My Install Tale of Woe Since October.... So Far

[exasperatedmatt]

I guess i am posting this more to make me feel better, as I am well aware that I just have to wait things out as Virgin Media don't have any idea at all what their contractors actually are doing.

Anyway this is my current situation:

Ordered	12/09/22
First Install Date	20/10/22	Waited In and cancelled
Second Install Date	21/11/22	Waited In and cancelled
Third Install Date	13/12/22	Waited In and cancelled
Fourth Install Date	11/01/23	Cancelled 2 days before
Fifth Install Date	02/02/23	New Scheduled Date

I was told on ordering that as my road was already fibre enabled, then installation would be quick as they only needed to pull a cable. That was a lie, as the road needed to be dug up, and a CATV access point installed in the pavement outside my property.

In reality that was done quite quickly, and there has been a CATV access point, with a blue rope inside it outside my house since early November.

It now seems though that a cable pull is the issue, I have no idea what the issue is, and if somebody from virgin media can enlighten me as to the real issue that would be great.

I have been told multiple stories, cars in the way (nobody knocked and asked for them to be moved), roadworks, contractor holidays, shortage of cable, underground blockages, pandemic, rat infestation, too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry, leaves on the line etc etc. Honestly I don't really care, just  get it done, how hard can it be.......

[jem101 · Accepted solution]

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@exasperatedmatt wrote:

Snip...

how hard can it be.......

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Well harder than it appears apparently! OK look, you obviously have done a bit of research and know just how broken the system is, I really don't need to say anything more;

;well other than you neglected 'global warming', 'brexit', 'zombie outbreak' and 'all of our installers have come down with an unfortunate case of the Black Death' for perfectly justifiable excuses for them not connecting you up😉

[John_GS]

Hi exasperatedmatt

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community.

I am sorry for the install delay. I will send you a PM now to assist further

Best,

[jpeg1]

Three months compensation so far, and counting... 

[John_GS]

Hi @exasperatedmatt

Thanks for joining me on PM. Just to update the thread, the complaint is with the install/construction team and I have asked them to contact you asap regarding your install

Best wishes

[exasperatedmatt]

Just to update, I am still waiting for contact.....

How do you run a business like this? How do you not have visibility of what your outsourced partner is doing? Surely you have contractual SLA's? Why does nobody in Virgin Media Senior management seem to even care?

Just reading on this forum suggest that I am not an outlier, and that this is a common occurrence, and yet there is just acceptance that this is the way that it is.....

A great example folks why a monopoly is a bad idea, and the faster there are alternative Fibre to House options the better for everyone.

[jpeg1]

You may be sure that senior management know very well how the company is running. Virginmedia is at the bottom of the regulator's tables year after year, and a glance at Trustpilot will soon fill them in.  They just don't care. 

They have no central database to encompass their operation, just a ragbag of departments that don't or can't talk to each other. Everything is done in the cheapest way possible, from telephone staff who know nothing about the system and can only follow a script on the screen through to subcontractors who are totally disorganised and sometimes connect the wrong house.

Fortunately the virtual monopoly is coming to an end as Openreach replaces copper with fibre and other companies are also getting in on the act. In a couple of years Virginmedia will be in trouble. 

[exasperatedmatt]

Further Update:

Virgin Today moved my install back another 4 weeks to Feb 27th, as they need to do some "extra work outside"

Well yes, a cable needs to be pulled, we have known this since november, why can't it be done? No explanation on that one.....

This is what we have outside the property.

Still no call from anyone, even though the admin team suggested I would get one....

[goslow]

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@exasperatedmatt wrote:

Further Update:

Virgin Today moved my install back another 4 weeks to Feb 27th, as they need to do some "extra work outside"

Well yes, a cable needs to be pulled, we have known this since november, why can't it be done? No explanation on that one.....

This is what we have outside the property.

Still no call from anyone, even though the admin team suggested I would get one....

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The 'extra work' is that VM are waiting for the two paper cups, one at each end, to finish the job! The contractors, Paul and Barry, will be back next week to complete the installation, guaranteed (at least that was what they said on the phone)!

[-tony-]

surely staff [here] have sent this to the area field manager [AFM} - they are not quite as rare as unicorns  - i can confirm that as i have met one - an AFM not a unicorn but it was fleeting - a bit like summer snow

once its referred staff [again have done all they can which in reality is get rid of the job and like offshore tey can mark the problem as solved as far as they are concerned

the AFM will likely ignore all requests and move on to whatever they do to keep themselves busy

take the fiver a day - do not cancel even if you see a flash of light and decide to go to another isp - let them install it and cancel in the 14 day cooling off period

keep records as if and when it gets to compensation they are likely to try and screw you for a smaller amount to what you are legally due