Installation date "postponed", no other info given

[AntVM]

My installation date was due to be tomorrow, August 12th. A survey was carried out, I was shown where the cable ran across the road leading to my property, and I was told the cable pull to the house would be done before the 12th. I called to find out when it was happening and was told the cable pull would happen last Monday. I called a couple of times on Monday and was told it would definitely happen before 8pm. As the surveyor had said the front wall would need to be drilled through and the front lawn would need a channel dug in it, and the cable would have to pass under my rockery, I was keen to be there when it happened. But no-one turned up. I then received a phone call on Thursday saying the installation had been postponed and that they'd be doing a new survey as a matter of urgency. 

I've heard nothing since, and when I track the order all the dates have disappeared. I do have an account number though, and I do have the original order confirmation that also confirmed the installation date. 

I'm new to Virgin Media. Based on other people's experience, what do you think is likely to happen next? When I phone up there seem to be language problems; the call centre staff don't seem to understand me and give me unreliable information that seems designed to get me off the line as quickly as possible (when I'm not cut off). The messaging service on their app is useless; it asks for information then loops. 

I'm really disappointed. I'd been told VM can be pretty appalling, but the order process went really well, the apps look sleek and the surveyor turned up on time and seemed very knowledgeable. 

I hope the desperate phone calls to my current phone line/ broadband supplier means I won't lose their service tomorrow. And I hope I'm eligible for compensation from VM, given I'm now on a rolling monthly contract from my current supplier that costs a fortune. 

Any thoughts or advice are welcome. Do I just sit back and let nature take its course, or should I be chasing this up? I'd really like the service so if it does finally get installed is it worth the wait?

[Ryan_N]

Thank you for letting us know AntVM. 

In terms of the letter you've received today as of the outcome which they advised they would be crediting £50 to your account, is there any further information on the letter which points you towards what the next steps are if you're unhappy with that? 

Cheers. 

[AntVM]

Yes,there was a number to call. Based on all my experiences to date of long holds followed by hangups, I wanted to try a different method. Every hour lost trying  to contact Virgin is obviously a cost to me, even if I do manage to speak to someone; they tend to know nothing about the delay compensation and the 30-60 minute call will have been a waste of my time.

However I did just spend 35 minutes on a call, and was told that Virgin have decided not to pay the compensation they previously confirmed several times was definitely due to me, in my specific case. 

Of course I'm not totally surprised, but I wouldn't have hung on so long (over 80 days) from the original installation date if I'd known the company was so utterly devious. 

[Gareth_L]

Hi AntVM

What steps are you going to take next then? 

When you called was a deadlock letter advised at all

If so, once you receive this you will be able to escalate this

Gareth_L

[AntVM]

Thank you. Yes, a deadlock letter was suggested. I then made a counteroffer, saying I'd accept 50% less than the £400 or so that I'm owed, as a gesture of goodwill. A short while later I received a call saying they wouldn't pay that, so I asked for the deadlock letter to be sent. 

Their refusal to pay goes against everything I've read in their compensation guidelines. I was definitely given a confirmed installation date, and the install finally took place 81 days later. 

They told me that Ofcom may not have written the guidelines correctly, which is why they won't pay out. But I took the guidelines from Virgin Media's own website. https://www.virginmedia.com/help/automatic-compensation

So if it requires clarification, I suppose the best way to do that and make it clearer for myself and other customers is to let the courts decide. 

[AntVM]

Does anyone know how long it takes to receive the deadlock letter?

[Rachael_F · Accepted solution]

Hi AntVM,

We'd usually expect this to be with you within a week of it being processed.

Thanks,

Rachael