Virgin Media Community

[Rezoloot]

I'm still baffled by an engineer coming out, it being fixed and then it happening all over again, that sounds like none technical at all but an engineer coming out, swapping your connection for a descent one, then when someone else in that area reports the same problem, the cable being swapped back again, **bleep** for tat, over and over, I use to have the intermittent fault but I complained my ass off and have a descent service now, took at least three call outs and a free upgrade, maybe thats what you should be asking nay demanding of them, I know for a fact I did and would in your shoes, at the end of the day, you pay for a service and if you are just simply not getting it, they shouldn't be getting any of your hard earned money

[RobertIain]

You may have slightly misunderstood, it's an area wide fault so the engineer never comes out to 'me', he's supposedly sent to wherever the network fault can be best addressed - except, of course, it seems that despite them always having identified the fault, and a small crowd of engineers having supposedly been 'sent out', nobody actually seems able to properly find and resolve it.

Virgin know full well it's an area fault, their recorded system status report always apologises for there still being ongoing faults in the LS22 area ... but even though this farce has gone on for literally years, they always seem content to eventually patch something up that lasts for a few weeks or even occasionally a couple of months, until exactly the same fault recurs and we go around in the same circle again, and again, and again...

This particular time is slightly different in that they don't seem able to cobble something quickly together as is usually the case, it's persisted for well over a month now so maybe someone has actually realised there is a fundamental problem that needs fixing but still seems unable to actually fix it. Of course, the irony of it being an intermittent fault means that despite their service status apologising for the fault, and their text messaging confirming it's still faulty (and has been for weeks) and continually pushing back the estimated 'fix time', it's often working pretty much as it should be for me - which is why I'm able to keep pointing out the mess on these forums.

I just want a reliable broadband connection, since so much of my communication with the rest of the world is via the internet, and often through videoconferencing at some bizarre times thanks to the world being round and timezones differing - but reliability, so I can contact people at short notice, sort out online banking transactions, and attend pre-arranged video sessions seems to be beyond Virgin to provide, even though they are very happy to charge for it. I'm getting very tired of never being able to reply on the damn system working though.

[Rezoloot]

Well mucker, I am sorry you're having a harsh time of it with VM, I hope your problem is resolved and you end up being a happy fella with your service, like I said fella, all the best 

Mark

[RobertIain]

Another day, another 'push the problem down the road a few more days. update.

Friday 5 October, 15:33

"Virgin Media Outage Update - Description: Service update. Broadband, Voice and TV fault F006535531. The latest update we have is: We have identified the problem and an engineer is on their way. The estimated repair time is now: 09/10/2018 11:00:00. The Virgin Media Team.- ID: F006535531. Best wishes, the Virgin Media Team"

Ralph_R   - Since you mentioned "Please let us know though should problems persist and we'll gladly check on the situation for you." I'll take you up on that - though honestly I expect nothing more than another estimated date for a fix that will be amended by yet another text saying it's been pushed back again, and again, and again.

I still stick to my argument that the front line Virgin people really do want to help - but your management, and organisation, simply don't give a damn. Would be very nice to be proved wrong at last, but this has gone on for literally years, and shows no sign of ever being resolved. I spent a large part of my working life managing IT and networked systems for parts of the government, and know damn well that it's impossible for this sort of problem to drag on forever if anyone in the organisation is taking their responsibilities seriously and getting a grip on things. Sadly, for Virgin, 'push it into the long grass and ignore it' is standard operating procedure for as long as they can get away with it.

[Nat_J]

Hi there RobertIain,

I'm very sorry about all of this.

I can see the SNR ticket (F006535531), still has a review set for tomorrow at present.

I've sent you a private message so that we can chat some more about this.

Speak soon,

Nat_J

[RobertIain]

Thanks for trying to help, but it seems this is going to go on forever - three minutes ago, yet another text 'update' -

"Virgin Media Outage Update - Description: Service update. Broadband, Voice and TV fault F006535531. The latest update we have is: We have identified the problem and an engineer is on their way. The estimated repair time is now: 15/10/2018 14:00:00. The Virgin Media Team.- ID: F006535531. Best wishes, the Virgin Media Team"

I'm pretty much resigned to being told every 4 or 5 days the  estimated repair time has been kicked down the road another 5 days, and also being sent the blatant nonsense that yet another of the apparently endless horde of engineers is 'on their way' to God alone knows where to do apparently nothing. Frustratingly 'customer care' doesn't even extend to sending appropriate or sensible update messages, just cut and paste the standard answer and stick in a new date to look like progress might be happening.

[Nat_J]

Thanks for updating,

I've responded to your private message also so that we can chat some more regarding this .

Speak to you soon and I am sincerely sorry about all of this,

Nat_J

[RobertIain]

Well apparently, according to the text message sent at 21:20 on Friday 12 October,

"Virgin Media Outage Update- ID: F006535531. We're pleased to tell you this issue is now fixed.. Best wishes, the Virgin Media Team"

So hopefully that's the end of it - but since in the past years this same problem has appeared and been 'fixed' multiple times, I'll not be celebrating just yet....

[Nat_J]

Hi there RobertIain,

Great news! I can indeed confirm that this has been resolved. 🙂
 

I've sent you a private message so that we can chat some more,

Nat_J

[RobertIain]

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'd be lying - as always, after few weeks of things seeming OK, around 4PM today internet access failed, usual symptoms, ringing the info line I am told, yet again, that Virgin are sorry we are having intermittent problems in the Leeds LS 22 area, it's a complex problem so there's no projected fix time...

As usual I registered on the system to be texted when any progress is made on the fault, there's been no message at all but around 19:30 I noticed the router lights seemed to indicate it was working again so logged in here to update this sorry saga, I have internet access now, but have no clue if it will die again in a couple of hours, or a couple of days... because that's how it ALWAYS goes.

Why is nobody able - or should it be willing? - to actually resolve the problems for your customers in this area rather than just bodge together a temporary 'fix' until it just fails again in a couple of weeks time? Surely by now you have had to recompense so many people for the poor service, or simply lost customers, that even the more stupid elements of the management at Virgin have caught on that this is damaging your reputation and finances - or is it still cheaper to ignore the core fault and fob people off with claims if 'we are forced to increase your bill to help us maintain the over 99% reliability of the services we provide" as we were told a few weeks ago. That '99% reliability' claim is so very clearly 100% bull....