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Help please to progress pre-install

johng6
Tuning in

I signed up to VM as a new broadband customer on 20 Sept and was given an installation date of 6 October.

This was not met – I was told because an access point needs to be created outside my property.

Since then several further scheduled dates have passed with no work being done and online chats have promised me work that has not happened.

I opened a complaint on 17 October to which I have had no response. When I called on 23 October to speak to the pre-installation team and to escalate the complaint I was told that someone would contact me that day. I am still waiting.

Today another scheduled “Service request” has (almost) passed with no sign of any progress either in the road, at my property or with my complaint.

I am getting increasingly worried that if I cannot make progress soon my current supplier’s contract will end and I will be forced to sign up to a further contract.

Any help and advice on how best I can get someone at Virgin Media to progress this would be much appreciated.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

goslow
Alessandro Volta

Check out the terms with your current supplier as to what happens when your contracted period ends. Many will just turn into a rolling 30-day contract but find out the specifics from your current supplier.

As for getting your VM service installed, it is doubtful you will get any straight and reliable answer from anyone in VM. They seem to be in something of a muddle as regards installing new cables to properties at the moment. Check out this forum and you will find multiple topics all from people with the same issue of long delays and missed appointments, some last months and months.

Ideally, keep your existing service going if you can and overlap with VM whenever VM does actually get installed and end your existing provision only when you are happy that VM is up and running as you want and expect it to work. Might cost you a month of paying for two services but avoids the situation of your existing provider ceasing and VM installation issues causing you a long delay with no broadband.

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29 REPLIES 29

goslow
Alessandro Volta

Check out the terms with your current supplier as to what happens when your contracted period ends. Many will just turn into a rolling 30-day contract but find out the specifics from your current supplier.

As for getting your VM service installed, it is doubtful you will get any straight and reliable answer from anyone in VM. They seem to be in something of a muddle as regards installing new cables to properties at the moment. Check out this forum and you will find multiple topics all from people with the same issue of long delays and missed appointments, some last months and months.

Ideally, keep your existing service going if you can and overlap with VM whenever VM does actually get installed and end your existing provision only when you are happy that VM is up and running as you want and expect it to work. Might cost you a month of paying for two services but avoids the situation of your existing provider ceasing and VM installation issues causing you a long delay with no broadband.

@johng6 the advice above from @goslow is very good, absolutely do not assume that the VM installation will happen at the times and dates they tell you, indeed there are stories on here of installations simply being cancelled entirely on economic grounds. As you are not a VM customer until and unless you get a service and start paying for it, then any grounds for complaints or compensation are really shaky.

 As to why this is, I have no idea other than my belief that the VM installations are all being coordinated by reincarnations of Laurel and Hardy - a theory which, admittedly, doesn’t have wide acceptance by my fellow VIPs but does explain quite a lot!

Assume that your VM installation won’t happen until, let’s say late January, can you cope without internet connectivity, can you get a 4G dongle or similar for your PC, ideally can you get a rolling monthly extension on your existing supplier?

If push comes to shove, sign up for another year (or whatever) with your existing supplier, if and when VM extract digit and get you connected up, you have a 14 day cooling off period in which you can simply cancel without penalty - but at least you will know that all the infrastructure is in place should you wish to subscribe in the future.

John

Zach_R
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi @johng6,

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

I am so sorry to hear that you're facing some delays and complications to the installation of your services with us. I completely understand that it's very inconvenient, but we would do all that we can to get you up and running ASAP. Delays can occur for a number of reasons beyond our control, including obtaining the necessary permits from third parties.

When did you last speak with the pre-installation team and what did they advise you? You can get a hold of them on 0800 052 1734.

Thanks,
 


Zach - Forum Team
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Hi Zach and thanks for replying.

As per my original post, I called on 23 October to speak to the pre-installation team and to escalate the complaint and I was told that someone would contact me that day. I am still waiting.

They gave me no information other than confirming my latest pre-install and install dates as 2nd and 10th November. Nothing happened on 2nd but yesterday a Kier team (who had been previously to do the same work on 1st October) arrived but were unable to do anything as there is still no access point outside my property. They had no idea why this has still not be done. It is possible that a road closure will be required but in my minor road my water company were recently able to arrange this in 1 week so why Virgin Media / Kier who have known what is needed for over 5 weeks now have still not been able to organise this is beyond me.

Thanks

Hi johng6

 

Thanks for coming back to us. I have mailed the field team in charge of your complaint and asked them to contact you asap to discuss the install.

 

Apologies again for the delay.

 

Best,

John_GS
Forum Team


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Thank you, John_GS

Unfortunately your email to the field team appears to have been ignored. I have had no contact from VM other than to confirm that another installation date has been missed and once again my scheduled dates have been put back for 2 weeks. Meanwhile the last update on my complaint from 10 days ago claims "We're looking into your issue. You'll hear from us soon." Would be amusing if it wasn't so annoying...

Thanks

John

jpeg1
Alessandro Volta

Unfortunately this is a very common situation, as there seems to be little or no communication between the various bodies involved.

Please do take the advice above to continue your present broadband service until the Virgin connection is working satisfactorily.  In the meantime take ALL promised dates as being merely estimates.

- jpeg1
My name is NOT Alessandro. That's just a tag Virginmedia sticks on some contributors. Please ignore it.

Hi @johng6

 

It's not been ignored I can assure you.

 

It's with the correct team and they'll contact you asap when they have further information regarding the case.

 

Best,

John_GS
Forum Team


Need a helpful hand to show you how to make a payment? Check out our guide - How to pay my Virgin Media bill


@John_GS wrote:

Hi @johng6

 

It's not been ignored I can assure you.

 

It's with the correct team and they'll contact you asap when they have further information regarding the case.

 

Best,


I can’t help wondering if there is any meaningful difference between ‘it’s been ignored’ and ‘’yes we’ve seen it but can’t be bothered to get back to the customer with even an acknowledgement that it’s being looked at’?

It’s been ignored, hasn’t it?