Installer came and went - still no broadband!

[Exulus]

Ok, im annoyed now! The installer came and put in a new cable modem just now and gave us a disc (not that we needed that to happen, as everything was already there).

We've tried to sign up but keep getting error code 602,something wrong with our order. I've rung virgin media on as many 0800 numbers as i can find and no one can fix it, billing and support say there is nothing wrong with it and everyone has said i must ring broadband support on an 0906 number. Why should i have to ring a premium rate number for something i dont even have yet?! This is ridiculous :mad: I usually like ntl/virgin but this is really ****ing me off now.

Does anyone have any ideas what i could do apart from ringing the number? Else all hell is gonna break loose when i get through! Thanks.

[Paul K]

Are the lights on the modem active?

[Exulus]

Yep, the ready light is lit.

[brundles]

This is something I really don't agree with. VM techs seem to have developed a habit of leaving when modem is working but no broadband on any devices.

Surely the offer of 1 week tech support to cover getting the thing actually working for the customer wouldn't break the bank?

[Exulus]

This is something I really don't agree with. VM techs seem to have developed a habit of leaving when modem is working but no broadband on any devices.

Surely the offer of 1 week tech support to cover getting the thing actually working for the customer wouldn't break the bank?

The woman on the phone said it is not the installers job to set up the disc unless the customer specifically asks if they arn't PC illiterate. I didnt agree with that, the installer shouldnt leave until the broadband is installed! There must be another way than having to ring up premium rate :mad:

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Yep, the ready light is lit.

I that the only light thats lit?

[Exulus]

I that the only light thats lit?
Not sure, im not actually in the house! It was my housemate that was there. I believe its all connected fine though as he managed to access http://autoreg.autoregister.net and try it that way, but we still get the same error code.

[brundles]

The woman on the phone said it is not the installers job to set up the disc unless the customer specifically asks if they arn't PC illiterate. I didnt agree with that, the installer shouldnt leave until the broadband is installed! There must be another way than having to ring up premium rate :mad:

It's something I believe is actually costing them new customers. My neighbour was on the phone on hold to cancel because they wouldn't even try and help him with it (he's not computer literate at all) when I had a look at it. All it took was upgrading the onboard ethernet drivers (not difficult as he still had his AOL USB access) - something that the VM support line had apparently not picked up on after several hours on the phone.

I think charging to general PC/network support after the install and everything has been working is fine, but charging for it before the customer has even been able to use the internet on the VM BB service is another entirely.

[Exulus]

It's something I believe is actually costing them new customers. My neighbour was on the phone on hold to cancel because they wouldn't even try and help him with it (he's not computer literate at all) when I had a look at it. All it took was upgrading the onboard ethernet drivers (not difficult as he still had his AOL USB access) - something that the VM support line had apparently not picked up on after several hours on the phone.

I think charging to general PC/network support after the install and everything has been working is fine, but charging for it before the customer has even been able to use the internet on the VM BB service is another entirely.
Exactly. Its ridiculous, i shouldnt have to pay to get something "fixed" which hasnt even begun yet! I see they've charged me a £25 installation fee though :mad:

I might try ringing up again shortly and ask to speak to a manager/supervisor. I should not have to ring a premium number to get broadband in the first place.

---------- Post added at 14:39 ---------- Previous post was at 13:16 ----------

Ok, well i just spoke to a very nice man at Virgin who said he will force the modem activation :) Why someone else couldnt do this before i'll never know, but he sounded like he knew what he was doing!

[morph178]

This is something I really don't agree with. VM techs seem to have developed a habit of leaving when modem is working but no broadband on any devices

It's not VM techs that have developed a habit, they are only doing what they are allowed to do!!, They are not allowed to touch your PC let alone install any software on it, why get annoyed with the tech when they are only doing their job?

[hairy_mick]

I agree with you morph178 not the techs fault as long as the lights are solid sync and ready then thats his/her job done. I used to work for inhouse till they got rid of us we used to set it up for the customer if we had time if not we used to get someone who could but them days have gone.

[BarFly]

Ring the premium number, explain your a new customer & cant reg.
They will take a number & call you back straight away, they will also refund the call to the premium to line.. nornally, not more than 2/3 mins to get the details & call back, e.g : 85p ( 3 x 25p ) + 10p connection charge.

[on in an hour!]

I agree with you morph178 not the techs fault as long as the lights are solid sync and ready then thats his/her job done. I used to work for inhouse till they got rid of us we used to set it up for the customer if we had time if not we used to get someone who could but them days have gone.
agreed mick,in the early days the in-house techs used to configure every single b/b install.when they realised the cost (as it was service techs doing it,and the implications of less techs doing faults) they decided to train up the contract partners to do the install,then configure the p.c.. as this was an extra task on the installers job they had to pay them,so they offered customers managed/non-managed installs,£15.guess what? hardly anybody took up the offer of a managed install and the fault calls went through the roof,so ultimately it was still costing them to send out the service techs.when the faults were visited it was mostly customer p.c/software faults or pure ignorance,hence now the 25p call charge (which i totally agree with) if its then not the customers fault the call charges are refunded.i ask the poster,if you were offered a managed install would you have paid it,i think not,as you or your housemate are obviously quite au-fait with p.c.'s but even you came across a problem (admittedly not your fault) but im sure even you can see the wisdom of paying for a managed install.lets face it,how many other ISP's have got the capability to send a tech to your house,exactly,none.you pick up your AOL disc out of the sunday express and youre on your own!!!

[NTLVictim]

All horribly familiar...

[brundles]

It's not VM techs that have developed a habit, they are only doing what they are allowed to do!!, They are not allowed to touch your PC let alone install any software on it, why get annoyed with the tech when they are only doing their job?

That's a fair point point. My install is from a few years back where the tech did the install (although he didn't have a clue about computers - wouldn't let me touch it because he was installing it but had to phone his mate to be talked through swapping a fixed IP to DHCP). I can see the extra cost to Virgin and perhaps having the tech do the install isn't the most cost effective way (albeit for someone trained it's a fraction of the time to do it on site for the same training at the other end of the phone).

The point still stands though that it's not made clear to new customers (as far as I know) that the tech is only there to connect the modem up. As far as Joe Bloggs is concerned he's paying VM to provide internet access to his computer, not to the modem.

Barfly also makes a good point - one which the VM techs should make and VM make official. That would at least address the frustrations of non tech-savvy customers.

[on in an hour!]

The point still stands though that it's not made clear to new customers (as far as I know) that the tech is only there to connect the modem up. As far as Joe Bloggs is concerned he's paying VM to provide internet access to his computer, not to the modem.


same as you pay other service providers for their internet,but as ive said,you dont get a tech with your installation cd.granted the VM tech has to visit as he has to install the co-axial cable to the modem (unless its already installed,in which case you can get 1 through the post) but say AOL offered an engineers visit after youd failed to install the cd you picked up in some supermarket,would you expect them to come out and configure everything for free?? its £25 for an install now,which barely covers what VM pay the contract partners for a tech,which entitles you to a modem placed by your p.c. in effect youre then at the exact point of install (on your own) as with every other ISP who only send you an installation disc.so explain why VM should then continue to provision your p.c. to the point of browsing,when no-one else does.they are not a charity.(contrary to what all the retentions regulars think).

[Exulus]

The point still stands though that it's not made clear to new customers (as far as I know) that the tech is only there to connect the modem up. As far as Joe Bloggs is concerned he's paying VM to provide internet access to his computer, not to the modem.


same as you pay other service providers for their internet,but as ive said,you dont get a tech with your installation cd.granted the VM tech has to visit as he has to install the co-axial cable to the modem (unless its already installed,in which case you can get 1 through the post) but say AOL offered an engineers visit after youd failed to install the cd you picked up in some supermarket,would you expect them to come out and configure everything for free?? its £25 for an install now,which barely covers what VM pay the contract partners for a tech,which entitles you to a modem placed by your p.c. in effect youre then at the exact point of install (on your own) as with every other ISP who only send you an installation disc.so explain why VM should then continue to provision your p.c. to the point of browsing,when no-one else does.they are not a charity.(contrary to what all the retentions regulars think).
We already had a cable modem in place and co-axial yet they still wanted to send an engineer out..they wouldnt post us a CM. I also wouldnt describe myself as a "non tech savvy" computer user, i know what im doing generally, setting up the home network, have worked in PC repair shops and built my own PC's etc. However what i think the problem was is that when i pay an installation fee to get broadband i expect to get broadband INSTALLED...whereas in this case it wasnt.

Luckily the guy on the freephone number (after the 4th or so attempt) knew how to force an activation over the phone, whereas the 3 people before were mystified as to why it wasnt working and told me to phone a premium rate phone number for support for a product that i dont even have yet and have just paid £25 for some guy to come out and swap one CM for another...can you see my frustration? The first couple of people didnt even tell me that i could have the cost of the premium rate phone call refunded. They just simply "audiobly" shrugged their shoulders and said there was nothing they could do and i'd have to phone the 0906 number. And to be perfectly honest i would worry that it wouldnt be deducted anyway as it seemed like a bit of a backwards way of doing things.

Added to the fact that when i ordered it online a few weeks ago it didnt work, so had to phone them up, and then they set up two direct debit accounts which meant i had to ring them up again to cancel one of them, and that they couldnt just switch it on from their end despite everything that is physically needed was at the address (which i have since learnt is their policy to send someone out, so fair enough) im sure you can see my frustration!

[on in an hour!]

We already had a cable modem in place and co-axial yet they still wanted to send an engineer out..they wouldnt post us a CM. I also wouldnt describe myself as a "non tech savvy" computer user, i know what im doing generally, setting up the home network, have worked in PC repair shops and built my own PC's etc. However what i think the problem was is that when i pay an installation fee to get broadband i expect to get broadband INSTALLED...whereas in this case it wasnt.

Luckily the guy on the freephone number (after the 4th or so attempt) knew how to force an activation over the phone, whereas the 3 people before were mystified as to why it wasnt working and told me to phone a premium rate phone number for support for a product that i dont even have yet and have just paid £25 for some guy to come out and swap one CM for another...can you see my frustration? The first couple of people didnt even tell me that i could have the cost of the premium rate phone call refunded. They just simply "audiobly" shrugged their shoulders and said there was nothing they could do and i'd have to phone the 0906 number. And to be perfectly honest i would worry that it wouldnt be deducted anyway as it seemed like a bit of a backwards way of doing things.

Added to the fact that when i ordered it online a few weeks ago it didnt work, so had to phone them up, and then they set up two direct debit accounts which meant i had to ring them up again to cancel one of them, and that they couldnt just switch it on from their end despite everything that is physically needed was at the address (which i have since learnt is their policy to send someone out, so fair enough) im sure you can see my frustration!
absolutely!!!