New customer Pre installation connection

[chrisf1962]

Hi I'm a new customer and my house has never had any cable connection before (previously was with BT with broadband running over old copper phone wires). So engineers will be required for the install which is booked for later this month.

I know some of my neighbours have Virgin media connections and the postcode checker stated that full services were available at my address, however, I've looked in the street and I can't find a service tee outside my house. The pavement was re surfaced over 10 years ago and I can't see why they would tarmac over the tee it it was there. Is this going to cause an issue?

Also I need the brown external connection box to be cabled down the side of the house rather than at the front. Do the engineers get in contact to agree the siting?

Cheers

Chris

[goslow]

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@chrisf1962 wrote:

Hi I'm a new customer and my house has never had any cable connection before (previously was with BT with broadband running over old copper phone wires). So engineers will be required for the install which is booked for later this month.

I know some of my neighbours have Virgin media connections and the postcode checker stated that full services were available at my address, however, I've looked in the street and I can't find a service tee outside my house. The pavement was re surfaced over 10 years ago and I can't see why they would tarmac over the tee it it was there. Is this going to cause an issue?

Also I need the brown external connection box to be cabled down the side of the house rather than at the front. Do the engineers get in contact to agree the siting?

Cheers

Chris

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How far back can you look on Google Street view? Can you see any sign of a connection point on the pavement before it was tarmacked over?

If there was not one, VM will need to install the access point in the pavement for you.

Any new VM cable is subject to VM's very-wide-ranging timescales for installation.

Usual advice on here is don't cancel your existing broadband service until VM is fully installed and working to your satisfaction.

[chrisf1962]

Hi , thanks for the quick reply

Unfortunately there's no sign of any access point and I've already had an unprompted email from BT to say that they've been contacted (presumably by VM) and that my current service will be terminated the same day as my scheduled VM installation so it looks like I'm stuffed. Is there any UK number for the pre installation engineers that I can call?

Cheers

Chris

[newapollo]

Hi Chris

 You can reach the pre-installs team on 0800 052 1734

They are open  8:00am to 9:00pm  Monday to Friday, and 8:00am to 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday

[chrisf1962]

Hi newapollo,

Thanks for the info. I phoned the number you gave and told them my problem (there being no visible service tee outside my property and that I need the brown box to be down the side of my house rather than at the front) but to be honest I'm not filled with confidence that 1) the "Pre Pull" crew will be able to get a cable from the Virgin roadside cabinet to my house and 2) if by some miracle they do then they'll put the cables in the wrong place

I'm not really sure what to do now.

Thanks for your help anyway

Cheers

Chris

[drodgers]

I’m in exactly the same position as you with no visible VM service tee outside my property and the engineer visit next Friday to do the install, at which point my BT number will transfer across and my BT internet will go. I phoned VM concerned the installation would fail, eventually they sent out a surveyor who couldn’t find the tee and he thought it had become buried in the grass during some BT construction work. A crew turned up Wednesday and despite much prodding and digging couldn’t find the VM point and then yesterday a construction crew came and installed a new VM tee, so hopefully the cable pull crew will show up in the next few days. I was very concerned that I would end up with no internet and the conversations with the service desk were very difficult and time consuming, truly a dreadful customer experience but a succession of man in a van visits it’s looking positive.

[chrisf1962]

drogers,

Glad to hear it looks like you've been sorted. I've phoned VM twice now to say that I think that it won't be a straightforward installation but from the conversations I've had I'm not holding out any hope that anybody will come and even take a look before they are due to do the install, which in all likelihood will fail. All I get is being told that the postcode checker says that the VM service is available at my property. Hopefully your installation will be ok now so let us know how you get on. BTW what number did you phone to get a surveyor out as this looks like my only hope.

Cheers

Chris

[drodgers]

I phoned the normal support number and asked for cancellations and they arranged for a pre installation surveyor to come out a few days later. I’d spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone to support who kept telling me that I already had a cable from the street and I knew I didn’t, unfortunately none of the 3 visits so far appear as appointments in the app and they just turned up, with the bank holiday and the chance of us being out I’m hoping the cable pull will happen before installation day friday, If there is no cable by Thursday I’ll stop my phone number transfer which would automatically cease the BT line and assume that VM would continue with their install and port the number at a later date, unfortunately the OFCOM system to ensure that you aren’t cut off by a failed installation when moving suppliers has been delayed again.

[chrisf1962]

Cheers,

Fingers crossed your installation goes ok tomorrow. I've still not heard anything from anyone at either Virgin or the third party engineers who are supposed to do the initial cable pull so I have no idea if my installation (scheduled for the 21'st) is going ahead.

Cheers

Chris

[drodgers]

My installation has been moved 2 weeks with excuse #27 being used despite a new cable point being installed next to the duct under my garden, I’m unable to get a date for a cable pull as it’s a third party, Virgin didn’t change the phone transfer date with my current supplier, so I would have lost internet for 2 weeks if I hadn’t sorted it myself. Virgin seem disjointed and I’m rapidly losing confidence in them to do the switchover without issue, on the plus side I got an email saying I should get compensation for the delays. I’m thinking it would be better to cancel the transfer altogether, let Virgin install their line and then cancel my BT service when everything is working, my issue is if I can then port my BT phone number into Virgin, unfortunately Virgin installations couldn’t tell me if it is possible.