Virgin Media Broadband Outage Compensation

[FW211]

Hey all,

My broadband was out for 16 days in February. I reported it on the same day it went out and also registered for the automatic compensation scheme. It got fixed 16 days later. Now when I phoned and chatted online with the billing department they are telling me that I do no qualify for the automatic compensation as it doesn’t qualify as an outage. I had no service at all, so no idea what these people are smoking and don’t want to pay what is due. 

Has anybody else experienced this shabby denial of compensation reimbursement from VirginMedia? If so what have you done please?

[goslow]

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@FW211 wrote:

Hey all,

My broadband was out for 16 days in February. I reported it on the same day it went out and also registered for the automatic compensation scheme. It got fixed 16 days later. Now when I phoned and chatted online with the billing department they are telling me that I do no qualify for the automatic compensation as it doesn’t qualify as an outage. I had no service at all, so no idea what these people are smoking and don’t want to pay what is due. 

Has anybody else experienced this shabby denial of compensation reimbursement from VirginMedia? If so what have you done please?

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Topics about VM failing to comply with the requirements of the OFCOM compensation scheme are posted regularly on here.

The VM forum team may be able to deal for you when they reply within a few days.

You may, however, have to make a formal complaint to VM followed by a complaint to Ombudsman Services for arbitration.

OFCOM scheme minimum requirements below

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-...

and current rates

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/automat...

To qualify you have to have a 'total loss of service' for either phone or broadband (see para 23 of the OFCOM pdf). You need to phone in the fault to VM or use one of the automated tests to confirm/acknowledge the fault.

After that VM gets two clear working days to fix the fault before any compensation is applied. Beyond that time you get an initial payment of £8.40 to cover the first few days of the outage during VM's window of opportunity to fix the fault (the payment trigger time). After that it is £8.40 per full calendar day until fixed.

[-tony-]

sounds like the usual efficient muppets that pass for offshore CS - all trained to the same high level as other VM staff we are told - as said wait for staff here who ACTUALLY are on a different level of help but if it goes nowhere with them when going to arbitration add £50 to £100 for the lies and bad CS you have had so far

[FW211]

Thanks guys.

They are still refusing to accept it and saying now that on their system the outage shows as intermittent which is such bull **bleep**. Referring me to an independent adjudicator….oh wait. They just said they will be escalating to the highest level and cut off chat…what the actual hell!!!!

[goslow]

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@FW211 wrote:

Thanks guys.

They are still refusing to accept it and saying now that on their system the outage shows as intermittent which is such bull **bleep**. Referring me to an independent adjudicator….oh wait. They just said they will be escalating to the highest level and cut off chat…what the actual hell!!!!

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Before you can go to Ombudsman Services

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

you have to submit a formal complaint to VM first (highly likely to result in a pointless fob-off reply, but a required formality first of all).

VM has 8 weeks to resolve for you. If they haven't done so in 8 weeks you can go to Ombudsman Services anyway. If VM offers a 'resolution' to your complaint before 8 weeks, and you are unhappy with it, you can request a deadlock letter from VM and then go to Ombudsman Services.

After reporting it originally, did you make follow up contact with VM to say you still had a TLS of broadband during the 16 days?

How was the fault fixed in the end?

[FW211]

Cheers. 

Yes I was in contact with them almost every day. They even rang me a couple of times and an on-site engineer too when they were in close vicinity trying to fix the issue at the box/exchange in my area. 

I used to reset the router every morning to test if it was back. On the 16th day after a router reboot it was online and VM also emailed few hours later to say service was restored. 

[goslow]

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@FW211 wrote:

Cheers. 

Yes I was in contact with them almost every day. They even rang me a couple of times and an on-site engineer too when they were in close vicinity trying to fix the issue at the box/exchange in my area. 

I used to reset the router every morning to test if it was back. On the 16th day after a router reboot it was online and VM also emailed few hours later to say service was restored. 

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In which case, stick to your guns to get the compensation as you have informed them repeatedly of the TLS and they failed to resolve in a timely manner.

VM's MO to avoid paying out on any compo relies on delay and obfuscation in the hope that the customer just gives up.

Going through the VM complaints process, and then the ombudsman, takes time but there is regular feedback in topics on here that customers get what they are due when the ombudsman assesses the case. The process is just a bit time-consuming though.

Before that happens though, see if the VM forum staff can do anything useful to help you when they reply here within a few days.

[-tony-]

if the forum team get involved then thats good but stick to your guns - you are due 14 days - they reduce the off time by 2 days at £8.40? a day but imo thats not all you are due to as i said above - you seem to have been lied to and messed about - any compensation should take that into account - my figure is £50 to £100 on top of the 14 x £8.40 - if you are offered less than that by the forum team you dont have to accept the deal just go to arbitration

[FW211]

Appreciate your responses. I am just submitting the complaint on their website now. Then will follow with ombudsman if it doesn’t get resolved. Will seek it through to the end. 

If forum mods reply and take it on and resolve then great, otherwise I have time!

[goslow]

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@FW211 wrote:

Appreciate your responses. I am just submitting the complaint on their website now. Then will follow with ombudsman if it doesn’t get resolved. Will seek it through to the end. 

If forum mods reply and take it on and resolve then great, otherwise I have time!

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Capture screenshots/details of the complaint as you go along. Complaints submitted online have a habit of being 'resolved' and disappearing altogether in double quick time, often without any contact with the customer!