1 YEAR since fibre order still waiting for install Virgin Media Business

wits_end

Hi,

What do you think I should do?

I ordered Virgin Business Fibre 152mb broadband in January 2015

Virgin required a £230 deposit which I paid.

It is now a year later, hundreds of emails and hours of calls and 6 missed apointments and we seem no closer to an actual installation.

Costs initially escalated from £60 for the install to a couple of hundred, and 2 months in I opted for a government Connection Voucher to cover it. Since then they have continued to rise.

Highlights include:

a 3 month wait while Virgin was emailing the wrong email address to get the installation started

being asked to pay £3895 excess costs which turned out to be a basic algebra error resulting from adding the £3000 connection voucher grant and actual £895 costs together

waiting for contractors to not show up to do work on 6 different weekends

I made a formal complaint in October and have a reference for it, but all the complaints department do is chase their Manilla call centre to give me an update, which typically doesn't contain any information.

I've thought about complaining to CISAS, which is the ombudsman Virgin Media seem to be linked to, what should i be asking them for?

what else should I do?

It has been a very frustrating year and the impact on my business is huge. There is also no sign this is going to end with Virgin actually getting round to the installation...

bengalknights

I would report to ofcom and request cancellation so you can go to alternative providers that offer FTTP (leased lines)

wits_end

I tried Ofcom and gave them the details for their industry statistics, but they can't resolve individual complaints.

Ofcom also say there is no stipulation or legislation regarding timescale for installations.

CISAS is the ombudsman Virgin Media have signed up to, and they have a complaint form that asks what redress I am after - i.e. what actions, products, services, refunds or compensation I am asking for.

I want to consider this carefully before submitting and wanted to know what I should be claiming for?

Clearly I would prefer installation as leased lines are far more expensive for a fraction of the bandwidth.

I think they should give the deposit back, commit to an installation date (or deadlock) and compensation.

Virgin have pointed out that they are not responsible for 'consequential loss' unless there are circumstances like them cancelling appointments, but during this sorry tale of a year of delays their contractors have missed 6 installation dates and I have incurred real costs for not being able to provide adequate broadband to my business.

JJ_Egan

Can you quantify these real costs .

wits_end

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Can you quantify these real costs .

Yes, some costs are easy to quantify.

My time for several hundred emails and calls, but that is not the main cost.

I also sublet deskspaces and each desk has a cost per month.

Retaining deskspace clients is difficult with current low internet speeds and I have lots of evidence of both passing on promises from Virgin Media Business regarding installation dates, that they then miss, and deskspace contracts ending as a result of being let down by Virgin.

I'm currently trying to get to the bottom of why they missed the latest date on Saturday, 366 days after the order.

wits_end

...also regarding real costs, I've had to install additional fixed lines and sign up to additional fixed term ADSL contracts and MiFi contracts from other ISPs to try to get some extra bandwidth in the interim - basically every time they fail to install I'm adding extra services from other providers that have a real cost.

Hazzanet

Ordered my 50/100 in June last year. Finally had the fibre laid and installed at the premises last Tuesday after negotiation with a nearby building site to get access to a cable duct for the contractors.

I'm assured that the equipment to connect to the fibre will arrive today at 3pm. Fingers crossed.

Are you dealing with the guys in Manila?

wits_end

Hazzanet wrote: »

Are you dealing with the guys in Manila?

I'm in touch with the Manilla call centre daily, but they have never been able to update me.

I've started going through business complaints instead for updates to get actual information though they seem to have a terrible time getting information from their contractor.

so I'm also trying to find out directly from Kelly's Communications why they've missed so many installations...

Hazzanet

Kelly's did the initial survey here, but another contractor put the ducting in on one day, then another contractor came to put the cables into the ducts.

Are you sure that Kelly's are doing the whole job? I managed to get a contact at the cabling contractor and dealt with them direct. The guys in Manilla only updated me on what I already knew (and had negotiated with the contractor).

wits_end

Hazzanet wrote: »

Kelly's did the initial survey here, but another contractor put the ducting in on one day, then another contractor came to put the cables into the ducts.

Are you sure that Kelly's are doing the whole job? I managed to get a contact at the cabling contractor and dealt with them direct. The guys in Manilla only updated me on what I already knew (and had negotiated with the contractor).

We've had 2 surveys back at the start of 2015. Not sure what Kelly's are supposed to be doing outside but I found out they were the contractor through Virgin's complaints dept. I've tried one of Kelly's london offices and they are 'calling me back'

Hazzanet

I had a hold up with wayleaves at first - have all the wayleave hurdles been cleared?