Been trying to get an installation team for 3 months - what do I do now?

[cedar01]

Hi all, I'm in need of some help as I have no idea how this is legal or what to do next.

I am essentially forced into using VM as they are the only company offering speeds above 10mbps in our area.

VM have been attempting to send Kelly Communications to our property to do an exterior/underground cabling job for 3 months now and it is just drawing blank every time. They simply never attend the appointments, apart from the one time they sat in a van for a minute and drove off. VM keep sending the wrong person too, they've sent the pre-check person out twice now, who has also agreed that the entire situation is ridiculous. There seems to be some serious miscommunication between the two companies, and every time a failed appointment happens there's another two week wait till they can send someone (who simply won't turn up). I tried reaching out to Kelly directly however that didn't help.

I'm just wondering now what are my next steps, all I want is an internet connection, I really feel like it shouldn't be this difficult considering my next door neighbour has an active VM line. Customer services are pretty much useless and just follow the same formula and wording each time and nothing is achieved.

Should I complain to Ofcom? Is there anyone in specific I should speak to to hurry things up?

Thanks.

[jbrennand]

See this...
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The current VM installation process is badly managed when things aren’t straightforward and cable re-pulls are needed. So dont bother chasing it. Just let the installation play out. Do nothing. You will pay nothing (£0) until a VM connection is actually installed and activated. And even from then (if it gets that far) you have 14 days in which to cancel - again with no costs. Or keep it if you like it after those 14 days

In the meantime, can you connect to OR, Sky, BT etc - or to a 4G/5G service - perhaps on a 30-day contract? Three recently had a 30-day 4G unlimited package for ~£20. If so, do it now and just let the VM install run its course. As said, you will pay nothing until VM's service is installed and operational. When it finally happens, you have 14 days in which to cancel it at no cost to yourself and keep the other service. Or, if VM is working to your satisfaction, keep it and cancel the other service (hence better if you took a 30-day contract).

______________________________________________________________________
FYI - Re. VM’s recent installation issues - see John’s excellent précis of the situation in message 18 here…

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Multiple-Failed-Installations-zero-commun...

And then re. install compensation - see Tony’s excellent advice in message 7 here….

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Join-the-club-FAILED-INTERNET-INSTALLATIO...

And an example of >£1300 “bill credit” upon connection.

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showpost.php?p=36130259&postcount=1

And, a successful Compo outcome see message 29 …

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Help-please-to-progress-pre-install/td-p/...

[Andrew-G]

A further thought is that VM owe you £5.25 per day from an original installation date until the first of the following happens:

1) VM complete the installation and you have working broadband

2) You tire of waiting and the VM customer service and cancel the installation yourself

3) VM decide that for their own reasons they don't want to connect you, in which case the compensation continues until they issue a formal "Cease Notice" stating that they won't pay any more compensation, but even in that case the amount you're owed is from the original installation date to the date of the Cease Notice plus 30 days.

Full details here, in particular the pdf guidance document at the bottom of that page.  With three months of delays you're already due the fat end of £500.  This will be paid as a credit to your account if you allow the installation to go ahead and remain a customer after the cooling off period.  Note that there are no excuses available to the company unless you yourself have acted in a way to delay or prevent the installation occurring.  All other possible causes of delay are down to the company to manage before making installation commitments that it cannot keep  Whilst in some cases the company apply the automatic compensation exactly as per the rules, in some cases (particularly when a customer cancels a delayed install) there have been documented cases of VM trying to weasel out of these binding obligations.  If you end up in that situation then the way forward is to raise a formal written complaint with VM, wait for that to be fobbed off, reject the resolution and ask for a deadlock letter, and with the deadlock letter head over to the industry complaints adjudicator.

[Paul_DN]

Hi cedar01,

Thank you for reaching out to us in our community and welcome, really sorry to hear you have been trying to get your services installed for 3 Months now however haven been able to get any information or a fixed date when it will be done, so I can reach out to the area field managers and try to get some answers for you I will send you an invite into a private chat, once received please click on the purple envelope to accept.

Regards

Paul.

[cedar01]

Thank you all for your replies and information. It is now November and no progress has been made, as expected. Kelly were scheduled to do some cable pulls and such however nobody turned up and nothing ever ended up happening. The only reason I even bother is because of the fact that I may get the entire 18 month contract for free now due to the compounding compensation. Just quite painful as we have G.Network FTTP in the street however cannot use their services as the landlord is rejecting their light cabling request.

[Alex_RM]

Hi cedar01,

Sorry to hear you're still waiting on this.

I've emailed my colleague who helped with this previously to chase it up with the area managers 🙂

Alex_Rm

[Jonny-M]

Out of interest, why is the landlord happy to have Virgin Media install a new cable from the street, but not for G.Network to do the same?

[cedar01]

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@Jonny-M wrote:

Out of interest, why is the landlord happy to have Virgin Media install a new cable from the street, but not for G.Network to do the same?

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Not sure. Virgin Media have been here for years and years, my next door neighbour has been with them since forever (yet we still can’t).

The housing assoc wouldn’t let G.Network for whatever reason, despite them having a line right outside my door. Nobody on the street can or is allowed, they’re a new arrival. Big waste of money digging up the street.

Now they did say they’d let Community Fibre into the homes once they come next year. Very odd, not sure why. Maybe they did some dodgy deal together, it’s not the best housing assoc.

[cedar01]

Just another update. And no, as PaulDN/AlexRM claimed, no area manager was contacted or they certainly didn't contact me or follow up anything anyway.

It is almost December now, and no progress has been made. I only post now to showcase how useless Virgin Media/Kelly Communications are and how tragically inept their entire system is. If you are reading this and your property requires additional works, just drop it and go with another provider as the months of hassle aren't worth it. I am now fully expecting VM to drop my order within a month or two as it will probably prove far too 'difficult' or long for them, despite my next door terraced neighbour having VM service.

Just to reiterate, this contract started in July/August and it is now almost December.

My only purpose now in following up on this instead of cancelling it all is to drain them of as much money through contractor works/installation as I can. A drop in the ocean but hey I did my part.

Neither of my official complaints to VM/Kelly have been responded to or even acknowledged after a week.

On the other hand, I can't wait for Community Fibre to arrive on our street next year. Thankfully their installation and cabling process will take a few days max as it did in our previous property, not 6 months 🙂.  Their pricing is considerably better. The technology they use and the routers they give are also all much better so that means the upload speeds you get aren't the same you got with your copper line in 2006, as with VM!

[cedar01 · Accepted solution]

Final update.

The inevitable call came today. Virgin Media have given up and decided that it was 'too expensive' to connect me and have terminated my contract, despite my next door neighbour having VM and there being a VM cable with my door number on it in the cabinet on the estate. No compensation or anything like that for half a year of stress and chasing up Virgin Media.

To anyone reading this in a similar situation, I advise you to cut your contract if VM remotely indicate that the work won't be extremely easy, I also advise you to go with a more reputable and serious broadband company, such as the recent fibre startups that are connecting properties across the countries.