shame on you Richard Branson.

Count Peppe · 13-06-2007, 21:01

Dear Mr Branson,
Over the years I have always been impressed with your ventures.
I loved your imagination and liked the idea you work with lots of companies, with each one having their own Director. I liked your policys and even bought your book. When I saw the VM logo appear instead of NTL I thought Wow - its got to get better!
How wrong was I - You should be quite Ashamed of yourself.
Sadly it got worse and worse....
what have you done Mr Branson...what have you done..
I think that they saw you coming....I think you have been had...
They must have had such a party after you signed the cheque..
You have to admire their ability to Sell this Network of Nonsense to You.
The Network you purchased just does not work..even the engineers that call at my home most days agree, the Network is old dated, rusting away and needs years of work to get it running again...

Here is a short summary of my experience (copied from another post) with your product...
I think that I have about had it with VM.
I have had around 8 call outs in the last 6 weeks, mainly due to freezing screen, slow remote reaction, stalling channels.
They have replaced every piece of equipment during that time.
They also did some work inside the network box in the street.
Nothing improved. On saturday it was dreadful and I have not been able to access any VOD services. They said it needed for specialist engineers to investigate and they would call me within 72 hours. Noone called me back.
I phoned on Monday and again they said the engineers would want to speak with me...so I been waiting..Today I phoned again and now apparantly they are having a major problem throughout my area and it could be offline until 18th June! Such madness..!
I am planning to let this all continue and am logging everything.
In the next 72 hours I intend making an appeal direct to Branson via a YouTube broadcast.
They continue to fail to delivery any real level of service.
The engineers that visit are demotivated and dont seem happy in their work...
I always make them a coffee and chat with them...they seem frustrated and all confirm that the Network itself is knackered is old and out of date..
Personally I cannot see VM making it. On paper it all seems so wonderful but in reality it is dreadful..
Is there any formal body we can band together to take action against them - they are not providing the service they promise us..surely there must be some way we can stop them signing up new customers..
I will post my YouTube link on here once I have broadcast it.
I hope to show the Screen Freezing, the error messages - if I get an engineer maybe a short clip of him/her pretending to fix the service.
Anyone interesting in joining me take action against them please get in touch..

LiamTG · 13-06-2007, 21:17

Have you done your YouTube thing?

LTG

mac1956 · 13-06-2007, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Peppe

Dear Mr Branson,
Over the years I have always been impressed with your ventures.
I loved your imagination and liked the idea you work with lots of companies, with each one having their own Director. I liked your policys and even bought your book. When I saw the VM logo appear instead of NTL I thought Wow - its got to get better!
How wrong was I - You should be quite Ashamed of yourself.
Sadly it got worse and worse....
what have you done Mr Branson...what have you done..
I think that they saw you coming....I think you have been had...
They must have had such a party after you signed the cheque..
You have to admire their ability to Sell this Network of Nonsense to You.
The Network you purchased just does not work..even the engineers that call at my home most days agree, the Network is old dated, rusting away and needs years of work to get it running again...

Here is a short summary of my experience (copied from another post) with your product...
I think that I have about had it with VM.
I have had around 8 call outs in the last 6 weeks, mainly due to freezing screen, slow remote reaction, stalling channels.
They have replaced every piece of equipment during that time.
They also did some work inside the network box in the street.
Nothing improved. On saturday it was dreadful and I have not been able to access any VOD services. They said it needed for specialist engineers to investigate and they would call me within 72 hours. Noone called me back.
I phoned on Monday and again they said the engineers would want to speak with me...so I been waiting..Today I phoned again and now apparantly they are having a major problem throughout my area and it could be offline until 18th June! Such madness..!
I am planning to let this all continue and am logging everything.
In the next 72 hours I intend making an appeal direct to Branson via a YouTube broadcast.
They continue to fail to delivery any real level of service.
The engineers that visit are demotivated and dont seem happy in their work...
I always make them a coffee and chat with them...they seem frustrated and all confirm that the Network itself is knackered is old and out of date..
Personally I cannot see VM making it. On paper it all seems so wonderful but in reality it is dreadful..
Is there any formal body we can band together to take action against them - they are not providing the service they promise us..surely there must be some way we can stop them signing up new customers..
I will post my YouTube link on here once I have broadcast it.
I hope to show the Screen Freezing, the error messages - if I get an engineer maybe a short clip of him/her pretending to fix the service.
Anyone interesting in joining me take action against them please get in touch..

I hadn't realised Mr Bransons Virgin had taken over, I thought he just allowed them to use the Virgin name.
He is just the biggest shareholder, whilst I sympathise with your problems you are encountering there are many of us who service is just fine.

Count Peppe · 13-06-2007, 22:10

No I am going to work on my YouTube address tomorrow - so sometime in next 72 hours..
Will post link back soon.
As for those of you that are lucky enough to receive an adequate service, naturally I am delighted for you - of course if everyone was getting wonderful performance, you would imagine that their customer support would be able to respond faster, you would expect engineers just able to call without a problem and with a smile on their faces; this however does not seem the case
Customer Support seems under incredible strain and the Engineers confirm all is not well with the Network...
so I am happy for you getting perfect reception and service..
I believe you are a in a Small Minority of "Blessed People"

fizgog · 13-06-2007, 22:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Peppe

No I am going to work on my YouTube address tomorrow - so sometime in next 72 hours..
Will post link back soon.
As for those of you that are lucky enough to receive an adequate service, naturally I am delighted for you - of course if everyone was getting wonderful performance, you would imagine that their customer support would be able to respond faster, you would expect engineers just able to call without a problem and with a smile on their faces; this however does not seem the case
Customer Support seems under incredible strain and the Engineers confirm all is not well with the Network...
so I am happy for you getting perfect reception and service..
I believe you are a in a Small Minority of "Blessed People"

I agree with you, but could you stop using bold for all your text in future, it's hurting my eyes.

Count Peppe · 13-06-2007, 22:27

Will do - thanks for the tip.

paul11974 · 13-06-2007, 22:32

lol been a member since june 2007 which there has only been 13 days of so far

Gareth · 13-06-2007, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul11974

lol been a member since june 2007 which there has only been 13 days of so far

Does that mean that only "old timers" are entitled to an opinion on here? Why not take it one step further and say that because someone has no reputation points their opinions are invalid.

**Paul M** · 13-06-2007, 22:59

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, so let's kill that argument before it starts and get back on topic.

Rik · 14-06-2007, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Peppe

The Network you purchased just does not work..

Works fine for some

etccarmageddon · 14-06-2007, 00:13

what network did Richard Branson purchase?

and what on earth are you talking about when you saying he wrote a cheque!

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...eement-reached

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...400p-per-share

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...e-virgin-offer

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...l-virgin-offer

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...tl-virgin-deal

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...-virgin-mobile

Count Peppe · 14-06-2007, 09:02

Thanks for the feedback...!
I will prepare over the next 48 hours a short broadcast that will show you my system. I would love to be wrong on all my points, truly I would as I could then relax and enjoy what on paper sounds such a great service...
I would have preferred them to just admit and offer me basic services and deliver them, instead of this terrible situation where they seem to offer everything and deliver nowt... Its like them saying "and press the Red button and someone will pop round run you a bath and make u a nice hot chocolate"
They could list thousands of potential products - thats the easy part..but delivery is everything.. And I am HAPPY for anyone who is having no problems, truly I am..but I am only speaking from my experiences and those of the many engineers that visit my home every few days..to look at my TV and mess around with my Box...They confirm its all in a bit of a pickle...not just mine but many many systems...
anyway I am now going to work on my little broadcast...hey maybe I will be wrong and when I start filming perhaps it will all work...I would again be soooo happy..I dont want to complain, but have been driven to this..
I also suffer from epilepsy and the freezing screens make me nervous..!
Back in next 48 hours..
Count Peppe

dontpannic · 14-06-2007, 09:22

I'm sorry Peppe, but I think your conclusions are quite, quite wrong!

I've had cable for 9/10 years now (started with NYNEX, then C&W, then NTL, now Virgin), and I have to say the services are very good. I don't understand what your "Youtube Address" is going to prove?

I'm on the VIP Pack now - no freezing pictures on either set top box, 20meg broadband without a hitch and the phone has never let us down at all, so I can't see how you can say the entire network is rusting away and is unreliable. I would try and get a different Tech seeing as if your problems are so bad there must be something wrong with your equipment.

So, if you don't want to read all that let me put it into conclusion in your native text:

Don't generalise, the entire Virgin network is not rusting away, I and I'm sure many others DO NOT have the same troubles as you do!!!

punky · 14-06-2007, 09:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontpannic

Don't generalise, the entire Virgin network is not rusting away, I and I'm sure many others DO NOT have the same troubles as you do!!!

A network is only as good as its weakest links. Just because you have flawless service doesn't mean Peppe (or anyone else who isn't as lucky) should go whistle.

JohnS · 14-06-2007, 09:42

I am on the Bromley platform (Orpington) & i have had no end of problems since it became Virgin Media, i keep getting told that it will all be fixed very soon (but when)