Ready to be disappointed by installation again

[NoExpectations]

Hello everyone,

Nothing new here. Just another disgruntled customer that can't seem to get Virgin Media to carry out an installation. 

I'll try to keep it short. Ordered Broadband from VM on January 2021. Yes. 2021. Apparently though the is some sort of blockage that they need permission from council to dig up and fix. Unfortunate, but not their fault. Then the following happens for 3 to 4 months:

1. Installation person comes round for installation.

2. Notices blockage. Apologises for inability to install and contacts VM.

3. VM apologise and say they will fix the blockage and set a new installation date when done.

4. New installation date is set.

5. Go back to step 1

In that time I had to get temporary broadband which cost me an arm and a leg. Eventually I got so fed up I cancelled and went back to my old provider with my tail between my legs.

Oh and did I get compensated even after making complaints I hear you ask? Well no of course not! This is VM silly! There is no customer service! You are a funny one.

Anyway, I get a sales rep contact me a few months later. I go through my woes and he assures me, we will get it fixed. So I said fine, I don't really care as I know it won't get done. I sign up again, with an installation date around October. 

October rolls around and the tumbleweeds start to build up. Radio silence....... Until April this year. I get a shiny email that my installation date has been set. The. Fated. Day. It's finally arrived. 2nd of April.

Parallel universe me was probably jumping up and down with joy, but current universe me just shrugged it off. Roll around 2nd of April...... well...  please see the steps I have listed above.

It's the 20th of April now and I've just had a bloke from VM come round again today to repeat step 1 again. 

Btw if you guys need a new advertising slogan, I sugges: Virgin Media: We promise your first time will be painful*

*Promises only apply on appointment dates we keep, which is currently 50% of the time. Other T&C's apply.

[NoExpectations]

Hello all. Time for an update, and boy oh boy, what an update. This is quite a long one, I do tend to waffle a bit so there is a TLDR at the end.

So we last left off with the blockage team giving the green light, but a call from VM saying they had got the red light and the installation was now delayed for another month to August 1st.

We pick up the story around Friday evening, when I notice an email from VM about an installation date. Looking closer I see it is for 29th June. Odd. I now had two installation dates. While staring at it,

I could feel the spark of hope coming to life in some deep, dark recess of my heart. Could it be that the blockage team had in fact given the green light and this was the actual installation date? Was the 1st of August just another one of VM's legendary communication mishaps?

Then the 28th comes around and late in the afternoon I get a knock. I see the familiar VM van which we now consider one of the family vehicles. Cutting this bit short, they were here to install a box outside our property and pull the cable from outside our gate to that box. It seems like the blockage issue was indeed fixed. I put my slight feeling of annoyance that I wasn't told about this team coming on the 28th, and just focused on the enjoying the miracle.

Then on the 29th, the final piece of the puzzle was fit and I was finally able to experience 80+ Mb speeds. Ah it was beautiful. We are finally there!

There were, and still are hiccups though. Of course, as no VM post is complete without something bad to comment on.

The first issue was our number was not ported over. So I am left with 2 internet providers and have to wait 1-2 weeks for VM to port over the number. So that is 1-2 more weeks of paying for 2 providers, one of which is already quite expensive as I'm not on contract with them.

Another issue, not connected with VM for once, is that I've discovered my booster is rascist. It doesn't like the VM router. When I connect it the download speed gets shaved by about half 70% of the time. 20% of the time it goes right down to 3 Mb and the other 10% it is normal. It has therefore been disconnected and unless I can change it's values, I may need to look into a new booster. Another plus side for VM is the speed at the problem areas of the house is workable and not too bad, especially as it isn't always in use. Will see if anyone complains.

Now time for more juicy stuff. I had actually forgotten what my plan was. I remember it was £30 for the internet, landline, but I couldn't quite remember the details and if anything else was included. In my defence, it has been 15 months. I tried to create an account on My Virgin Media and kept getting a message, "You can't use that password, please choose another." No matter what I tried, and ensuring it matches all the requirements, I'd keep getting the same message.

After some searching, I found a post on here from a few years ago of the exact same issue, and it took them a few months of back and forth before they found the resolution. Apparently because that person had used that email address for a previous VM order years ago it wouldn't let them sign up with it again. The OP said that was a GDPR violation and got just got something about, "it's company policy" back as a response 😄

So I used a different email and it worked. Turns out the password was indeed fine -.-

Right I'm in. Should be easy to see my package details right? Wrong. I had two options to view my contract details, view a bill, or download an app. When I went to view my bill, the site would take me to an error page. A bit frustrated, I download the VM app. And I fire it up, see the loading circle........ and it crashes. Tried at least 10 times with the same thing before I almost threw my phone across the room.

Absolute garbage. I went to look at some reviews, knowing they would be scathing as some form of catharsis. Here is my favourite:

"The new Virgin Media app is impossible to describe adequately, though a fair review might include the phrase 'so broken it won't start'. It locks up if the default browser isn't chrome. It locks up if you use a password manager. It locks up if you sign in manually. It locks up if you're not on WiFi. It locks up trying to connect. It locks up if the phone has end point security. There are probably other reasons why it locks up, but I am bored of finding them. Use the old app instead, this is a disaster."

That review was left over a year ago, and from my experience not getting anything to load before it crashed, it is still the same.

So I left it for the night and tried again the next day, this time using the full desktop site over the mobile one and I was able to finally access my contract details.

M100 Fibre. Landline with Talk Weekend. 5GB Sim.

I had forgotten about the sim. It was sent in April last year and I never used it since the installation wasn't going through. I don't even know where it is. Will need to have a look.

The second thing I noticed was the date of the contract. It says 1st of August..... but I already have the internet a month early.... so I've decided not to tell anyone from VM and just stay quiet. So please keep it quiet.

Then I took a look at the contract price. £33.24. Now that isn't right. I distinctly remember it being £30. I looked back on the previous months contracts (I'd get a new one each month as the installation got delayed). Yep. £33.24 each time. Maybe I was wrong. Then I got to 1st April this year and boom, £29.99. I checked a few more before that including the very first contract on 20th April 2021 and they were for £29.99.

So that's another thing I need to chase up on. However, I guess this will give me a chance to ask about the automatic compensation I'm entitled to eh? 😄

TLDR

1. THE INSTALLATION WENT THROUGH! FINALLY! It only took 15 months! This is great! I know the average installation time for UK providers is 18 months so what a win!

2. Contract is from the 1st of August which is incorrect.

3. The monthly payment is £33.24 when it should be £29.99

4. Need to chase this automatic compensation that should have been......er.... automatic. The current dates are 20th April 2021 - 29th June 2022. That is 435 days. Or 1 year, 2 months, 9 days. Or 14 months, 9 days. A bit disappointed to discover this. I thought I was at 15 months already.

[NoExpectations]

Two updates in one day. What is going on? 🙂

Just got a call from the complaints team and spoke to an angel. Was super helpful and one of the better calls I've had with a VM rep.

So essentially this is where we stand. For the current install they are saying there is a credit of ~£450. This was calculated from April 1st of this year. There is also a credit of about £90 from my other package that I cancelled last year where the install was around Jan-March time. 

I'm not too bothered about that first cancellation, that one sounds right, but for the second one we are of course way off. I explained to the rep that this current package was ordered and due for an install on the 20th April 2021, and it has been over a year and at £5 we are way off. 

She explained that there is a clause which states that because my property is a bit complicated it required 2 men for the job, and therefore for these types the first VM related delay cannot be compensated. That's ok. Makes sense, you come to the property, see it requires 2 guys and need to delay it. No problem. So we can ignore those 2 weeks or so for the first delay. I haven't checked my records when the first delay was yet, but let's give even more buffer and call it a month. 435 - 30 = 405 worth of compensation. I think the rep said I was being compensated for 89 days so I am at missing at least 316 days with the generous 2nd install date buffer.

Now, she mentioned something else which made me think VM were trying to worm out of paying. She mentioned time taken to apply for permits from the council can't be charged either. This seemed quite fishy to me, and even if that was true, I don't quite buy it. I actually don't think they even applied for permits for a very long time if at all given the number of times I had people come to install the service only to tell me there is a blockage preventing them. Or the guy to install it to our property came only to find the cable hadn't been pulled to outside our gate. Any ideas on how valid this is? This will be my weekend looking into it as well. 

I would assume if this is true that VM would have to provide proof of a permit being applied for? And if they did then see what the council's response was?

[newapollo]

Hi @NoExpectations 

Congratulations on finally having a working VM connection.

I might be able to help throwing a light towards the pricing of your package.

---

@NoExpectations wrote:

Then I took a look at the contract price. £33.24. Now that isn't right. I distinctly remember it being £30. I looked back on the previous months contracts (I'd get a new one each month as the installation got delayed). Yep. £33.24 each time. Maybe I was wrong. Then I got to 1st April this year and boom, £29.99. I checked a few more before that including the very first contract on 20th April 2021 and they were for £29.99.

---

I take it you have a 5GB O2 sim, if so this may be the reason for the price difference.

O2 sim: Each year your O2 mobile Airtime Plan will be increased by the Retail Price Index (RPI) rate of inflation announced in February plus 3.9%. If RPI is negative, we’ll only apply the 3.9%. You’ll see this increase on your April 2022 O2 bill onwards

[Zach_R]

Hi @NoExpectations,

Thank you for the update on this matter. I'm glad to hear that we've now been able to complete the installation for you and get the services up and running.

I'm sorry to hear we're still yet to address and sort out the accompanying credit for the experience. What was the outcome of the call that you had about this? Did you agree on the credit offered? Did they state if this was going to be looked into further and that they'd make contact again? If so, when?

Thanks,
 

[NoExpectations]

Thanks NewApollo. That makes sense. I will need to look at editing the package and removing the sim in that case as I don't use it. 

And sorry Zach I should have mentioned in my post, the rep said they've put the relevant notes and it will be looked into again and I should expect a call back sometime midweek.

[Nathan_B]

Thanks for your reply @NoExpectations, I can see you have spoken with the team since your last reply. Has this matter now been resolved?

Please let us know so we can help further if needed.

Regards

Nathan

[Andrew-G]

@NoExpectations She explained that there is a clause which states that because my property is a bit complicated it required 2 men for the job, and therefore for these types the first VM related delay cannot be compensated. That's ok. Makes sense, you come to the property, see it requires 2 guys and need to delay it. No problem. So we can ignore those 2 weeks or so for the first delay. I haven't checked my records when the first delay was yet, but let's give even more buffer and call it a month. 435 - 30 = 405 worth of compensation. I think the rep said I was being compensated for 89 days so I am at missing at least 316 days with the generous 2nd install date buffer.

Well, I don't see any relevant caveats about two man installations in the Ofcom Code of Practice on Automatic Compensation.  Sections 36-41 appear to be the relevant bits here, and evidently VM can't read, or are just trying to avoid paying what they are liable for.  I'd suggest you raise a complaint, reject whatever fob-off resolution that VM offer and ask for a deadlock letter, and then take the matter to CISAS for an independent adjudication.  I think they'll offer you a lot more than VM sound to be trying to get away with.  Even if they don't offer you any more, you can at least have the satisfaction of knowing that a competent dispute resolution professional has considered the case.

[NoExpectations]

So they got back to me on the breakdown. When I mentioned that they had said I had requested the date to be pushed back, but I know for sure I haven't made any requests, turns out what they are referring to is because I was already in a contract with another provider, they were waiting for the contract to finish before making the installation. This is what they are referring to by saying installation was pushed back by customer.

Which is interesting because the sales rep that signed me up said that they would pay for the cancellation fee for my contract and get me connected as soon as possible. But I am guessing he was mistaken or didn't get authorisation and the account was set to be installed in April this year which is when the broadband contract was set to end. I wasn't contacted about that and I had no idea that was what they were waiting for until I saw this breakdown.

Not sure what I can do here, but I think I lose the longest installation award because technically VM weren't even trying to get it installed until April this year 😞

So I now need to make a decision whether to accept or fight this, and tbh, I don't fancy my chances. I can very well imagine the sales rep getting it wrong and an amendment being made. It doesn't sound unreasonanble for VM to say they will wait till my contract had ended.

[Matthew_ML]

Hey NoExpecations, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear about the experience you have received from us.

I have a taken a look at our end and I can see you have being speaking to our team over the past few days which looks like this is being looked into and sorted out for you.

I can see everything seems to be resolved now regarding this issues .

Please can you just pop back and let me know when you can. Thanks