Multiple Failed Installations.... zero communication

[JBe]

Hi all - desperate plea of help here 😢

Since ordering Broadband services on October 11th we are still without Internet.  Installation promised 4th November. Engineer turned up to set up in house.   No cables from street so couldn't.   November 24th - Engineer turned up to set up in house.  No cables from street so couldn't.  Today is Dec 7th.   No cables in street.   Next date set 10th Dec.   Guess what's going to happen on that day......

We have been without internet now for an unacceptable period of time due to continued failed installation attempts by Virgin Media or their contractors.   We also have a vunerable person staying with us and have relayed that to VM.   

The time we have wasted either taking time off work to be present for the installs and stuck in the system of their call centres trying to get any sensible information is truly shocking

The following complaint numbers refer and are all unresolved.   (Moderators please blank if more appropriate):

C-031221667

C-021221648
C-121121542

We're not normally 'complainers' and just want to understand what has gone wrong and for someone to take ownership of this and stop the generic rhetoric / fob-offs we get from all of our attempts to contact VM.   And urgently connect us to the internet.  That's all we ask.

In the absence of any sensible response could we refer a dispute to the European Online Dispute Resolution (“ODR”) platform at http://ec.europa.eu/odr.  or cisas@cedr.com?    I add this out of total desperation and zero communication from VM.  We feel trapped.

Additionally, should we be discussing compensation and breach of contract?   I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot we'd be receiving letters of this type by now?

We have asked on multiple occasions for a manager or supervisor to explain to us what has gone wrong here, and why we have wasted so much time trying to extract information from Virgin Media.   But still no-one in a position of authority has contacted us.    We are totally stuck and deflated by the whole experience.   It's mentally draining.

I can't believe a company is allowed to operate like this in this day and age.  

Sorry for the rant, thanks for reading

Thank you in advance for any help or pointers....

[Lee_R]

Hi @JBe

I have responded to your private message.  I am sorry.

Regards

Lee

[JBe]

Monday 17th Jan 2022

Hi Lee

Thanks for trying.

I see you I have 're-sent your original email to the field.  On both occasions, you have included your own manager'.  

So that's another week lost with zero comms.  No rush and all that 🙂   Guess I'm not all that important....

You'll notice I have the (7th) VM Engineer visit booked for this Thursday (20th Jan 1pm-6pm).   I'll change my plans so I don't miss them.  Still no sign of any cable work in the street.   Are we placing bets again to see if they're going to connect me finally??   Or another sheepish knock on my door to apologise they can't.......

[Zak_M]

Thanks for coming back to us Jbe, 

Do let us know how things pan out.

Kind regards,

Zak_M

[JBe]

For anyone interested I thought I'd provide an update for my case.     After a successful claim via CEDR/CISAS I can now draw a veil over this experience.   It wouldn't be right to share the specifics here but I have reached a settlement for compensation and (finally) had a sensible phone call with a VM representative from the Executive Team (only because I requested the chat as part of the settlement).

I have cancelled my order because I needed to sign a new contract with another Internet service provider so I'm not sure if and when I will give it another go with VM in the future.  Perhaps the issues with the call centre and sub-contractor communication will have improved but who knows.    I have provided all feedback I could regarding my experience in the hope it may help others.   

Best of luck to those still in a similar position 🙂

[Lee_R]

Hi @JBe thanks for posting and welcome back to our community

I am happy you hear you've got a resolution and I am sorry to hear you had to go to a 3rd party to obtain it.  I hope you have the very best of luck for the future.

Regards

Lee_R 

[alexch87]

@Lee_R how in the world is that a resolution? The OP has literally reached a settlement for the inability of VM to provide services and likely discontinued his quest to ever try to get services from VM again? Are you guys trolling? Seriously...

[jpeg1]

But it is a resolution - for Virginmedia.

They have got rid of a customer who wasn't worth the effort of connecting.

[alexch87]

Clearly you are very right. What a mess of a company! I don't understand why they do not just outright make it clear that such a location/customer is not worth the economics and suggest them going elsewhere. Would make the world a much more productive place..!

[JBe]

Yes that would've been ideal to know following the first attempted connection in early November.  And at point of order in October to be warned not to cancel my existing service provider until the new VM line was up and running.   That I regret not knowing back then.   And probably will be of little use to those on this forum because people come here for help (?) and therefore may all be too late by then.

For the record my street is a level, quiet suburban area not far from London, and neighbours already have VM.   So potentially the easiest install & 40+ quid a month possibly for years for the M500 package had someone have bothered to manage the communication with the sub-contractors etc better.

I've shared my suggestions with the nice lad from the Exec Team - including additional training for the offshore call centre - but sadly expect nothing will change.  

Peace & love all 

[alexch87]

For what it is worth I am in an exactly similar situation. Moved from inner London to outer skirts (still well within M25) and both my flanked neighbours have VM. Thankfully, I foresaw issues earlier on (it has now been 5months+ waiting) so I very quickly got a rolling monthly contract with Now TV (Broadband and TV). However, the rolling monthly cost is not economical, so I am now waiting as a last resort before I just install Sky (place has the dish up already). Would have done it already, just fortunately for VM, Openreach's network in my area is god-awful (not so much the internet speed, but the consistency of it). I was paying VM in my previous flat upwards of £70+ p/month. 

I am promised every few weeks that the construction team, pre-pull team, field ops team (yada, yada) are "on it". Then the day before my planned Install Date I get the call for the next postponement. Thankfully I don't waste my time anymore as a couple days before my Install Date I just go check whether the cables have been laid outside in the CATV duct. There has been some progress however - the duct actually has some drawstring in it these days hahaha. What a joke of a company...