Installation delayed with contradicting information from engineer and customer service.

[12numnis]

Hi,

Our installation was supposed to take place on the 7th of December 2021. An engineering team came to the property on the 2nd of December 2021 and suggested that we did not have the cable port and would need the cable pulling team to complete the installation. Our installation was hence cancelled on the day itself and was rescheduled to the 8th of January 2022, because the cable pulling team was unable to attend to the property before the 7th of December.

When the cable pulling team showed up on the 9th of December, they surveyed the property and found the cable port. The engineers did some minor ground work in our shed and informed me that the port in has been completed and installation should be able to take place. The engineers also asked me to contact customer service, because of the previous engineers error.

However, when I contacted customer service to convey the information from the second engineering team, the customer service told me that they did not receive any information that the port in was completed. I was asked to call back in a few days. This said, when I called back two days later, I was informed that a cable further down the road was damaged. Hence, the status on my account was not updated. The cable would need to be fix before installation can take place. I was then given a date on the first week on January 2021, but the date kept being postponed when I checked my account everyday. It's now the 7th of January and the status remain unresolved. As such, I have a feeling that the installation will again be cancelled on the 8th of January.

We're currently on a rolling mobile broadband, while waiting for VM to complete the installation. This is not ideal, especially when the both of us have to work from home. However, we're unable to sign up with a provider unless we can withdraw our contract agreement with VM. I have read on the community forum that the delay can take up to 3 months to resolve, which is not acceptable. It would be great is a proper update was provided about the time frame of the whole engineering work required, leading to the installation.

[-tony-]

i think the longest delay is just heading for a year so despair not!

but on a serious note you can sign up with another provider - your contract with VM does not start until the connection goes live - the best advice is just let it happen - if you cancel before they [finally] install it all work is likely to be cancelled so if you decided on VM at a later date you are back to square one

if and when they do connect you you have 14 days to cancel at no cost

[Lee_R]

Hi @12numnis thanks for posting and welcome to our community.

I am sorry to hear of the extended delay in your installation and the lack of updates you've received. I would love to take a closer look on your behalf.  I am going to send you a private message,

Regards

Lee_R

[12numnis]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your comment about the cancellation.

Indeed, the installation has once again been delayed because the field team has not completed the cabling work. A pre installation schedule has been reissued, but the date was once again moved. At this rate, we might really be waiting for half a year.

[Kez1]

I wouldn't hold your breath if I was you. 

I've been waiting since October 2021 with several failed external works "dates" rolling week by week. 

Kier and VM are the worst service partnership I have ever encountered.

Customer service at VM just provide false guarantees... horrible customer care. Their east-Asian pre install call centres are clueless, I had more concern from a first line CS rep who was more helpful in the first 5 mins of speaking to them. Shame they didn't have the authority to progress it further.

[12numnis]

Hi,

Yes, our date kept rolling and I’m still waiting to hear back from the field team. The agent that we spoke to was surprised that no one have gotten back to us about it.

So far, the only proper response that we have received was from the technician and his manager who showed up at our place, only to discovered that the cable was pulled half way and not to the cable box.

I have given them another two weeks to give us an update, or we will just cancel the contract and go with a separate provider because this is taking us too long and costing us unnecessary expenses.

[Kath_F]

Hi 12numnis, 

Thanks for coming back to us on this one.

I can see that Lee is chasing this within private message for you so I will leave this in his capable hands. If you have further queries, you can message these directly to Lee while he is looking in to thing for you. 

Thanks, 

[jem101]

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@12numnis wrote:

Hi,

Snip….

I have given them another two weeks to give us an update, or we will just cancel the contract and go with a separate provider …snip

---

No, no, no do not cancel the contact (actually there isn’t any contract until it’s all setup and activated), but do work on the assumption that it’s not going to happen anytime this decade and find an alternative supplier.

Now if VM do decide that you are worthy of giving them money each month and get the cable connected, you can then cancel immediately (or at least within the 14 day cooling off period) at no cost to yourselves, safe in the knowledge that a) the cable is all there and working if you decide to join VM in the future, or b) have a chuckle to yourself that this has cost VM a not inconsiderable sum of money for which they will get nothing back - and hence restore a degree of order to the Universe!

[David_Bn]

Good Morning @12numnis, can you please provide us with an update on this matter?

Have we been able to contact you in regards to the install and provide a suitable explanation as to where we're at with the install?

Kindest regards,

David_Bn

[12numnis]

Hi,

After no update from the team about the pending cabling work, our order was automatically cancelled by Virgin Media on the 18th of January.

I called the customer service team to ask about the automatic cancellation, but the agent was quick to blame us for the issue, citing that they tried to contact us, but in reality, no one have come back to us about an update. I would not have known our order was cancelled if I did not check the account.

The last time I spoken to a member of the team, before our order was cancelled, she said her job was solely to book a technician visit. I informed her that we need an update on when the cabling will be completed, because technician have come and go as they cannot install the equipment if the cable have no signal. As usual, a note was left on the account and I was told someone will come back to me. This tread is evident on how long we have been waiting for someone from the field team to come back to us.

Nonetheless, this back and forth delay is becoming unaccepted and I’m glad VM decided I’m not worthy of the business and cancelled our order. I have went with another provider who will be connecting our service next week.