External Work - New Customer

[ClassicVibes]

Hello,

I have called the customer helpline and tried the live chat but both have failed to solve my query.

I signed up as a new customer for Virgin broadband on March 19th. 

I received a text on April 1st saying external work needed to be done before the installation. I confirmed that this was okay.

Since giving Virgin the green light, this date for the external work keeps getting pushed back an extra day. This has now been happening for two weeks.

I rang the customer service helpline last week and they played it off saying to not worry everything will be sorted by the installation date. I tried the live chat and they just gave me the phone number for customer service.

My installation date (when the engineer is due to visit) is May 1st. This is also when my current BT broadband contract expires. I am extremely worried that I will have no broadband with me and my wife both working from home. I thought that six weeks notice for Virgin would give them plenty of time to get everything in place for the May 1st installation date.

My neighbour recommended me Virgin has he had it installed last year and said installation was a breeze...

[Martin_LM · Accepted solution]

Hi am sorry to hear that. please PRIVATE MESSAGE ME your account number and area number I can check your services and answer any other queries you may have. to PRIVATE MESSAGE me, just hover over my profile picture and click Send Message when the option comes up. Please don't post any personal info in this thread as it's public.

[HarryVMTech]

Hi,

Please send me a PM (Link Below) with your account number and area ref and I'll look into this for you.

I wouldn't worry too much about the external work being pushed back just yet. The externals shouldn't take any longer than hour or two to do.

I've been helping out with pre-works for the past year and we will quite often keep pushing jobs back for new installs that are due more than a week away. This is to focus on anything more urgent, such as existing customers that may have total loss of a service and require a new cable. Especially with the current situation that's been the priority.

[Z92]

If it's anything like my installation you'll still be waiting in a months time so I would strongly suggest you extend your bt contract until at least the external work has been completed. Once you have a cable and a working connection you can cancel your bt. It doesn't hurt for them both to run for the first few weeks especially if you require Internet for work or communication. 

[Sunilm]

Ditto the concerns raised by the above. Organised installation for 31 August and confirmed they could do external work on 3 August.  At 6pm on 28 August they pushed back the installation to 12 September saying that external work hasn’t been done.  Now without internet in new home for 12 days.  Abolutely diabolical service and now I have no guarantee they will actually do the work on time so could still be without internet for weeks to come.  Makes working from home impossible.  Conveniently they sent message at 6pm on a Friday and then close for the weekend so can’t even speak to someone until Monday when it should have been installed!

[EmmaCUno]

I have exactly the same thing happen to me. In fact my neighbour warned me it might happen because they had to wait two months, so had to pay his previous provider extortionate costs to have internet out of contract until Virgin sorted his broadband.

I signed up on the 6th August and having heard this requested a site survey to avoid delays. The engineer agreed I needed external works and said they would raise a job for a man crew to do it on the same day as installation. Low and behold on the day of installation (16 September) external works weren't done an the engineer turned up but couldn't do the installation. I spent hours on the phone to customer services over a two day period to be told that the new installation date would be on the 6th October but received no confirmation when the external works would take place. I persisted and was told on FOUR separate  occasions by customer services or the engineer that turned up on the 16th Sept that the external works would take place "today" for it not to happen. So I imagine that the same thing will happen on installation. It looks like this is a problem affecting many customers so I might have to bring the matter to the attention of Ofcom. I work from home and cannot afford to pay my current provider extortionate out of contract costs for crappy internet.

I'm extremely disappointed and really concerned that lying to people to get them on contract and failing to provide the product, seems to be normal behaviour for Virgin Media and there doesn't appear to be concern on their part or any repursions or interest in trying to rectify the problem. 

Come on Virgin do better, let people know what is going on!!!!! 

[Emma_C]

Hi EmmaCUno, 

I'm really sorry for the delay in your install and for the delay in getting back in touch. 

I can assure you this isn't the level of service we aim to provide and it's disappointing to learn of instances like this. 

I've had a look into this with the details you've used to sign up to the community and it looks as though some work should have been completed today. 

Can you advise if this has been the case or not so we can ensure this is chased up for you?

Thanks. 

[EmmaCUno]

Hi, 

Thanks for getting back to me. No the external works still haven't been carried out. Everytime I check with customer services they says it scheduled for that day and it is never the case. I am doing all the chasing. Basically I'm told the same thing everyday. 

Thanks

Emma

[Chris_W1]

HI Emma, I am sorry to hear that you are having issues with the construction works. Can you confirm if the engineer on the day reported this to the area manager to get the pre pull team out to rectify this? Have you now managed to get this resolved and the external works are complete? If not, please let us know and we will look into this further for you. ^Chris 

[Chandra38]

Just when I thought I was the only unlucky one...

My issue has been on-going since August 2020. 

INCIDENT 1

I have never been a customer of Virgin Media before and my property has never had external cables fitted. I ordered the Big Bundle consisting of TV, Broadband and Landline on 17/08/2020; The order reference number was WS7072682 . I wanted to switch from Sky. On 25/08/2020 and 26/08/2020, I received a text saying that the necessary external cable work had been completed and the installation was due for 21/09/2020. Upon my order and this text confirmation, I had cancelled my subscription with Sky. On 21/09/2020, the engineer visited as scheduled but left abruptly saying that the external cable had in fact not been installed. Virgin apologised and offered that I could cancel the order. I did. 

INCIDENT 2

I renewed Sky TV. Amidst this fiasco, I lost my landline number of more than two decades. 

I naively decided to give Virgin another chance. I ordered broadband and landline only this time via online- order no. WS7181833. I was misinformed again and told that external cables for broadband and landline are not necessary (I have screenshots). The engineer visited my property on 5/10/20 to again say that the external cables has not been fitted! I have been left with no service since 21/9/20. The engineers blame the advisors and the they blame the "sub-contracted" engineers. 

My disappointment is beyond contemplation. My family and I have incurred losses beyond calculation. They know that my wife is medically vulnerable, I work from home and internet and landline  is vital for my home security. All I needed for a simple external cable and installation! It should not have led to this disaster.

At this rate, I will only get my Wifi and landline out of a miracle.