4,684 Customer Reviews over 469 pages
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- Location
- Sheffield
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-31
- Comments
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The single worst customer service and one of the most distressing moments signing up with this company. I work from home and have a disability. Now thanks to the constant lies told by virgin media staff I have no internet access for 14 days. Here is what has happened to explain my outrage:
I signed up with Virgin on 12th December 2023 as they promised I could go from 51Mbps with my current provider to 1Gbps via the new Virgin Fiber Cables installed on my road. I was told to give my current provider 30 days’ notice of leaving by the salesperson. I agreed a price per month I was happy paying as it was only £8 per month more than I was paying with my current provider.
The salesperson told me an engineer would be visiting on 18th December to install my router – This was cancelled the day before and pushed back to 6th January 2024.
My 6th January engineer visit was cancelled at 9pm on 4th January. When I called customer service the department for installation queries closed at 8pm. I was emailed on 6th saying my new installation date was 16th January. I rang my current provider who thankfully gave me an extension until 17th.
The 16th January engineer visit was cancelled on 14th at 10.30pm saying it had been pushed back until 30th January. Again, I had to ring my current provider who said they would only extend this one more time until 31st January as they have ended my contract. If I wanted to stay with them longer, I would need to sign a 1-year contract.
An engineer finally arrived at my property on 30th January but could not install my router as the wrong cables had been installed at my property by virgins’ engineers. This was at 10.37am on 30th. The engineer left saying there was nothing he could do, and I had to call customer service. I called customer service at 11.06am, I was on hold for 82 minutes and then that person said they could not help me. I then got put through to 2 other people, the last one told me (at 2.16pm) that my installation date would be now 1st March 2024. When I said I was losing my internet access they said its not Virgins problem and I needed to call my current provider. I called my current provider who said it was too late to cancel, Openreach had already closed the line and that I would lose internet access at midnight. I rang back Virgin at 4.48pm, I was on hold with this call until 8.11pm. I explained the situation and that I work from home and got told that its my fault for cancelling my existing provider. I was on hold with this call until 8.11pm.
It is now the 31st January and I have no internet which I use for home working. Openreach cannot reactivate my address for 14 days and Virgin will not be installing my property until 1st March (or so they say.)
This is the worst customer service experience of my life, caused me a lot of stress and I will lose money from not being able to work from home. As a disabled person I can only work from home and have never felt so isolated or useless. The situation Virgin have put me in is disgusting.
- Location
-
- Location
- hampshire
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-31
- Comments
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I set up a broadband contract with your company in late 2022. The original set-up was problem-free, and we were fully up and running in our old flat on day one. Unfortunately, due to the current renting market and cost of living, our landlord chose to sell their property, meaning we needed to find a new home mid-way through our contract.
I had no issues maintaining the Virgin Media contract and transferring it to our new property if possible. So I phoned your team well in advance, 4th October, a month before our moving date, 4th November, to ensure this would be ok, and I was advised that it would be possible. Also, Your team could install it on our move date. I was delighted with this and gained my new landlord’s permission to have the installation.
The problems started three days before our moving date when I received an email informing me that the set-up would be delayed because it required permission from the two adjacent homeowners. This late notice did not give me enough time, and I needed to interact with neighbours myself when I was not even living at this property. This delay was unsuitable as I work from home, edit videos, and upload large files; my partner is a game developer. However, we were willing to try to connect with Virgin Media for the sake of high speeds, and I thought this might only leave us a few days without internet, so I worked on the permissions.
Unfortunately, the couple at number 7 were away on holiday and number 6 was an elderly lady living alone. It was challenging to ask for permission as any cautious person would be weary of a stranger knocking on their door in the evening, asking for personal contact information to get Wi-Fi with nothing more than an email from Virgin Media to validate the request. Why could your team not write to the owner of each property officially, allowing me to advise them to expect a letter, and could they help me. I think this would be a better process, especially for customers who are just moving in and unaware of neighbours, so it may be an improvement point for you to consider.
In the meantime, our existing service was stopped on November 2nd at 11:59 pm, a day early. Again, I was willing to overlook it as I thought it wouldn't take long to get a connection again.
Eventually, we gained permission, and I provided it to residentialwayleave@virginmedia.co.uk, who 1st emailed me requesting the details. They took three days to reply, confirm receipt, and longer to take action. Eventually, both neighbours received emails with permission forms and instructions to print, sign, and scan back in before sending it back. Again, your process of using only email electronic interactions meant that this was a problem, as neither of them had access to a printer or a scanner. So I had to ask me to arrange to print the forms, which I had to go to my parent's home, at my cost, as I also didn't have access.
I got the forms completed, but both neighbours wrote conditions on the form to make sure they got restoration of their property to their satisfaction. I then called customer service to speed up response and was advised there’s no direct way to speak to the “residential wayleave” department. You can only reach them via email, which wasn’t a fast response time again, and as I continued down this timeline, responses only got slower.
At this point, customer service finally offered a pocket Wi-Fi, which was irritating since no other time I phoned before was this given this option, and I advised I worked from home. I accepted this offer and received a pocket Wi-Fi with 250GB capacity until December 14th. I had already been without Wi-Fi for 10 days (I had to increase my mobile contract to cope with its use at my own expense).
The email response from the "residential wayleave" department. It took five days this time, and only to advise of a new problem, in that they couldn’t accept the forms, as they had been written on, not just a date and a signature. I didn’t see how this was an issue since their additional comments were making clear their expectations, and no one had advised how to share any expectations of the neighbours. The form still permitted with their signature. So, I had to repeat the process, inform my neighbours, and return to my parents to print off new forms. I got these back, but it took five days for any response, with no way to speed up the process as the team is uncontactable.
We were now three weeks without Wi-Fi, and the pocket Wi-Fi couldn’t support a working household with a 250GB data limit, so we had to constantly limit our Wi-Fi usage to stretch it out and make it last.
I was told that the earliest your team could install was December 14th, six full weeks after we moved in! You seem to get put to the back of the queue whenever you need to answer a question or issue raised by the uncontactable "residential wayleave" department. I asked to escalate this and spoke to someone on the pre-installation team. They said there was nothing they could do to bring it forward due to external work and then credited £75 to my account to compensate for the delay, as it was the best they could do.
I asked if I could speak to someone to help your company improve this process for future customers and was told I could raise a complaint. However, based on their experience, nothing changes as these processes have remained inefficient and have been this way for a while. Hence, I decided to write a review due to this lack of customer acknowledgement which does not align with the customer-first organisation policies.
I then waited patiently for the 14th and took the continuing financial impact as I had to travel to cafes or family members' homes. I use my phone data to do my work. Unbelievably, I received an email on December 11th, just three days before installation again, saying it was delayed. This was followed by a phone call from the company to tell me that the install date will now be the 30th of December. This would make it 8 WEEKS after my initial set-up date.
I had no confidence that the new date would be met! So I demanded to be released from my contract with no penalties and compensation, as the failure to deliver an acceptable service in an acceptable timeframe has long passed.
They released me from my contract with no exit fees and when I asked for the £75 credit on the account to be sent to me to help cover the cost I had taken waiting for them to provide a service, I was told they could not do this. I proceeded to ask why this was and they said that they had cancelled the account and therefore it should be sent to me automatically. I never received this!
I am appalled at the process and treatment of this affair and the lack of urgency to complete my move process and keep my business. I have been left out of pocket during a cost of living crisis and the company Virgin Media show no remorse or customer care for causing me stress and an unnecessary financial burden.
Their website states "customer first company." But this is a lie!
- Location
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- Location
- Manchester
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-31
- Comments
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I feel obligated to advise potential customers about my disappointing experience with Virgin Media since locking into a 24-month contract at a rate of £42 per month. My intention is to highlight the reality of their service, which has been far from the high-speed, reliable internet I was led to expect.
The service has been atrocious from the start, with frequent disruptions and sluggish speeds that undermine the very essence of what I've been paying for. As a customer, you'd anticipate a certain level of quality and support for £42 a month, but I have been met with the complete opposite. My experience with customer service has been incredibly disheartening: long wait times, unresponsive support, and a general feeling of being an afterthought rather than a valued customer.
The situation further soured when I learned that having a technician come out to address the many issues would incur an additional £25 service fee. It's pretty outrageous that customers are not only expected to put up with subpar service but are also asked to pay more to have problems, not of their making, fixed.
Moreover, Virgin Media seems to have constructed an escape-proof trap with their hefty £600 early termination fee. This fee hangs over your head like a dark cloud, deterring you from leaving the service regardless of how bad it gets. You're left with two undesirable choices: endure the dismal service or pay a significant sum to break free from the contract.
I'm sharing my experience to warn others considering Virgin Media as their service provider. Do not be swayed by the glossy advertisements and the allure of fast internet speeds without first considering the possibility of being bound to a contract that neither provides the promised service nor values you as a customer.
I urge anyone to carefully weigh their options before committing to Virgin Media. The monthly fee of £42, coupled with potential additional charges for service visits, is not justified by the level of service provided. My advice is to seek out alternatives where your business is appreciated, and your money is met with the high-quality service it should command. Avoid the trap I fell into; there are certainly better, more customer-centric providers out there.
- Location
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- Location
- exeter
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-26
- Comments
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VIRGIN MEDIA IS THE WORST INTERNET PROVIDER
They lie on every single matter: external work, internal installation, billing, cancellation of the contract !
There is no ethics in this company, they don't have any respect for their customers
One advice; AVOID
- Location
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- Location
- Shrewsbury
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-21
- Comments
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I had a terrible experience with VM.
I recently moved to a new house. I opted for their service and I got very disappointed. I couldn’t reach out to their customer service and I send the cancellation form and kit to the address on the econtract I had with them(which was sent to my mail). I am being forced to pay for the service that I never used. Also I was told their kit was not received on the same address that was given to me. I would not recommend them to anyone. Their services are wack, human resource department and customer service is really terrible. I was told I would be reported for debt and they spoil my credit score. I would be forced to pay for it. I didn’t use the service at all. The kits wasn’t even opened before I rang for cancellation. Some of their customer service representatives have very poor human relation and terrible speaking and understanding skills. Please, I will encourage anyone to go for better broadband service who will put your priority first and ensure you have the value for your money.
If there is zero rating that is what I would’ve given for the terrible experience I have/am having with them.
- Location
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- Location
- Scotland
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-16
- Comments
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Do not trust the sales pitch
Avoid this company at all cost .Do not angree to anything until you have check what you are agreeing to .
Everything about this company is very deceptive and They will lie and mislead you and hit you with hidden charges and double bill you when you upgrade . I specifically asked if I would be double billed or if there was any hidden cost numerous times I couldn’t be any clearer and told no and the amount I will be billed . I got sent a message to confirm the agreement also very deceptive and misleading with the layout ,
Tried to bill me double what was agreed I had already explained I couldn’t afford any hidden charges or a double over the phone .they couldn’t care less .This would have left me in finances hardship next month .
I’m sure I’m not the only one who they have mislead
- Location
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- Location
- Rotherham
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-14
- Comments
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Shocking!!! I was with sky and had 2 men knocking on my door to move to virgin so i looked to move over to them as they were offering higher speed, one day 2 random men turned up at my house taking pictures of my house then started drilling into my house, the men then used my bin to put all there cans of pop in, food, ropes and equipment, i had an appiopment booked for 27th of december come home early from my parents house for the appiopment for nobody to turn up, i ring up to see where they are, my 'appiopment' was never booked even they ive got emails and in my contract it says there are coming on the 27th, while on the phone i tried to cancel they just wouldnt let me cancel kept passing me to different people/departments, finally i managed to get through to someone who cancelled my services, they sent me a bill on £30 for my broadband, even thought nothing was up and running, i had no wifi hub but on their end it was all working, ive put nothing but compalints in and nobody has got back to me, finally spoke to a manager last week and all i got from him was 'we have cancelled your services what more do you want?' Customer services is shocking and rude, i will never ever think about moving to virgin!!! They keep asking me to return the equipment but there isnt no equipment to return!!
- Location
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- Location
- Uxbridge
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-12
- Comments
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After 15 years with this company. I will be looking to move away asap. It’s now the worse company for broadband and customer services. No broadband, telephone or tv for a week now due to fault. Engineers telling lies and rescheduling appointments whenever they want. Do yourself a favour and avoid this terrible company.
- Location
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- Location
- OXFORD
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-12
- Comments
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Very bad, harassment when leaving.
I have been paying overpriced internet since the end of my contract in may 2023 : 51£ a month !!! so of course, when moving out of my flat, I want to cancel !
I felt harassed when asking to cancel my contract. They made it impossible.
Instead, the team created a new contract WITHOUT my permission, which, I am sure, is illegal, while I was asking for cancellation of my internet from the beginning.
Also no help and no commercial gesture when I want to leave on the 24th of january (end of my last bill and date where I will be moving out) ! Instead they asked me to pay a cancellation fee which was 30 pounds (I was not under a contract anymore, it's that you need a 30 days notice!!! I guess, anything is good to force people not to leave, I didn't know I was signing a pact with the devil!).
Basically, virgin media are thieves, stealing money and time from people ! Indeed, it took me an afternoon and 4h the next morning to cancel my internet and the new contract they created without my authorisation.
ALSO internet is mediocre ! I had a 250mb speed contract in a 35m2 flat, router in the bedroom, I could have good signal in the bedroom only !!!! Ridiculous !
DO NOT go there, I wish I could have put no star at all, but not a possibility.
- Location
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- Location
- West Yorkshire
- Reviewing
- Virgin Media
- Date
- 2024-01-09
- Comments
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We were offered a £75 voucher when we signed up for Broadband with Virgin Media on 12th June 2023 and as of today (9th Jan 2024) and more than a dozen emails of complaint later, we are still awaiting our voucher.
After first contacting their customer service team to confirm that their 120 day deadline had passed for receipt of the voucher, we were told that our case would be looked into.
Since then, we have been passed to their Resolutions Team, who spout all the right words about us being "a valued customer" etc., but don't actually do anything. The upshot of this is, that I am now supposed to contact a third party who supply the vouchers on behalf of Virgin M and they have so far provided two different company email addresses to contact! I have emailed both of these companies twice and have heard nothing from either of them. I am sick to the back teeth of Virgin Media, they have been an absolute nightmare to deal with, not only with our complaint about the voucher but also with the whole Broadband installation. Once they had our money and we'd signed the contract everything just fell apart. They're so "good" (not) that they didn't even connect the cables to our house properly!! From the junction box in the pavement outside our house, they just laid the cable across the surface of the pavement and then buried it 1" below the surface of the soil in our front garden. Anyone passing our house could easily have cut the cable, as about 18" of it was laid across the top of the tarmac!! ABYSMAL company and even worse customer service. I don't think I've ever dealt with as poor a company in my life. Had I been able to give them MINUS 5 stars instead of plus 1 star I would have. Stay away from them if you have any sense!
- Location
The reviews published on this page are those of the individual authors who have warrantied that they abide by our review guidelines. Reviews are not the opinion of Broadband.co.uk.