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NLS106 · ‎08-01-2023

Wondering if anyone can help please with some installation issues we’re having.

The external part of our fibre optic cable was installed mid December.

On Sat 31st of Dec an engineer came to do the internal installation. He said at that time on testing the cable, that it was damaged. He said that he could go ahead and do his side of things but that it made more sense to wait until the external cable was repaired. He said that we’d be contacted to book in both parts at another date as soon as poss.

We’ve been given Sat the 14th as our new date. Talking to customer services today reveals that this is simply for another internal installation and that there is no record of the external cable being damaged so consequently nobody is coming to repair the external cable. We don’t seem to be able to contact anyone who can book this in or do anything to sort the problem.

We’ve been without internet for a few weeks now as we didn’t anticipate problems. We were also assured we’d be sent a dongle but found out today that we didn’t actually qualify and this was cancelled - but no one informed us of this, we just found out by calling up and asking when the dongle never arrived.

Could anyone help please? I’m worried that we won’t have internet for a long time to come. Thank you

jem101 · ‎08-01-2023

@NLS106 wrote:
Wondering if anyone can help please with some installation issues we’re having.

The external part of our fibre optic cable was installed mid December.

On Sat 31st of Dec an engineer came to do the internal installation. He said at that time on testing the cable, that it was damaged. He said that he could go ahead and do his side of things but that it made more sense to wait until the external cable was repaired. He said that we’d be contacted to book in both parts at another date as soon as poss.

We’ve been given Sat the 14th as our new date. Talking to customer services today reveals that this is simply for another internal installation and that there is no record of the external cable being damaged so consequently nobody is coming to repair the external cable. We don’t seem to be able to contact anyone who can book this in or do anything to sort the problem.

We’ve been without internet for a few weeks now as we didn’t anticipate problems. We were also assured we’d be sent a dongle but found out today that we didn’t actually qualify and this was cancelled - but no one informed us of this, we just found out by calling up and asking when the dongle never arrived.

Could anyone help please? I’m worried that we won’t have internet for a long time to come. Thank you

And you are entirely right to be worried, although there is some good news and bad news, plus yet another example of VM’s fundamentally broken systems.

Firstly the bad news, the record (as far as reported) delay in getting connected up between the initial date and it actually happening is a tad over 13 MONTHS, so really, prepare yourself.

Now the good news, well good’ish, is that you are entitled to compensation of some £8.35 for each day past 31st (and including that date) until they get you connected up and working. In addition, I would argue that you are also entitled to £26 or so, for the ‘missed’ appointment on 31st, yes technically someone did turn up, but couldn’t provide the service, the compensation being to recompense you for (unnecessarily) staying in for, ultimately, no reason, when I’m sure, you had better things to do.

Now the cable may or may not be faulty, it is just possible that the original tech might have, well, wanted to get away early, it being New Year’s Eve, so, possibly might have ~~lied about~~ exaggerated any issues, but of course, just speculation! It doesn’t look as if they reported the cable as being faulty, or possibly they did and VM’s systems are too incompetent and broken to deal with that - you know it’s not a good advertisement for VM’s professionalism either way, is it?

Now moving on to ‘the dongle’, did they, by any chance, say why you weren’t entitled to it? Sorry, no of course they didn’t, because they made it up, on the spot, or outright lied to you, whichever you prefer! Now there have been one or two stories on here of customers in a similar situation actually being sent a dongle, but they are outweighed by those reporting a similar story to you.

No dongle was ever ordered for you, the original CS person simply made that up to get you off the phone, the second one simply lied to, well, also make something up to get you off the phone!

And, naturally, if a member of the VM forum team cares to contribute and give an alternative, reasonable, and entirely plausible explanation as to why the poster was promised something, then told they weren’t entitled to it, then I would be more than happy to withdraw my comments about CS staff ‘making stuff up on the fly’ - you’re not going to, are you?

Anyhow, let 14th come and go and see what happens. IF, a tech turns up and connects you up and it is all working, then fine*. Otherwise, do post back on here and we can advise on how to proceed and deal with VM’s obviously broken system.

* And you are still entitled to compensation from the original 31st install date - so post back on here regardless.

John

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jem101 · ‎08-01-2023