Virgin Media Discussion Thread

[Ste]

Anyone had any luck with retentions recently?

I'm on ultimate oomph, it's just gone up to 112 a month and they sent me a letter about discounts running out. Something like 130 a month from april and 145 a month from October.

Clearly not up for that when new customers get it for 89.

I called and couldn't get them under 111 on a new 18 month contract. Any ideas whether that's good? I am not that keen to leave them but a bit fed up of the costs going up and up.

 

[Duke]

You need to give your notice and they'll phone you back within a few days offering a price to stay.

 

[Pocket10s]

Had the VM Engineer over yday to install broadband and they said there's no wire outside so they need to get council permission.

Has anyone had any experience on how long this will take?

 

[Avalon]

Had the VM Engineer over yday to install broadband and they said there's no wire outside so they need to get council permission.

Has anyone had any experience on how long this will take?

While not impossible, he likely doesn’t have a clue what it needs, other than a pull to the property via a 2 man crew which isn’t him. VM will have block way-leave in place with most councils, unless you have land owned by an additional third party or 3rd parties, then way-leave isn’t going to be required.

 

[iMacMart]

So Kelly’s Communications arrived at my property yesterday (I’d been told April the 28th) was the new cable pull date as they didn’t show last Saturday, 2 guys and they pulled a new 20m cable from the green/brown VM box outside me bungalow and up to the entry point so I’m pleased I’ve got that completed, engineer is booked to come out Monday to complete the internal connection!

They cut my BT phone line for some off reason, which killed my SkyQ internet and phone line, lucky my kids noticed as I was too busy doing other stuff, they reconnected it and back to normal

 

[DampCat]

Why is it so hard to see their packages? On their site you have to put in your postcode and all your information so they can call you in 10 days?

Every other provider just tells you what you can get? Is this genuinely the only option?

Just by way of an update, I never did get a call from VM so I'd have still been without internet in the new house based on their business model.

Conversely I went on Plusnet and could see exactly how much it would cost and was set up within an hour, the router arrived the following day and I was online 2 days later. All this in less than half the time it takes Virgin to even show me what packages they have (not that they've even done that yet).

What the hell happened? I had VM for 10+ years and would recommend them to everyone I knew, I take a few years break and the whole thing just seems a right shambles.

I don't want to stay on Plusnet, I want more than their 80mb cap or whatever it is, but I just needed to be online so that the house alarms would work etc. Hopefully VM get back to me before the 12 months is up

 

[Duke]

Just by way of an update, I never did get a call from VM so I'd have still been without internet in the new house based on their business model.

Conversely I went on Plusnet and could see exactly how much it would cost and was set up within an hour, the router arrived the following day and I was online 2 days later. All this in less than half the time it takes Virgin to even show me what packages they have (not that they've even done that yet).

What the hell happened? I had VM for 10+ years and would recommend them to everyone I knew, I take a few years break and the whole thing just seems a right shambles.

I don't want to stay on Plusnet, I want more than their 80mb cap or whatever it is, but I just needed to be online so that the house alarms would work etc. Hopefully VM get back to me before the 12 months is up

I put my postcode and house number in on the VM site and shows me I can get VM (no surprise as I have it ) and from there it takes you to their general package offerings page for phone / broadband / TV etc. Not sure why you're not getting the same?

 

[bingham67]

Had Kellys communication connect the cable from the pavement and stuck a box on the side of the house now waiting for install date which is the 22nd of this month.

 

[Avalon]

Just by way of an update, I never did get a call from VM so I'd have still been without internet in the new house based on their business model.

Conversely I went on Plusnet and could see exactly how much it would cost and was set up within an hour, the router arrived the following day and I was online 2 days later. All this in less than half the time it takes Virgin to even show me what packages they have (not that they've even done that yet).

What the hell happened? I had VM for 10+ years and would recommend them to everyone I knew, I take a few years break and the whole thing just seems a right shambles.

I don't want to stay on Plusnet, I want more than their 80mb cap or whatever it is, but I just needed to be online so that the house alarms would work etc. Hopefully VM get back to me before the 12 months is up

This seems to be a you problem, not a VM problem. I live in a serviceable area, put my postcode in, choose a door number and have access to pricing info/can place an order. Obviously nobody with any sense does that because Quidco/TCB are a thing and £130 cashback is £130 cashback, but it’s a process that takes seconds and works for any serviceable address, so what on earth did you do?

 

[DampCat]

This seems to be a you problem, not a VM problem. I live in a serviceable area, put my postcode in, choose a door number and have access to pricing info/can place an order. Obviously nobody with any sense does that because Quidco/TCB are a thing and £130 cashback is £130 cashback, but it’s a process that takes seconds and works for any serviceable address, so what on earth did you do?

I go to the website, select the broadband page, go to the "what services can I get" and then put in my postcode.

It's certainly not only a me problem, because other people have confirmed it's the case for them also.

Maybe it's a VM problem that they don't have a database entry for this postcode. But that's still a VM problem.

 

[Avalon]

I go to the website, select the broadband page, go to the "what services can I get" and then put in my postcode.

It's certainly not only a me problem, because other people have confirmed it's the case for them also.

Maybe it's a VM problem that they don't have a database entry for this postcode. But that's still a VM problem.

If it’s non serviceable it tells you in large text:

’Our services aren’t currently available in your area’

and asks for details so they can notify you if that changes, if that’s what’s happened (and it seems to fit your post), it’s pretty clear why.

 

[Purdy]

Anyone have high latency in evenings/night recently?

Been like past 5 evenings, getting tempted to swap to some FTTP provider but losing the TV stuff sucks

 

[DampCat]

If it’s non serviceable it tells you in large text:

’Our services aren’t currently available in your area’

and asks for details so they can notify you if that changes, if that’s what’s happened (and it seems to fit your post), it’s pretty clear why.

Here. Multiple browsers, all adblocking and script screwery turned off. No PiHole installed. Desktop and laptop.


I see one deal on the main page.


If i click "a bit more" i get this under BB+Phone.


Pop in my postcode


Gets me this page. Pop in my postcode again.


Fill in the deets (cant see that Services Unavailable message yet eh)


Here's an offer to get back to me in 10 days with my perfect service.


For prosperity, what happens if i fill in all the details required.

 

[Avalon]

To use your term, I’ve not said your a moron, but as the 2nd to last image clearly shows, it’s clearly not (at this point) a serviceable property on VM’s system. It says that they think you should be, that’s the kind of response that happens when a property is on Royal Mail’s database in a cabled street, but not VM’s. Typically those are properties converted or built after the initial cabling was done. It needs to go off to house files, be verified and usually passed to a spotter (glorified field sales) to see if it can be serviced within budget and what if any wayleave may be required from a 3rd party. Commission based sales people prefer low hanging fruit, anything above coming out to sign you up is going on the back burner. Either way you can’t place an order for an unserviceable property at this stage. You can either wait or actually call them and push the issue, just to forewarn you, terms like HMO or bed-sit are virtually guaranteed to result in it being unserviceable, if it’s just a case of an additional property being added with its own dedicated access to the street and you own it, then it’s likely straight forward and may even be resolved within 15 mins, if not you will need landlord/3rd party details to progress it.

 

[Caged]

Can confirm, that "Tell us about where you live" page is presented to me as well, on a street served by VM but a house that doesn't have any VM infrastructure built out to it.

Unless this is a database error and you can see the cable cover outside your house then you're not getting VM - they're not going to dig to make one customer live.

 

[Avalon]

Can confirm, that "Tell us about where you live" page is presented to me as well, on a street served by VM but a house that doesn't have any VM infrastructure built out to it.

Unless this is a database error and you can see the cable cover outside your house then you're not getting VM - they're not going to dig to make one customer live.

It really depends on the specifics, I used to have to deal with the reporting on this nationally and had some minor involvement in the process initially, hundreds of properties were added each year, others got nowhere for a variety of reasons. Generally shared drives without 3rd party wayleave consent, unadapted roads for new builds where the developer chose not to involve VM during construction or conversion to HMO’s/bed-sits, almost no owner occupier requests failed as long as they were on the RM database, had dedicated street access or shared access with wayleave - land ownership can be pretty complex, I remember one example that required 3 wayleave for a single footpath.

 

[DampCat]

My removed and regretted irritation was where you suggested I missed the giant text that said they don't service my house, when clearly at no point does it say that. In fact, even in the second to last image, it doesn't clearly say it as you claim. It literally says "we're pretty sure we can" which is definitely not "we don't service your property".

In any case this has gone as far as it needs to go, hasn't it. It's still not a me problem, if I'm not served just say "you're not served" as you claim they do when you're not served. Here it suggests I have options available, and that they will call me. They never did, and I don't get to see any of those options on their site.

 

[ChrisD.]

Try posting on the VM forums, one of the staff will PM you and have a look into it. I've had far more luck on their than ringing them up.

 

[iMacMart]

Nope. Rock solid as usual.

I'm going live with VM today, can I ask which site this test is on please, is it "Think BB" and I just select Virgin Media? Not had VM for 10 years+

Thanks

 

[Pyr0m@nI@]{]

I'm going live with VM today, can I ask which site this test is on please, is it "Think BB" and I just select Virgin Media? Not had VM for 10 years+

Thanks

Yes, it's on thinkbroadband. Just sign up and create a new monitor:
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality