Virgin Media Community

[Kateclick]

After repeated complaints about only getting around 8Mbps upload speed instead of the 30Mbps I pay for, your customer service said they would monitor my line for 30 days.

30 days later you email me this: 

"We’re really sorry to say we’ve been unable to confirm if your Virgin Media Hub is receiving speeds that fall below your Minimum Guaranteed Download Speed for 3 successive days.

We’ve stopped monitoring the speed to your Virgin Media Hub and, as a gesture of goodwill, we’d like to offer you the right to end your agreement immediately with no early disconnection fees to pay."

What I want to know is, did you monitor the wrong thing? Or is this communication from you a cut and paste job for when you just can't be bothered fixing a customer's problem?

[Andruser · Accepted solution]

Upload speeds are not guaranteed, and at the moment they are often erratic because the pressures of Covid related home working & schooling etc are frequently saturating all available upstream bandwidth (which also creates latency problems for voice and video calls, as well as gaming).  If this it the case for you, then there's little or nothing VM can do because the network doesn't have the capacity, and they aren't going to go to the slow and expensive effort of adding capacity to fix a problem they hope will go away sooner than they could add additional capacity.  You could take advantage of this offer to release you from contract if you wanted to get an Openreach connection, which potentially will offer better upload speeds and better latency, but that will normally have much slower download speeds.  If that doesn't appeal, then it's a case of sitting it out.  You can blame VM for poor customer service and poor communication, the impact of Covid on the network is neither their fault, nor something they could reasonably have planned to avoid.  Openreach didn't plan any better, it's just historical accident that means their network has (mostly) been more robust through lockdown. 

[Megan_L]

Hi KateClick,

Thanks for using the forums to get this issue with your broadband services looked into, I am sorry if this has been causing some frustration. I would be more than happy to look into this for you. I have checked your services on my side and cannot see any issues with your Hub specifications, your upstream and downstream levels are within spec. 

I'm going to send you a PM so we can chat more securely about what we can do to move forward with this case. 

Speak with you shortly, 

Megan_L

[Kateclick]

This sounds reasonable, makes sense, and abates my frustration somewhat.

It's mind boggling that after probably about 20 hours on the phone or talking to engineers here on site over the past 6 months, it should come from a forum member who doesn't actually get paid by Virgin Media (I'm assuming).

Virgin, for a communications company, you sure have a LOT to learn about communications.

[Kateclick]

Honestly, I don't know that it's worth any more of my energy. What @Andruser said sounds more informed that I've heard from anyone so far.

Thanks anyway. I appreciate the offer, but I'm tapping out.

[Megan_L]

Hi Kateclick, 

Thanks for your response, I am sorry you're feeling so exasperated with this situation, I am glad Andruser's information gave you some further insight into this situation. 

I can help further if you would like to reply to my PM so we can chat further about what can be done. 

Kind regards, 

Megan_L

[Andruser · Accepted solution]

@Kateclick a forum member who doesn't actually get paid by Virgin Media (I'm assuming).

Sadly not.  Not even a discount on my exorbitant bill.  The "Insightful Users" participate of their own accord because they have some time, some interest and knowledge, and want to try and help people (and in the ambitious hope of guiding VM towards more effective customer service).

[Kateclick]

It's very good of you @Andruser. Thank you.

The irony is that VM spent so many hours with me trouble-shooting a problem that doesn't have a fix. If they'd just been honest about the situation up front, they could have spent those hours doing actual customer support and the department would be a lot more efficient.