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View Full Version : Installation Nightmare - Wayleave!!!


sicoombes
13-03-2007, 11:21
Ive recently moved flats and wanted to move my Virgin Media Service. The new place has the neceserry cable connection, its a cable and wireless box on the wall with the TV & FM cable connections - exactly the same as I had in the last place. The previous tenant also used this and received Virgin Media (NTL) Services.

On phoning the moving department i'm told:

1) The new property has never been serviced by Virgin Media or NTL - at least thats what the computer is showing.

2) I need permission from the landlord of the property I am renting and the landlord of the flat below to get the service.

Now, I can understand if Virgin Media need to drill holes in walls or nail cables to walls etc that permission would be required. But the cables are already in place, all they need to do is activate it!

Speaking the moving department and wayleave department is like banging your head against the wall (computer says no...)

Once person I spoke to said it may be becuase the building is listed, and so I have got the landlord to agree to sign a contract.

Can anyone else explain this as this just seems utterly stupid. At a time when Virgin Media should be trying to keep their customers happy I cant believe they are being this stupid!!!!!

kraized
13-03-2007, 11:55
Does seem a bit extreme considering the cables and boxes are already in place. I rent a flat in a listed building (hence can't have Sky) and I have cables and boxes in place, although I wanted some cables routed into the other rooms. The engineer came yesterday to install the service no questions asked. Though the install didn't extactly go to plan but thats in my other post.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/33610330-vm-installation-nightmare.html

sicoombes
13-03-2007, 12:18
After further discussions with yet another member of the wayleave collective :dozey: , I have now been told that following the change to Virgin they are now legally required to get permission from all building owners before installing a service. Even if the infrstructure is already in place they effectively need retrospective permission to lay cables that were installed several years ago.

Also, in the same sentance as "following the change to Virgn Media" I was told NTL are a completely different company and have nothing to do with Virgin Media!!!

This company is a complete and utter joke, every person I speak to gives me different information!:mad: :mad: :mad:

If this is how VM is going to be run then Sky have nothing to worry about whatsoever and must be laughing all the way to the bank.

kraized
13-03-2007, 12:28
^ You could just lie and say you own the flat not rent it. If you move out just rip out the extra cables that were laid.

AndyCambs
13-03-2007, 12:36
^ You could just lie and say you own the flat not rent it. If you move out just rip out the extra cables that were laid.

And dig the garden up?
Besides that might cause problems for the network

sicoombes
13-03-2007, 12:40
But they dont need to lay any cables - thats the frustrating part!

They want to get permission for cables that were laid 5 years ago. All becuase the computer flags the property as needing "wayleave".

kraized
13-03-2007, 13:28
And dig the garden up?
Besides that might cause problems for the network

Why would you need to dig the garden up? :confused: Just take out any extra cables that were laid inside the property, no need to remove the internal boxes or anything.

---------- Post added at 12:28 ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 ----------

But they dont need to lay any cables - thats the frustrating part!

They want to get permission for cables that were laid 5 years ago. All becuase the computer flags the property as needing "wayleave".

Which begs the question. Why wasn't permission granted five years ago?

sicoombes
13-03-2007, 13:53
Whatever the reason, they have lost a customer. I'll be moving to freeview and getting a BT line.

AndyCambs
13-03-2007, 13:54
Whatever the reason, they have lost a customer. I'll be moving to freeview and getting a BT line.

You might find that BT are in the same position.

sicoombes
13-03-2007, 23:28
BT have no problem, my line is being activated in the next 10 days.

So freeview it is then...to be honest having had freeview now for the last 2 weeks I must say I'm now used to it and am not really missing the additional channels. With the loss of sky one the only channels I'm really missing are the Sky Sports range for premiership football and with setanta sports getting 1 game per week from next season it should be a good alternative.

I'm still somewhat perplexed and quite irritated by the attitude and decision of VM in this, but life goes on...

tweetypie/8
16-03-2007, 17:15
Whatever the reason, they have lost a customer. I'll be moving to freeview and getting a BT line.

bt line? you are nuts:disturbd:

AndyCambs
16-03-2007, 17:31
BT have no problem,...

Until someone decides that the lines are not permitted across the property...

sicoombes
19-03-2007, 11:49
bt line? you are nuts:disturbd:

What's wrong with a BT Line?

And what are my other options if Virgin are being so stupid?

AndyCambs
19-03-2007, 11:52
What's wrong with a BT Line?

And what are my other options if Virgin are being so stupid?

Have you tried approaching the landlord to see if they would agree to sign?

sicoombes
19-03-2007, 12:39
They have agreed.

Its the ground floor flat and the basement flat who dont want to get involved. I think they're a bit dubious about signing a contract that gives VM the right to drill holes in the wall (its a old decorative building).

And I can understand this, but...

The cabling is already there!

MovedGoalPosts
19-03-2007, 13:25
The cabling may already be there, which might mean, depending on how long it has been there that the wayleave has been granted simply by "adverse possesion". However that would still need VM to prove that has occurred, and that could involve nasty court costs. It's just not worth the hassle to them, for the small loss of profit.

Even with the cables being there the important thing to remember is the wayleave grants rights of access to maintain / repair or renew. That could mean more holes being drilled in the future if cables need replacing.

BT tend to get away with this sort of thing a lot easier. I don't know if they have more legislative rights granted as one of the older statutory authorities.

sicoombes
19-03-2007, 14:50
That is the most sensible and informative answer I've ever been given. I just wish VM customer services had told me this on day one.

Many thanks!