Pre install team nightmare

[Pullinmyhairout]

I ordered my broadband on the 27th September 2021 for my new home. My next install date is January 10th 2022

The 9th October was my install date. The VM installer came and saw that the cable which had been cut from my new home needed to be installed, he noted that there must be a blockage which needs completing before he can install.

4 promised install dates later and I’m still getting VM installers sent to my house looking to install and discovering that the works needed to complete the job have not been done. Each time someone turns up the same scenario unfolds. I have spoken to the pre install team many many times which ends in a promise with a new date, which is never met.

I have also had promises of phone calls from technicians, managers and area managers which never happen.

My next install date is 10 January 2022. Baring in mind I’m clinically vulnerable and both me and my wife are working from home and we have no internet. They sent a 4g sim for us to use in the meantime which is next to useless. This is beyond acceptable to treat people like this. Stringing them along with false dates. Each time no-one contacts to say what’s going on. The pre-install team are a mess.

The customer service is terrible, hours upon hours of waiting, passing me through to the wrong departments and having to start the process again and again.

Sometimes I get put through to other departments and after explain my issues they are very understanding explaining ‘I would have left by now’…

23rd December, they have sent the wrong team out again. They can't do their job because of blockage, no surpise.

Other outsourced teams who came to lay the wire’s, but can’t because the unblockage team never turn up say, 'you should threaten to leave because they start pushing through things faster'. Is this really the process that needs to be taken? Something is not right here, surely they aren’t prioritising people who falsely threaten cancellations over people who have been patiently waiting for install for over 3 months?I have no other options left I feel like I have no power in this situation. My complaints are yet to be replied too. 

My complaint on the 2nd November has vanished. 

[Martin_N]

HI JamesB1995,

Thank you for your post. I'm very sorry to hear about your installation delay. 

Have the team advised what has caused the delay?

Is there work being done for this?

^Martin

[JamesB1995]

They are saying it’s ‘remedial works’. I’ve been told it’s a permit issue, a blockage and because of road works. So which is it? 

My building consists of 2 flats and a shop. Both others have virgin fibre installed. The flat above me had no issues getting fibre with you. I don’t even think he had to have any remedial works (ie digging underground) completed so why do I?

personally I believe one of two things. You don’t want to sort my issue and hope that I cancel so I cannot claim the mounting compensation I am due. Or there is some sort of error on your end surrounding my address. 

[Akua_A]

We further apologise for this experience @JamesB1995.

Due to the nature of our network, connectivity can vary from property to property despite proximity. Our team would aim to access your property's accessibility to see the work required. I can see you are in contact with one of my colleagues regarding this. Please remain in contact there and she will do her best to assist.

Thanks,

[Pullinmyhairout]

Alright James,

I started this original thread. Sorry to hear you’re going through the same thing but I’m not surprised. I finally have internet by the way but you’re right, they will keep putting you off in the hope that you give in. The only way to resolve this is to put in an official complaint to CISAS Or the ombudsman. You will need to have made an official complaint to Virgin and wait I think 6 weeks before you can complain to the ombudsman, so that Virgin have enough time to respond, which they won’t. Make sure you have kept enough evidence of you trying to contact them and screen shot any online promises of dates etc so you have proof that they keep just stringing you along. They have an online chat I think that can help you if you need. Anyway once I was able to do this, they were ordered to offer me compensation and after that the work was somehow magically able to be fixed… 

If you still don’t have internet then I recommend paying for a monthly subscription for the time being, I wish I did this sooner rather that keep falling for the lies about them fixing the issue each month. 

Anyways I’m getting PTSD thinking back on this now so yeh, good luck! Virgin Suck at these installs 

[Andrew-G]

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@JamesB1995 wrote:

They are saying it’s ‘remedial works’. I’ve been told it’s a permit issue, a blockage and because of road works. So which is it? 
personally I believe one of two things. You don’t want to sort my issue and hope that I cancel so I cannot claim the mounting compensation I am due. Or there is some sort of error on your end surrounding my address. 

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Each connection has its own cable to the street cabinet.  If yours is a new connection, or an existing needs replacing, they try and pull a cable through the ducts underground.  Fairly frequently the cable pullers find these are blocked, and have to dig down to clear the blockage (they'll try rodding if possible, but that risks damaging everybody else's cables, so isn't always feasible).  And any digging in a pavement or highway requires a Section 50 permit before highway works can start.  

VM will be trying to sort this out, unfortunately the process involves poor quality outsourcing of work, is unmanaged and often chaotic, with delays of many months being not common (often wrongly blamed on the council who are mostly very quick to issue streetworks permits).

VM certainly won't be hoping you cancel, because in that situation you are still entitled to compensation from the original date to when you cancel the order. 

[JamesB1995]

Finally a virgin engineer came to the address on Saturday, although he was only coming to see what the issue was on a 'special request'. He said he can't understand what the issue is and that he thinks can install the fibre broadband without any issues. So why isn't this happening? He said there were no existing comments surrounding any issues at my address so why I am told there is I have no idea.

He recommended that I take up a new order but then I don't know how to get the compensation I am owed.

[Ryan_N]

I can see that you are in a private message with one of my colleagues about this. 

Cheers, 

Ryan.