Virgin media installation delay

Andrew1981

Hi all, 

As with many others, a frustrating time with Virgin Media.

I'm mid contract, and moved house 3 weeks ago.. As I have 6 months on my contract and didn't want to pay the cancellation fee of the 6 months rental, I figured I'd stay with them (although I'm happy to leave ASAP). 

As we exchanged and completed on the house the same day, I couldn't give advance notice and was told it was a 3 week delay for an engineer to come and install. Very frustrating but is what it is.

Installation was today, and just got an email saying its now 7th June.... Another 3 weeks. 

I work from home and am spending around £100/ week on topping up my phone data (also with Virgin) so I can tether my laptop off my phone.

Not to mention other inconveniences with having no WiFi (no TV, no security cameras, no Ring doorbell etc...)

Would I be within my rights to demand to leave with no penalty? Or at least refund phone data costs (both Virgin). 6 weeks is just too long, and what's to say that in 3 weeks they won't say its another 3 weeks?

TIA 👍

born_again

Ask then to put you on unlimited data package in the mean time.

Penguin_

Do Virgin know you work from home? 

Andrew1981

They don't. I work from home 3 or 4 days of the week, and the office the other 1 or 2. 

Would that make a difference? I'll ask about the change of plan. No virgin hotpots near me that work either 🙁

Penguin_

Because I don't think they will be happy to pay for you data that you used on your phone for your work needs. 

born_again

Virgin plan I was on gave unlimited data.
Switched to 02 for my phone contract. Sim only as I buy my own phones. So I could get Volt deals. 150 Gig for £20 doubled up to 300Gig via Volt. As out of contract period with Virgin got £140 down to £80 as Volt deal & now get Netflix thrown in for free as well.

biscan25

I got compensation from mine when my activation was only a few days late. Think it's automatic and was significant. Something like £31 for a couple of days?

PragmaticMoneySaver

Andrew1981 said:

<snip>

I work from home and am spending around £100/ week on topping up my phone data (also with Virgin) so I can tether my laptop off my phone.

That statement in itself is ridiculous!  In any case you will have an obligation to mitigate your losses and there are plenty of far better deals than that.  Indeed £35 per month for unlimited data (including tethering) with GiffGaff

Andrew1981

It is ridiculous!  It's a 30gb/month that is 'free' as part of the virgin media package. The 'best value' way to add data is 3gb for £20 to the package....that doesn't last long with video conf calls!

More calls to virgin tomorrow..... 

knightstyle

When we moved we talked to a neighbour about  the delay in getting BB and they let us use their WiFi till we got sorted.  Might be worth asking.

RogerBareford

Andrew1981 said:

It is ridiculous!  It's a 30gb/month that is 'free' as part of the virgin media package. The 'best value' way to add data is 3gb for £20 to the package....that doesn't last long with video conf calls!

More calls to virgin tomorrow..... 

I really don't understand why you have been paying £100 a WEEK! on phone data when you could have easily got another sim card which would cost you a fraction of that.

Make sure you order the GiffGaff one that PragmaticMoneySaver suggested to use before they come to install it so you don't throw away any more money.