No external work complete

[Melissajh96]

Hi,

I signed up for virgin media internet on the 23rd of October. The date of completion was supposed to be the 26th of November. I was told external work needed to be completed and that this would be done prior to the 26th. When phoning to ask they mentioned that they needed to obtain permission from the council to complete the work therefore the work was not completed in the 26th and I didn't get my internet. They then told me that my new date was the 28tj of December. I have since phoned multiple times to check when the external work will be complete. Every time I call I am told it will be tomorrow but nobody ever comes. I was told the company who would complete the work is avonline networks but when I contacted them they said they don't cover my area. 

I've been without internet now a month and a half and I'm desperate for it sorting because I do a lot of work from home. 

Can anyone help or suggest who I can contact to help me??

[goslow]

Sadly, if you browse through the content on this forum, you will find carbon-copy topics which describe exactly the same experiences as you have had. If you read a few of those, you will get a good idea of how VM operates for some unlucky customers when an installation gets delayed.

Some general bits of advice would be to firstly keep good records of all comm's and info. from/with VM regarding dates, times, missed visits and failed promises. You will be entitled to compensation for the delays. See

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/billing-and-payments/automatic-compensation

and

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

(rates in the OFCOM doc are out of date).

An important record to hold onto, and have evidence for, is the date initially confirmed in writing which VM gave you when the technician was due to visit to install your equipment and activate your services (often the latter of two dates, following the cable installation). This original technician installation/activation date is the one you count compensation from (although VM does like to try and muddy the waters sometimes here by talking about 'provisional' dates and so forth so as to minimise any compensation due).

Secondly, you might like to make some of your own enquiries with your local highways authority who administer the permits for street works. See if you can find out if VM has actually applied for permission to do any work in your street/area in connection with your installation). VM often uses 'council permits' as a catch-all excuse for delays caused by themselves or their sub-contractors. Some customers on here, who were told they were being held up for council permission, have made their own enquiries with the council only to find out VM has not even applied for the permission.

Finally, if you are unlucky enough to fall into one of these delayed installation projects, you might like to start thinking about a backup plan while you wait for VM to install such as additional mobile data or a monthly mobile data SIM/hotspot to keep you going until VM eventually get around to completing your installation.