Virgin Media Community

[slimcharles42]

Here's the full story:

• I contacted Virgin Media before Christmas to let them know we'd be moving house in the new year. The website confirmed that our current Broadband service was available in the new property, so an installation date was booked for 7th Jan.
• Engineer came over on 7th Jan (yesterday) and discovered that our property is in fact not set up for Broadband, and construction work needs to be done outside before installation can happen. The engineer said that this should be done fairly quickly, and she can probably return in a couple of days.
• This morning I received an email saying installation now wouldn't be able to take place until 21st January, leaving us without internet for 2 weeks. 
• I tried calling Virgin Media this morning, and after being passed around a few departments I was told that the outside construction work would be taking place today, but that the earliest install date was still 21st Jan.  
• I aksed what could be done over the next 2 weeks to resolve the fact we won't have internet - I work from home, so I need an internet connection. One thing I was told is that I could get sent a Dongle to use in the meantime, but that it would cost me £35. To compensate for this, I was advised that I'd be given £50 credit on the account. 
• I asked for email confirmation of the £50 credit (and of the construction work being done today) but was put back on hold. They then hung up on me. A 45 minute call with no solution.

So what can be done here? What help/support can Virgin Media offer to ensure we have some kind of internet connection over the next couple of weeks. 

To be clear, the issues that I want to resolve: 

• confirmation of when construction work outside the property will be carried out
• an earlier installation date (2 weeks does not seem reasonable, especially after the engineer yesterday said she could return in a couple of days)
• failing that, some kind of temporary internet solution. My understanding is that BT offer customers a 4G box that can be used in the interim in situations like this.

Any help would be much appreciated. 

[slimcharles42]

Update: I've spent another hour on the phone, being passed through mutliple departments (speaking to 4 different people) and was hung up on once again with no solution. How do I cancel my Virgin Media contract? This is not acceptable. 

[goslow]

Regrettably you have to phone in to cancel, or write in

https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/the-legal-stuff/terms-and-conditions-for-fibre-optic-services-pre-o...

You've fallen victim to VM's broken processes for installing cables which are causing huge delays and problems for some unlucky customers. If you read through this 'Quick Start' forum you will see many similar topics.

[jbrennand]

Cancel if you want - but the other option is....

___________________________

Dont bother. Let them play their games and let the installation play out. Do nothing. You pay nothing (£0) until a VM connection is installed and activated. And even from then (if it gets that far) you have 14 days in which to cancel - again with no costs. Or keep it if you like it in those 14 days.

Whilst waiting........

Can you connect to OR,Sky, BT etc - or a 4G/5G service - perhaps on a 30-day contract? Three & Smarty have a well priced 30day 4G packages. If so, do it now and just let the VM install run its course. You will pay nothing until VM's service is installed and operational. When it finally happens, you have 14 days in which to cancel it at no cost to yourself and keep the other service. Or, if VM is working to your satisfaction, keep it and cancel the other service (hence better if you took a 30-day contract).

Also... see John’s excellent precis in message 18 of this thread

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Multiple-Failed-Installations-zero-commun...

[Zach_R]

Hi @slimcharles42,
 

Thank you for your posts and welcome to our community forums. We're here to help.

I'm very sorry to hear that you're facing some issues with your installation. I assure you that we'd be doing all that we can to ensure your services are installed ASAP. It's in no benefit to us to push it back unless it was necessary to do so, and a lot of the time the set backs are based upon obtaining the necessary permits.

It would be best to contact our pre-installation team on 0800 052 1734 for any updates and information on your installation, and they can advise further from there for you.

Thanks,
 

[slimcharles42]

Thanks for your message Zach. 

The outside work was completed today by Kier. I tried to call the pre-installation team but they told me they were still unable to get an engineer to install broadband until 21st Jan.  

I had a 40 minute conversation with the same person (Gary in pre-installation) to try and get me transferred through to the customer care department but he refused to transfer me through, just kept telling me about the £30 compensation he was adding to the account (a downgrade on the £50 offered the other day). I said I didn't care about the compensation, it doesn't help me (as mentioned, I work from home and no access to internet is creating serious issues for me). I also asked for a recording of the phone call and made a Freedom of Information request - again, he kept deflecting and would not escalate my complaint or transfer me to another team. Eventually he hung up on me. 

I have since made a complaint online but God knows how long that will take to respond to. 

Now that the outside work has been done, I am hoping there other providers I can contact in order to try going with someone else. My Virgin Media contract ends in April or May anyway - given the issues I've faced then I'd like to think I can cancel early at no cost. Someone in this thread had already advised taking out a 30 day contract with someone else, so I'll be looking into that. 

I'm amazed that VM don't provide customers with any kind of temporary solution when there are delays in getting internet installed (delays that are entirely VM's fault). I'm still paying for your services, yet you are doing nothing to help me. 

[Paul_DN]

Hi slimcharles42,

Thank you for reaching back out and for the update, we are sorry for the inconvenience the delay has caused, regarding you advising you were paying for a service you aren't receiving, you won't get a bill until you have an active service with us?

Regards

Paul.

[slimcharles42]

My Direct Debit for Virgin Media came out on 6th January, the day that my services were (for some reason) disconnected at the property I was living in. The next day, I moved house. So yes, I am paying for a service I'm not receiving. 

I am also waiting for a response to the formal complaint I raised - C-1301221183

I'm afraid your apologies are beside the point, and do nothing to resolve this issue and the monetary impact that having no internet for 2 weeks is having on my work. So I will ask again - what can you do to help me resolve this? 

[Alex_RM]

Hi slimcharles42,

If you've moved, this was most likely a payment from the old account for charges before the account closed.

So I can take a closer look at your complaint I've popped you over a private message to get a few more details from you (purple envelope, top right hand corner)

Alex_Rm