3 weeks to wait for broadband installation, no communication and rude CS

[millierichardso]

We booked our installation date for our new house just over 3 weeks ago now, being told the 17th was the only date we could get. we both work from home, and we mentioned this to the woman setting us up, but not once did she offer us a dongle to help with the inconvenience, I had to find out from friends and order this twice because the first person forgot to put the order through.... whilst I was on the phone to them? 

We then get to our 'installation' date yesterday and the guy turns up only to tell us that he can't install the broadband because the external installation team haven't communicated that there's a problem with the cables. he tells me he'll call me with an update in 30 minutes- obviously I heard nothing 🙂 

I then called customer service again who assured me that the external team was booked in to come to our house yesterday, no time just by 5pm... and obviously no one turned up. 

I called today again, just to be told this external team now wasn't coming to us until he 24th, so a whole month from when we booked our installation and became a virgin customer. The guy on the phone then proceeded to tell me if I didn't like it, I should go to another broadband provider, which believe me I wish I could, Virgin are the only ones who can provide fast enough wifi, as I work from home with my partner- although we've not been able to do this for the last 4 weeks, as we've had NO wifi and a dongle that provides half a MB per second. 

I have literally been passed around like a ping pong ball to people who clearly don't communicate and just to be told I have to accept my installation date, have £50 off your first bill so you're quiet... id quite rather my wifi? 

still no explanation as to why no one turned up to our house yesterday as promised, just excuse after excuse. 

****update, just been on hold for 45 mins to complete silence, and then the phone gets put down, what a well-trained, lovely bunch of people

[jpeg1]

Welcome to Virginmedia. 

You are not alone. Read down the page. 

[millierichardso]

I really and truly can't believe how bad this has been, I'm near to taking a lower speed of wifi and struggling to work from home than deal with these people!

[goslow · Accepted solution]

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@millierichardso wrote:

We booked our installation date for our new house just over 3 weeks ago now, being told the 17th was the only date we could get. we both work from home, and we mentioned this to the woman setting us up, but not once did she offer us a dongle to help with the inconvenience, I had to find out from friends and order this twice because the first person forgot to put the order through.... whilst I was on the phone to them? 

<snip>

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As advised by jpeg1, take a look through this forum and you'll see that, for some unlucky customers, VM's bungling installation processes drag on for weeks and months.

VM are obliged to pay you compensation for a delayed installation. Keep a good record of the first installation date VM gave you in writing when the VM technician was supposed to come to install your equipment and activate your services.

VM offering a mobile dongle is in lieu of paying compensation for long-delayed installations. A delay of 8 weeks has been mentioned on here previously before one is offered. Those who have received one have reported that they were hard to come by and didn't work very well.

OFCOM compensation rules are below ref compensation

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

[Ayisha_B]

Hi @millierichardso,

Welcome to our Community Forums and thanks for your post. 

I'm so sorry for the poor start! It's certainly not the level of service we aim to provide and I can understand how important it is for your service to be up and running especially since you work from home. 

I have taken a look at our systems and the install has been delayed as external works are required. Once this has been completed, your install will go ahead.

I note you also have an open complaint regarding this and I can assure you our Install & Construction team will be doing everything they can to ensure the required works are completed for you as quickly as possible. 

If you require confirmation of the work order details, do let me know. 

Best wishes

[jem101]

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@Ayisha_B wrote:

Hi @millierichardso,

Welcome to our Community Forums and thanks for your post. 

I'm so sorry for the poor start! It's certainly not the level of service we aim to provide

ah well, arguably, it could be said that this is indeed the level of service that you (VM, not you personally) DO aim to provide as it does appear to have been a recurring issue with little obvious attempt to improve things.

and I can understand how important it is for your service to be up and running especially since you work from home. 

OK, good, except doesn’t really help the situation does it?

I have taken a look at our systems and the install has been delayed as external works are required. Once this has been completed, your install will go ahead.

Well, yes, that much is obvious - except why are they delayed, (oh and please just don’t mention local authority permissions, because I absolutely promise you that I know more about how these things work than you do, or possibly every other member of the forum team, it really doesn’t fly!)

I note you also have an open complaint regarding this and I can assure you our Install & Construction team will be doing everything they can to ensure the required works are completed for you as quickly as possible.

Oh really? 

If you require confirmation of the work order details, do let me know. 

fair enough, but what useful information will that give? Be honest, will it just say ‘some work needs to be done!’, it will won’t it?

Best wishes

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[BrewsterTV]

Hey @gcath I had the same issue as you. Had to end up going back to Sky as Virgin Media were so incompetent. I now understand why they're cheaper than Sky and competitors. Their backend systems and customer service are obviously not invested in. After a similar situation (Ordered beginning of September for a house move mid October, and then delayed to late November), we cancelled Virgin, and the one call I ever got in that 6 weeks was to ask about our upcoming installation, 6 days after we'd cancelled the contract. 

I'm going to be writing a letter to the CEO as their systems just don't function as they should. I'm going back to much worse internet, because Virgin were so poor in getting their product installed. 

[Matthew_ML]

Hey BrewsterTV, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear about your experience with us.

I understand it is frustrating and I am sorry about that.

Sometimes installs can get delayed due to planning permission and other factors.

If you wish I can help you make a complaint? Please let let me know. Thanks 

[Andrew-G]

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@BrewsterTV wrote:

Hey @gcath I had the same issue as you. Had to end up going back to Sky as Virgin Media were so incompetent. I now understand why they're cheaper than Sky and competitors. Their backend systems and customer service are obviously not invested in. After a similar situation (Ordered beginning of September for a house move mid October, and then delayed to late November), we cancelled Virgin, and the one call I ever got in that 6 weeks was to ask about our upcoming installation, 6 days after we'd cancelled the contract. 

I'm going to be writing a letter to the CEO as their systems just don't function as they should. I'm going back to much worse internet, because Virgin were so poor in getting their product installed. 

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BrewsterTV, have VM paid, or agreed to pay the automatically required compensation of £5.25 a day between the original installation date and the date you cancelled?  And I can save you the cost of a postage stamp and an envelope for the CEO: Don't bother, because VM's senior management are well aware what a fiasco new installs, cable re-pulls and house moves are, because it's been like this for over two years now, and VM have had to pay a fortune in compensation and CISAS case fees.  VM's management really don't care.  A very few people in VM do care (and the forum staff are probably in that small number), but the people who care aren't the ones in charge, and have no influence, no way to work around the broken processes and crap systems.  And that explains why the worst publicly known delay on a new VM installation was over thirteen months.