Unbelievably bad customer service for new install

[Window77]

I'll keep it as short as possible, booked 3 weeks ahead of time for an installation today, had a text on the 11th saying if it was OK for outside work to be done. sure.

Engineer arrives this morning, starts installing the hub, so far so good.

After about 20-30 mins he says he cant do the work because the lines not live and he doesn't have the key to access, I ask him before he leaves when another engineer might come back and he shrugs, he said he'd loop me into an email for an update.

So I end up calling customer support in the afternoon and have had maybe the worst experience with any company ever.

Speaking to the pre-installation team apart from one really helpful person was an awful experience, they kept saying I needed to reschedule an engineer and couldnt understand that I needed to know why the outside work wasnt done and when that would be done so I could reschedule another engineer.

Fast forward 3 hours later of "dropped calls", being put on hold for 30-45 mins and I get someone that gives me the number for the construction team. I call just after 4pm today just as their lines close.

I've seen many helpful responses from the people here if they could actually find out whats going on here

Thanks

[risc19]

That level of CS is normal.

Leave while you still can.

[mda99das]

This very nearly happened to me.

Do you actually have the wire, its a chunky RG11 cable at the box just outside your property?

In my case there was no wire, and luckily my neighbour had one and he did a temp connection to my neighbour's who was an ex VM customer.

Sometimes they migrate people to new cabinets, they may or may not remove the old wire. In my case it was removed. When my engineer came, I thought I knew where the cabinet was, but when we got to it, it looked dilapidated, and they put a lock on it, and the VM engineers do not carry the tools for that. We went to the new cabinet, and the engineer located my neighbours disconnected RG11 cable and connected it to a port on the switchboard.

Does this sound about right?

Could you not get a temp. connection done if your immediate neighbour is an ex VM customer, or has the cable? Another thing to note is that sometimes there just might not be enough space inside the cabinet to place new connections. I have really no idea how they get round that. I assume there is capacity as below the cabinet is the fibre optic lines that connect to the VM network. They only use coax for the "last mile" RG11 to the box outside your house, and then RG6 for the rest.

[Window77]

I'm not sure to be honest, it's a new build and I'm the first owner, it's a flat in a block of 20 or so

I just find their own lack of communication terrible, why send one of their own engineers out when the previous work required isn't done

[mda99das]

ahhh right that makes sense,

The developer of your property should have got the wiring sorted. Its all here:

https://www.virginmedia.com/content/dam/virginmedia/dotcom/images/shop/downloads/New-Build-Handbook-...

[Window77]

Update - now my previously scheduled install date is missing from my orders 

Can someone from the VM team advise what I should do now? I don't know if I should reschedule an engineer or not, I'm dreading contacting the pre install team and I still haven't had any emails regarding whether the outside work is done or not

[That_E90_Guy]

As you live in a new build MDU, all the cabling will most likely be internally run through wall cavities, this would have been done whilst the building was being built. There will be a cupboard somewhere where all the cables from the flats terminate into a tap board and an apmlifier. The only external work that needs to be done on a new MDU build is to run the main cable to said amp and tap board. If this hasnt been done, then your stuffed. The other option is that it isnt internally wired and several drop cables are pulled to the block and a brown or white omni box is fitted the the outside wall. Then external cables are run to each flat. But this way involves drilling a hole into your flat to poke the cable through, which i would imagine the block owner wouldnt be to happy about. My advice, forget virgin and go elsewhere, you have already round out how s**t there customer service is, it doesnt get any better once you are a customer. 

[EddieC095]

just cut off the direct debit if you are paying the bill through that,

as VM said they won't charge you if you aren't connected to their service.

Just leave them asap and find another better provider.

[Window77]

Update - gritted my teeth and called again, spoke with the construction team this time who said it's not actually something they deal with.

Ended up having to speak to the preinstallation team again and surprisingly had someone really helpful who explained what 6-7 others I spoke with on Friday couldn't

So when they book the install for inside my there was not an engineer assigned for the outside work on the original booking

So he rebooked for the 11th and assigned an engineer to it this time and also removed the activation fee cost for the delay

Big thank you to Joseph from the pre install team for explaining the situation and fingers crossed for the 11th

[EddieC095]

Best luck of you mate.