Installation delays because of fake permit excuses.

[Megatronman]

I took out a Volt contract with VM for 1.3GB Fibre on 2nd Nov 2022 and was told that an VM engineer was booked for the 28th Nov. Outside contractor was booked for the 9th Nov, they  turned up on 25th Nov and couldn't get fibre to the BT wall box at my home because of an obstruction. 

Pre install team advised outside contractors would be back on the 30th Nov, no show!, rebooked for 1st Dec, no show! rebooked for 2nd Dec, no show!.

Then on 5th Dec I got a text saying my VM engineer appointment was rescheduled to 28th Jan 2023. I contacted the pre install team and was advised that there was an issue with my title deeds, there wasn't!!!, then I was told that a  council permit has been refused to do the outside work???, and that another application has been requested to complete my install and this was the reason for the canx VM engineers and the 3 month delay for VM to provide my services.

On the 6th Dec, I contacted my Council's Roads and Planning Dept and they advised that no permit application had been made or refused and that a permit was not required as no council restrictions were needed for my street or property.

Either the 3rd party contractors are blatantly lying to VM or the Pre install team are deliberately delaying installs because of workloads??

Can VM explaine how this situation exists, especially when you are required to compensate the customer for this delay and as advised by Ofcom compensate starts from the first missed delay in providing the service to the customer  meaning that VM will be paying me from the 9th November 2022 till the 28th January 2023 based on either a lie by 3rd part contractors or a deliberate delay caused VM's pre install team.

I note from the community's forum that many customers are being told they can't get their installations done due to permit delays when permits are and have never been applied for or needed!.

Virgin Media need to investigate this as a matter of urgency.

[Andrew-G]

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@joangray71 wrote:

@jem101

Your elderly Mum reliant in an internet connection? Well from VM’s corporate perspective, well sorry about that, but tough, do one!"

Why don't you go "do one" you nasty tw*t

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joangray71, you're misinterpreting jem101's reply.  He's not taking that view, he's trying to explain how Virgin Media's appalling culture will treat your mum, and how VM's senior management think about customers.  Virgin Media is where customer service came to die, and even that was a long time ago.  The company is not in control of its own contractors, its processes are broken, its customer service agents lack the power or attitude to help.  VM's senior management know this full well, it has been like this for years and they really don't care.  One of the forum VIP contributors had a similar problem last year, and even knowing how things worked, being able to escalate behind the scenes with the forum staff, even involving the CEO's office, having visits from the local area manager, and VM knowing exactly what needed doing, it still took two months to fix, with no service during that time.

In your mum's case, it could be fixed tomorrow.  It could remain broken for another six months.  I'm sorry to offer such a bleak outlook, but we've seen similar problems so many times before.  You might want to speak to Citizens Advice and see if they can offer any ideas on how to escalate matters.

Virgin Media truly is a shameful company.

[jpeg1]

Sadly, this is all true. Virginmedia as a company just don't care. You may find some staff who do, but they are trapped in the same awful system. 

[joangray71]

Thanks for that, I think my brain is just mush right now. I've only been with Virgin for about 2 years and that's after a nightmare time with talktalk so I'm kinda stunned I heard VM was better....ooft!

I think I'll be looking for a new supplier after New year.

[Andrew-G]

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@joangray71 wrote:

Thanks for that, I think my brain is just mush right now. I've only been with Virgin for about 2 years and that's after a nightmare time with talktalk so I'm kinda stunned I heard VM was better....ooft!

I think I'll be looking for a new supplier after New year.

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This may be interesting for the New Year then.  I'm in the process of leaving VM because I don't want to deal with them any more, and I've chosen Aquiss*.  The smaller customer focused ISPs will be more expensive than the pile-em-high and sell-em-cheap outfits, but from your experience with TalkTalk and now VM you know what to expect if going for a heavily marketed large company offer that's based on massive new customer discounts.

It's a real pity - VM have done so much to improve their network technically, and when it works it can be reliable and fast.  But the moment there's anything you need to contact the company for, the experience has a significant risk of being time consuming and deeply unsatisfactory, with technical support particularly poor, and zero interest in taking ownership and resolving complaints.  The staff of this forum (perhaps 50 of them?) are fighting a heroic last ditch stand, trying to make up for the day in day out failures of the thousands of poorly trained, script following offshore mumblers, but there's only so much they can do.

* Install date 23 December...in the current climate of industrial action I'm not holding my breath, but even if delayed, salvation is in sight!

[M_star99]

i would not be surprised soon in 2023 VM get their act together as OFCOM can't ignore the many complaints for years -surely? problem is we only hear about people with problems and there is probably half who never have any issues and have no need to come on this forum.  

[jpeg1]

I'm sure that we don't hear of many people with problems because they aren't aware of this forum, or don't feel confident to ask for help here. 

It's important that we encourage those who have been let down by VM to claim the compensation they are entitled to. Perhaps this might just encourage VM to mend their broken system.

Like others I'll be leaving as soon as there is a viable alternative. I've been told there will be FTTP here by July next year.

[joangray71]

Thanks Andrew-G I unfortunately joined on recommendation from my brother who has been with them for years ie when they were good but he is now about to jump ship.

[Andrew-G]

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@M_star99 wrote:

i would not be surprised soon in 2023 VM get their act together as OFCOM can't ignore the many complaints for years -surely? problem is we only hear about people with problems and there is probably half who never have any issues and have no need to come on this forum.  

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Well, Ofcom have certainly (a) been aware for years of VM's dismal performance from Ofcom's own complaints analysis, and (b) done nothing about it for all those years.  I put that down in very large part to musical chairs amongst the relevant government minister (11 ministers for DCMS since 2010, and those eleven included such well known talent as Jeremy *unt, Matt the **** Hancock, and Mad Nadine Dorries).  VM have had every opportunity to put their house in order of their own free will, and have chosen not to, so I say it isn't happening now, next year or the year after.  

In terms of only hearing about problems, you're right - this is a help forum, only a minority of customers have problems, only a minority of those find their way here.  However, Ofcom do regular analysis, and the most recently available data showed that 23% of VM broadband customers had reason to complain in the previous year.  That's rather a lot.  Especially when customer satisfaction with how VM handle complaints is very low, and a regular feature in Ofcom's complaints commentary.

But that's the thing about customer service - if you don't need to speak to VM, then chances are everything is working well and you'd give the company the thumbs up.  When you do need to speak to them, that's when you find out that they really don't care when things go wrong, encounter their dreadful IVR, appalling circular web or phone menus, unhelpful automated "help", poor quality offshore agents in under-resourced call centres etc.  VM's senior management know how their company performs, but having had a near monopoly in high speed broadband for twenty five years, they've been able to wave two fingers at customer service with few consequences.  With the rapid spread of other high speed internet alternatives, that monopoly is disappearing fast, but like a dinosaur, VM's corporate brain is the size of a walnut, and the nerve impulses that would tell it that it is being attacked and eaten travel so slowly that management are repeatedly distracted by shiney fruit on nearby trees (such as the O2 merger).

There's no guarantee I'll have no problems with new Aquiss connection.  But they're a very small company who focus on customer service, I can contact them by email, webform or phone, and as they are so small there's a good chance the MD will respond directly to me (as he did with a pre-sales enquiry).  VM's CEO on the other hand is so far removed from customers that he probably has no idea what his company are even selling, and thinks he's head honcho at a company making branded groceries.  If broadband is a commodity, and people know and accept VM customer service for what it is, then it can still be a sensible choice for many people.  For me, broadband is a necessity, I want good customer service, and I'm prepared to pay a modest premium for that.

[Natalie_L]

Hi joangray71, 

Thank you for posting to us here on the Community. 

I have checked from our side and can see you have been speaking with my colleague via private message. 

If you do have any further questions or require assistance, please do reach out via private message. 

Thanks, 

[Megatronman]

Just got an official update from Glasgow City Council Roads and Works Department regarding the constant excuses and delays by Virgin Media insting they required council permits before my sevices can be installed. My council advised that the excuse of needing any permits is wrong as they are not required.

My council has confirmed that no council road or street permits are need by Virgin Media or BT or CityFibre, etc as they have Automatic Access Rights to install fibre via a road or street.

There  is a requirement to advise private landlords of any works being carried out, but no permit is required as fibre installers have legislation allowing then to complete any works.

This is covered by UK law:

New Roads Works and Street Works Act 1991      ( revised 2017)

So unless you live in a block of flats on private land, there is 100% zero need for any permits to allow Virgin Media to provide your services.

I am currently in dispute with VM regarding compensation of 106 days without providing my service. I am prepared to move this issue to OFCOM to resolve.

• Do not accept the permit excuse from VM for not completing you install, this is a blatant lie used to deny you compensation for VM' delays.