Virgin Media are quaking

[Mike Reed]

Well, finally had the second technician (hardly 'engineer'!) to cable up my new hub 4 to my Dect 4 base station downstairs where it used to be before it was VOIPed. He came around 4 pm., a second and senior chat replaced him; 5 min's later he was back, so 2 of them on the job. Cock-up with new exterior cable or connection so it didn't work. Finally, with my stomach thinking my throat had been cut (1 hour after dinner time) they sussed it and
all was working.

All this messing about to get rid of copper cables, only to reconnect everything with......copper cables ! 3 hours of my life achieving bugger all and having yet again, courtesy of VM, half another brick face disappear when the hammer drill burst out. I was watching the process, advising etc., but to no avail.

Not a happy VM bunny; shall clear the mess tomorrow (but I did offer just to accelerate their departure). 2 visits, 3 blokes, simply to get me back to where I was in phone placement.

 

[PhilofCas]

Our VM broadband went down late last month, it didn’t register with their system that it was an area fault, so we have used their chat service and phoned them, only to be cut off each time, saying they’re not available until Monday. Son had seen it on Twitter that other people locally had same problem, so I called back and chose option to leave, got through to someone, who still went through the routine of trying to fix our home problem, went along with it, no fix was found, surprise surprise.

Was down for 8 days, I filed a complaint, they’re now not playing ball in even offering the standard daily compensation, saying they’ll offer it as good will (FFS!!!!!!!!), we’ll see where this ends up, right now I hate them, terrible company to deal with.

 

[twotone]

Just off the phone to them, the WhatsApp thing is hopeless BTW so I ended up calling them this morning, they try to make you input your 'memorable word' to basically get you off the phone if you can't remember it (I can't) but if you just keep inputting 1 then eventually you get through to a person but the auto thing offered me £3.50 off initially then I held on to speak with someone and was offered three options ie leave/cancel, renew the contract with a different offer for another eighteen months or a 'discount' of £6 a month until the current contract ends on September 20th but if you are going to leave them then you have to give them 30 days notice when you cancel/go to another supplier.

I chose option 3 cause I'm leaving as soon as I can so as soon as Cityfibre are up and running then I'll be going with Vodaphone and no doubt they'll be terrible too come the renewal time/price increase every year.

I really don't understand why VM insist on majorly p!issing customers off with this annual price rise nonsense then making us go through all of this cr@p for what amounts to buttons of a price rise eventually, in my case it's another £1 a month or £34 from June 15th.

Here's the number

0345 454 1111

 

[Mike Reed]

I hate them, terrible company to deal with.

Virgin vitriol indeed, Phil, and with reason. I have to say that their free repair/serving is quite good and so far, here in Norwich, BB has been reliable for the past 3 or so years. As yesterday's fiasco showed, though, efficiency of fully trained technicians can't be assumed.

When fibre is to most houses rather than to the local cab., changing horses to another company shouldn't be the suspected hassle it would've been since we joined in '09 from BT. I've got telephone cables installed ( under concrete, mainly) for every conceivable point where I thought a phone could go. Even bought a reel. What a waste of energy etc. !!!

 

[twotone]

BT, when I was with them (30 odd years) could give VM a run for their money CS wise, for a communications company they don't half make a mockery of that industry.

VM are fine as long as you're happy with the actual service which I am but this constant having to contact them to reduce the price is tedious but it's obviously designed to ensure the customers just go 'oh, eff it we'll just pay it!

I can't really complain about the actual people when you do get through to them either BTW it's just the hoops you have to jump through, that bloody memorable name shit is but just one example, I mean it's bad enough getting locked out of a bank app cause you can't remember it but getting locked out of your broadband account because you can't remember it is taking the piss actually.

 

[Mike Reed]

but this constant having to contact them to reduce the price is tedious

Not just tedious but impossible last and previous years as I had to input password details before I could get through to 'negotiate' My password for their forum/website, which we've had for years, is not useable, I eventually found. How silly !. Last 3 negotiations have been via their form though I do now have a phone p/word (which was not necessary only 3+ years ago). Really, though; a password to phone a media company?????? Alice in Blunderland !

I only realised yesterday that the hub 2 installed 2 weeks earlier runs quite warm and has a totally unnecessary all-round LED (I hope) light. To me, running warm equals using more juice that normal. Whereas you can unplug/turn off a wall wart or class A amp, this hub is on 24/7 as I imagine is the same for all with desktops/wifi hubs. As the technicians didn't have a clue about the hub, I'd really like to find its consumption figures; maybe have to go on their open forum as there are some clued-up Virgin acolytes on there. Maybe worth a separate thread, with clued-up fishies here as well?

 

[twotone]

Not just tedious but impossible last and previous years as I had to input password details before I could get through to 'negotiate' My password for their forum/website, which we've had for years, is not useable, I eventually found. How silly !. Last 3 negotiations have been via their form though I do no have a phone p/word (which was not necessary only 3+ years ago. Really, though; a password to phone a media company?????? Alice in Blunderland !

I only realised yesterday that the hub 2 installed 2 weeks earlier runs quite warm and has a totally unnecessary all-round LED (I hope) light. To me, running warm equals using more juice that normal. Whereas you can unplug/turn off a wall wart or class A amp, this hub is on 24/7 as I imagine is the same for all with desktops/wifi hubs. As the technicians didn't have a clue about the hub, I'd really like to find its consumption figures; maybe have to go on their open forum as there are some clued-up Virgin acolytes on there. Maybe worth a separate thread, with clued-up fishies here as well?

I run the hub on modem only mode Mike, there's a pink led on the front on all the time, if it isn't on then you're off line

 

[flapland]

Jacked in Virgin after 20 odd years on Cable Broadband from them and their predecessors. Now with GNetworks and very happy with full fibre. First 6 months free and over £20 cheaper a month there after. No brainer. Virgin weren't impressed and said could have done a deal, said too late as better offer was on doorstep without having to beg.

 

[twotone]

Jacked in Virgin after 20 odd years on Cable Broadband from them and their predecessors. Now with GNetworks and very happy with full fibre. First 6 months free and over £20 cheaper a month there after. No brainer. Virgin weren't impressed and said could have done a deal, said too late as better offer was on doorstep without having to beg.

Aye I'm looking forward to going full fibre via CityFibre (Vodaphone).

Their builders have been digging up the pavements here for months and causing chaos but they're actually very quick once they start, theyre just installing the cable on the pavement/road with a box at each property, no idea if the network is live here yet though but once the guys have installed the cable on the pavement then I don't think it will be long after that to get connected.

 

[PhilofCas]

Not just tedious but impossible last and previous years as I had to input password details before I could get through to 'negotiate' My password for their forum/website, which we've had for years, is not useable, I eventually found. How silly !. Last 3 negotiations have been via their form though I do no have a phone p/word (which was not necessary only 3+ years ago. Really, though; a password to phone a media company?????? Alice in Blunderland !

I only realised yesterday that the hub 2 installed 2 weeks earlier runs quite warm and has a totally unnecessary all-round LED (I hope) light. To me, running warm equals using more juice that normal. Whereas you can unplug/turn off a wall wart or class A amp, this hub is on 24/7 as I imagine is the same for all with desktops/wifi hubs. As the technicians didn't have a clue about the hub, I'd really like to find its consumption figures; maybe have to go on their open forum as there are some clued-up Virgin acolytes on there. Maybe worth a separate thread, with clued-up fishies here as well?

Some good info here Mike, around 10 to 15 watts (ish) https://andyhacks.com/2017/11/02/power-usage-of-virgin-tivo-v6-tv-box-and-superhub/

And yes, their phone password wotnot is a pain in the posterior.

 

[flapland]

Aye I'm looking forward to going full fibre via CityFibre (Vodaphone).

Their builders have been digging up the pavements here for months and causing chaos but they're actually very quick once they start, theyre just installing the cable on the pavement/road with a box at each property, no idea if the network is live here yet though but once the guys have installed the cable on the pavement then I don't think it will be long after that to get connected.

It was a month or two before I could place an order, but once I did was a pretty quick turnaround. Note though if you are in rented property they have to get landlord permission to run fibre up the building.

 

[ToTo Man]

Not just tedious but impossible last and previous years as I had to input password details before I could get through to 'negotiate' My password for their forum/website, which we've had for years, is not useable, I eventually found. How silly !. Last 3 negotiations have been via their form though I do no have a phone p/word (which was not necessary only 3+ years ago. Really, though; a password to phone a media company?????? Alice in Blunderland !

I only realised yesterday that the hub 2 installed 2 weeks earlier runs quite warm and has a totally unnecessary all-round LED (I hope) light. To me, running warm equals using more juice that normal. Whereas you can unplug/turn off a wall wart or class A amp, this hub is on 24/7 as I imagine is the same for all with desktops/wifi hubs. As the technicians didn't have a clue about the hub, I'd really like to find its consumption figures; maybe have to go on their open forum as there are some clued-up Virgin acolytes on there. Maybe worth a separate thread, with clued-up fishies here as well?

The LEDs on my VM Superhub 2 aren't particularly bright on their brightest setting but you can dim them if you wish by accessing its settings via http://192.168.0.1/.

Out of interest Mike, what hub did they give you?

 

[gintonic]

Upgrade - VM superhub 5 has one very gentle led. Runs cool

 

[Mike Reed]

I run the hub on modem only mode Mike, there's a pink led on the front on all the time, if it isn't on then you're off line

I was perfectly happy with the blinking LEDs of my previous router/hub, Tony, but this hub 4 has but one control; the on/off switch at the back (just found it !). It's pretty big, too. Just one 360 degree lit-up band; what for? Decoration?

Some good info here Mike, around 10 to 15 watts (ish) https://andyhacks.com/2017/11/02/power-usage-of-virgin-tivo-v6-tv-box-and-superhub/

Useful link, but doesn't include my new hub 4. Think my Panasonic VM box is the Vito ; df. the old one which records 2 prog's, and I expect that to consume juice when on (and it gets quite warm and hums !!!!!), just like the TV or anything else. The hub/router, though, is on all the time. Maybe this should now be turned off at night, but I'd like to know if this new technology (as it were) flies in the face of being eco-friendly; bad design if so.

Upgrade - VM superhub 5 has one very gentle led. Runs cool

Interesting, GT; one could assume that your hub 5 is an upgrade on the 4 yet cool to the touch, mine ain't !

 

[ToTo Man]

Our call to retentions was a reasonable success, but our subsequent attempt to sort out this new wifi hub required to maintain landline phone functionality was an absolute farce!...

Before being put through to an agent we received an automated offer of £7.50/mth reduction on our current contract. This would be a great deal if it also meant the £15/mth hike in May 2023 was no longer taking place, but I strongly suspected it didn't, i.e. the £7.50/mth discount was by my understanding really a £7.50 hike from May 2023. We therefore declined the discount and we were put through to an agent.

Upon questioning our mid-contract price hike from 1st May 2023 in light of @PhilofCas helpfully sharing his letter from VM that clearly stated that his price increase wouldn't take effect until April 2024, the agent explained that the date the price increase takes effect from depends on when the contract was taken out, but we weren't told what the criteria was (FWIW our contract began late May 2022 and ends late Nov 2023).

She initially offered to reduce the planned £15/mth increase to £2/mth until our contract ends, after which we'd need to call back to negotiate a new contract. We politely declined. She then offered us a new 18-mth contract starting from now for £1/mth more than our existing contract, and finally gave us a third option of zero price increase until our contract ends in Nov. We opted for the £1/mth increase for a new contract even though it's costing us a total of £9 more between now and Nov it saves having to call back and go through this dance again in Nov when the discounts available then could be worse.

Reasonably happy with the agreed deal we then asked to be put through to the relevant dept regarding the email I received requesting I contact VM to arrange for our wifi Hub to be replaced with one that can connect to a landline phone. This is when my experience soured. The retentions agent had no idea what I was talking about so passed me through to repairs. Repairs also had no idea so passed me through to sales, where I spent the best part of 40 minutes trying to understand an indecipherable accent gibbering at the speed of light on a line that kept dropping out, asking seemingly irrelevant questions about the number of occupants, gamers, and connected devices I had in the home.

I finally established that the new Hub was going to cost me money. A figure of £10 was mentioned which I initially thought was a one-off payment (not that I'd have been willing to pay that) but it turned out to be £10/mth added to my contract. This was for the Hub 3, a Hub 4 or 5 would cost more apparently! Explaining to the agent that the email I received clearly stated that the new Hub was free of charge and would not add anything to my monthly bill fell on deaf ears. After another few minutes of listening to more gibberish I finally picked out the phrase "discount this price to £8/mth for you". I'd lost my patience by that point and hung up!

 

[twotone]

Are you not in Glasgow @ToTo Man?

Cityfibre shouldn't be long getting to you if you are.

They're not far away from me, their builders, PMK, are digging up pavements all round me (G76).

There's no way I'm staying with VM after this latest nonsense so I'm off as sound as I get onboard with a Cityfibre company, probably Vodaphone but there's loads of them.

BTW, my email from VM regarding the price rise was different form the one posted here by @PhilofCas, mine just basically said that I can cancel the contract by 24th March if I don't like the latest price rise and no penalty for leaving early.

My current contract was renewed in April 2022 BTW.

 

[PhilofCas]

Are you not in Glasgow @ToTo Man?

Cityfibre shouldn't be long getting to you if you are.

They're not far away from me, their builders, PMK, are digging up pavements all round me (G76).

There's no way I'm staying with VM after this latest nonsense so I'm off as sound as I get onboard with a Cityfibre company, probably Vodaphone but there's loads of them.

BTW, my email from VM regarding the price rise was different form the one posted here by @PhilofCas, mine just basically said that I can cancel the contract by 24th March if I don't like the latest price rise and no penalty for leaving early.

My current contract was renewed in April 2022 BTW.

Mine says that too regarding cancelling, though by end of month I think.

 

[twotone]

Mine says that too regarding cancelling, though by end of month I think.

But didn't your's say no increase during the current contract?

"However, this 2023 price increase won't affect you until your current price offer ends."

My email says the increase in the current contract would be from May, the current contact is up in September so an increase during the contract.

 

[gintonic]

mine says no increase in the life of my 2 Yr contract - negotiated last Nov.

 

[PhilofCas]

Our call to retentions was a reasonable success, but our subsequent attempt to sort out this new wifi hub required to maintain landline phone functionality was an absolute farce!...

Before being put through to an agent we received an automated offer of £7.50/mth reduction on our current contract. This would be a great deal if it also meant the £15/mth hike in May 2023 was no longer taking place, but I strongly suspected it didn't, i.e. the £7.50/mth discount was by my understanding really a £7.50 hike from May 2023. We therefore declined the discount and we were put through to an agent.

Upon questioning our mid-contract price hike from 1st May 2023 in light of @PhilofCas helpfully sharing his letter from VM that clearly stated that his price increase wouldn't take effect until April 2024, the agent explained that the date the price increase takes effect from depends on when the contract was taken out, but we weren't told what the criteria was (FWIW our contract began late May 2022 and ends late Nov 2023).

She initially offered to reduce the planned £15/mth increase to £2/mth until our contract ends, after which we'd need to call back to negotiate a new contract. We politely declined. She then offered us a new 18-mth contract starting from now for £1/mth more than our existing contract, and finally gave us a third option of zero price increase until our contract ends in Nov. We opted for the £1/mth increase for a new contract even though it's costing us a total of £9 more between now and Nov it saves having to call back and go through this dance again in Nov when the discounts available then could be worse.

Reasonably happy with the agreed deal we then asked to be put through to the relevant dept regarding the email I received requesting I contact VM to arrange for our wifi Hub to be replaced with one that can connect to a landline phone. This is when my experience soured. The retentions agent had no idea what I was talking about so passed me through to repairs. Repairs also had no idea so passed me through to sales, where I spent the best part of 40 minutes trying to understand an indecipherable accent gibbering at the speed of light on a line that kept dropping out, asking seemingly irrelevant questions about the number of occupants, gamers, and connected devices I had in the home.

I finally established that the new Hub was going to cost me money. A figure of £10 was mentioned which I initially thought was a one-off payment (not that I'd have been willing to pay that) but it turned out to be £10/mth added to my contract. This was for the Hub 3, a Hub 4 or 5 would cost more apparently! Explaining to the agent that the email I received clearly stated that the new Hub was free of charge and would not add anything to my monthly bill fell on deaf ears. After another few minutes of listening to more gibberish I finally picked out the phrase "discount this price to £8/mth for you". I'd lost my patience by that point and hung up!

They really are woeful at giving a consistent uniform response, they are all over the place, I’m not surprised you put the phone down, that’s how they’ve had me a few times, I really can’t be arsed with them at times.