Construction Work - Endless Delays

[chbell92]

Hi,

I am hoping to find someone that can help me on here as I feel I have exhausted all other potential avenues. I have spent countless hours on the phone to the endless number of Virgin media teams through the customer service number, each of them just passing me off to the next.

We signed up for Virgin Media broadband, phone and TV in the middle of last year and were meant to have our services installed in November. This was delayed due to our house not being ready to 21st December 2022. This appointment was missed as the engineers confirmed there was a blocked channel that required the construction team to clear first. Since this date I have been promised the "third party construction team" would attend on multiple occasions throughout December and January, but they never turn up.

Our installation was supposed to be on the delayed date of 21st January but obviously without the external cables, this did not happen and has again been delayed until 16th February (I'm not holding out too much hope!). I'm told the construction team will "definitely turn up on the 2nd February or before". I've heard this so many times from VM call handlers that I just don't believe a word they say anymore.

I have spoken to Kelly Communications but they claim they do not do the work for VM in my area (Tonbridge TN10) and to ask VM for the company contact details. Virgin refuse to provide me a contact for the "construction team". I have spoken to he local council who confirm that no permits have been applied for since November 2022, nor any future permits until past April 2023, but I understand this will be required to clear the blockage. Therefore I do not believe Virgin are doing anything about my situation and think my case has been lost / forgotten about in the system.

Please could somebody provide me a contact number for the third party contractor supposedly instructed to do the work for us so that I can continue to chase?

Appreciate any help.

Thanks,

Chris

[Andrew-G]

Search this forum for the topic "delayed installation" and read a few of the longer threads they'll tell you everything you need to know.  Then abandon all hope.

[jem101]

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@Andrew-G wrote:

Search this forum for the topic "delayed installation" and read a few of the longer threads they'll tell you everything you need to know.  Then abandon all hope.

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And although the above is perfectly true, you might also want to think about the compensation you are owed of £5.25 per day, the counter for which started on the first promised installation date, ie the November 2022 date.

[Natalie_L]

Hi chbell92, 

Welcome to the Community and thank you for posting. 

I am very sorry to hear of the delays with completing your installation, we will do all we can to help. 

In order to understand what has been happening, I will just need to take a few details via private message so I will pop this over to the purple envelope on the top right of this page now. 

Speak soon, 

[chbell92]

As an update, our install has been delayed AGAIN tonight. I rang the resolutions team to explain that I am speaking with Avonline Networks (managed to find out they are the elusive third party contractor) and am assured the blockages will be cleared tomorrow so no need to move our date from 16th February to 7th March!! I spoke to Dixon who is apparently a "floor manager" in the pre-installation team at Virgin and he was absolutely useless, rude and wouldn't tell me anything other than give us 24/48 hours, the system means we have to push your date back. I've given Virgin months let alone hours so I found this incredible frustrating, just like every other conversation I've had with them on the phone. My complaints go unanswered and every employee just says sorry with no idea how to resolve the issue. Dixon claimed it was the third party contractor requesting the install date change, which I know is a lie as I have email correspondence with them stating they WILL get the work done in time for 16th February!

Why push our date back in advance when there is no need?? I have little hope of ever being set up at this stage given our first date cancelled by Virgin was 21st December!

Must just say, Avonline have been amazing at responding to my emails / calls and getting the issues their end sorted. Virgin could learn from their customer service, that's for sure!

[Gareth_L]

Hello chbell92,

Thanks for your post. Sorry to read about the external work being rescheduled.

I can see that you are currently in a private conversation with a colleague.

Please let us know on here if you have any updates.

Gareth_L

[chbell92]

Hi Gareth,

yes, they have said the same thing every VM employee at the pointless call centre has said.

We have a contract dated July 2022, after lots of delays we had an install date set for 16th February. On 9th February I got a text out the blue saying this had been moved to 7th March. I rang straight back because, having done VMs job in communicating with Avonline myself (as Virgin can’t seem to), I had been guaranteed the pre-pull and blockages would be taken care of on the 10th. When telling this to VM “floor supervisor” Dixon, he could not care less and was incredibly dismissive. Our date was delayed, the cabling was done and what do you know, we can’t get our earlier date back even though if it had been left, it would have been fine!

Virgin have spent a lot of money getting us ready for an install, not to mention the 4 figure sum I’m sure the Ombudsman is going to recommend they owe us. So my question is, why are they still happy to lose a customer by not providing us an engineer to install on the 16th or before? BT, Talktalk, sky can all still install us before Virgin and we’ve been waiting 5 months! Even Virgins area field manager promised us a date before the 16th (I have a video recording of this conversation), so why has this not been followed through on?

Not sure why I’ve bothered to give an update as I’m sure the response will be the same scripted nonsense I get anytime I have a conversation with Virgin.

[Robert_P]

Has there been any update on this since your post? Have you called the Install Team on 0800 052 1734 for an update as to what is happening? 

Rob