Cumbersome Installation Process

[Erskine]

On 18 May I signed up for VM. On 20 May the first of the installation teams arrived to pull the cable to the house and fit the box on my wall. And then the problems started!

First thing on Monday, the 'pullers' were here. But very quickly they told me that there was a blockage and that a crew would need to come out to clear this.

Later that day, someone from VM called to advise me on what and where I could place the equipment in the house - once the instal was complete. He was helpful.

The following day, a second crew arrived to clear the blockage and dug down quite some depth at the side of my house but were unable to do so. They left saying they would return the next day to make another attempt to clear. They did return but could not clear the blockage and suggested that a narrow trench across my lawn would be required and that they would return on the Thursday or Friday - perhaps with the pullers - to lay the cable over the lawn.

On Thursday, a 'construction' team arrived to attempt to clear the blockage and managed this without cutting the lawn. Big thumbs up and almost ready to go. Shortly after this on the Thursday, the first maintenance crew came back to cut the lawn and were pleased to leave knowing it was sorted.

On the Friday, the 'pullers' arrived to instal the cable to the wall of my home. Only then to tell me there was a blockage further down the street and that a 'construction' crew would need to return to clear this.

It is now Wednesday of the following week and there has been no sign of the construction crew and I now have no idea what is happening or if this cable can actually reach my home. Which, btw, is not in anywhere inaccesible.

However, my point in writing this is this - and it should be obvious - why have so many crews with limited capabilities? Surely it makes sense to send out a single team who can do the entire task and cut out this stage by stage creeping installation which leaves the customer feeling this whole thing is a complete lottery? I am becoming increasingly nervous about being cut off from the world come my installation date when my BT contract ends (....or I have to embarrass myself and return to beg them to extend this for a period at a price which will probably be far from reasonable).

Oh and if anyone knows who to call on VM to check where I am in the list for a team to resolve this issue, please let me know.

[jpeg1 · Accepted solution]

This is not unusual. VM employ local contractors to do the outside work, but there is little or no communication with them once they have been given the job.  The best you can do is to phone the VM Installations number 0800 052 1734, but even they often don't know what's going on.

[Erskine]

Many thanks for the number. I'll give that a go and see what I get from them.

[Erskine]

Hmmm, I did call the number and the details given by the call handler seemed to match what happened last week - up to a point. The final attempt to run the cable to the house may have been missing from their updates.

More importantly, I was told that they had been notified by the contractor that the outside work would be finished by today. That would give them 2 houes to get here, clear a blockage and pull the cable through to the house. Needless to say, that is not going to happen.

So, tomorrow I will review where we are here.

[jpeg1]

You'll probably get the same answer tomorrow. 

[goslow]

The date that the VM bod's on the phone give out, confirming your installation is 'today' and 'guaranteed', is nothing more than a 'place-holder' (as explained in the last week on here)

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/No-updates-about-pre-pull-work-installati...

you already seem to have worked out it has no meaning for anything actually happening.

All you can do at this point is keep detailed records of all VM's failures to install along with accompanying evidence such as emails, texts, screenshots etc. This will help ensure you get the correct compensation for the delay if you are eligible

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation

but you may need to go to the ombudsman to get the correct amount due.

[Erskine]

Many thanks, goslow. I think at this stage, I amy see if anything happens tomorrow. If not, then I amy go back to BT and try to negotiate a favourable deal to stick with them. Or see if Sky can supply a service to begin on 6 June.

Neither option suits, but not kmnowing if VM will get its act together to at least clarify if the blockage problem can be resolved, is no use at all.

[Zach_R]

Hi @Erskine,

Thank you for your posts and welcome to our community forums. We're here to help.

I'm sorry to hear that there's been some complications and delays to an installation you've ordered. Has there been any progress since your posts? Do you still need some further assistance?

Thanks,

[Erskine]

Hi @Zach_R

I'm afraid that there was no progress whatsover and no help from the installation team on Virgin. I experienced what @goslow described in the link regarding the advice that work was due to be completed to clear the obstruction on the day I phoned them. But in truth this was nothing more than a way of putting me off.

I have since cancelled my order for VM as I have lost confidence in them. It seemed that if I did not cancel and find another provider, I would be left without broadband and my landline. As I mentioned, this was completely unacceptable since I do not have a mobile phone and, although I had not previously mentioned this, have a vulnerable mother in law who is housebound and we are contacts should she have any further falls or accidents at home. So, with less than a week to go, I made alternate arrangements today.

I really must make this point. Communication and honesty are essential when dealing with customers here. Simply keeping them in the dark and expecting them to accept this is unacceptable. Furthermore, I live in a short cul-de-sac of around 2 properties. So far no one has installed VM, but I do know that several were watching and speaking to me abolut this work in the expectation that they too may give VM a try (our area does not have another source of fast broadband). Unfortunately, with the blockage still uncleared, none of the street will be able to proceed had they wished to do so. Maybe there are more issue to be considered than a single customer when it comes to instal costs.

[_wibble_]

"The best you can do is to phone the VM Installations number 0800 052 1734, but even they often don't know what's going on"

Can confirm.  Installation team knows very little.