Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Good evening all.

I just have been on the phone to a "supervisor" at VM, who basically refused to accept anything I said regarding my account, and frankly, I need a bit of help as to escalating a query to the CEO's office.

I rang VM, as the last time I tried using the website to place an order (For a V HD box) it went wrong, so as an XL Broadband customer, I asked for the Superhub, which currently shows as FOC, to upgrade to 30Meg broadband.

When the operative said it would cost £30, I queried this, as there is no one off charge listed on the website. When his response wasn't exactly great, I decided to also ask about the V HD box that is on my account online, but according to him, didn't exist. When his response was the typical non reply, I asked to speak to a supervisor, then things went wrong.

Basically, I was called a liar, saying that despite me, months ago, putting an order on the system for a V HD box when they were free, that such an order doesn't exist, and that although that is reflected online (It says in additional services that I have a V HD box), that I have never contacted them on this regard (Which, is incorrect).

After a 50 minute phone call, in which my patience and good faith were severely tested, I got nowhere, and worse, was disallowed from being forwarded to a Manager, or an alternative agent/retentions. Basically, I was being fobbed off on every turn and being told that after 3 1/2 years of custom, that I am a liar and that I shouldn't be given something that I ordered, even as a good will.

Of course upon request I was denied full disclosure of the details of the call (to take to the CEO's office) and was told that because I was "not willing to discuss my account further" that I would be cut off. I ended by requesting a call back from management that frankly, I know I will not receive. Is there anyone here who can help? If only to direct me as to what recourse I have for such appalling service. I know the VM guys here are diamonds, yet why is it any time I try to get a decent service level, I end up wanting to end my account?

Thanks all.

Lee

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Can you post a link to the page you're referring to that doesn't mention a charge?

http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing...broadband.html

The above page makes it fairly clear that there's a £30 charge.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

https://shop.virginmedia.com/change-your-package

From said site:
Virgin Media Super Hub
Future proofed for speeds of over 100Mb (thanks to DOCSIS3, if you're interested!) our sleek Super Hub is a wireless 'N' router/modem with unbeatable wireless performance.
Broadband XL
one-off
£0.00


Picture evidence too from said site (Apparently this wasn't good enough either):

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...5&d=1298743949

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

It is £30 to upgrade.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Look up, your website disagrees! The only reason why I didn't use it is because it broken last time for me, and as it has proven to be a huge bone of contention, I didn't want to risk that.

If it is £30, it does not say so online, and as I am on XL broadband already, I fail to see where this mentioned. I even got to the step before setting up the order, and it still thought it wouldn't cost anything.

Again, the online system is either wrong, or not mentioning something, which is a problem I had with the thing in the first place! However that is a secondary concern at the moment. More importantly to me is how to forward a complaint to the CEO's office. I can accept systems failing, I cannot accept being called a dishonest customer!

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

But it does say so here http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing...broadband.html

Also even staff have to pay the £30 to upgrade below taken from my KANA email.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Right here:

http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing...spart=email_05

[Edit]
Masque beat me to it. Either way there's *multiple* pages where it's clearly stated. Quick Googling of "Virgin media 30mb upgrade" returns them all.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

If you complete the upgrade does it advise £30 packaging/delivery?

Link for complaints: http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginm...t-feedback.php

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Superhub is free going from L bb to xl, if your on xl it's £30

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Not according to some customer service agents.:erm:

We know different of course.:)

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

As I said, I got to the point where I could hit "finish order" and it still didn't mention any charge, so the website is either very misleading or broken. If there is a £30 charge, it needs to be mentioned AS you order, not as some side note that you do not see if you go straight through the upgrade process.

As I said, the website upgrade mentioned NO one off charge of any sort during the upgrade package process, and still does not mention any going through the checkout process. If it does slap a £30 charge post order (I.E after I cannot go back), it would not be very clever.

Edit: I think there is some confusion over this. Should the Superhub be free but the upgrade to 30Meg be charged? If so, I'll take the hub and run, as I need a proper router! That, and there is no option to go 20>30meg on the upgrade website as yet anyway!

Well, as I could easily ring up to go back down to L broadband (and then use the website to re-upgrade) that's a bit of a silly idea isn't it!

Edit Edit: Indeed, there appears to be 2 different upgrade paths here, and the version I am using is different from the one that is specifically for broadband.

If you use https://shop.virginmedia.com/change-your-package it offers the Superhub for free HOWEVER doesn't mention 30Meg. However, something tells me that anyone on a XL package with a Superhub will end up getting 30meg anyway (Correct me f I'm wrong) sooner or later, so either the charge should exist, or the option should not be there! I'm confused, and frankly, the CS op didn't explain anything very well at all!

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Upgrade to 30MB is £30 activation fee and you will get the Super[Mod Edit] Hub for free.

If you dont want 30MB and stick with 20MB, its like £70 for the Super[User edit as mods don't seem to read the entire post so I'll do it for you] Hub.

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Well look, some parts of the VM webite contradict other parts. The thing is, one page will say "only a one-off £30 fee for the Super Hub" yet another clearly states the Super Hub is free for all customers choosing 30Mb, 50Mb or 100Mb.

VM really need to pull it together because this sort of complaint is occuring time after time. Either change your website all at once, or don't do it at all. If you have conflicting information up for days even after a raft of complaints, including but not limited to ones like this where for no good reason some shirty adviser calls a loyal customer a liar, you have a serious problem.

I'm sure our old friend Trading Standards will pick up on this if things continue to escalate.

The standard procedure in these cases, original poster, is to try ringing up again later. Chances are you will get through to a different set of advisers and eventually get where you want to be. If all else fails, pull the "well I'm sick of this and want to cancel my account" and get what you want from retentions. I know, not the tidiest of methods to try but hey, when you've been treated this badly do you really care?

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Oy!

Anyway, I tried to get onto My Virgin Media to see what's there and guess what?

Oops, something's broken.
You've caught us out - this part of the site has broken at the moment, but alarms have sounded and we're working on it.

Please come back and try again later.

Right now, you might find other parts of the site are working fine, so try using our site map or use the links below to help you find what you want.


LOL double LOL.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Indeed, the person I spoke to refused to acknowledge any issues with the website and insisted that because the systems told him that my orders in the past didn't exist, that the systems are perfect and never make any mistakes and thus I didn't find the Superhub for free, nor did I order a V HD box, despite it showing up on my account!

Well, I asked for retentions and was told that I wasn't able to be put through! Says a lot about the person i was speaking to.

As I said, I asked for this to be escalated and a manager to phone me back. When it doesn't happen (because frankly, it wont), I will use that as further fuel when I finally DO get hold of retentions.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Dial 150 and select the option. Thinking of leaving if I remember correctly.

If you need the CEO then send an email to neil.berkett@virginmedia.co.uk they will call you back.

But as everyone else has been telling you the £30 is a activation fee not a upgrade fee.

You may get the hub for free, but they wont turn it on!

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Well then, a little update.

After deciding to try to order the Superhub online to see what happens (the going on Holiday for a week), I come home to an email from VM asking me to ring regarding the order.

Turns out (And it took the web order team to tell me) that because my account has a special discount flag on it (Because of issues that occurred when I first got VM installed here), any online orders will not work unless I speak to customer services (Note a pattern here?). Funnily enough CS didn't tell me that a couple of weeks ago, and insisted that there wouldn't be a problem with me ordering online, oh dear.

Anyway, I spoke to CS, again, and got a nice chap who, once I explained my issues, confirmed (after speaking to a manager) that my account had some weird stuff going on and sorted out a manual order for a VM superhub, for free no less (he also mentioned 30Mb, but I'm not expecting that to be thrown in for free).

He also promised to get my account reviewed by higher ups as he agreed that being told that my account didn't have any issues a couple of weeks ago was blatantly false and that if the CS team then actually looked at my account properly (As I suggested) that they would find out why I was unable to order online in the first place! All I want now is an apology regarding how I was treated, I was basically called a liar by someone who frankly didn't do his job properly, and to make things worse all it took was to actually check my account for being flagged, something I even mentioned at the time.

Ah well, I'll be getting my hub FOC after all, I guess it really does depend on who you speak to.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

VM have had these issues for years. One part of the site will say one thing, another part another and yet another part will claim something entirely different. And then CS will tell you none of these are correct, or that the deals over the phone are different and to order online if you want the price you are seeing (though how that helps when the prices are all over the show I'll never understand).

Check your bill to make sure the SH has indeed been given to you for free, too. Thats another part of VM's shoddy systems and CS that can regularly fail and end up charging you full whack until you eventually get it sorted out. :monkey:

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

that seems to be about par for ALL Virgin's companies,have same problem every year with the holidays

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

The take-home message from this (and many other) thread is this:

Virgin Media'a website is shockingly bad; it is fragmented, badly-designed, contradicts itself in several places, and makes it virtually impossible for a customer who wants a specific piece of information to find that information quickly and easily.

There are two possible explanations for this:

1) VM are ludicrously incompetent as a company;

or

2) It is part of a deliberate business practice of opaque and confusing pricing in order to confuse customers into paying more for services than they have been led to believe those services cost.

I used to think it was probably a case of 1), but recently I am beginning to believe 2) to be more likely.

I went onto the VM site a few days ago to try to find a very simple fact about one of VM's services, and gave up after stumbling around from one badly-designed page to another for 20 minutes or so. As luck would have it, before I gave up, the muppets invited me to complete a user survey about my experience on the site. So I let them have it with both barrels.

Which is all a great shame, as the technical quality of the broadband service I have received from VM for the past 6 years has been superb.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

I didn't

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

I'd go with 2) as well, and it's not just VM either.

Ever tried to work out what you are being charged per unit for your Gas. There's metric meters that equate to Watts as well as Imperial meters that equate to Therms. Conversions are a nightmare. :shocked:

And lets not forget trying to compare the prices of similar package holidays from different companies.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Anyone with half a brain would have known the superhub upgrade meant you had to part with £30, there's been threads galore about the hub. Frankly anyone who wants to talk to the CEO about such a trifling issue obviously has issues of their own, talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

If VM is such a terrible terrible company and so obviously incompetant that you're feeling so bad about it, why don't you discontinue service and ... be a pain in the ass to a different media company ?

'Exceptionally angry' God how old are you. 12?

I've been with VM for some time now, I've had updates and add ons, with zero problems, but I see from reading through your posts, you had issues with a V HD box, and something else that meant your account had a 'special discount flag' on it. (Yes I do see a pattern indeed)

Maybe just maybe. The problem is... you?

Says it all really. You couldn't get your way, so you threw your teddy out of the pram, and now you're all happy.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

I'm having an issue very similar to the OP's.

I've been lurking these forums for a few months now but decided to register now for some advice after seeing this post.

I'm currently on 10mb broadband but I fancied upgrading to 50mb, including the superhub.

I logged in to VM site and used the link
http://shop.virginmedia.com/existing...broadband.html

It states that there is free activation and installation but there is no mention of the price increase. When I continued to complete the order there was still no mention of the additional monthly fee.
The site said something along the lines of "If you have not had a confirmed price yet, don't worry. One of our advisors will contact you before your installation date to confirm you are happy with any price changes."

Ok, I thought, however I have still had no contact apart from a confirmation email to say that the engineer will be out this Friday to install.

I had called VM before ordering online but got through to a fairly unhelpful agent who seemed more interested in selling me Virgin Mobile than getting me the most suitable broadband deal!

Any suggestions?

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

No it's not. It's £30 for all existing customer upgrades to 30Mbit

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Twas free for me!!! (oops on rereading post i conveniently forgot i upgraded to 50mb) never mind rest is corrrect

Mind you I am getting a bit miffed at the free latency issues that came with the hub and even more miffed at the appalling line quality that i have experienced trying to get through to tech support (in india) needing to redial at least five times to be able to get a line clear enough to hear the person at the other end of the phone! and the porky pies that i have been told including if they cannot sort out the latency issues they will send me a separate hub and router for the 50Mb service!!

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Your the kind of rude and obnoxious person one should expect to speak to when calling virgin media.

As you seem to like insulting others..... Anyone with half a brain knows what a pain in the arse virgia media are with all the misleading information on the website, but unfortunately some of us dont have many other options.

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

There's always options...

I'm not insulting anyone, merely pointing out that all that drama over a £30 fee was somewhat ... excessive?

Re: Exceptionally Angry at VM - Help Required
 

Theres no options for me, theres no BT line at all, i dont own the property and have no options of having one installed.

I'm not sure i would say it was excessive because ive been in many similar situations and usually its the principle thats important, not the money.