Broadband installation delayed for 4 months, what do we do?!
Hello, My broadband installation has been delayed by Virgin Media for 4 months. They initially said the delay was because they needed permits from the council to dig the pavement to lay the cabling. But 3 months ago they said the permits were approved. Now they can't give me a clear reason as to why the works are delayed but also will not give me a timeframe as to when the installation will take place. Every time the install date is due to happen, I get an email stating it has been delayed by a month. It has now been 4 months since my initial install date was booked. I've made several complaints but nothing ever changes. I no longer know what to do, should I cancel Virgin Media? Can I still get compensation for such a long delay even if I leave? Will Virgin ever actually complete the installation if I continue to wait?Nearly 3 months of installation delays so far!!
I chose virgin media as I was referred by a friend who has been with then 15years with no big issues... So for context I am 19 years old and have cerebral palsy and live in my own dwelling, so you can imagine having WiFi is kind of a big need for me iro social aspect I ordered Virgin media start of may, received an email 23rd may advising they need me to complete the details of my housing provider so they can get permission to install, I replied to that email within 30 minutes, 2 days later I got an install date of 7th June...yay 7th June... no one shows, no communication, I ring the "customer service team" and I'm told they are waiting for my response to their email on 23rd May, I advise I responded and received an install date of 7th June, I was literally point blank told I was lying!!! So I read verbatim the installation email I received, I got cut off, I ring back, go through the whole 35mins wait again. Repeat everything again, told they have no details of my housing provider, they confirm the install date was 7th June but didnt go ahead as they had no details, I reiterate that I had replied onnthe same day within 30 mins, i have that email in my outbox amd received an email with the install date from virgin 2 fldays later, apparently I was supposed to check that Virgin received my email to ensure install would go ahead.. what??? Anyway person on phone takes all details of housing provider, complete the details of my residence and says I will hear from them in 24-48 hours, 2 days later I receive an email, new install date 24/6, yay 24/6 no one shows... I ring up... 54 mins wait, told by "customer service team" they are wwaiting for my reply to email of 23/5 asking for housing provider... I advise them of all of above, again literally told I am lying or Im mistaken as there was no installation booked, read out verbatim 2nd email stating install date of 24/6, also give them the complaint number that was issued on first call on 9/6, miraculously they find not only my account but all the housing provider details, then advise me that release (or relief??) team haven't actually contacted my housing provider but they will do so in next 48 hours, I advise the team member this is 2nd failed install appointment without any notification, they offer me a £15 credit, I advise I had read the ofcom compensation, they advise they will grant a one off £75 credit and guarantee the install will happen on 10th July, I advised I will accept that token but ONLY if install happens on or before that date, I am told 100% guaranteed install on 10th July. Next day receive an email with install date.. 10th July 2024.. yay TODAY... received an email from Virgin advising that install has been cancelled and rescheduled to 23rd AUGUST 2024 !!! WTAF is wrong with this company? at each juncture I have advised of my need and my disability, I have completed any details required of me but have literally been called a liar on 2 occasions by the "customer service team", had 3 installs cancelled (2 without any notice) and if you work out from first failed install (7th June 2024) to 4th proposed install (23rd August 2024) that's a period of 78 days of cancellations and delays!!! IMO that's a disgrace but who can I complain to?? I spent 2 hours today trying to speak to someone who is not entrenched in an offshore call centre so that I actually have a chance of getting a full explanation but no of course that's impossible At this point Iam actually unwilling to give this up out of sheer stubborn tenacity and because I frankly feel extreme aggrieved by this whole thing Yes I might be only 19 and have a physical disability but I am not substandard or subhuman and my faculties are all present! And I am looking for some actual help not a poor chat both or an entrenched call centre worker who can only follow a set scriptVM trying to worm out of agreed compensation for delayed installation
Had an e-contract with agreed installation and activation date of 5th April, booked from back in the beginning of March. Assured there were no issues and no works needed etc, as it was a new house and we're very reliant on broadband for both work and communication with family, doctors, for a young baby. They told us on 4th April it was now moved to 18th April due to external works needed. I literally watched the works get completed on the 5th and after many phone calls with the pre-installation team, got to the bottom of it - the works were completed quickly, they just don't have the engineers available, so will not bring the new date of the 18th forward for any reason. Was told by the pre-installation team I was eligible for daily compensation for every missed day from the 5th (£5.25 per day according the Ofcom regs). They also told me to buy an O2 dongle and sim card to work from home with and contact my son's doctor, and I would be able to be reimbursed once my broadband was activated. Now an agent on this forum is trying to tell me I'm not eligible for automatic compensation as the 5th was only 'provisional.' She also says they never advise anyone to buy O2 equipment and be reimbursed, so I must have been hearing things on multiple occasions. I sent her the Ofcom regs with no mention of 'provisional' dates anywhere and have asked to raise a formal complaint. She's now ignoring me and didn't raise the complaint. Apparently I also need 'evidence' the pre-install team told me I'd be reimbursed for the dongle, despite VM refusing to ever send email or text notes from a phone call. "The details of this conversation are all noted on your account sir, yes sir, I promise." Hmm, yeah. Sure they were. After hours and hours on the phone, no agent ever seems to make any sense regarding my case, despite them claiming all these notes and details are added after every call. So I've provided the dates, times, and call lengths of all the calls where these promises have been made. Apparently a manager will review the call recordings. I am (of course) not allowed access to the recordings or any written confirmation that this process is taking place. I did however voice record this most recent agent making these most recent set of promises, as I've learned my lesson. Has anyone else dealt with, or is dealing with, this kafka-esque nightmare? Never known an organization to be so openly dishonest and contemptuous towards a customer. Looking for advice and moral support!Installation delay after delay - complaint ignored and order cancelled.
Hi, Resorting to posting here as the virgin media team have been useless on all fronts. In short - the install date has pushed back and back from Dec 2023, and my formal complaint has been ignored - and now i have an email saying i've cancelled my order (which i didn't). For context - I signed up for virgin fibre broadband in December 2023 and scheduled a date before Christmas for install. I got a note saying there is pre-install work and this would need to be delayed - completely fine. The install date was pushed to Jan, and then essentially pushed back every 2 weeks since. I called them and fought my way through different teams passing me back and forwards with no-one really knowing why the installs couldn't take place. I was promised calls back etc. and nothing - where i then chased and after being told i should just cancel, was finally offered to option to get a complaint open. I did have Kelly Communications get in touch to explain that the cable needed to be run, and they'd need permission from the neighbours as technically it's their path it needs to run near. Since then my contact has not answered the phone to me, and I've had nothing back from Virgin. I did have an engineer turn up on the last scheduled install date with no idea that he wouldn't be able to do the install - then having to cancel the date. I then had no further date rearranged, and finally got an email about the complaint saying they will internally feedback and that's offered resolution. They also said that they'd called me (no calls), and said "Regrettably, we have not received any communication from you since then," which was a slap in the face given the outright error in not having called me. To sum up the letter includes "please do not hesitate to contact us at [customer service number]" - where they didn't even give me the number to call. Not sure if that's malice or incompetence. One of the most frustrating parts is that it's clearly a KPI of theirs to keep complaints at a minimum. To then deceive and try to cancel down my order, which assumingly is their way of fudging the numbers or ensuring my case isn't open longer than a certain period (probably looks better on their numbers report). This is all excluding the compensation scheme which from my first install date of 02/01/2024 is over 100 days now, as well as 3 install dates cancelled without 24 hour notice. Can anyone advise on the best way to get the escalation needed before pushing to the communications ombudsman? Can Virgin Media really be that incompetent - or is this a company who have this snakey behaviour driven from the top down to avoid complaints and fees? Any help would be great!Automatic compensation - Refund vs compensation
Like many others, I’ve experienced Virgin Media’s appalling customer service…long story short, my installation was delayed, I was entitled to automatic compensation, Virgin refused to pay. I’ve been to the Ombudsman who ruled in my favour, but I have questions over the type of payments that qualify under the automatic compensation scheme. Virgin began charging my account for my subscription before installation was complete or any services were activated. Two months of charges were applied to my account, which Virgin then refunded. These refunds were deducted from the total compensation I was ultimately awarded - I was entitled to £400, I had £150 of credits to my account, so was awarded £250. I’ve discussed this with the Ombudsman and was told any payments made to me by Virgin qualify as payments under the automatic compensation scheme. The fact I was being charged for a service I wasn’t receiving doesn’t matter, and there appears to be no distinction made between payments made as refunds, rather than to compensate me for the inconvenience and additional costs I incurred. Is this really how the scheme works in practice? If so it’s clearly open to abuse and not fit for purpose. Sorry if anything isn’t clear and thanks in advance for any help!Delayed Installation
I'm on week 12 of waiting for installation works to be completed. I was due installation on 02-11-23, this has been pushed back several times due to pre installation work not being completed. Each time i contact Virgin they can't tell me anything, no dates of a pre installation visit, and a false claim that there will be no more issues. After the first few delays i rang to cancel the contract where i was told i would need to pay a cancelation fee, i challenged this as i dont even have a cable connected to my house and my contract hadn't started. I was sent an O2 box, which worked for a few days and then had sim card issues, again useless. I'm now waiting on the 5th Feb after my latest delay, for installation to happen. I have no confidence that the external works are going to happen in time as Virgin can't give me any dates for this. What's worse is a Virgin contractor pulled up today so i thought this is it, finally. Went out to ask them if it was for my house and no it was for next door, who moved in a month after us. I asked if they could do my house at the same time, they said no and i wasn't scheduled in for anything that they could see. It would make sense to do both houses at the same time right? I then walked up the little row of new builds on my drive, about 5 houses, all have brown virgin boxes outside, I'm the only fool without one, and i moved in first. I fully expect Ant and Dec to jump out at some point. Can someone at Virgin please contact me to confirm when both the pre and internal installation work is due to be completed? I'm 100% expecting a battle for compensation on this but have heard that isn't easy as well...A truly awful company, surely your customer service colleagues don't enjoy being moaned at and imagine shouted at all the time. Sam