Virgin Media Community

[Sarahfm83]

I have spent nearly £200 on temporary internet waiting for VM to connect me. I raised complaint after complaint that they resolve with out speaking to me or contacting me.

they told me to cancel my installation so they could escalate my complaint and then as is suspected “nothing” they don’t care.

I’ve raised a case with the ombudsman but as I am not a customer and officially never was, I might not get anywhere.

I just want all my money back and to be compensated for the over 10hours I’ve spent on the phone, the days I spent crying on the phone to VM and how I spent over an hour on my birthday on the phone.

im thinking small claims is my only way forward now.

has anyone actually done this? 

[goslow]

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@Sarahfm83 wrote:

I have spent nearly £200 on temporary internet waiting for VM to connect me. I raised complaint after complaint that they resolve with out speaking to me or contacting me.

they told me to cancel my installation so they could escalate my complaint and then as is suspected “nothing” they don’t care.

I’ve raised a case with the ombudsman but as I am not a customer and officially never was, I might not get anywhere.

I just want all my money back and to be compensated for the over 10hours I’ve spent on the phone, the days I spent crying on the phone to VM and how I spent over an hour on my birthday on the phone.

im thinking small claims is my only way forward now.

has anyone actually done this? 

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Your first route is via Ombudsman Services (who took on adjudication for VM from Jan 2023) first of all. It was CISAS before that.

You would be eligible for compensation in line with OFCOM's scheme for a delayed installation (minimum requirements document is below and updated rates to the document)

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

and

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/automat...

Compensation would be considered for the time you were waiting up to the point where you cancelled.

If VM told you you had to cancel the installation in order to complain, or escalate to arbitration, that was seriously incorrect information which would have put you at a significant disadvantage. You could have made a complaint to VM while still letting any compensation claim run. By cancelling the installation, any compensation due has been limited to only from the first installation/activation date offered by VM up to the point where you cancelled.

AIUI, the small claims route would expect you to have used the available mediation routes first. Seek advice from CAB on the details of your case in regards to taking a small claims route

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/small-claims/

[Steven_L · Accepted solution]

Hey Sarahfm83,

Welcome to the community and thanks for taking the time to post, I'm really sorry that you haven't joined under better circumstances and for all of the issues that you've had trying to get services from Virgin Media. 

I would be happy to take a further look into this for you but first I would need to confirm a few details via private message, please look out for my message and we can get started.
Kind Regards,
Steven_L
 

[-tony-]

the first thing to take on board is that VM have no obligation to connect you even if their services are in your area - they can refuse on many grounds so i doubt a court action would get you anywhere

that said if they gave you an install date that they did not keep then you are due compensation of a fiver and a bit a day up to the date you are actually installed - the advice on here is never cancel and collect the compensation

its not clear if you actually cancelled and the advice to to be able to raise a complaint - which by the way would have had no effect what so ever on the install process is wrong from VM - you could have raised a complaint but as said would have been pointless

not sure what your options are now - if you did cancel then you are still entitled to compensation from the 1st install date given to the date they accepted your cancellation - if you have in fact not cancelled then the compensation is still running]

a call to the arbitrator - OFCOM and or citizens advice would be a good next move

as to getting your £200 back thats non going to happen unless its under the OFCOM compensation scheme - VM are not going to give you a good will payment - they dont do good will in the same way they dont do CS

if you have cancelled theres nothing stopping you going through the process of claiming the compensation you are owed and at the same time re ordering VM which is likely to follow the course you have been down - if you do re order take it as a work in progress - leave it to run its course - get an installation date which will likely be missed and add up the fiver a day compensation and leave it at that just forget it until it happens

you can do that even if you decide VM is the pits and go somewhere else - if and when the do install cancel with no cost to you and if its past the original install date screw them for all you can get

the last part depends if you are up for the fight/fun

[Sarahfm83]

Yes I am unsure how to private message

[nodrogd]

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@Sarahfm83 wrote:

Yes I am unsure how to private message

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If you are logged in you will see a purple envelope in the top right of this page. Click on this to access the board's Private Messaging system.

[-tony-]

look at the top right for an envelope - it should have a '1' next to it if you have got a pm

from all that goes on on here via pm and what is then reported start with no expectation of an outcome/help/resolution and you will not be disappointed