Virgin Media Community

[mickllf]

I've opened my own thread as I've seen advised in another post due to so many people having the same complaints.

My planned install date has now been cancelled twice, both times within 48 hours of when it was due to take place.

30/03/21 - Ordered the service for an install of 21/04/21

19/04/21 - Contacted via telephone. Told that there was a blockage and that they needed to secure permits - Told this wouldn't be a problem and it would definitely be installed on 06/05/21. "The permits had already been applied for"

04/05/21 - Receive an email (no phone call this time) Delaying my install to the 19/05/21. No reasons outside of the default message stating permissions and permits

My existing connection with Vodafone is "beyond the point of no return" on it's disconnection date of 15/05/21 so I am now due to be working from home with no internet connection thanks to VM. 

I've spoken to the installation team in a call centre who are sending me a 30 day sim but with no mobile modem to use it with. This is not good enough.  My mobile phone is locked to another network so cannot be used with the sim.  To make matters worse I've now been sent a new "contract" to my email with a higher price than when I signed up originally!

I signed up for a service and was given an install date which I used as a basis to end my current contract.  I even left a 3 week overlap in service to help with the transition. I need a solution to be provided by VM so that I can continue to work from home from May 15th until such time as they are able to complete the work to connect me to their network.

I left VM over 10 years ago at another address due to their terrible support and the only reason I've gone back is that FTTH is not yet available via other suppliers.  I'm already regretting not just putting up with 70MB FTTC.

[-tony-]

they have provided you with a solution - they have sent a mobile sim - more than that you are unlikely to get

some of the info you have had is not as good as it could have been - council permits take 6 weeks minimum and then you need to add more time for the work to happen 

you have been with VM before and know how the system works to cancel an existing supplier before VM is installed is fraught with risk you should have kept the other one open - a months cross over is always a good idea

theres not much staff can do from here you just need to push via the phone - but if the permit does not exist yet nothing will happen

[mickllf]

How exactly is a SIM card with no method to use it a solution? On the 15th I will have no internet and without a device to use the SIM card with, VM haven’t solved the problem.

I had no issues with the install of VM when I had it previously and I’m aware of a neighbour who currently has VM as their internet supplier. That and having a 25 day overlap with Vodafone I hoped would have sufficed.

If VM had been clear from the outset that there was the possibility that the install could be delayed more than once I could have kept my existing supplier for longer.

[-tony-]

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@mickllf wrote:

How exactly is a SIM card with no method to use it a solution? On the 15th I will have no internet and without a device to use the SIM card with, VM haven’t solved the problem.

I had no issues with the install of VM when I had it previously and I’m aware of a neighbour who currently has VM as their internet supplier. That and having a 25 day overlap with Vodafone I hoped would have sufficed.

If VM had been clear from the outset that there was the possibility that the install could be delayed more than once I could have kept my existing supplier for longer.

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hoping is not an answer - i accept and agree that they are awful at communications and leave things unsaid at best and lie at worst - what happened 10 years ago is no guarantee that things will go the same way today - they are not proactive with duct maintenance - they take the order and go from there - if you were to cancel the install then no work would be done to clear the known blockage - it would be forgotten until someone who needed a cable through that duct ordered some time in the future - right or wrong its how it works

they leave customers to find their own solution - to issue you with a sim card is if not a 1st but rare - are they then responsible that you dont have an unlocked phone to use it in or a router - imo - no - you will maybe disagree

but and i again agree its no way to run things but its how they do - maybe all potential customers should spend some time on here - they might learn that it is not always straight forward to get installed

[Fragility]

In all honesty Mick, if you're operating on the basis of "hoping" that Virgin Media are going to be able to get you up and running in time is a little short sighted on your part really.

I was waiting close to 2-years for my installation and I'm not even joking. I would always advise anyone who is waiting for an installation from any supplier, do NOT cancel your previous internet supply without having your new supplier (Virgin) installed at the premises because these things happen and unfortunately, Virgin are terrible at this.

[Z92]

If you are working from home you should always have a backup solution just in case as you are using a residential service which may go offline for days or weeks at a time and those days typically mean you don't get paid or have to travel to find a reliable connection. VM will not pay you for any loss.

So I'd either arrange for a data plan on your existing mobile contract, purchase a WiFi 3/4G router with appropriate SIM, or ring up a suitable OpenReach provider and request reconnection. Some providers offer very good deals for people requesting to re-contract after cancelling, typically £20/month or just over for 70mbps.

VM will typically offer you a sim card if installation has been delayed, but unless you have already agreed to another credit check for it (as certain things are chargeable through it so you will receive a bill even if its a zero balance), don't assume it'll turn up, as they can be very forgetful. 

[mickllf]

Yesterday a VM van pulled up outside my property so I went out to talk to him.  He told me he had been asked to check why the install hadn't been carried out as yet.

The VM floor plate on the pavement just outside my property has no cables and there is block somewhere in the 2 feet between that plate and the trench were the VM cables are laid.  My neighbours VM plate, approx 1 foot from mine does have cables present. The engineer told me that they could in theory split that connection and run mine through it but said VM would likely only carry that work out if my neighbour decided to sign up with VM too!

The engineer contacted his manager to discuss the job and I was surprised to be told the work is scheduled for today 07/05 anytime between 8am and 6pm. I was delighted with that but at the back of my mind always had a doubt that it would actually happen.

At about 1pm today with no sign so far I called the install team (0800 0521734) and got through to someone called Sabir in the cables and faults team.  He put me on hold for about 40 minutes while he contacted the install team and then he assured me that the initial install was still scheduled for today.

It's now 4:50pm and there's no sign of any contractor from Kelly communications or VM themselves. It's highly unlikely that anyone is going to turn up between 5-6pm on a Friday evening and proceed to dig up part of the pavement is there? Especially as they would have to block that access for pedestrians while it was being carried out.  Do they do installs on Saturdays?  Would it just roll over to the next day or need to be rescheduled entirely?

[-tony-]

unless things have changed they are not going to dig any holes in the pavement without a council permit and if they apply for that today you are looking at 6 to 8 weeks 

Kelly may try to clear the block from the entry point without digging - but if that fails go back to the start of this post

[mickllf]

Hi Tony, they did tell me on the 19th April that they had applied for the permits.... is there anyway of checking these with local authorities? I can see whole road closures but nothing for pavements.

[Z92]

You need the one.network 

It will show planning permission rather than road closures.