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Incorrectly identified as unserviceable

Tj-hughes
Joining in

Hello all, I hope that by posting here someone will be able to point me in the right direction for some support.

I placed an order for M500 Broadband on 27/12/21 for my property which has never been serviced by Virgin Media before.

We have had the cable contractor ‘Avonline’ attend on 8 separate occasions to install the cable from the junction box in the pavement, but have always failed to do so because there has never been a disc cutter available (a small 1-2 inch track needed to be cut to run the cable up the drive).

When they finally arrived to complete the work, they advised they couldn’t complete the job until I had a signed way-leaves agreement between me and my neighbours. We have the burden of a shared driveway between our property and a neighbour each side.

Our relationship with the neighbour to our left has deteriorated over the 10 months we have lived here and as a result they were being very difficult regarding where the 2 inch track could be cut. In the interest of keeping them happy we asked Avonline to install the cable as far to the fence line as possible to avoid confrontation. This meant that the junction box would need to be relocated approx 2 meters - something which the Construction told me would be too expensive this rendering us unserviceable.

All of the above makes complete sense except for the following….

We found our original title deeds and restrictive covenants from 1985 which ourselves and our two neighbours are legally bound by and the second paragraph states that we have; QUOTE:

“The free and uninterrupted right of connection to and of passage and running of water and soil gas electricity and other services into and through the service installations now constructed or to be constructed in or under the adjoining neighbouring land comprised”

This means that our original understanding of requiring our neighbours consent is now null and void and we have the legal right to connect so long as we do it with minimal damage and and damage is made good to an satisfactory standard.

This also means that Avonline no longer need to move the junction box and we no longer need to try and make our neighbour happy. They can disc cut up the (unmade) driveway thus making the house now ‘serviceable’.

I spent 3 hours on the phone yesterday explaining the events over and over as I was cold transferred from department to department. Construction told me they had accidentally closed the account as they intended to send an auditor to verify my documents and proceed with the work.

Unfortunately as my house has been deemed as unserviceable my account cannot be reopened.

Construction and Avonline have confirmed the work can be completed if the junction box stays in its current place. I now have the legal documents which give me authority to instruct the work to be completed without objection.

Could someone please tell me what I need to do to get my address deemed serviceable so that I can get internet to my property.

Thank you.

11 REPLIES 11

Christy_D
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Good morning, 

Many thanks for your post. 

This is something I can certainly take a look into to see if we can do anything further to assist you. 

I'll pop over a private message as I'll need to take some details so we can check this over. 

Thanks,

Christy


Here to help! I'm a technician helping out whilst working from home. Find out more


Tj-hughes
Joining in

Despite having my address now changed back to serviceable, we have had to endure 2 further appointments where Avonline have turned up without the tools to do the job.

The latest engineer turned up and explained all he has is a lump hammer and a shovel and couldn’t complete the job.

Could you please add a note to our account to advise that they require a disc cutter. This is now appointment number 12 where they have turned up not tooled to do the job. 

This is making things extremely difficult given the ongoing situation with the neighbours. 

The next appointment is for internal works, which you won’t be able to complete which will result in you paying me another £25 for cancelling and £5 a day thereafter again. 

It can’t be this hard, surely? 

 

 

 

-tony-
Alessandro Volta

its not hard in the real world or when people talk to each other to form a workable plan BUT this is VM and subcontractors and maybe another level of subcontractor non of who talk to each other - anything outside the norm and you are seeing the result - so expect more visits like those gone before

thinking sideways can you do the work to cut the groove or get someone to do it - i assume they would want to put the cable in the green sleeve - thats about 25 to 30mm dia so a groove a bit wider than that and as deep as you want would do the job and then no excuse - well not that one to get the cable installed

 

____________________

Tony.
Sacked VIP

Hi @Tj-hughes,

Thank you for your update on this. I am so sorry to hear that these installation complications and delays are ongoing for you.

Have the team advised to you of a date scheduled for further work to go ahead to complete this? To discuss the matter further, I'd recommend reaching out to our pre-installation team on 0800 052 1734 who'll be able to assist further.

Please let us know how it goes and keep us in the loop with this.


Thanks,
 


Zach - Forum Team
New around here? To find out more about the Community Forums, take a look at our FAQs!


Hello Zach

The app updates daily with new dates that come and go with nobody turning up.

Latest appointment is for internal works on Monday. I can’t wait for the next £25 I’ll be awarded for you unable to complete the works.

I’d rather jump on an upturned plug bare foot than waste any more time explaining myself to the pre installations team. They do not listen and when faced with a difficult query like mine they transfer me to another department.

My original order was placed on 27th December and due to the length of time this has taken, I have to complete a hard credit search every 30 days.

This installation is now having affecting my credit score, with the hard searches and my mental health by repeating myself over and over again.

Will a complaint to your CEO prompt a better response?

-tony-
Alessandro Volta

@Tj-hughes wrote:

Hello Zach

The app updates daily with new dates that come and go with nobody turning up.

Latest appointment is for internal works on Monday. I can’t wait for the next £25 I’ll be awarded for you unable to complete the works.

I’d rather jump on an upturned plug bare foot than waste any more time explaining myself to the pre installations team. They do not listen and when faced with a difficult query like mine they transfer me to another department.

My original order was placed on 27th December and due to the length of time this has taken, I have to complete a hard credit search every 30 days.

This installation is now having affecting my credit score, with the hard searches and my mental health by repeating myself over and over again.

Will a complaint to your CEO prompt a better response?


from my experience last year - dont ask its boring getting the Exec team on the case resulted in better communication by phone and email [yes email!] but no improvement in the time to get the job done - thats controlled by the contractors who are mostly worse than one step off of useless until you get one team who really wants to sort it - the rest and i had quite a few come - looked - explained in detail what they were going to do and who would be in touch then got back in their van and were off like F1 drivers

sit back and take their money - if it adds up to a reasonable amount insist its paid by cheque not added as credit to your account

____________________

Tony.
Sacked VIP

Good Afternoon @Tj-hughes, and I'm sorry to hear of the issues with the installation

I'd like to see if I can assist you further, check out the purple envelope in the top right hand corner for a private message from me

Kindest regards,

David_Bn

David, I’ve replied to your PM.

Thank you.

Tj-hughes
Joining in

Despite warning Virgin Media the pre-installation works were incomplete, the engineer still attended to complete the internal works. 

Avonline have installed cable and left it coiled up in the pit approx. 15 meters from our house. 

The attending engineer advised that according to his system, Avonline have marked the job as 'COMPLETE'.

Is there no point of contact for Avonline? This is beyond a joke.