Appalling customer service from Virgin

rob_s0

Hello,

I don't know if anyone here will be able to give me much help, but I need a bit of advice. It's a bit of a long post so I'll try and make it as succinct as possible.

Virgin have completely messed up the activation of some broadband at a new address.

Basic facts:

We moved in on the 7th, called well in advance to get activation on the 9th (needed because my partner works from home and therefore needs an internet connection - in addition as an hourly-paid employee he doesn't get paid if he can't work), told router would be delivered to the new address by Royal Mail so it didn't matter that we weren't yet living there

Router was sent by courier who turned up before we moved there, attempted delivery three times which failed because obviously we didn't live there

Called Virgin to find out where the router was, they basically said they didn't know, but then miraculously found it and told us the above but didn't bother sending it out again

Internet didn't activate on the 9th anyway - not that it matters since there was no router to use it with

It's now the 12th, they've said that the router should be delivered tomorrow - which is nearly a week after the date of activation

They've said that they can refund us for the days of internet we've missed, and if we want the activation fee back, to which I feel sure we are entitled, we have to email in so they can "consider" it.

I know that companies do not usually pay for loss of earnings but my understanding is that this is for the first day, ie if they promise to deliver something on a Monday and don't, they won't refund for loss of earnings for that Monday, but there is some wiggle room if you have to take another day off for a redelivery attempt.

My main question is, am I within my rights to ask Virgin to compensate us for loss of earnings being that my other half has not been able to work all week due to their colossal blunder? I am quite sure we are entitled to a refund of the activation fee, not least because they didn't actually activate it, but in terms of replacing the money which we don't have due to their error, I'm not so clear.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Pikeyp

I'm not sure you can blame Virgin Media for not doing their job if your not in to take the parcel from the courier ..??

rob_s0

They told me it would be sent out by Royal Mail, and I clearly stated this in my post.

Thanks for your input, most useful...

mazza111

At a rough guess, you've paid for a residential tariff therefore would not be entitled to any compensation for loss of earnings. For this you would need to have a business tariff.

Nilrem

mazza111 wrote: »

At a rough guess, you've paid for a residential tariff therefore would not be entitled to any compensation for loss of earnings. For this you would need to have a business tariff.

Yarp.

IIRC no residential service has a loss of earnings compensation, that is something you would pay more for in a business service (which is why if you're using a phone/internet for business use and it's essential you pay the extra for a business class service, with the SLA that goes with it).