COmplaint about a Virgin cable installation

crookedmouth

Hi

Dunno if this is the right forum to post to, but Virgin installed cable to my next door neighbour's house a couple of weeks ago and they buried the cable in my garden, doing some damage to plants in the process.

The kicker is that they didn't have my permish (didn't even ask for it).

I registered a complaint over a week ago & they said thatthey'd get in touch within 5 working days. I haven't heard from them since, so I'm considering escalating the matter. Is this the sort of thing that OFCOM deals with or is there a more effective/appropriate complaints route?

TIA

Campbell

Kurtis_Blue

Just remove the cable from your garden, get it fixed and send them the bill.

spike7451

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Just remove the cable from your garden, get it fixed and send them the bill.

Very very bad advice!!!
The cable feed,particulary the phone side,could be connected to a lifeline phone.In order to remove the cable you would have to break the connections or cut the cable.That could lead to serious repercussions if the neighbour had a trip & was trying to use the lifeline but could'nt because tthe OP had followed bad advice & cut the neighbours cable.
That would leave the OP liable to prosecution by VM or at least a hefty bill.Considering the installs are now done by contractors,it would'nt be VM who would be liable for the repairs but them.

The contractors should have gotten a wayleave from the OP but,as an ex NTL installer myself before moving up to Service,I'm at a loss to why they would have run the cable up the OP's & not the neighbours.Why? Was the something special about the neighbours?Was it concrete,tarmac or what?

If the OP's in Northern Ireland,I can help as I know the Installs Manager over here.
The main contractors are Kelly Communications (cowboys) or McNicholas.

Kurtis_Blue

Blimey Spike you certainly like VM, its just a private company they cannot walk onto other peoples private property and start digging and laying cables. How in hell would they be liable for prosecution?

My home is my castle the cables would be gone in seconds.

Nilrem

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Blimey Spike you certainly like VM, its just a private company they cannot walk onto other peoples private property and start digging and laying cables. How in hell would they be liable for prosecution?

My home is my castle the cables would be gone in seconds.

Criminal damage to the cable?

By the sounds of it VM messed up fairly badly (or their contractor did), or the neighbour may have even forged a signature on the wayleave form.
The fact that the cable may have been laid without permission does not automatically give the op the right to cut it as the first option for recourse, besides anything else it may just get laid again and doesn't sort out any damage done.


I would be extremely wary of ever interfering with someone's phoneline unless all other options had been exhausted, because they can be literally lifelines either for fall alerts via alarm buttons worn on the person/cords in the house, or for remote medical monitoring (IIRC some long term illnesses are now treated at home with equipment that automatically calls into a hospital/doctors with information on the patient).

I would try getting in touch with someone higher up the chain, or if a second letter (assuming the op sent a letter and not just a call/email) with a fixed date for a response, the go to whoever regulates the industry in his area.

crookedmouth

Hi ho. Thanks all.

Some suggestions here that I've heard before elsewhere. One was that I go and do a bit of gardening with a heavy spade etc etc.

Well, I don't intend doing that yet, nor do I want to pi$$ off the NDN by simply removing the cable. BTW due to a preponderance of concrete, my garden is the only way to get a buried cable to their property.

I managed to get an address for VM's Customer Liason Centre, so I'll be writng a letter to them, but I want to include a threat that if there's no resolution within 14 days, I'll forward the complaint to the independent regulator. I don't know who that is, hence my OP. Is it OFCOM?

crookedmouth

I thought I'd add the letter of complaint below

=========================
NCLC
PO Box 333
Virgin Media Ltd
Matrix Court
Swansea
SA7 9ZJ

Dear Sir

Complaint Reference Number 123456

On or about the 12 May 2010, you installed a cable leading to my next door neighbour’s property ().

In laying this cable your contractors dug the cable into my driveway and flower bed causing damage to both, including the concrete driveway itself and also several well established plants. This work was performed without my permission and constitutes, in my opinion, both trespass and criminal damage.

I telephoned Virgin Media on 14 May to register a complaint and was told that the installation manager for the area would contact me that day.

When nothing happened, I called again on 17 May and was given a reference number (quoted above) and was told that I would be contacted within five working days. Again, nothing happened so I called a third time on 25 May, to be told that the matter would be dealt with within 28 days.

I was initially content to settle for compensation for the damage. However, the continually increasing estimates for the timeframe for the resolution of the matter suggest to me that you are unwilling to treat the matter seriously. I have therefore decided to request formally that you:
- remove the cable from my property;
- make good all damage caused during the initial installation and subsequent removal;
- provide reasonable compensation to me for the damage and my time and trouble.

If I have not received a positive response from you within 14 days of receipt of this letter then I shall consider pursuing the matter through CISAS.

Yours
XXX

Kurtis_Blue

I always wondered why company's behaved as if the law did not apply to them and this site shows me where they got that belief from.

Nilrem wrote: »

Criminal damage to the cable? Nope

The fact that the cable may have been laid without permission does not automatically give the op the right to cut it as the first option for recourse, besides anything else it may just get laid again and doesn't sort out any damage done. It wasnt the first course of action contact has been made and VM are not responding as they stated they would, and the damage would be sorted and paid for as I stated.


I would be extremely wary of ever interfering with someone's phoneline unless all other options had been exhausted, because they can be literally lifelines either for fall alerts via alarm buttons worn on the person/cords in the house, or for remote medical monitoring (IIRC some long term illnesses are now treated at home with equipment that automatically calls into a hospital/doctors with information on the patient).
Knock and ask.

I would try getting in touch with someone higher up the chain, or if a second letter (assuming the op sent a letter and not just a call/email) with a fixed date for a response, the go to whoever regulates the industry in his area.
Cant see this civil dispute falls under the remit for ofcom

There are many ways to skin a cat, but trespass and damage to my property would need to be dealt with swiftly.

spike7451

crookedmouth wrote: »

Hi ho. Thanks all.

Some suggestions here that I've heard before elsewhere. One was that I go and do a bit of gardening with a heavy spade etc etc.

Well, I don't intend doing that yet, nor do I want to pi$$ off the NDN by simply removing the cable. BTW due to a preponderance of concrete, my garden is the only way to get a buried cable to their property.

I managed to get an address for VM's Customer Liason Centre, so I'll be writng a letter to them, but I want to include a threat that if there's no resolution within 14 days, I'll forward the complaint to the independent regulator. I don't know who that is, hence my OP. Is it OFCOM?

No it's not.When I was doing installs,you used to sawcut a 2 inch wide cut along the length of the garden,remove the debris,lay the cable encased in Flexi Duct & re-concrete the saw cut.That method is also used on Tarmac & all install crews carry bags of concrete & tarmac for just this.
As by splicing a garden,it's a lot quicker than going the route above,I'm thinking the contractors decided to take the easy option by going up your garden.
The regulator is Ofcom.

crookedmouth

spike7451 wrote: »

No it's not.When I was doing installs,you used to sawcut a 2 inch wide cut along the length of the garden,remove the debris,lay the cable encased in Flexi Duct & re-concrete the saw cut.That method is also used on Tarmac & all install crews carry bags of concrete & tarmac for just this.
As by splicing a garden,it's a lot quicker than going the route above,I'm thinking the contractors decided to take the easy option by going up your garden.
The regulator is Ofcom.

Good answer Spike - OFCOM it is.

BTW, I simplified the description of the route they used to bury the cable. The first four metres were in the concrete median between my drive and the NDN's, but as far as I can tell from the deeds, more on my side than theirs. Also, the making good was a bit shoddy.

The subsequent 5m were through my flowerbed which buts against the NDNs drive, but very much accessed via my property.

spike7451

crookedmouth wrote: »

Good answer Spike - OFCOM it is.

BTW, I simplified the description of the route they used to bury the cable. The first four metres were in the concrete median between my drive and the NDN's, but as far as I can tell from the deeds, more on my side than theirs. Also, the making good was a bit shoddy.

The subsequent 5m were through my flowerbed which buts against the NDNs drive, but very much accessed via my property.

Take photo's,print them & then mark the boundery & cable route on them.When I worked for NTL/VM,we used to have Quality checkers that went around installs,then when they got rid of them,we used to do them.
Now even tho VM use contractors the is a Installs Director/Manager or Contractor Liason Manager who works for VM in your area.

I'd use this link:
http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/about_us/office_locations.aspx
to find the nearest office location to you & then send them a letter with the photo's enclosed.(The's also a link on that page for submitting complaints)