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Virgin Customer Service Is Not Effective

jamesmansell
Tuning in

I am at the end of my tether, and am about to quit my contract before it has started given how bad my customer service experience has been. Before I do I wanted to give Virgin one last chance / the community to help out. How difficult is it to install internet to a home when I can just order a mobile 5G router for the next day. How do I get virgin to stick to its promises and install the internet?

I initiated discussions a month ago and its looking like I won't have internet for at least 3 more weeks, how is waiting 2 months for internet in this day and age whilst having to be on the phone to Virgin for 15 hours plus any action a business can take?

In summary:

  1. Virgin have rescheduled my install twice, with no warning (did not turn up), or with less than 24 hour notice.
  2. Reasons for rescheduling the installs either were false, or I was lied to during the sales process
  3. I had two different sales people sign me up to two different accounts, and two direct debits. Sorting this out yet again involved hours on the phone
  4. My number was given to another account not in my name (GDPR breach), which means whenever I call up they think I am someone else
  5. Virgin '100% committed' to the installs at the dates specified, yet did not follow through
  6. Even though I won't be in the country for the proposed install date (and will be out for 6 weeks), still they didn't listen.

Given Virgin has lied, breached regulation, and taking 2 months to install internet I am nearly done with the company, but I wanted to give you one last chance to reply and sort this by getting an install in the next week. How can a internet company not install internet? That is literally your only job!

 

21 REPLIES 21

Travis_M
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi @jamesmansell

 

Sorry to hear about this, thank you for posting on our community forum.

 

Just to double check - when was the last time you spoke to the team? Have they advised anything around looking into bringing the installation date forward?

 

Regards

Travis_M
Forum Team

New around here? Check out the do's and don'ts, in our Community FAQs


Hi Travis,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.

Installation was originally booked for the 7th August, which came and went with no recognition that the appointment had been missed by the engineer.

Installation was then booked for the 14th August, and I got a call late afternoon on the 13th saying Virgin wanted to move this to the 3rd September due to 'construction issues'. I said I wasn't accepting this as an option and hence we should continue with what was agreed (14th August), as I will be out the country and I have already been delayed. I also found it highly unsual that there would be construction issues found less than 24 hours before, so I think it was a cover for scheduling issues and I was not told the truth. Especially as the sales person said it would be a 'simple install as there is a box already on the outside the house'.

Even though I didn't accept the date change this was forced upon me without my consent.

I was called on the 15th August by a supervisor who didn't add much, this was when I last spoke to the team. She said they would do their best to bring it forward but they couldn't commit to anything. The previous contact on the 13th also said they would subtract £5 / a month from the rest of the contract but couldn't give me more, I asked for £10 a  month given all the issues thus far, but unfortunately on the last call this was not mentioned by the supervisor.

In essence I need a cast iron guarantee that the internet can be set up in the next week, surely Virgin have a lot of engineers (and my way leave had been signed), and given all the issue experience thus far can this not be prioritized urgently? Happy to drop the ask for a £10 / a month discount if you get this done in a week.

Thanks,

James

 

 

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

A non-VM view...

There will never be a cast iron guarantee on installation dates from VM the process is a communication omnishambles with to many disparate parties involved - not least your local council if pavement/road digging is required for the install - and we all know what happens when local councils are involved.

My advice...  just leave it to happen when it happens.... maybe next week maybe at Christmas.

In the meantime, get another ISP to supply you with service - perhaps a 4G/5G SIM BB deal (?) - or cheap OpenReach option - see if you can get a monthly contract as well.

When VM is installed and activated - you have 14 days in which you can cancel the VM contract and incur no costs whatsoever and stay with the other provider. And its there for if you want to join VM in the future.

Or keep VM and just cancel the other contract if its better for you


--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

Thank you for the non VM reply, its just I only entered into the contract because the sales people were so insistent it would be so easy and they would be able to do it on the 7th / 14th August, they also insisted no digging is required. If this is now required they haven't even been able to communicate this to me!

Everything about this process has been wrong - sales people employing pressure tactics until you sign then disappear, then never being contactable. Arbitrary date changes with no notice. Conflicting statements that mean some must be false. Lack of empathy of the real world impacts of their arbitrary decisions (I took holiday to bridge the time between first and second install date).

I just want Virgin to recongise their omnishambles and do something about it, internet is a utility and now with WFH we depend upon it. I have never experienced anything as bad as this as buying from any company ever. Someone please take ownership and sort this problem. Otherwise customers are going to leave in droves to competitors like Hyperoptic or 5G portable modems soon as the availability / speed catches up, and VM is stuck with a very expensive sunk cost for an asset they can't monetise.

Travis_M
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi @jamesmansell

 

I've emailed both of your area install managers to see what the options are / what can be done about this, I completely understand your frustration and my apologies for the delay with your install.

 

Once I receive a response i'll be sure to let you know.

 

Regards

Travis_M
Forum Team

New around here? Check out the do's and don'ts, in our Community FAQs


Thank you Travis,

This is really appreciated and thank you for trying to fix this, at the moment I just feel like before this no one has made an effort to fix what is definitely a sub optimal situation, and has just been a 'computer says no'.

Let me know when you have a response.

 


@jamesmansell wrote:

Thank you for the non VM reply, its just I only entered into the contract because the sales people were so insistent it would be so easy and they would be able to do it on the 7th / 14th August, they also insisted no digging is required. If this is now required they haven't even been able to communicate this to me!

Everything about this process has been wrong - sales people employing pressure tactics until you sign then disappear, then never being contactable. Arbitrary date changes with no notice. Conflicting statements that mean some must be false. Lack of empathy of the real world impacts of their arbitrary decisions (I took holiday to bridge the time between first and second install date).

I just want Virgin to recongise their omnishambles and do something about it, internet is a utility and now with WFH we depend upon it. I have never experienced anything as bad as this as buying from any company ever. Someone please take ownership and sort this problem. Otherwise customers are going to leave in droves to competitors like Hyperoptic or 5G portable modems soon as the availability / speed catches up, and VM is stuck with a very expensive sunk cost for an asset they can't monetise.


good points and in another world it might be like that - but in the world that is VM its as John [above] says - nothing you can post here will change that - for whatever reason they do not care - its as it is - accept it or move on - when it works its excellent - thats the big plus

____________________

Tony.
Sacked VIP

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

Look at your online account and look in any notes - see if there is a comment... "NaNaNa" that seem to be VMspeak for awaiting response from the council.

Sales people are always insistent - they have no way of knowing whether there is an actual working connection at the property. All they can see is that there was one sometime in the past or that all the ducting should be in place for a normal install. On most occasions its all fine - sometimes it isnt - a previous occupant may have removed the box, cut the cables etc and so a cable repull may be required. Again that is usually straightforward - unless the repull team cant get the cable through the duct because it may be blocked by other cables, debris etc. In which case it goes into the black hole of sorting that out with a dig.

Of course this is speculation from me (but a very common issue - just search this forum).

One thing that may be worth a quick look too is if a dig is required - the council will post on their website notice of the days/times that the permit is active - to give neighbours notice of possible disruption. Take a look at yours.

As I said the process is disfunctional - no-one will take ownership as no one person owns it - but someone should comment here in a day or so

Or if you havent already --- try the Pre-installation and delivery team - they may have more info? On.. 0800 052 1734

Oh... and Area Managers seem to be rarer than Unicorns 🙂


--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

Thanks both - I have been on the phone to all the teams regarding this, including the pre-installation delivery team. Who previously confirmed the two dates they changed without consulting me. I'm now posting on the forums as I cannot get anywhere through calls and have spent 10+ hours on the phone over the last month.

I just can't accept 'this is how Virgin is'. You can't tell falsehoods or statements you can't confirm to incite someone to sign a contract, you can't breach GDPR. I relied on Virgin and their behavior has had real world impacts. E.g if I bought a hotel for a set date and then flew out there, I wouldn't accept the hotel to say sorry we have arbitrarily pushed back your date without your consent.

As you say - no one takes ownership and this is the route of the issue. If I buy software there is an account executive who helps onboarding, there is no reason a similar position cannot be made here. The lack of coherent communication makes all this 10x as infuriating as it needs to be.

I was told there was no need to dig cabling, if they do it would be good to know (I can't see anything on my account). But this still doesn't excuse the communication of it the day before, them previously telling me there was a cable (all employees should be able to have access to this data), nor their ability to tell me there is a cabling issue.

I really hope I find an area manager to rectify this (and find a unicorn!), the only other way I thought to get their attention would be to turn up at the VM office.