Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Hi,

I had Virgin Media installed in my property late on Saturday afternoon and after the installation I was shocked to find a large drill hole through the wooden arm of my bay window.

http://gallery.me.com/richard.c.fros...13121853310001

I have contacted virgin media who said they would send someone around in 4-5 days. Will they repair it? Will I get compensated?

Is there anything else I should do?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
COB.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

They should do. Keep on top of them though. If you haven't had anyone round by this time next week get on to them again. Let us know how it turns out!

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Usually they will pay if they do cause damage.

One of the most commonly things they compensate for is cleaning of carpets when engineers cant be bothered to remove muddy shoes or wear overshoes.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Looks a right mess. No need for the "engineer" to drill through through the wooden bracket like that, they could've just gone straight through the brick wall.

I don't see how VM can fix it, they've messed up the bracket and it needs replacing. As it's a bay window we're talking about here, if it were me, I'd get my own "engineer" to replace the bracket (while protecting the all important bay window at all times) and bill vm for the cost.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

They probably drilled out from the inside and it was just unlucky that they hit the bracket.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

They really should have owned up though, rather than completing the install with the cable going through the bracket!

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Yeah, looks like drilled from inside out, as the wood has splintered off where the cable is coming out. He probably didn't realise he was clear and carried on to the outer arm of the bracket. Messy.
Wonder if there was a hole there in the bracket to begin with, with a retaining screw, and he's either got lucky or is a good shot! Looks easily fixable with some wood filler, some creative sanding and a lick of paint.
Let us know how you get on.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

It is not that "fixable" with filler. If it is structural rather than decorative a fair bit of the timber section on the cross member has been broken away. Whilst timber components are often oversized, filler will not usually have a structural strength unless specialist resin bonding based systems are used. Equally whilst the timber was whole it would likely perform, and decay evenly. Where it is now chopped into, if filled especially with standard fillers, there will be a weakness where future decay is most likely to start.

I'd be wanting a completely new bracket to be made up.

Of course to deal with the bracket the cable needs to be moved, which no doubt means the installer returning to the property and some internal making good too.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Aye I'd definitely have the entire bracket replaced, it's not a simple job either.
They'd have to brace the window, remove the current bracket, fill the hole inside and out, clean up the surfaces and then fit the new bracket.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

It's policy to drill out, slightly unlucky but more carelessness as I use my measuring tape to work out if I'm near obstacles.

---------- Post added at 11:25 ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 ----------

Why has White internal cable used on the outside?

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

To match the white bracket, presumably. Wouldn't want it to look a mess.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

lol. Drama queen!

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

It's not over dramatising it at all. If that's a load bearing bracket then there's no way in hell you'd want to just plug it with standard filler.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

Gimme a break - you're as bad as him! :p:
I was thinking purely cosmetically.
Sorry, I ought to have made that clear, but I'd just finished work and was whacked.

Re: Virgin Installation damaged by Bay Window, will I get compensation?
 

The white "internal" cable is regularly used outside as its suitable for it

---------- Post added at 22:30 ---------- Previous post was at 22:23 ----------

any fixing/repair work, including a different external exit for the cable, wouldn't necessarily require any change internally, the same hole can be drilled again at a different angle, to the left/right of the bracket.