[Nopanic]

Originally Posted by hval

Evening all, I have just read the first 20 odd pages and then skipped forward to the last few. Some interesting things I have noticed. My posting is to those Virgin Media employees who are kind enough to post on this board.

First, about me. I have been with NTL/ Virgin Media since 2000. I was always an early adopter for Internet and TV packages. I was always having to call customer services since nothing ever worked as advertised. I mean call, sit in a queue for an hour, get India, get hung up on; or told they can't solve it; or told an engineer would have to come around. This was more often than not over a really poor telephone line with a support person who didn't speak or understand English. If an engineer came around it would mean me taking time off work (I.e. me losing vacation time and money due to Virgin Media problems) as they wouldn't come out evenings or weekends. There were times I could be on the telephone every day for two hours plus for a one month periods. The amount of lies, broken promises, incorrect bills was incredible.

Anyway, now to why I am posting. I gave up. I was getting so stressed, not having any personal time and not being able to use the Internet or watch TV. I looked at leaving Virgin Media, but didn't & haven't yet (partly from laziness, but mainly due to not one single company in the UK actually providing a good service at a reasonable price). I took all my packages back to basics. I don't really watch TV, and if that went I wouldn't miss it. I use my land line once or twice a month, at the most. I only keep it due to an aged aunt who doesn't like calling mobiles. O2 have all the mobile voice contracts and data contracts for the families personal mobile telephones. I downgraded to the lowest Internet connection possible. Even then I am unable to get 10mbs.

To conclude - I am one of the many who have given up complaining to Virgin Media. All it does is stress you out and waste time as things never, ever get resolved. Virgin Media have lost out on thousands of pounds from me alone, and then there were the thousands who used to come to me for IT support and advice.

My advice to Virgin Media is to listen to your customers, and to try to keep those of us you have. Why has no one from Virgin Media ever called me to say "you are due a new modem" or "we are upgrading you to 20mbs at the same price you pay now, as you have been with us for eleven years"? Maintaining customers is cheaper than buying new ones. There is nothing wrong with admitting to mistakes. How well they are resolved is what is important.

You have PM