In October a virgin field representative signed us up for super fast 500mbs fibre broadband. On the recommendation of the sales advisor we cancelled our broadband with Sky so there would be no overlap in charges for our internet, we were reassured us there would be no problem with the installation.
Scheduled for the 6th November, we were looking forward to our super fast broadband being installed. However, less than 48 hours prior to installation, and just as Sky had turned off our services, we receive a call at 4:35pm saying our broadband had been postponed till the 22nd November. We contacted Sky to ask if we could delay our turn off and we’re told it was too short notice as it was later than 3pm. Naturally, we complained as my partner works from home due to COVID restrictions and this would affect his day-to-day employment as he had no other means of internet access.
Before the 22nd November, I had rang the pre-install team 5 different times and each time they have told me a different story as to why we’re being delayed. They have all said that there is no notes on our account and that we haven’t yet been made a priority. They have all then reassured me that they will put a note on my account and make us priority only for me to ring again and then say the same thing. I have spoken to a senior lead at the pre-install team and she has given me the exact same speech and I have still got nowhere. I have never experienced customer service this bad.
After the numerous calls to the customer services team, on the 19th November we received another call to tell us that our installation date had been moved to the 4th December. We were told that this was due to a blockage with regards to the external work and that you required permission from our local authority (Wigan council) to complete the work.
Because Virgin use a third-party to complete the external work and the sheer lack of experience throughout the pre-installations team, I decided to contact the sales representative who sold us the broadband to ask if he could speed up the process and to get our installation moved forward. He contacted the Field Area Manager who informed us that the pre-pull would be completed on the 24th November.
Sure enough, on the 24th the pre-pull was completed and confirmed later via an email from the Field Area Manager.
Over the following days we chased for an update to ensure that everything would be ready for the 4th December installation date with no response from field representative. I rang the pre-installation team again and was reassured that everything was definitely going to go ahead on the 4th December as all the blockages and work outside the bounds of our property has been completed.
On 3rd December more work had been done on the pavement outside of our property and we believed we were on track to have everything completed on the 4th December. I however came home to find the manhole still open from what I can only assume is a pathetic effort to fix our external work (even though it was supposed to have already been completed) and rope left hanging out across the pavement. We live near a school and many children walk past our house, not to mention a lady who drives past on a mobility scooter each day. Surely this is a health and safety hazard?
At 18:40 on the 3rd December, we receive a call to inform us that the installation cannot be completed until the 22nd December. How is this acceptable? How is a company as big as Virgin offering such disgraceful and unacceptable customer service.
We have currently been without broadband for 29 days. Virgin are expecting us to wait for another 18 days. Resulting in a total of 47 days without broadband IF it is installed on the 22nd December. My partner is having to utilise the local library to work, the security cameras on our property are not working because they need to connect to wifi and we have smart heating that we can’t use properly. Every single one of Virgin’s employees that we have spoken to couldn’t care less…’we completely understand Miss Smith’ is just a compete cop out and doesn’t resolve the issue at all.
The only reason I haven’t cancelled is because of the speeds Virgin offers compared to their competitors in our area.
I am hoping that if I raise this issue beyond the incompetence of the customer service team that something will be resolved within a decent timescale.
I have absolutely no faith that we are going to have our broadband installed before Christmas. I hope that you can provide a better response than your customer services team and resolve this issue.
