Install date cancelled and rescheduled 3 times over 2 months due to 'extra work required'

[Tamps]

Hello!

Looking for a bit of advice as to whether this is needs escalating or not.

My area has recently been cabled via telegraph pole. I signed up for Ultimate Volt bundle on the 28th of August.

My original install date was booked for the 9th of September. I've since had 3 reschedule notifications on the 9th of Sept, 30th of Sept and 22 of Oct due to needing 'extra work outside'.

Whilst this is slightly annoying, I'm happy to wait if that's what's required. I'm just a bit baffled that my next door neighbour, who must have signed up with VM around the same time as me, already had their cable installed back in September (I saw the engineers running a new line to the house from the VM box on the telegraph pole over my garden).

I have previously contacted VM to check that all is okay and I was told that extra work was required, but couldn't get any detail of what exactly it entailed.

So, I'm wondering if somethings gone wrong somewhere or if I should just keep sitting tight? Anything I can do to check either way?

[Jonny-M]

Yes, unfortunately the attitude taken by the teams that run offshore contact centres is that the priority is to tell the customer positive things and to be very polite, as opposed to actually providing relevant assistance or even information that reflects reality.

[Tamps]

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@Jonny-M wrote:

Yes, unfortunately the attitude taken by the teams that run offshore contact centres is that the priority is to tell the customer positive things and to be very polite, as opposed to actually providing relevant assistance or even information that reflects reality.

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Yeah, it really does make things worse and reduces the level of trust to zero. I suspect there's some peverse incetives going on here where this behaviour is encouraged or rewarded.

[Tamps]

I'm currently on-hold to the pre-installations number (0800 052 1734) to see if I can get any detail about the external work that's holding up my in-house install. Not holding out much hope, but it's worth a try!

I also remembered that I had a VM contact from when they were initially flyer-ing my area to announce that VM services were coming. So I've emailed him this morning on the extreme long shot that he has some sort of local knowledge about the cable rollout and what might be causing the delay.

[Tamps]

So, 30 minutes on hold but finally got through to someone. That someone couldn't tell me anything about my pre-install work (which was baffling as this was the preinstall number I rang) so I was transferred to someone else. 10 minutes more wait on hold. Then as I was going through the security questions I was cut off. Excellent. 👌

[Andrew-G]

And you still want to pay money to VM?

[Tamps]

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@Andrew-G wrote:

And you still want to pay money to VM?

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It's a fair question. I'm as yet undecided. At this point, I can pretty much ride this process out because it's not costing me anything other than whatever personal time I choose to sink in it.

[archercj]

My daughter takes the keys to her first house on Monday and I suggested virgin broadband. She works from home so needs a connection. 4 week lead time for installation.

Really!

Well you've lost her business. 

[Matthew_ML]

Hey Tamps, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry you are struggling to find out when your install is happening. 

I am going to send you a PM so we can get to the bottom of this.

Please do look out for the purple envelope. Thanks 

[Tamps]

Update time!

A Virgin Engineer appeared at my property on Saturday as scheduled. Here's how that conversation went...

Engineer: "Hi! I've come to do your in-house install. Has cable been run to the property?"
Me : "Hello! Nope, no cable to the property."
Engineer: "Oh, has nobody been out?"
Me: "Nope, the install date just keeps getting moved backward. My neighbours house had their external line done in early September, but nobody appeared to do mine and no one can tell me why."
Engineer: "Hmm.. this appointment should have been rescheduled if the external work wasn't finished"
Me: "I know. To be honest, I'm as surprised as you are to see you here."
Engineer: "Well, I'm afraid I won't be able to do your install today. You're going to need the sub-contractor to run the cable to your property first from the telegraph pole. Have you spoken to customer services?"
Me: <slightly manic laughter> "Unfortunately customer services have absolutely no idea about sub-contractor work or just tell me whatever I want to hear. So I've pretty much given up chasing."
Engineer: ".... uhhh... well you'll be entitled to compensation."
Me: "Ho ho! I know."

So, not sure I'm any further forward with this. My in-house install date has yet to be rescheduled and my 'pull-through' date is scheduled for the 3rd of December, although we all know at this point that it means little in practice.

I got a text message earlier today informing me that someone will contact me in the next 24 hours about my installation, so that might be interesting.

I'm getting pretty close to the point at which I can take my complaint to external adjudication, so that's probably the next step unless a Christmas miracle happens. 🎅🎄

[Chris_W1]

Hi Tamps, thanks for thanks for the message. 

I am sorry to hear that there is a delay to your service and that a prepull is needed.

When this done on the 3rd of September we will be then able to install the service. 

We would book the next available install once the works have been completed. 

Kind regards, Chris.