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m419
17-03-2009, 19:08
This should be marked sticky!

Many people have had problems with the post code search checker on the Virgin Media Website. Its telling people that they live in a non-servicable area/address or can only recieve Analogue Cable services.

You can check to see if your property can get Cable by telephoning the Investigations team on 0121-683-7638 and leaving your details on the automated system. It will be investigated locally rather than a call centre miles away.

chuzzlemonkey
17-03-2009, 20:15
Yup.

Also customer services/sales can transfer you through to that answering machine, so if you don't want to pay for the call and come accross a free sales number, then that'd do the trick ;)

Bare in mind, if it is determined that you definately are not serviceable, you will not hear back from VM.

MovedGoalPosts
17-03-2009, 20:47
Is Investigations Team a new title for Spotters? I think that's what it used to be called?

chuzzlemonkey
17-03-2009, 20:50
As far as i'm aware there is no investigation team.

It just sends a message through to the spotters who get it checked out.

Bet they'd like to be called the investigation team, though. Much better job title! lol

m419
17-03-2009, 20:51
No I chose 'Investigations team' 'spotters' sounds like someone that hangs about Crewe Railway station LOL

chuzzlemonkey
17-03-2009, 20:54
lol in which case they've just added INVESTIGATIONS TEAM to the title.

Welshchris
18-03-2009, 10:41
are these the people that claim to get back to u within 72 hrs and take 2 weeks? lol

chuzzlemonkey
18-03-2009, 10:44
are these the people that claim to get back to u within 72 hrs and take 2 weeks? lol

No these are the people who don't get back to you at all if you're not serviceable! lol

If you are then you might hear something back, if they remember to call you! :dunce: More often than not they just wait for you to call back and update the system so that CSC/SALES can tell you whether you're serviceable or not.

BenMcr
18-03-2009, 11:23
The telephone number isn't used anymore.

You can either fill this form in online http://allyours.virginmedia.com/forms/unserviceableLeads.html

or get an agent to fill in the internal form

Chris
18-03-2009, 12:49
Incredible, a company that thinks its a great idea to let potential customers beg for its services ...

chuzzlemonkey
18-03-2009, 12:54
Incredible, a company that thinks its a great idea to let potential customers beg for its services ...

lol i don't think that's the approach. Its more a case of bad management somewhere. VM don't exactly know 100% which properties that are currently not being serviced are serviceable. :nutter:

BenMcr
18-03-2009, 14:07
Indeed. Lets just say the database records from some of the older systems are not as accurate as they could be

Plus for some properties the records could be 10/15 years old

jungleguy
18-03-2009, 23:27
the VM data base will never be 100% accurate. some of then reasons for this are

A. One dwelling since the original survey's been converted into flats, on the data base it will show as one dwelling possibly with active customer. Other flats are not there.

B. A garage may have been flattened and turned into houses, on the data base it just shows as a business.

C. A complicated installation would have been flagged non serve due to multiply wayleaves etc on the original survey. Address is on the data base, neighbor can have it, but this address requires wayleave and construction.

I hope this explains why the data base is inaccurate. The fact is that towns and cities evolve but the database can't evolve without a bit of help from the local office.

I think a better name for a spotter would be 'territory manager'.

jrhnewark
03-04-2010, 19:27
Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but the old issues here continue.

I stupidly stuck my new postcode into VM's postcode checker and found that I wasn't cabled so started to make other arrangements. Only when I realised how poor my BT line was going to be did I ring VM to cancel my service and also to mention to them that I find it odd that my road isn't covered.

She put in my postcode and found that my next door neighbour (no. 115 - we'll be 117) is fully cabled up.

She said she'd send out a spotter to look at it. I got a call from the local spotter a few hours later letting me know that he'd be looking into it on Tuesday.

While I'm impressed by the speed at which the spotter let me know he'd be looking at it, I don't understand why after all this time the database still isn't up-to-date when their central billing database obviously is up to date. We're exactly the same postcode as our next door neighbours.

Anyway, I'm hoping that we can get it installed around next weekend and it won't be too much work. I'm guessing they can take a splitter off where there's a connection on the street for next door and just do a small amount of digging to get it round to my house!

weesteev
03-04-2010, 20:05
Its not quite as simple as a whole postcode area being serviceable, your property may not be serviced as a Tee was never fitted when the network was installed originally, this is more common than you might think.

Or it could be that when the street was built, none of the houses were active until field sales released them for sale when someone signed up...

The possibilities as to why your house is currently "unserviceable" are endless, remember that local data may be up to 20 years old, that's when some of the first cable network was put in place.

Hopefully no construction work will be required and the spotter can just get your home released and ready for sale, the Installers should be able to carry out any required work. If construction is required then you should be advised in advance.

Lets us know how it go's!

;)

jrhnewark
03-04-2010, 20:17
Thanks for the info Stephen. I've got my fingers crossed!! :)

jungleguy
04-04-2010, 00:07
in situation link this VM are reactive not proactive. Its cost, they can't have guys dedicated to releasing properties as serviceable with no application/order. They need tangible data. Your sale to the spotter is tangible/quantifiable, by booking your sale on and more importantly getting you installed VM know he's done his job.

jrhnewark
04-04-2010, 00:45
Oh I'm sure!! As long as he can get me service, I shall be a very happy chappy. :-)

jrhnewark
07-04-2010, 22:57
Well, I had an update from the spotter today who has to refer it onto the new build team as he's still not sure if we're serviceable. He says that this normally takes about two weeks to get an answer back on!

I've called customer service this evening who are going to email the team themselves and hopefully they'll get back to me.

Is there anyway anyone here could just have a look into it to see whether this process could be speeded up? Perhaps there's some data VM hold on how the house next door was installed that will show whether it's a simple install or not do-able?

Do business customers get priority service over residential, hence the waiting time?

I don't so much mind waiting for the install, but it'd be good to know if it can be done!!

(Unfortunately I run a home email server which is handy but a pain in this instance!)

jrhnewark
23-04-2010, 02:48
Unfortunately I've not heard anything back from VM, and nor did they give me any useful information about who I could follow this up with.

BT line was activated today and O2 Broadband is hopefully going to be activated within the week.

RobertinHerts
24-04-2010, 09:34
I could see the cabinet across our small road and the cable point in the house but I also had to demand to have service, albeit this was almost 3 years ago.

Robert