View Full Version : How long till Virgin Media Go Bust with this service
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 15:09
I cant wait for the day personally.
on 13th all happy and please let us have your account from Sky and BT Broadband.
Ordered XL Broadband and phone with the request for Full TV package after 2 months 2 x V+ systems due to then coming out of SKY HD Contract.
Day later a Clapped out transit van pulled up two blocks got out lifted manhole and went @ 6:30 got a call from Raj at construction team stating they wouldnt be able to install as our area doesnt provide Cable HELLLLLOOOOO next door is a customer with a longer stretch from the junction box when you phone and give address they say oh yes your already a customer and have to be corrected.
I explained this to the guy from Construction and he stated it must be from a different road ??????????. When I stated I had booked off my shift losing £200 for the install he said he would need the area manager to go and take a look and didnt state canceliing installation.
Today got taking the tour through India ten times to finally get told by Richard Customer Relations installation has been cancelled due to 50 Metre dig required. Our neighbour to which Virgin had to ask our permission cable was pulled through and connected immediately no fuss and thats the next manhole along. Its clear none of them have a clue and to add to this had a precheck when we where going with NTL all ok previously.
Again got palmed off with I will see if the Area Manager might call you.
Virgin your useless give up ive got my solicitor drawing up the small claims for my loss due to loss of earnings.
Maybe one of you out there can help sorry to go off on one but when you phone a company that does cable that doesnt know what cable is its very worrying. Also paid £30 for install thats been cancelled so they owe £230.
Sorry rant over SOOOOOOOOOO glad havent cancelled SKY or BT yet as everyone said Virgin where rubbish.
---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 15:05 ----------
Forgot to say Warlingham, Surrey CR6
That sounds a bit odd. If your neighbour has cable and the cable actually runs over your property so you had to give permission for it, I can't see how they're able to say you can't have it. And where did they get '50 metres' from? Do you have a massive driveway?
If you still wanted cable you would have to try to get the area installs manager to do a visual inspection. Personally I can't help but wonder whether the cable-pulling team just thought the whole job looked too much like hard work. Surely 50 metres is an exaggeration!
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 15:42
You would think that wouldnt you promised 2 days ago that the Area Manager would look into also 1 hour ago nothing. Its croydon area and I think your right they were there for 2 secs lift up manhole and that was it.
The funny thing was when Raj tried to state it was from a different road they are others that have it.
Download Failed (1)
As you can see the square is the junction box and the one nearest is my house the furthest is the current user
They couldnt be arsed basically and it seems the Area Manager doesnt want to bother either, I think its cool that Virgin have so much custom they dont have to worry about Credit Crunch to the point they decline fully able properties Branson much be so rich he doesnt need to : )
Is Paddock Walk an adopted highway or is itr privately maintained by yourselves and your neighbours?
To be honest, if there isn't any ducting passing your property already, the chances of the Area Manager agreeing to install you are very remote. It really is a long distance. But if there isn't any ducting, thw question is, how is your neighbour getting provisioned? I'm wondering whether he paid for the complete run from the street cab himself? That would be expensive, but if you don't mind me saying so, it looks like some of your neighbours could probably afford it. ;)
If there is ducting, then there's no way they have to run 50 metres of cable anywhere ....
You could reason this one round in circles forever. The only way it's going to be resolved is by a site visit from an installs manager. However the fact that you've posted a photo may mean some of our Virgin Media staff members may be able to offer a more learned opinion than I.
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 16:07
It is all provisioned for it was done by ntl as there was uproar regarding it its a public cul de sac.
Where the white junction box is shown all the way down the road on the pavement is manholes for the cable for each household our one is directly opposite same as our neighbour they didnt pay extra just had a proper install team obviously.
Jonnymeg
20-11-2008, 16:09
When I stated I had booked off my shift losing £200 for the install.
ive got my solicitor drawing up the small claims for my loss due to loss of earnings.
Also paid £30 for install thats been cancelled so they owe £230.
I would have had a lot of sympathy for you but i am afraid with comments like that i now think different.
Why is it that everyone claims this like it's the service providers responsibility to pay your wages?
You booked the day off, no one forced you did they? Any solicitor would laugh at you.
Sure you are entitled to your £30 back but nothing more if they claim it cannot be done.
I would have had a lot of sympathy for you but i am afraid with comments like that i now think different.
Why is it that everyone claims this like it's the service providers responsibility to pay your wages?
You booked the day off, no one forced you did they? Any solicitor would laugh at you.
Sure you are entitled to your £30 back but nothing more if they claim it cannot be done.
What, just because they 'claim' it cannot be done? Even if the actual reason was, they didn't want to, had other jobs to rush off to, or wanted to get off for an early tea?
The fact is, we don't know why the install was cancelled, but if it was cancelled unreasonably the potential customer is perfectly entitled to his legal right to try to get his losses back.
The install may of course have been perfectly reasonably cancelled, but based on the information in the thread so far, I don't know how that can be.
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 16:14
My solicitor has already agreed a paid and confirmed installation was given no cancellation notice given and due to this I have lost out.
To be honest I just wanted the Service and still do just seems you have to beg virgin to have there service there are that rich they dont need customers.
Jonnymeg
20-11-2008, 16:25
This job sounds to me like this:
The two guys that came were 'Pre-Pullers' who lay the cable under the road ready for the insatllation date. They probably found blocked ducting or another construction problem that prevented them from doing it.
Because of this it was refered to construction to try and clear the problem. It may be required that the road be dug to access the blockage which may not be a viable option for a single customer.
This would then cast this install as 'non-standard'
VM terms and conditions for installs state.
Our obligation to provide the services is also subject to survey. If a survey shows that the services cannot be installed or connected at your home, or if a non-standard installation is required, we may cancel any installation date we have given you and terminate this agreement. We will do our best to notify you of this as soon as possible after the survey. We shall be under no liability whatsoever to you for any failure to provide the services in these circumstances but we will refund you for any payments you have already made to Virgin Media Payments for installation or the services.
Hence no refund on 'loss of earnings' , maybe you should have booked for a weekend.
Do the words 'Subject to Survey' not mean anything then?
No install with Virgin is conifrmed until the installation has been completed and the services are working.
Even if the ducting is there, it can still end up being non-servicable
---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 16:31 ----------
EDIT: sorry for the duplicate ;)
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 16:53
I would agree but due to the clapped out van and there appearance we wondered who they were they took two minutes lift up one manhole and then went unless they have a scanner in the van that xrays Tarmac as they drive off. Quite simply wasn't checked that's why the construction guy raj that phoned said no one had cable anywhere in the road they didn't look.
---------- Post added at 16:53 ---------- Previous post was at 16:42 ----------
to be honest my main annoyance is there lack if professionalism so let's leave the loss of earnings had they given a real reason we would be understanding especially when the area manager also can't be added to call u. Years ago worked for Sky and most of our jobs were clearing up after poor installs from a company I won't fully mention k c there were subbed to do work and were awful seems same here.
I don't want to offend virgin staff that do a good job just the ones that haven't hear
mediamaker
20-11-2008, 20:29
As an update surprise surpise area manager didnt phone back Virgin Customer Service is useless good thing is two of the PC Magazines a friend works for a going to put our story in January edition which should make a great dent in New Clients
As an update surprise surpise area manager didnt phone back Virgin Customer Service is useless good thing is two of the PC Magazines a friend works for a going to put our story in January edition which should make a great dent in New Clients
How great a dent do you think it will make, you won't be the first to get your tale of wow published, and it not making a jot of difference.
Sorry, poor service for you certainly, but that's gonna be it I think.
Jonnymeg
20-11-2008, 21:13
As an update surprise surpise area manager didnt phone back Virgin Customer Service is useless good thing is two of the PC Magazines a friend works for a going to put our story in January edition which should make a great dent in New Clients
Can't see it being a top story mate, maybe 5 lines on page 74?
Wicked_and_Crazy
20-11-2008, 21:19
As an update surprise surpise area manager didnt phone back Virgin Customer Service is useless good thing is two of the PC Magazines a friend works for a going to put our story in January edition which should make a great dent in New Clients
Do you think your friend could write an article about a light that appeared on my car dashboard that the garage couldn't sort out? :rolleyes::D
sprattgraham
21-11-2008, 00:57
Give VM a call on this number: 01256 752000 and ask for complaints, this department is High Level Complaints at the office of the CEO.
The staff are great and always get back to you.
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 07:01
Thanks for that number I really appreciate it guys not against any of you and as many of you mention in other posts its the contracters that give VM a bad name. It doesnt help that all there offices are outsourced indian based call centres that havent got a clue what they are talking about and you can here them flicking through there tabs of the How to act like Virgin Media Customer Services book. All these call centres one minute they are MBNA Credit Card next minute Easyjet complaints then next few calls Virgin Media they dont just soley deal with one compnay this is why they are sound so thick.
The bottom line is I just want Virgin Media to install whats available and got infuriated with the confiednt guy on the phone stating we have none in our area when neighbour clearly has. Sprattgraham will give this a go today and post back.
To Zippy and all not sure why you have your back up unless I have personally insulted you but its plain to see im not the only one with issues do a search Virgin Medias name is mud and more and more people are changing back to SKY and ADSL yes its more money however you get what you pay for.
Cheers Daz
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 09:36
That was so helpful just spoke to someone there they said they can clearly see that over 5 houses on the road have the system and my address clearly shows its availble and cabling is there. I told you I wasnt mad : ), the very helpful guy on the phone filled out an emergency complaint and stated an account manager would be assigned to this and call me b4 5 pm to get sorted.
Oh there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel and going by this this is the Kelly Communications company that are at fault. Although without this number i would still be calling india.
Graham thanks so much for the info and keep all posted.
I do hope you do get services. Remember though, that when you first ordered everyone thought you could get services, so someone on a telephone saying you can, even if they are from head office, isn't any different
jungleguy
21-11-2008, 09:46
out of interest was the clapped out van a low loader?
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 13:28
Didnt look that closely at the back why
---------- Post added at 13:28 ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 ----------
Think i was a bit over confident just phoned back after receiving no call back and they said nothing had been done and would now again get someone to call us. Oh dear if there high level cant even do it and dont care theres not much hope is there sooo glad havent cancelled sky and bt broadband.
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 15:37
Well update I can safely say Virgin Media is Useless it took three phonecalls to that number each promising someone would call.
Third one I got a call from Claire at Install complaints not the supposed high escalation conmplaint she stated that it has been deemed an unservicable property due to these two guys that didnt do anything and even though there computer shows it has the cabling.
She again said the area manager would give us a call so basically f all back to square one.
I think its hilarious that Virgin feck up this badly our account was to have the full VIP package with two rooms on V+ and two phone lines over £100 a month and they cant be arsed to actually check.
Im just one so you imagine the others there are thats why Virgin are hemeraging customers and hopefully will lead to the credit crunch taking it toll.
If this High up that could give an f theres no chance.
Looks like we will have to stick with Sky an the awful situation of being dealt with properly professionally and service working perfectly.
Jonnymeg
21-11-2008, 16:08
she stated that it has been deemed an unservicable property due to these two guys that didnt do anything
You see this is the problem....
You don't know nothing was done, you don't know what the saw in that pit, you don't know that they didn't find problems elsewhere when you weren't looking out of the window.
You are assuming that you are right all the time which may not be the case.
As i said previously there could be problems with the routing of the cable underground that could be too costly to sort out. You just don't know really do you?
You haven't got my back up, it's just that your originally post was all guns blazing and demanding compensation when you don't have the full picture. None of us do.
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 17:51
Well i have just had an ex cable person look down our road all our properties have had the cable trench done you can see the tarmac line and also he just showed me the cable coming up on ourside.
So its plan to see Virgin have not got a clue what they are doing surprise surprise the blagger from complaints never called back. All they talk is bull and they have just lost a premium customer.
I have never found such a farce of a company you have to do there job and prove to them you can have it and basically beg for there service if they are this ***** at getting an installation approved what must it be once installed to get a repair done i imagine its pay us your in contract or else and no service.
I am completely p**sed off now and have stolen the £30 too for a Phantom installation
Well i have just had an ex cable person look down our road all our properties have had the cable trench done you can see the tarmac line and also he just showed me the cable coming up on ourside.
So he didn't look in the pit at all? So how does he know what state the ducting is in? Also he is an EX cable person, so how does he know the current criteria Virgin use to go ahead with installs?
As I've said before, even previously serviced properties can be classed as non-servicable if it's not feasable to install the services for whatever reason, which can include cost as well as state of the road and pipes
I am completely p**sed off now and have stolen the £30 too for a Phantom installation
Obviously you should get that back, Customer Services should be able to arrange a refund back onto your card 3-5 days
jungleguy
21-11-2008, 19:44
Hi mediamaker, you did describe the VM van as being clapped out, a low loader was probably the wrong word to describe it, was it like a pick up truck, ie open backed transit.
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 19:59
Your comment about how does he know there is ducting my point exactly the Kelly Cowboys went past our property and to a further manhole which si the one that is being serviced by Virgin and didnt do any other checks we were standing there the whole time because wasnt sure who they were Virgin said they would be coming yesterday and this was the day before.
the guy only recently jacked it in with Kellys due to awful working conditions to go to SKY. Its clear the ducting is there plus to add to this spoke to my neighbour who recently had it took them a while but all pulled though the tarmacced area clearly seen at all our properties to be honest I have now seen the cable that isnt there so Im not going to bother messing around anymore I think im probably well rid if they cant get a simple imspection done.
jungleguy
21-11-2008, 20:14
You maybe a CID fed area. In which case there maybe no capacity in the duct to pull an additional cable. A section of the ducting may have been removed during council excavations rendering your property non serve. there are loads of reasons why your install failed
Also if your mate was with Kelly's he'll have the instal managers phone number, get the number and give him a call, this will save you a lot of bother and get an answer from the horses mouth.
I still wanna know what type of van turned up
mediamaker
21-11-2008, 21:12
We live in a Cul de sac the council cant be arsed to fix wearing tarmac let along excavate we have lived here since they were put in and like a said separate one to each house and we have a cable sitting next our house from the tarmaced bit. It was a normal clapped out two doors on the back Pikey van not roadwork van.
I will take photos tomoz and upload so peope can see just hopefully for someone else that having troubles help but mines a lost battle they have chosen not to want to pull a cable for me even though all the provisions are there ther than paying another company to pull the cable for them not much more i can do.
I did say to claire at blaggers corner complaints that I would pay Cobra to come a pull the cable and if succesful would send them the invoice which panicked them as it was out of script for the and the excuse manual didnt have that in it the normal bugger off and we promise that an area manager will never call you routine couldnt be used.
---------- Post added at 21:12 ---------- Previous post was at 21:11 ----------
I am intrigued though which would be the difference between the types of van one proper workman one not
jungleguy
21-11-2008, 22:36
I'm just interested in what kind of vans they drive in Croydon.
Your best bet is to get a local sales rep or a spotter involved to mange your instal.
Jonnymeg
21-11-2008, 22:44
The type of van you describe is those driven by the construction crews. These deal with problems that are escalated to them by others - such as pre pullers.
Pre pullers attend several days before the install date to pull the cable to the small point at the end of your garden. If they cannot do that for reasons such as damaged ducting the call in the construction crews to sort it out.
They would come and assess. In your case it looks like a non resolvable problem. This doesn't make them cowboys though.
mediamaker
22-11-2008, 15:39
Unless they had Xray eyes allthough saying that they were blind big dig mark across the road and today found the cable on my side of the road.
Jonnymeg
22-11-2008, 17:26
Unless they had Xray eyes allthough saying that they were blind big dig mark across the road and today found the cable on my side of the road.
Do you not understand what i am saying or do you just choose to ignore it?
Just because there is house with cable on your side of the street doesn't mean you can have it.
If the conduit the cable pulls through is now blocked or has collapsed there is no way to get another through it is there?
Do you not understand what i am saying or do you just choose to ignore it?
Just because there is house with cable on your side of the street doesn't mean you can have it.
If the conduit the cable pulls through is now blocked or has collapsed there is no way to get another through it is there?
I suspect Mediamaker could ask you the same question. Throughout this thread he had insisted that he watched the crew during their entire brief visit to his street and in that time saw nothing to suggest they made any kind of inspection of the ducting.
There may well be no way to pull new cable through a collapsed ducting, however the question is, is the ducting actually collapsed? Did the crew do anything to establish this? Mediamaker says they did not.
spiderplant
22-11-2008, 19:22
Did the crew do anything to establish this? Mediamaker says they did not.
He said they spent two minutes looking in the pit. Seems likely that the problem, whatever it is, is in that pit.
Virgin don't decide a property is unserviceable for the fun of it. There must be a good reason.
'Virgin' is an extreme generalisation. The crew of that van may have been Virgin's official representatives on that job at that time, but that doesn't mean they were following company policy on that occasion.
The whole point is, we don't know. Yet some people have jumped on the OP purely because he's criticising VM, while the best argument they can offer seems to be 'it can't have happened like that because that's not how Virgin does it'.
To be honest this whole thread is reminding me of the nthellworld.com days, and not in a good way.
jungleguy
22-11-2008, 21:43
they don't have xray eyes they have rods they push through the ducting. Also they would have tried feeding them through other pits.
they don't have xray eyes they have rods they push through the ducting. Also they would have tried feeding them through other pits.
You mean *should* have tried. If they did the job properly. Which the OP claims they didn't - and so far he's the only witness.
dgardner
23-11-2008, 06:29
Hi,
I've looked thru the thread and can't see an answer to this.
You said you have lived at this address for a while and there was an uproar when the cables were laid, did they actually lay any cables/conduit to your property? or did anyone ask your permission at all if they could? as the cables may have been laid to your neighbours but at the time they may not have had permission to put them on your property
jungleguy
23-11-2008, 09:28
the big problem here is how the information is communicated to the customer.
Jonnymeg
23-11-2008, 11:21
I suspect Mediamaker could ask you the same question. Throughout this thread he had insisted that he watched the crew during their entire brief visit to his street and in that time saw nothing to suggest they made any kind of inspection of the ducting.
The point is that i have tried to offer explanations for why the inspection could be so short. It could be that it is already know to virgin that the ducting/pit is damaged and just wanted to confirm that the guys services actually relied upon that part of the infrastructure
The OP does not acknowledge any other reasoning beyond the fact that cowboys could not be arsed to do the job properly.
Contractors are paid per job and as such are not readily in the habit of binning jobs as it serves no purpose.
mediamaker
23-11-2008, 16:40
The pit they looked at was further down the road that serves there property that is working so if they found a fault the neighbour would not be working. I dont want to argue with any of you I know your expressing you opinions and ideas and I do apprecaite it however they didnt look at anything serving our property just the pit opposite the working property as you can see from the aerial picture they are much frther down mine is directly opposite my property if the checked there I would understand but it would be like a motorway worker saying sorry cant tarmac the M25 jct 6 sliproad as I have check JCT21 and its fine ?? doesnt make sense thats all.
Well mondays a new day of excuses but as I said I really dont mean to be moody towards any of you but they really did nothing when they came.
Jonnymeg
23-11-2008, 17:00
:-)
Isn't that his pool at dead centre of the picture?
When you spoke to the operators of the clapped out transit, they did confirm it was your install they were doing, didn't they?
jungleguy
24-11-2008, 21:30
another reason why an address maybe be non serve is if their is a carriage way dig, ie the ducting is in the road or they need to dig across a road to get you installed.
mediamaker
25-11-2008, 10:55
The road has been dug already and cable on our side. I phoned again Tim Ward but as usual nothing dealt with so think we will leave it at Virgin are useless. Going by the figures on many sites majority of people are moving to sky+ and most business is being one by SKY so maybe this was an Omen.
Considering Virgin don't do business TV that is hardly an Omen
mediamaker
25-11-2008, 18:04
Business as in new customers won by Sky rather than Virgin.
Anyway no response by anyone today then saw a Virgin Van outside our house when i asked he said he had come to survey an unservicable property.
I pointed him to the F off big tarmac line going straight to my house and he got a metal detector out and within three seconds dug up the bit he needed spary painted in big green HERE IT IS so the people hopefully wont miss it.
I did say to all I had it all along and had to convince Virgin that i did, as I said the Kelly contractors failed to do there job bt the funny thing was throughout all Virgin have been unhelpful and after proving and having to point out where there cable is there was no apology.
Anyway they have now said they will privilige my property with there service and after all this have said we will phone them back. Thanks to all your input and other than the ones who remain nameless that were being normal forum sado`s thankyou to all that post including Jungleguy, Zippy and Chris many thanks
---------- Post added at 18:04 ---------- Previous post was at 17:59 ----------
Sorry missed a few BenMcr, Jonnymeg ,toto ,dgardner ,Scrubbs but my main thanks is to sprattgraham top notch without that phone number I would still be arguing in bangladesh thanks
mediamaker
26-11-2008, 17:47
: ) Another white van turned up today did nothing they are soo funny what a waste of money i suppose they couldnt see the huge spray painted letters saying VM IS HERE on the curb : )
Didn't you go out and show them? I certainly would have. Take no chances.
joglynne
26-11-2008, 17:57
One of my neighbours drives a white van but he doesn't work for VM.
mediamaker
26-11-2008, 18:04
Didnt get a chance they pulled up again further down road sat for a while then sped off to the green box and went surely after survey they would be the cable pullers rather than yet another visit.
Anyway its all comical now spoke to SKY about the mess and they laughed stating how many customers come back or have tried to get cable and failed due to service they have offered further HD+ packages for other rooms to stay : )
Arthurgray50@blu
26-11-2008, 18:15
Hi Mediamaker, l feel personnaly really sorry for you, but this is nothing new with VM, and from the picture, l have seen, l cannot see where the problem is, surely, when the houses were built, and the cable company at the time, saw there were more than one house, then they would have made the correct instal of the box, cannot imagine the company making all that work for one house, what you can do is contact the company, in writing, look at your contract, if you have one, as before the instal they check your postcode, too see if you have cable in that road, but l have been given so many stories about my service, ie becuase l have a tree in my garden, they said l could get a phone line in my house, yet the cable doesn't go anywhere near my tree, it goes up my garden path.
mediamaker
27-11-2008, 11:36
Phoned complaints team today to get the install fee back and even more funny the whole of the install complaint team are off today including managers Tim Ward.
Thats fantastic whole team get to go off at same time what a company to work for normally its shifts and no two people can take time off here everyone so Christmas i imagine all Virgin are off on hols so hopefully none of you have technical issues.
Welshchris
29-11-2008, 01:01
i have just moved and the engineer who came out told me that they shouldnt be installing it in my new flat because im on the 4th floor and their ladder only goes to 3 floors and they were hanging off drilling. He stated that he had to do it if he didnt it would count against him.
Possibly. What is more likely is that the tech should have requested an 'At Hights' crew to go out instead and the tech might not have got paid for the job
jungleguy
29-11-2008, 08:28
actually 'at heights' crews are only available in certain parts of the country. Health and safety states techs can't do second floors or above. If there is an accident, and the tech was working above these heights, his manger gets prosecuted.
mediamaker
04-12-2008, 13:55
What a surprise Confirmed installation day by letter and no one turned up
mediamaker
05-12-2008, 12:54
Well guys arrive at 5 to do install 3 guys there till 8pm all done its seems very good at mo havent tried phoneline hopefully now will get credit for the hours calling there numbers.
But the guys that turned up were spot on if your reading this thanks they were a team from Brighton.
Only issue was the initial order was to cable two rooms so that once SKY contract ends in 2 months we can have there boxes at £10 delivery rather than needing install I couldnt be arsed to argue again with customer services so they charged me £20 (A Drink) to do the cable runs.
moiraf100
05-12-2008, 20:31
*sigh of relief* :)
we can have there boxes at £10 delivery rather than needing install I couldnt be arsed to argue again with customer services so they charged me £20 (A Drink) to do the cable runs.
Unfortunately, no you can't.
All extra Virgin STB's are tech install only.
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