Join the club - FAILED INTERNET INSTALLATION AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

[Jonny_gillett]

Virgin media - now on its 4th attempt at installation despite recording NO DROP CABLE on the first visit.

First visit 15th May, 

21st May - 25th May - 6th June - 

I HAVE RAISED A FORMAL COMPLAINT - I have sat waiting for hours on the telephone.  I cannot work at home without the internet.  I cannot believe the POOR quality of service virgin media is offering.  Despite visiting the property 4 times - with 4 separate technicians.  I have messages saying that todays install will be 100% assurance that it works. 

And SURPRISE SURPRISE - the same outcome - NO INTERNET

What do I have to do to resolve this... Do I need to speak to Richard Branson directly.

an utter joke.  

[jbrennand · Accepted solution]

Branson has nothing to do with VM. The parent company is Liberty Global who pay to licence the name.

Re. installations see this....
______________________

The current VM installation process is badly managed when things aren’t straightforward and cable re-pulls are needed. So dont bother chasing it. Just let the installation play out. Do nothing. You will pay nothing (£0) until a VM connection is actually 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 after those 14 days

In the meantime, can you connect to OR, Sky, BT etc - or to a 4G/5G service - perhaps on a 30-day contract? Three have a 30day 4G unlimited package for ~£20. If so, do it now and just let the VM install run its course. As said, 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).

FYI - Re. VM’s recent installation issues - see John’s excellent précis of the situation in message 18 here…

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

[Jonny_gillett]

Thanks John - so summary is VIRGIN MEDIA is utterly useless - has farmed out its installation and is not managing it.

[jbrennand]

TBF.... until recently the install process was pretty straight forward and worked fine - but post pandemic it seems to have gone pear-shaped - ( I wont speculate on reasons why!). Although only for a small percentage of installs - most still happen ok. It's just that the few that dont ... seem to get stuck in this Kafka-esq, merry-go-round loop that you cannot get off - with no individual at VM able to take control of all the processes and tie them together.

A VM person will comment on your install when they get here - usually in a day or two.

[Jonny_gillett]

Meanwhile I can no longer work from home and it costs me money...

Meanwhile my wife works from home on a hotspot from her mobile costing even more money..

How do I seek compensation from a company that cant even install a product it sells...

Only took them 5mins to dial in a new direct debit - but now it comes to delivering on their communications product they have ZERO COMMUNICATION.

oh the irony

[jbrennand]

Search the quickstart forum as there are many similar threads on there and some replies give detailed info on how to start the compensation claim.

[-tony-]

you should get £5.25 a day compensation starting from the 1st install date - and if there are any missed appointments where you are required to be in add £25 for each one

keep records - open a complaint and sit back - dont waste your time ringing asking for updates - customer services will absolutely guarantee its all going to happen tomorrow and then when it does not it will be [you guessed it] tomorrow etc like the old stuck record - in other words they have not a clue

the cable pull has gone to a contractor who may well have sub contracted it to someone else - again you see where this is going - no one talks to each other so no one knows whats happening except offshore CS who will tell you - yes again you have got it - its going to happen tomorrow - guaranteed

it looks like you have got on the roundabout - the longest we know of is a year plus and still not done - work that out at £5.25 a day

now that may not be the case and it will happen tomorrow - guaranteed but it may not so you need to think about it

what is not to think about is cancelling - dont do that - think of the £5.25 a day and just to add to that if and when it does get installed and VM offer you a tenner or some other ridiculous amount reject it and go to CISAS who will find in your favour - and you want money not credit

so dont cancel - on that if you do all work orders will be cancelled and if you decide to try again in the future for pain rather than sticking pins in your eyes you start again

but what you do need to think about is now - 4g - 5g sim if it works for you - £20 ish a month from the likes of smarty or a BT or sky install and just let VM paddle on at £5.25 a day until it happens then cancel whoever - BT Sky or VM

there is no good news sorry!

[Fahadali17]

Took a contract and got the date of installation on 8th June.

Very frustrating and annoyed to come to know today that installation can’t be done until another company comes and do their work.

Upon repeatedly asked to engineer how long would that take for that company to come and do their work and been told it can be one day two day one week two weeks three weeks. Very unfair on the new customer to put on hold like this without being specific with the dates.

This is very ridiculous and now what to do?

[Kath_F]

Hi Jonny_gillett, 

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forums. It's great having you on board with us in the Community although I am sorry to hear that your installation has been delayed. 

We can check the complaint has been opened and assigned to the relevant team as well as give you the latest update but we will need to confirm some information with you in order to do that. I have sent you a private message regarding this. Just click on the little plum envelope at the top right-hand side of the page to access your inbox.

In terms of the automatic compensation, installation dates are only provisional until the pre-installation visit has been done so even though there has been a delay, you may not be eligible for the compensation. You can read more on what qualifies as well as the amounts here. 

Thanks, 

[Kath_F]

Hi Fahadali17, 

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forums to you too. 

I can see you have already started your own thread so to avoid any confusion, we will be along to help on that thread as soon as we reach it. 

Thanks,