18 Months later no connection 27 cancelled appointments now " we can't bring Virgin Media to your area"

[AMAMM]

I ordered Virgin Media in January 2022 since then they have cancelled the installation appointment 27 times, stating additional work needs to be carried out. 

I have lost count how many times I have contact VM and got no where trying to find out what is happened.

During this period I have been out of contract with BT ready to connect with VM, which has meant I have been paying more than I should be for the service I receive.

I have spoken to the countless engineers that have turned up from Avonline, who confirmed months ago they have cleared the breakages/blockages and I should be connected soon.

I have received 21 texts making sure I will be in between 1-6pm when the technician comes to connect the line, I have had to rearrange my schedule in order to do this, but  a couple of days before, the appointment is cancelled. 

I received an email from VM on the 15 May 2023 stating "We're sorry to say that things haven't exactly gone to plan and we can't bring Virgin Media to your area." Whilst sending me yet another email for an installation on the 19 June 2023!

VM have kept me waiting for 18 months and then send me this email, no mention of the automatic compensation after waiting patiently for 473 days.

I have posted this message because I am at loss as to what to do, I am very frustrated at how VM have handled this, no one at VM has been able to help just telling me to wait for the next appointment.

How do I get VM to pay the automatic compensation which OFCOM state should be paid at a rate of  "£5.83 for each calendar day of delay, including the missed start date".

Every time I ask VM about this they say compensation will be paid once they install the service. But now I have received an email stating this is not going to happen what should I do?

Any advice gratefully received.

[-tony-]

if you have not already done so raise an official complaint - they will likely lose it - fob it off with a reply in lousy english or lie - non of that matters as its the start point - if you are still intent on getting VM then just sit back - you can only go to arbitration 8 weeks after you opened the complaint or if you get a deadlock letter which you can ask for

but as far as i know compensation will only be paid after they install you and be sure to ask for a cheque - if you decide to not bother with the install then you can go to arbitration or if VM finally decide they dont want to install you again you can start the claim - i believe they have to add an extra 30 days from the day they refused to install you

you state a fiver plus a day which is correct - you mention many failed visits - you can claim £28 or there abouts for a missed visit - if they asked you to be at the address or failed to give less that 24 hours warning of the cancelled visit - so look back and add any of those

i doubt at the end of all this VM will offer what you are due - offers of £30 or similar have been done in the past - just ignore all the BS and poor me tales and get what you are due

so if i read it correctly they are now refusing the install so get the complaint started - once they reply ask for a deadlock letter - calculate the days from the initial install date - dont be fobbed of that it was a provisional date - thats rubbish - add 30 days to the days and any missed appointments you think you ar dues compensation and contact the arbitrator - thats arbitration services - also add £100 for all the messing about and lies you have had along the way if you want and wait for things to happen 

[AMAMM]

Hi Tony

Thank you for your reply. I did ask for a deadlock letter via their WhatsApp messenger, they gave me a complaints number and said I would have it within 72 hours. 

72 hours passed and no letter, I went back them and after spending 3 hours on the phone they admitted they had cancelled the complaint and were not going to issue a deadlock letter.

I complained again about this and asked for a deadlock letter, they raised another complaint and told me to wait until the engineer turned up. However since then I have had two further appointment cancellations and the email stating they can not provide the service.

When I call I they just lie to me, telling me to wait.

Do you know if they should pay  compensation if they are now saying they cannot provide the service. The houses across the road to me do have VM.

[-tony- · Accepted solution]

as i said above you are due compensation from yout initial install date + 30 [extra] days if they have cancelled - again as i say above they are likely to use words like provisional to say the original date is not the start date frome where compensation is due - have non of that ist rubbish - the only days they can legally claim not to pay are ones where they are waiting for council permits - they [VM] will likely exaggerate that to 6 weeks or more - again rubbish - councils usually act in 48 to 72 hours so if thats used contact your local council for help

what you are getting is the usual rubbish from offshore who are completely clueless - the worst case is wait 8 weeks and rais a claim - a call to arbitration services could be worth while and may shorten that time as as far as i know VM cannot refuse to not issue a deadlock letter - they have signed up to that legal requiement  but offshore have no insight or knowledge of UK law and regulations and will just BS you as they think fit

have non of it - the more they mess you about equates to the more you add to the claim as additional compensation - i suggested £100 - if they continue to refuse a deadlock letter then double that amount

there are better heads on here than mine at what to do although i think the best of those is no longer posting - but if you do a search theres loads of old threads to get info from

[AMAMM]

Hi Tony

Yes I did search all the threads but I couldn't find one with the outcome where the service was ultimately never installed.

Is compensation still payable if VM turn round in my case after 18 months and say they cannot bring the service to my address, even though my neighbours have the service.

Thanks in advance.

[-tony-]

---

@AMAMM wrote:

Hi Tony

Yes I did search all the threads but I couldn't find one with the outcome where the service was ultimately never installed.

Is compensation still payable if VM turn round in my case after 18 months and say they cannot bring the service to my address, even though my neighbours have the service.

Thanks in advance.

---

as i have stated compensation is still payable for the full time you have been waiting plus 30 days from the date the refused to install - so from your initial post thats over 500 days - add £28 for any missed appointments where they required you to be there or if an appointment was cancelled without 24 hours notice

its time you contacted the arbitrator to start the process - you have raised 2? complaints and asked for a deadlock letter - they can do what they want with the complaints but they have a legal duty to issue the deadlock letter under CICAS rules which they have agreed to so thats not going to sit well with the arbitrator hence my comment about adding a further £200 for the way they have ridden roughshod over the rules and regulations

[-tony-]

i will add - sooner of later VM will get to the thread and may add something - usually pointless questions initially as they tend to skim read but if you stay with them they may be able to get some information other than you cannot be installed - there must be reasons for that decision although it may be that its just BS from offshore who are generally clueless

so wait for VM and maybe just maybe things will change and they can get things moving again

BUT dont walk away from the compensation you are owed for the last 18 months and dont accept anything less than the true amount 

as an aside you have been promoted to best in class - NUMBER ONE - its no great achievement and there is no prize other than the compensation you are owed - the longest wait for install that is/was known about was a few days over 13 months you have beaten that with ease - like i said its no great achievement - just a fact 

[Molly_T]

Hi AMAMM 👋 Welcome to the community! 
Thank you for posting. So sorry to hear of your experience with us getting installed, and for all of these issues that have happened along the way. I can appreciate this must be a frustrating experience. 

We are a little limited with what support we can provide for pre-installation issues via the community forum, as we have a team that manage these cases directly. You can speak to them by phone on 📞0800 052 1734. 

Nonetheless, I sympathise with your case and would like to offer support as best as possible. I will send you a PM to confirm a few details so we can investigate further and hopefully get this resolved for you. You can find the PM in the top right corner of the page in your Inbox. 📩 We can then return to this public thread with another update when possible. Thank you for your patience in the meantime!

Wishing you all the best. 🌞
 

[jpeg1]

Congratulations @AMAMM  on becoming the longest known waiting Virginmedia customer, and probably the recipient of the largest ever compensation payment.

Do not let VM wear you down with lies or false promises. You are absolutely entitled to the compensation for the disgraceful way you have been treated.

Please return here to update us on the progress of your case. 

[AMAMM]

Hello Molly

I have provided the account security information as requested privately.

Audrey