Continually cancelling installation date

[DarrenSuckling]

The initial installation date was 1st April 2023, it's now 22nd Aug 2023 and have had 6 installation dates cancelled due to external work not being completed. Whenever I call to check the external work has been completed before the scheduled installation date I am told that the work is being completed today (convenient), this is then followed a couple of hours later with a installation cancellation email and a rescheduled date. Under your compensation package I am now owed over £950 (if the next installation date actually goes ahead). 

I have tried to make a complaint and spoke to the Customer Service Manager on duty who told me I couldn't make a complaint as Virgin Media were not currently giving me the service I have signed a contract for! The service (or non-service) offered by Virgin Media has been appalling.

[goslow]

Sadly it's a case of 'business-as-usual' in the bungling world of VM's cable installation processes. Your situation is reported over and over again on here in similar topics.

The way the cable installation work has been set up and sub-contracted seems to mean that VM has little/no control over how/when the installations take place.

As a result of this, VM people you speak to on the phone are doing nothing more than reading an automatically-generated date on the screen in front of them. They have obviously been told to say that they 'guarantee' the next installation date will happen as this word keeps appearing over and over again when customers complain in topics on here.

You should be able to make a complaint about the delay but, in reality, it is unlikely to change anything about how/when/if your installation happens. The VM forum team on here may offer to log that for you or you could put it in writing to VM

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/complaints

A long delay, as you have described, usually goes beyond VM's general bungling and there may be some specific reason (typically cost-related or related to access/wayleave issues).

You should keep accurate records as you go along of all dealings with VM (dates, times, emails, texts etc.) which record all of VM's failures in a timeline fashion.

You won't receive any compensation until you are connected/activated, or you decide to cancel, or until VM eventually gives up on the idea of installing for you and cancels the job. That does happen in topics on here and often the customer only finds out about the cancellation by chance.

[Daniel_Et]

Hi @DarrenSuckling, thank you for your post and welcome to the Virgin Media Community.

We're really sorry to hear about the poor experience you've had and that you feel this way 😔

What's the latest information you've been provided in terms of when the installation will be carried out?

Advice on how to make a complaint can be found here. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to do that. 

Please pop back to us at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
Daniel

[DarrenSuckling]

Hi Daniel, 

Since I posted this yesterday I have received a text to bring forward my installation date. Fingers crossed it actually happens this time!

Darren

[sacon14]

I had the exact same issue, 6 installation dates were canceled. First, when I signed up for the 25th of May 2023, it eventually got installed on the 4th of August. This is not my primary residence, so had to make travel arrangements to be there to facilitate the installation. Each install required me to be there in person and they be over 18. There was never any mention of ground works, but it has since transpired that that was the hold up.

After spending a day on whatApp with them they gave me a number for the preinstallation team. After spending 2 hours on to them they informed me that the computer said I was not entitled to automatic compensation. They said that the building management company had held up the groundwork. That is not true and this is a fully detached house on land owned by me. No shared areas.

I then made a complaint, I was informed that I was not going to be charged for the period that the broadband was not installed, and that's my compensation. I wasn't aware that it was legal to be charged for a service I had yet to receive!

The complaint was closed via email stating complete lies about groundwork attempts and delays outside Virgin Medias control.

I'm assuming they are taking this stance as there are so many installation delays, it's cheaper to deny automatic compensation that have an Ofcom dispute.

Are they within their rights to deny me compensation because their subcontractor delayed the install?

[DarrenSuckling]

For what it's worth, I made sure they put a not on record every time I spoke to them that the compensation will be honoured once the installation finally happens. I do expect an argument though but I'm ready for it. 

[Arissa_H]

Hi Sacon14 👋🏼.

Thank you for posting and welcoming you back onto our community forum 😊.

Sorry for the misunderstanding and we want to look into this and get it resolved.

I will be private messaging you to look into the compensation and see what is going on. 

Please look our for the envelope ✉.

Thank you. 

[DarrenSuckling]

Surprise, surprise! Another installation screwed up! After being promised that all external works had finally been completed and the installation could be carried out today (30th Aug) the engineer arrived, took one look and said there has been no external work carried out. This is beyond a joke and shows the complete incompetence of Virgin Media. Original installation date of 1st April 2023, 5 months later and still nothing!  

[Sabrina_B]

Hi @DarrenSuckling 👋.

Thanks for reaching out us. Apologies you are having issues with your installation.  We can certainly assist you, we would need to bring you in for a private message to discuss this and resolve. 

Please look out for the envelope on the top right of your web browser or if you are using a mobile device, it will be located under your profile icon.

Thanks.

Sabrina

[spell]

It is VM that is having the issues. Darren Suckling may yet have some to come in ensuring he gets his full entitlement to compensation - ensure the keeping of a full evidence log for the required complaints procedure in the knowledge it will be a waste of time before application to the Ombudsmen - good luck with it.