Installation date delayed for the 3rd time...now at risk of no internet

[AlexC8019]

My installation has been delayed yet again, it was scheduled for 24th March, then 10th April, then 26th April and now 11th May.

Each time the reason cited is due to work needed outside the property - this is correct, however there have been 3 phases to this - a initial visit to survey, then a delay, then another visit to survey where the same information was given (3 weeks between those visits), then a further delay. The issue was getting the fibre line to the house which consisted of uncovering the existing duct (I did this in the end), putting a string line through, then a visit by the team with the fibre didn't have the length so needed the line to be 'blown' through by a different team, in the meantime I have had the grey junction box installed by another team with the small black ducting but no fibre line in it.

The common denominator in all these visits was they were all completely unannounced - hence if we are not in the work cannot be completed (junction box is inside the garage)

If my install date remains as-is, then I'll have to pay BT for another months Broadband as I have cancelled my contract and it terminates May 5th (I gave myself 1 month 'float'). To say I'm unhappy is an understatement, how hard is it to schedule a visit for the install works...one phone call 😡 Is it always like this with Virgin media? If so maybe I'll just cancel and get BT Fibre.

[Client62]

VM are very poor at managing customer expectations regarding the dates for go live of a new service.

If there are any cabling snags at the beginning all bets are off as to how many weeks / months it may take to establish a connection.

With that in mind, be sure to retain the existing ISP arrangements until after the VM service is live and had been operational for enough time to be quite sure it is working satisfactorily.

If you are transferring a BT phone to VM that must remain active until it is ported to VM - failing to follow this approach puts the number at risk of loss.

[-tony- · Accepted solution]

on a positive note you should be due a fiver and a bit a day from the 1st install date - keep records for when they try to tell you it cannot be paid for all sorts of reasons - only genuine one is council permit permissions but thats usually only a couple of days although VM will do their best to argue its 6 weeks which is BS

other tried excuses are it needed a 2 man team and we only sent 1 man - tough pay up and get on with it

the 1st date was provisional - does not wash - provisional or not thats when the clock starts ticking

[AlexC8019]

Thanks for the replies. I just got off the phone with the pre-installations team and raised the issue that due to my current contract expiry on 5th May (I had built in a bit of float as I naively didn't expect more than a month delay) I will have to renew / change the date my current BT service is terminating and I was offered £40 as a maximum credit to my account....this is less than half what my now out of contact BT month is. The copper broadband I currently have is very poor / unreliable hence my switch...

So is it correct that if my installation is 50days after the initial date they will credit 50x£5.83 to the account once running? At least that would cover my temporary plans.

My issue was the duct to the house was cemented inside the garage, the subsequent plan was supposed to be to dig up my drive and access it via that, in the end I uncovered the duct myself (and by chance intercepted them when they arrived unannounced to dig!) but obviously now the termination is inside the garage (grey Virgin box is already installed) so access is needed. Apparently they turned up in the 3 hours I wasn't in yesterday and made a note on the file that there was nobody home but why do they not just ring ahead if they know its access dependant....infuriating!

[-tony-]

your choice but the £40 off is BS - they are trying it on - you are entitled to the daily rate - as and when its installed - so if you choose then refuse it and wait to go to arbitration which will cost you nothing and VM a few hundred on top of what they pay you - also add a £100 or so for the lies and rubbish up to when you go to arbitration

[Lee_R]

Hi @AlexC8019 thanks for posting and welcome back to our community.

Sorry to hear of the ongoing delay in getting your services installed and for any inconvenience this may be causing your household. I would like to take a closer look on your behalf. I am going to send you a private message. Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right of your screen.

Regards

Lee_R