Very disappointed - Virgin cannot install

[quietriot1983]

In the middle of a house move, I arranged with Virgin to set up at my new address the day after I was to receive the keys - they informed me some pre-works would be needed although it wouldn't require anyone to be there. Out of courtesy, I informed the people who were still living in the house, to which they told me that they'd tried to have Virgin installed previously and "there were no cables".

I flagged this up with Virgin, they "investigated" and came back with the response not to worry, it's there now and some of the neighbours have Virgin fibre so it's all good.

Come to today, up rolls a crew with diggers to run cables (I thought this should have been done previously!), and they said the underground track wasn't where it said it was on the map.

Engineer tips up to "complete the install" and says he's been to this location before and the cable stops further down the street so my new house and my closest neighbours cannot have Virgin fibre.

To sum up:

Virgin - clearly money grabbing and not actually investigating what engineers/workmen/customers report to them.

Communication clearly lacking.

Very very disappointed.

Now having to wait 2 weeks to get up and running with an alternative, when I should have been sorted today.

RUBBISH

[quietriot1983]

Thanks all.

I have sent an email in the complaint thread outlining my compensation (and a total) and have C&P'd the relevant OFCOM bits.

Shall update as appropriate

[Andrew-G]

If you were feeling less than happy that VM are lying to you about your compensation entitlement, then don't forget to complain to Ofcom.

[quietriot1983]

They really don't help themselves.

Email reply now from CS informing me that any due compo will be reflected in my account, you know, the one where I can't use it on goods and services because they won't supply them.

[Andrew-G]

Nil problemo, as they say in Peckham (or somewhere).  That's actually good news, as you can now reply to the comedy resolution rejecting it, and asking for a deadlock letter, and when you get that, head off over to CISAS. 

Whilst it's infuriating to be treated so poorly when you complain, you have to do that as a requirement before you can involve CISAS to adjudicate, so consider it merely a step in the process.  If not already aware, you may draw some schadenfreude from the knowledge that VM will get charged about £150 if you register a complaint with CISAS and VM immediately roll over and offer a totally acceptable resolution that you accept.  If they fight the case (which they do for about 75% of CISAS complaints) then they get charged around £400 as the full adjudication fee regardless of the outcome.

[goslow]

---

@quietriot1983 wrote:

They really don't help themselves.

Email reply now from CS informing me that any due compo will be reflected in my account, you know, the one where I can't use it on goods and services because they won't supply them.

---

Oh my! In terms of non-sensical, tick-box, pick-list, gobbledegook, VM complaint replies, that one is a corker!

Somewhat worryingly though, it seems to suggest that you are 'liable' to pay VM some compensation!

Anyway, in keeping with Andrew-G's TV/VM comedy theme, I'd say the "world is your lobster" (Arthur Daley, c. 1980-something-or-other) as far as taking your complaint forward and you have a route via CISAS. It looks like you have at least an 84% chance of that being 'upheld' or 'settled' based on these stat's

https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/reports-2/

With any luck the VM forum team will step in and assist at some point before it gets that far.

[Andrew-G]

Forum staff have to back off once a complaint is with CISAS, so this is the last chance saloon if they want to avoid that outcome. 

Bearing in mind that NOT going to CISAS saves VM an ample sum, don't settle for anything less than the full delay compensation and any missed appointments, and at least £50 for the dishonesty/incompetence of VM's agents.  Forum staff usually do their best, but as a company VM have a track record of derisory compensation offers.

[jpeg1]

If Virginmedia was a single entity, instead of a bunch of isolated departments that are not able to communicate with each other, somone might have realised that it was better to go a little over the usual installation budget than pay compensation for not connecting and losing a paying customer. 

[Zach_R]

Hi @quietriot1983,

I am very sorry about the ongoing inconvenience this is undoubtedly causing. I'm still looking into and assisting you with this as we've discussed. Please refer to our private messages and we can go from there.

Thanks,
 

[quietriot1983]

Thanks all for the advice so far. I'll will do the decent thing and wait for further updates from Zach before escalating the complaint to CISAS.

[quietriot1983]

Update: