External Work

[CeeG]

So I originally ordered Virgin Media Broadband on the 8th of August. They told me that some external work would be carried out and it would be finally set up on the 26th.

the 26th came and so did a Virgin employee who was ready to install the box.

He said that the external work on the property had not been done and that when he called them they said that there was an issue with incorrect cable length. well why didnt anyone sort that and come back?

I called Virgin almost every day for 5 days with somebody telling me "I personally promise they are coming tomorrow"

A lie each and every time.

Then on the 7th of September (A month later) they said that the exteral work had now been started and it would take 4-6weeks!! well we are 4 weeks in and when i last messaged on the Whatsapp group they said it would happen on the "2st" I took it as meaning 1st or 2nd and we are now on the 4th and I havent seen any sign of anything happening.

After being on hold for 25minutes + with virgin and going through several people I have previously found out that although my work order has a due date noone is actually assigned to the job? 

could someone please sort this out!!!? 

[goslow]

Prospects for a speedy resolution may not be that great. Read through similar topics on here (there are a lot of them) to get a feel for the general pattern of failure that takes place involving VM and its cabling sub-contractors.

Keep good records (esp. any written evidence) of the dates/times etc. Especially important is a written record of the first installation/activation date of 26 Aug you were given when the VM tech turned up to install the kit. This is the date that you will be entitled to receive compensation from @ £5.25 per day

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

plus £26.24 if VM don’t turn up on the promised day of an appointment (subject to the T&Cs).

Usual advice on here is to look into a temporary means of connection on a monthly rolling basis (if you don't have one) such as a mobile/hotspot connection or a rolling monthly contract with an Openreach provider if you can find such a thing.

[Zoie_P]

Hi CeeG, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to forums 🙂 

I am sorry to hear you have been having issues with your install. 

I can see form our systems you have spoken to our team since your post.

Have you been gine any answers?

Zoie

[CeeG]

Hi Zoie, I have spoken with them and they told me they have planned work for the 14th. I remain hopeful but I do not know what do do if they do not complete any work.

Is there anything you can see on your end?

[jbrennand]

Whilst waiting just look at this old post and links on the same issue.
_______________________________________________

The current VM installation process is badly managed when things aren’t straightforward and cable re-pulls are needed. Just let the installation play out. Do nothing. You will pay nothing (£0) until a VM connection is actually installed and activated. And even from then (if it gets that far) you have 14 days in which to cancel - again with no costs. Or keep it if you like it after those 14 days

In the meantime, can you connect to OR, Sky, BT etc - or to a 4G/5G service - perhaps on a 30-day contract? Three recently had a 30-day 4G unlimited package for ~£20 - as do Smarty - and other networks. If so, do it now and just let the VM install run its course. As said, you will pay nothing until VM's service is installed and operational. When it finally happens, you have 14 days in which to cancel it at no cost to yourself and keep the other service. Or, if VM is working to your satisfaction, keep it and cancel the other service (hence better if you took a 30-day contract).

FYI - Re. VM’s recent installation issues - see John’s excellent précis of the situation in message 18 here…

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Multiple-Failed-Installations-zero-commun...

And then re. install compensation - see the Ofcom rules….

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

And Tony’s excellent advice in message 7 here….

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Join-the-club-FAILED-INTERNET-INSTALLATIO...

And an example of >£1300 “bill credit” upon connection.

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showpost.php?p=36130259&postcount=1

And, a successful Compo outcome see message 29 …

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Help-please-to-progress-pre-install/td-p/...

[John_GS]

Morning CeeG

Thanks for coming back to us.

I am sorry it's not been sorted yet. It looks like the job has not got anyone assigned yet so what i have done is emailed the team to get this assigned to a field engineer and this will be completed ready for install.

Kind regards,

[CeeG]

Hi John, this is really disappointing, on the 5th of October I spoke with a member of the customer service team who assured me there was someone assigned to the job. This is now the second time this has happened. 

Could you please let me know what to expect next?

When can the work be completed and how can I find out that someone is assigned to the job.

Thanks

Cee

[jem101]

---

@CeeG wrote:

…. Snip

how can I find out that someone is assigned to the job.

Thanks

Cee

---

I’m afraid, you can’t and I don’t believe that VM can find that out either. All of this work is outsourced to external contractors and subcontractors who will do it if and when they get around to it. When you call customer services, they are not actually deliberately lying, they are just reporting what it says on their screen, and it appears that VM’s system work on the basis of ‘it should be done today’ and when that day ends and nobody has logged that the job has actually been done, the system just moves the scheduled date on by one day - rinse and repeat! Which is why often you will call and be ‘promised’ it will be done today because that’s what the system says.

It also seems that VM have no direct control or oversight of what the contractors are doing, so customer services, the forum team here and VM’s senior management quite literally DO NOT KNOW when the work will be done or what the holdup is.

The one thing that is supposedly under their control is what they say the first promised installation date (late August?) is and that is why they are required to pay compensation to you for each and every day past this date. No if’s or but’s, no,’ oh it’s only a provisional date’, ‘it’s the local council’s fault’. VM are assumed to have done due diligence and not offered a date which they don’t know can be honoured - but if they do (in your case) and it doesn’t happen, not your fault, they have to pay up!

Now how long might it take? Current record is 13 MONTHS, but that is probably a bit extreme, but for you it could well be some time. So as advised and mentioned above, what alternatives do you have? Can you get a monthly rolling 4/5 G mobile broadband contract with whoever has the best signal in your area?

The forum team here will, I guarantee, do their best, but their hands are as much tied as yours - they might well know the right people to email and ask what it going on, but they have no more power to get a sensible or definite response than you do and certainly can’t force the issue.

John

[Matthew_ML]

Hey CeeG, thank you for reaching out, I am going to send you a PM so we can look into this.

Please can you look out for the purple envelope. Thanks 

[newcustabc1 · Accepted solution]

Good luck.

Please report back on the success of your private message.

I tried the same and they told me that a complaint had been raised and that I would hear in 3-5 days.

That was in August, still nothing.

At least with messaging you don't spend half an hour on hold only to be hung up on. 

That happens a lot.

At least you will win some badges in the forum in the meantime.

That will surely make up for all the lies that you are told .