VM Green box demolished

powerful_Rogue

Hi,

We have one of the green cabinets that VM normally goto when the install lines etc. A lorry yesterday afternoon crashed into it and ripped it to bits, so all the wires are currently exposed.

I was away at work, so the missus phoned VM who would not listed and insisted it was a fault with our phone line and booked and engineer to come out on Monday.

Ive just got back from work and again explained this situation to someone who said they will try and get an engineer out in the next 24 hours but it can take upto 5 days!

Howcome BT attended yesterday within an hour, but VM seem to be so slow!

Weve spoken to our neighbour who is also VM and they also have no phone line.

Very !!!!!! off at the moment! Can they really leave it this long for someone to sort it out!

DonnyDave

This is ridiculous!

The inards of the cabinet are presumably now exposed to the elements. The driver in question has a legal responsibility to pass his/her insurance details to the owner(s) of any damaged property and this obviously includes Virgin Media.

I rang BT's main 150 customer services when one of its manhole covers was dropping, and therefore a hazard to anyone walking by and someone was on the scene within an hour or so.

This is an emergency and I would expect Virgin Media to attend straight away, and assess the situation. Take a photograph for your records.

Ring the Virgin Media head office 01256 752000 and report it. Other numbers for VM are listed on SAYNOTO0870.COM (search by company name and you will see them).

Alternatively, you might like to ring the press office and explain the problem. If someone hasn't attended by morning, you will contact your local newspaper.

Let us know how it goes.

Buzby

Can you still read the box identifier code? (Usually painted on the top LH corner of the cabinet - ABC 123 for the unpowered last-drop splitters, or ABC 1234 for the larger locality hubs, that are fully powered.

The latter self-report problems like this when they go offline, but the local ones do not. If you call VM's 150 Faults service, and give the cabinet number, they won;t faff around with asking for telephone or account numbers.

powerful_Rogue

Thanks for your replies. Im still shocked that it takes them so long to attend.

Ive attached a few photos of the damage as I described to VM, but they still reckon 24hrs to 5 days to attend!

I'll have to have a look tomorrow to see if I can see any code on the box - but judging by the condition I dont want to root around too much!

The police tape is where the missus reported it to the police afterwards and they took a drive up to have a look.

spike7451

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Im still shocked that it takes them so long to attend.

Ive attached a few photos of the damage as I described to VM, but they still reckon 24hrs to 5 days to attend!

I'll have to have a look tomorrow to see if I can see any code on the box - but judging by the condition I dont want to root around too much!

The police tape is where the missus reported it to the police afterwards and they took a drive up to have a look.

That's a DP type cab,you'll probably find the's an unpowered E type cab running off it so other's will be affected to.
The cab number will most likely be stuck to the inside & will look something like "BAM 3020",the B denoting the town,the A denoting the node ring,cant remember the third one & the numbers the cab identifier.
Spike (ex VM Service Engineer)

powerful_Rogue

Hi Spike,

Thanks for your reply. With your previous knowledge, once VM have come out to have a look, how long do you reckon it would take to repair such a problem so we get our phone line working?

debsy42

There is an online form here maybe give that a try

When I used to work there we tried to get someone out urgently for something like this but don't know how things are nowadays

spike7451

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Hi Spike,

Thanks for your reply. With your previous knowledge, once VM have come out to have a look, how long do you reckon it would take to repair such a problem so we get our phone line working?

It should'nt take long,about a day or so,no longer.
The big problem will be the phone lines.It looks like they have been ripped out of the Krone blocks so,as long as the drop labels are up to date with the correct D side numbers,the it should be just a matter of reconnecting them & ensuring the right line goes to the right house.

The should be enough spare drop cable from the homes to the street pit to allow any trimming for reconnection & the same in the main pit too.

We repaired a large Mux cabinet which is the large cabs which are in pairs,one for the phone & the smaller one for the TV/Data,in a weekend.

BexTech

See this was posted on the VM newsgroups, like another poster there, we had to wait months before something similar was fully sorted, many people had had enough and had to switch providers in our street.

powerful_Rogue

Do you have a link to where this has been reported on the VM newsgroup? Would be interested to have a look!

Thanks
Dave

DonnyDave

spike7451 wrote: »

That's a DP type cab,you'll probably find the's an unpowered E type cab running off it so other's will be affected to.

So this one requires power? VM surely have an obligation to come out straight away to make it safe, just like a council for a dangerous streetlamp. I presume that the police would have contacted them.


I hope that VM will be compensating everyone. powerful_Rogue, do post a link to the story if this gets into your local newspaper.