New install difficulties and minimal communication.

[LordBob]

So I'm here as a kinda last resort and hopefully someone can point me in the right direction to get some answers. 

I signed up for VM on 23rd September and ordered the quickstart. I was a bit naive, and it obviously turned out I needed a box in the house to connect to. I was kinda annoyed and the email asking me this didn't arrive until the day before my kit was delivered but hey ho, on we go. We didn't have this and had to have an engineer out. They came and installed everything inside and were really good but said we needed a box outside and that was another company to sort. As we had no service this would be 24hrs. It wasn't though as it was Friday, so Monday we had an appointment. The guys came, sat outside and left. We then got a reschedule for the day after. We have had to  take time off work for all this as our garden has to be unlocked for access. Anyway, the Tuesday came, a guy did some work and they now have a blockage and cannot pull the cable through. I've had an email saying we are now on hold but even though I keep calling I've had NO indication on when it will be sorted or timescales or anything. I've been told to no worry about my bill but that's still set up and as its direct debit is set, it will go anyway. From what I understand with regards to compensation that's just when it's sorted and that is still a mystery. Has anyone had this and can anyone help, getting very fed up now. We are currently using mobile hotspots to our own extra cost. I even ended BT early (another shocking company) and had to pay a small penalty there to come to virgin and at the moment it's even worse. What I'm also worried about is my virgin app shows everything working fine and obviously it isn't. I have no appointments booked either. Surely, even if they have to dig something up they have appointments to keep?

Everything i go to customer services I get the same silence, on hold, then I'm sorry Mr Simpson I can't give any update. ITS SO INFURIATING!

Can anyone shed some light on what's happening and if we will be on before Christmas! 

[Adduxi · Accepted solution]

You are not alone.  https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Installation-Date-continuously-pushed-bac...

[goslow]

Unfortunately, your story has been repeated hundreds of times on here in past topics. For some unlucky customers, VM's installation processes are a shambles.

If you have had a failed 'Quick Start' installation, worth noting that VM classifies this as a fault for the purposes of compensation (point 6 below)

https://www.virginmedia.com/legal/fibre-optic-services-terms-conditions/automatic-compensation

VM gets two clear working days to fix the fault, after which you should get the higher day rate of £9.76. The compo is paid once you are activated, although you will find VM routinely tries to dodge paying what is due in the topics which make their way onto here (often ending up with the ombudsman for the customer to get paid).

[Ayisha_B]

Hi @LordBob 👋

A warm welcome to our Community Forums and thanks for your post. 

I am sorry to hear your install has been delayed. Appreciate this isn't ideal.

The best way forward would be to speak with our Pre-Installs team on 📞0800 052 1734 and they will be able to provide you with any updates.

If we can help with anything else, do let us know.

[jpeg1]

And there is this... 

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Urgent-extra-essential-work-outside-your-...

[LordBob]

So an update.. im not longer a customer of virgin media any more! I can't stress how disappointed I am with the whole experience and hopefully sharing here will a) help others and b) help service improve. So I had no information or updates and I was calling twice weekly and kept getting people who were surprised I had no service until they put me on hold checked my history. Then all I got was we will update you. Well yesterday I'd got fed up and rang the number above and got cut off! Really helping my calm mood after everything. So I called back and said I want an update, I want to know timescales and I want to speak with someone who can provide me with this. Again I went on hold, I was told I was getting transferred,  I wasn't, the lady came back on and said she had 'bad news' and that virgin couldn't service my property and I'd have to cancel. So I got put through to cancellations and a lovely lady, who understood how annoyed I am and sympathised said she processed it. I cancelled my direct debit with my bank as again, virgins employees had lied to me and said no money would be taken and she said it was due to go. So last night I went with another provider and then this morning I awoke to an email from Virgin saying I owed them 600 plus pounds early disconnection/cancellation fee! So let me get this right. They don't give me confirmation of cancellation, no confirmation of engineers after  month but after 6 hours I get notification of how much they think I owe when I'm leaving somewhere I've already left! 

Today I have raised two complaints via app, which surprisingly enough didn't send me confirmations, and given them 7 days to respond before it goes to ofcom and the communications ombudsman. 

I am so disappointed as we wanted the tv and package but this service has been by far the worse I've ever recieved. Even the lady said there had been 2 people in the property before me with virgin as the last number on my account shows 3. I think virgin just don't want the expense of digging up roads to fix the problem. 

Thanks for the community advice on this. Sorry to those in the same boat!

P.s my neighbour has virgin, god help him if his connection fails as they won't be fixing it if it's underground.

[jpeg1]

I'm very sorry to hear how they have treated you, but that's the Virginmedia Way.

I trust you will be pressing them for the statutory compensation. 

[LordBob]

@jpeg I would fully expect them to wriggle out of paying somehow. I have had no clear answers or response on anything so far so I'm not expecting anything. With actually never having been connected and the way I have never had a clear answer on a single thing, I hold little hope. It will be getting reported to the relevant groups though as they way they dealt with it from day one of issues stinks. As I said all along when I called them, if they could of given me an exact date and time frame I'd of waited as long as it would of took, it's just the fact no one was giving any info and everyone was hiding behind the people on the helpdesk who, and I'm been very careful saying anything here, couldn't understand the issue or take ownership. I was assured on 4 separate occasions I'd have a call back from the 'technical team'. Well as the technical team couldn't even use a phone, I doubt they'd be able to help me with the install.

At least I have a cable through my wall that the next provider can use to pull their cable through! 🤣

[goslow]

You might find this past post useful

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/compensation-for-delay-in-broadband-insta...

with some tips on preparing a case for the ombudsman from someone who had to do so after a delayed installation