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Old 15-06-2011, 11:39   #1
AndrewJD
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 5
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VM Installation woes

Hi guys,

I'm not sure if posting here will do me any good, but for my own sanity I thought it'd at least be worth me writing it all down so I've got everything in chronological order for future reference

I've been waiting for 2+ months now for Virgin Media to install telephone, broadband and TV to our new house (we've recently moved in, but the house & road it's on were built circa 1930). Yesterday, I found out I'm potentially looking at 4 months for an install. Now, although the wait is the most frustrating part of this - i have also been continually let down and even misled on several occasions, wasted hours on phone calls, and taken unnecessary time off work. Every time I phone VM I am told a different story, and I'm getting to the point where I'm pretty much dreading the next phone call. I'm therefore desperate for any kind of advice I can get!

Here's what has happened during the last 2 months in rough detail:

April 14th - Order VM Tv, broadband and phone line via their website. installation team scheduled for 5th of May.

May 3rd - I take a day off work. Installation team turn up, and tell me that they can't do the install, there is no 'tee' in the pavement for them to use to connect up my house. I am told by one of the guys that a lot of people just give up rather than wait for a construction team. He tells me his boss will phone me to chat about the options within the hour. Nobody phones me. So I phone them, but they can't tell me how long it's going to take.

May 5th - I phone VM for an update. They tell me an installations manager has had a look around, and he can't find a ' Tee ' anywhere near the house.

The woman I spoke to (Jane) was actually very helpful and friendly. She said she's writing an email to the area manager to ask him to escalate the process and to get someone down to the house to see where the nearest cable junction box is. It might mean that they need to dig up the road or path.

May 10th I phone VM to ask for an update. They say someone will definitely call me back the same day. Nobody calls. So I call in at about 4:30pm, and speak to someone called Kay. She tells me there's a construction issue, and that she's forwarding the issue to the construction team, but she can't give me any further details. She tells me to ring back tomorrow.

May 10th-19th Follow up calls/messages. Still no definitive answers

May 19th - VM phone me and tell me I can't get VM at my address. I am told that the nearest connection point is up to 75 meters away. VM tell me that they have known this for 1.5 weeks and that somebody should have let me know about it, but on top of it all they still haven't given me a refund either.

May 23rd Checked my bank account, still no refund. I phone VM and explain the situation. The guy on the phone feels sorry for me and says 2 people on my street have VM installs, but they're on either end of the street. So then we start Google-Street-View'ing my road, still on the phone. He looks in to it some more and goes through their database, and then tells me they should surely be able to split a neighbours box or something. He says he's going to do everything he can & ring round the departments, etc.

May 23rd VM call again - this time a chap named Richard leaves a message saying he's a local spotter. He says an installation manager has been in touch with him to say they made a mistake and that they can actually give us service, and apologises for the confusion. Apparently, the cable runs right in front of my house. He asks me if i want to re-order VM, on the basis that, this time, I can definitely get it installed. I go ahead with it. He tells me that the construction team will be visit on the 25th of May to dig up the pavement, and then the installation team will be arriving on the 5th of June to install the actual virgin box/phone lines.

May 25th I arrive home to find 'VM' scribbled on the parking bay in green spray paint, but no construction has taken place. Coincidental, Richard has left another message to tell me he's popping round in the evening to give me the contract. Richard arrives and he's a really friendly chap. I say I'm kinda reluctant to sign the contract, given the construction hasn't happened as he told me it would do. I show him the road markings and at first he tells me it's a water company, because VM looks a bit like 'WA' when it's upside down, but I point out it's actually his own company ('VM') if you look at it the other way around! Anyway, he assures me that this is typical and that given the installation isn't due until the 5th of June that there is plenty of time for them to do the construction in the mean time. I sign the contract

May 29th VM phone me and tell me they need to dig up the road. It's going to take up to 4 weeks. Very disappointed, especially given the only reason I signed up to a new contract was the fact that Richard had told me the work would be done before the 5th of June. Nothing I can do except wait.

June 6th I phone VM for an update. I *think* the lady i spoke to was called Emma. I am told that permission from the council has been granted, and it's now only a matter of time until the job pack is sent to construction team. I am told that the work should be completed within 2 weeks.

June 14th Expecting the work to be complete within a week, I chase VM for an update. They tell me that I need construction work done (we know this already) and that because of this I should expect a wait for 4-6 weeks, because they're very busy, and because the council need to give permission for the road dig. I explain that I was told they already had permission over a week ago. The lady on the phone explains that she doesn't think this is true and she doesn't know where Emma (the week before) got her information from. So it seems i've been misled, and the construction estimate has jumped from 1 week to 4-6 weeks. I am then told that the installation will take a further 1-2 weeks, so I'm looking at 5-8 weeks, which may mean that I have had to wait 4 months for the installation. I'm pretty shocked by this, especially given I am a web developer and need the internet connection, that and the fact we are in a new house and currently have no phone lines or TV in our house.

June 15th, Today
So this is where I am at the moment. The people I have spoken to at VM have all been polite, which I appreciate, but there has still been no progress. Surely up to 4 months is not normal. I really do not know when the work is eventually going to be done, but is there anything I can do about it?

I feel like I have bought a new contract in good faith, only to be continually let down, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. If anyone can offer me any advice, I'd really, really, appreciate it!


Best regards,


Andrew

Salisbury (SP1)
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