Installation date keeps getting pushed back

[RossJ985]

Hi - I’ve recently moved home and signed up as a new VM broadband customer. I provided three weeks’ notice and was given an installation date of today (20 July), and was told at the time of sign up that any necessary work would be done before then.

Two days ago I received an email saying there had been delays to my installation and given a new date of 31 August. After calling the contact centre, I was able to bring this forward to 1 August, but I struggled to get a specific answer as to the reasons why it had been pushed back in the first place.

I have just received another notification today that the date has been pushed back until 1 September.  A quick search suggest these delays are all too common, but would be helpful to know the particular reasons why, in my specific case, this is happening and what can be done to expedite it (ever the optimist!). I work at home full time so need a connection, and considered three weeks sufficient notice. 

Can anyone provide any guidance or help? At a bit of a loss as to what to do, other than seek to cancel.

[Stephen93]

Don’t cancel your current Broadband provider, keep it until VM is up & running for a month, you could lose your internet connectivity if you cancel your present set up, both can run in tandem, it’s just in case there are any problems with VM

[RossJ985]

Thanks Stephen - unfortunately I already had cancelled my previous home’s provider as when we got a moving date I assumed three weeks would be plenty notice (and the new home couldn’t get FTTP like we had previously, hence the cancellation). But evidently not!

[goslow]

If you read through the many 'delayed installation' topics on here, you will soon realise that the dates VM hands out do not have any basis in facts. The date is not based on any kind of analysis of the work required nor availability of resources etc. They are just future dates which are roughly proportional to the scale of the work envisaged.

Each time a date is bumped forward, the default period from past topics seemed to be in 3 week intervals. If you are being given a date in September then the prospects for a speedy installation may not be too good.

Read through the compensation scheme and current rates

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

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

and keep detailed notes (dates, times, failed visits, failed promises, no-shows etc.) as you go along which will help you claim the correct compensation once you are connected.

Capture a record of 'the date initially confirmed in writing' (para 9 from the OFCOM doc) when VM said it would activate your services. This is when any compensation would start from.

In the meantime you should probably consider what your backup option is going to be while you wait for VM (data SIM, mobile hotspot, extra data to tether to a smartphone etc.)

[Steven_L]

Hey RossJ985,

Welcome to the community and thanks for taking the time to post here on the forums.
I’m sorry to hear of the issues that you’re having with your installation. I would be happy to take a further look into this for you but first I would need to confirm a few details via private message, please look out for my message and we can get started.
Kind Regards,
Steven_L

[RossJ985]

Just to close the loop on this should anyone be searching for a similar topic, now we’re finally up and running! 

Had a complaint raised about the delays via these forums. On-site checks by contractors started on 30 July, followed by the pre-pull on (I think) 21 August.  Following that, I then was asked via text if I wanted to bring activation and installation forward a week - yes please! - which happened on 25 Aug. So not a huge difference from the initial delayed date but small mercies.

I’m not entirely convinced the complaint helped much or expedited things - asking for updates on the complaint via CS was a bit of a lottery, depending on who I spoke to and was often passed about / got cut off.  Perhaps bringing the final date forward a week wouldn’t have happened, but I may never know.

We picked up Now Broadband’s rolling monthly offer to fill the gap in the meantime - not the cheapest way of going about things, but at least gave us something to work with. 

[goslow]

Now you are connected, work out what compensation you are due.

VM should credit your account within 30 days of your service being activated.

The compensation will help offset the cost of the temporary broadband you had to fork out for.

[John_GS]

Hi @RossJ985 

Thanks for coming back to the thread. Great to hear it's all sorted 🙂

I'll send you a PM now to finalise the case.

Best wishes.