Green screen of death - Virgin says it’s a local area fault not a box fault

[Bondgirl1984]

Earlier this afternoon, my Virgin V6 box began experiencing the Green Screen of Death. I did some research - everything on this forum leads me to believe it’s a hard drive failure. The issue hasn’t resolved itself, and the box keeps turning itself on and off and ending up on the GSoD.

I just spoke to the Virgin call centre who said it’s a fault in the local area which “should be resolved by 19 December” (seven days from today) and we may experience “intermittent broadband as well”. I don’t think this is true at all and feel I have been fobbed off - and even in a week’s time I won’t have a working tv box and it’ll be so close to Christmas it won’t be resolved by then either!

What can I do? 

[Bondgirl1984]

 Photo of severe issue message 

[japitts · Accepted solution]

You have a short time after posting to edit your posts, to save having to post extra replies - guessing you don't realise that.

You're right to believe this is a box fault meriting a tech visit who will replace the box. Unfortunately the CS agent has misadvised you.

The quickest way to resolve this will be to callback and hope the next agent you speak to exercises the necessary discretion and overrides the "there is an area fault" line. If they don't, and that call is unsuccesful, then post back here and there may be another way.

[Bondgirl1984]

Thanks for this - I just called back and spoke to someone else who actually appeared to listen to what the fault actually is; he’s booked an engineer visit (which may well result in a new box) for eight days’ time. 

Very frustrating to be without tv service for over a week, and also to have to make two phone calls to Virgin’s customer service centre to try and resolve this issue…

[japitts]

Keep an eye on appointment cancellations in the meantime - you'll have been offered the first available slot but if one does become available you should be able to reschedule.

Very occasionally a TiVo/V6 will recover from a green-screen failure, but then have further problems and often fail again subsequently. You would be strongly advised to insist on a replacement box in the unlikely event the tech doesn't volunteer one.

[Bondgirl1984]

Thanks again - as you say, and from what I’d read earlier, even a box that “resolves itself” is likely to imminently experience the same issue.

The customer service agent said 20 Dec would be the latest date an engineer would visit - he said if any earlier appointments became available I may well get one of them (fine by me, I work from home). You said to keep an eye on the appointments - do you mean just keep an eye on my messages/emails in case they let me know about earlier availability (or is there somewhere else I should be checking)?

Appreciate your help! 

[japitts]

VM won't proactively email anyone with appointment availability, but if you login to your myVM online account there is an option to reschedule any existing booking.

If there is any availability earlier than your current slot, you can claim that appointment.