Complaint - goodwill payment offered

[bakhshi84]

So I asked for automatic compensation and have been told, hilariously, that this is not due as the installation was scheduled for a 2 man rather than 1. The actual installation was done by 1 person, before that they did a survey and concluded there was a blockage etc and couldn't install for like 3 months. The value of automatic comp is about £300. Apart from this I was promised £110 credit, I have asked for £500 for stress and I was promised the Asian Mela package for half price.

Instead I have been given a FINAL offer of £200 lmao. I obviously rejected this and will now be sent a deadlock letter. Anyone else come across this reasoning?

[Andrew-G]

Yep, we've heard exactly that same claim from VM before, and other equally laughable efforts.  You're right to reject it, get the deadlock letter and take it to the ombudsman. 

In an ideal world you'd additionally be able to report VM's wilful, deliberate non-compliance with the automatic compensation scheme to a competent regulator, and that body would give VM an expensive kicking.  Unfortunately all we've got is Ofcom, and they are a useless shower of ****, so you can report VM, but nothing will be done.

[bakhshi84]

I mean I'm just gobsmacked considering I spent about 2 hours on the phone previously to the agent dealing with the complaint who confirmed VM don't take the position various things... half price Asian Mela, £110 credit, double speed, an Xbox (which has been promised to me now)...weren't promised to me as this is reflected in the call logs.

The £500 I understand as that is discretionary, but the above alone is more than £200 even without the automatic compensation.

[jpeg1]

Only accept the compensation as cash, paid to you now.

Don't accept the half price service, as you'll find that will end in 18 months or less. Don't accept it as an Xbox, you can choose better yourself how to spend the money. Don't accept it as extra speed that will be worthless to you. 

You are entitled to the full compensation calculated in the one and only correct formula, plus a sum for reasonable distress and inconvenience. Personally I'd add an hourly rate for the time I'd wasted holding on the phone waiting for them to tell me lies. 

[jem101]

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@jpeg1 wrote:

Only accept the compensation as cash, paid to you now.

Snip…

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Well, not cash but as a cheque, yes I know, how quaint, the 1980’s have just called and want to know how VM are getting on with using the latest procedures and technology!

But I digress jpeg1 is absolutely right, you want the compensation in your bank account, not VM’s; not as ‘credit’, which is technically equivalent to you giving them an interest free loan, or a ‘free’ speed upgrade (which costs them effectively nothing). The free X-Box, whatever, yeah, good luck in that ever actually turning up, etc.

[bakhshi84]

Yeah I'm now thinking the £500 for the stress caused is not enough. I made like 100 calls pre-installation and several as part of this complaint. Can I revise the figure at the adjudicator phase or should I lodge a new complaint with the existing complaint number referenced to say I actually want more?

[Andrew-G]

If you've already lodged the complaint with the adjudicator I don't think you can revise your requested resolution unless new facts arise.  If on the other hand you've asked VM for £x, and you're now about to raise the matter with adjudicator then it's entirely acceptable indeed normal to have a requested resolution that's above the value that you might have settled for if VM handled your complaint competently.

Bear in mind that the adjudicator operates to rules, the more detail you can provide the better.  From complex or long running matters you may need to complaint by letter in order to get all the facts in (online you'll probably find there's something like a 2,000 character word limit on the complaint box).  Important factors involve any personal circumstances of vulnerability, of stress and anxiety, of agents lying to you, of agents being rude to you, of failure to deal with the matter despite multiple contacts from the customer, of inconvenience or costs to you, and that you've been measured and appropriate in your dealings with the company and followed their processes and any instructions.