because you don't have to worry about water on the drop point, rusty cabinets, etc.  So long as the fibre nodes don't get 'tired', it will be very reliable.

[astarte · Accepted solution]

This morning VM sent us a very competent, knowledgable, un-nerdy, empathetic and socially-skilled engineer. We now have a Hub 5. Previous service level restored 🌻

[Gareth_L]

Hello astarte.

Just a quick message to see how the engineers visit went?

Has the service improved since?

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Gareth_L