I have seen millions of complaints on Virgin Media and feel scared that I have signed a 12 month contract. My wife and I moved into a new rented flat just over two weeks ago. The landlord who was living here advised us that due to bad reception in the area, she has been using Virgin Media for TV and had the phone and broadband package. Fair enough I thought, phoned them up and they were even kind enough to give me a discount on the whole package (3 for 30 was offered for 20). But that was the last of the good will I got. On the phone while I was signing up, I was given of an activation date of 3rd of April 2008, when my equipment would be delivered as well.

You guessed it the day had come and gone and not a sign from the lovely people from Virgin Media. On the 4th I called them up asking what was happening and when I would get my equipment. The answer...well they did not know because the equipment was only give for delivery to the delivery company (UPS) on the 3rd. I could call them up if I wanted to they said, to arrange delivery. In fact they said that would not be enough, because they need someone to come to the flat and install it all. When I queried when this would happen I was told 'tomorrow'. At this point I raised a complaint with the call center guy, quoting to him exactly what I was unhappy with. I should have asked for his name and a ref of the complaint, but I was so furious that they were quick to sell me the product, but were so poor at advising what it would entail to install and had in fact lied about the dates. Again, I was told a manager would contact me 'tomorrow' to follow up with the complaint and a letter would be sent to acknowledge it all.

You guessed it, no call nor letter.

6th of April, I called again and was told that installation was scheduled for the 7th of April, without me having scheduled it at all. I rescheduled for Saturday 12th of April, between 1-6pm. I was promised that I would get a call from a manager regarding my complaint, which was visible on the system the time. Same day I went and picked up the equipment from UPS as they could not guarantee a delivery day or time.

The landlord had left her Virgin Media equipment at the flat, but had canceled all services. So faced with a long wait for activation I switched the equipment on and what do you know... broadband was on, without me having to put in a PIN. TV was working for the basic 5 channels and phone was off. I thought, not bad to keep us entertained 'till the activation. I called Virgin Media and told them I get 5 channels, can I get the rest of them please ( I subscribed for over 80)? They told me, you need to wait for the engineer to install it all. For the fun of it, I asked if that means I won't get broadband till then and the lady was adamant that I won't be able to get broadband despite having my landlord's modem. I couldn't argue with her, they had proved their poor, poor service before. I was going to wait for the 12th.

12th of April. No call from a manager. I call to confirm with Virgin Media that they would be coming over to do the installation. This is where i was ready to throw my toys. I was told there is no scheduled visit, and in fact there is no need for a visit because the install is supposed to be a self install. I was blown away by this. I asked to speak to a manager, to follow up on my complaint from the previous week. Wait for it... they could not see anything on the system, no sign of my complaint.
At that time, I asked to speak to a manager straight away. The call center guy told me he could not let me do that as my problem was around a self install and not Customer Service. I insisted, he spoke to his manager, who refused to speak to me.

At this point I am lost as to what I can do. I raised a new complaint and asked for a reference number this time. I asked for the guy’s name and his manager’s name. He did not want to give me his surname nor his manager’s surname. Only after I pushed did he give them to me. I was promised that a manager will call me within 24 – 48 hours. I am not holding my breath.

I phoned faults reporting and after 5 minutes they had all my TV channels connected. The phone is still off and I am scheduled for an engineer to come around on the 14th. The broadband has been working since I initially tried it... despite assurances from Virgin Media that it would not.

I will follow this through and get something for my lost nerves and time. I hope that the rest of you get some proper service from Virgin Media... although from what I have seen so far, they trip over themselves to lie, show their incompetence and turn their customers into babbling fools.

The broadband is fine, it is actually double the speed to what I signed up for, and TV works once activated. Phone is still to happen, but I pray that none of these services develop a fault.

Please dont EVER sign up to Virgin Media. We used to have Telewest and they were great. Never any problems. As soon as VM took over the proverbial hit the fan. Inconsistent service to say the least. During normal TV - constant flickering / picture breakup. Regular V+ box crashes. Their V+ recording is UNCAPABLE of recording a full programme. I even went in to the settings to setup recording 5 mins pre and 5 mins after each programme. Still unable to record a full programme. Annoying during football even more annoying during well watched series.

Also have the displeasure of "enjoying" their 20mg broadband. 20mg my a*se. I am a developer by trade so know how to setup a PC for optimum performance. NO WAY do they ever provide 20mg bandwidth. I live in an EH8 postcode - central Edinburgh - an optimal cabled area. I can coonect to VPN's at my work at over 20mg's so they are talking pish - yet you ring them and all you get is "Youre PC is clearly not capable". Hmmfh! Your f'ing charges are more like uncapable! I certainly dont mind paying if they were providing what youre paying for - dont bloody lie to me!! NEVER EVER able to provide 20mg.

Lastly - Im moving house tomorrow. I took enormous joy in cancelling my VM 28 days ago! (Bear in mind if you dont cancel 30 days in advance you get screwed for another month by them). Trust me though that call was joyous - but polite! Cannae grief the poor under paid minions that have the unfortunate job of taking our sh*te - oh for a direct line to the beardy one! Rang them tonight asking for call forwarding as Im expecting deliveries at the new house but as yet have no number for new gaff - and I quote - "Sorry sir - you have cancelled your subsription to Virign Phone - you need to have at least a months contract to allow call forwarding".

You know what - if it took me a month of having to listen to their f'ing hold music, I'd still be happy to cancel. Can't bloody wait. Get rid of them useless, unreliable, unusable ce four nen tees.

Rant over. DONT DO IT!!!

I rang virgin media on 01/02/08 and wanted to join them and have a virgin media package for TV, Broadband and telephone, he was very helpful and as the property we have just moved into already had the connections we could have a quick start package which would be delivered to us on the 05/02/08, great we will go for that. Tuesday 05/02/08 arrives and despite advising me it would be an all day delivery UPS turn up with my package at about 9.45 am ish, brilliant i thought as i hastily unwrapped my package, read instructions which were fool proof and once connected rang the quick start hot line. the young lady then asked for my account number plus the serial numbers for the equipment, i gave her the details and she said it would take about 15 mins for the signal to be received and would ring me back, ok but before you go the phone is not on yet no problem she replied it should be on by 1.00pm ok great. then someone phoned me back and said that the TV box they had sent me wouldn’t work but they had dispatched a new one and i would receive the next day, sorry for that ok i said, oh and also your phone needs an engineer he can come out Friday or Saturday, ok send him Saturday please, ok sorry about this sir, so on to 06/02/08 i sat and took another day off waiting for TV box after about 1.00pm i rang to enquire as to the wear about of my package the reply was they had no idea as it was a manual dispatch and it would be there by 3.00pm ok i said and duly sat and waited again 5.00pm came and still no package, rang them again and now told they had till 7.00pm to deliver, i protested and said this is costing me a fortune in lost income and mobile phone calls, he then advised well you should be ok on the 16/02/08 as your phone will be on then, what i said they told me sat 09/02/08 no your appointment is the 16/02/08. i said I’m not happy about this, in that case sir i will put you through to customer service and they should be able to change date ok, he puts me through i have to explain everything again and she says sorry you need to go back to quick start which she promptly does. i go back to quick start and then have to explain it all again, after doing so he tells me i need to speak to customer service i give up and end call. i than phone customer service where a person called Dan takes my complaint and promises to investigate and get back to me, guess what no TV box turns up no return call. so here we are 07/02/08 i wait in until 1.00pm and still no TV box and no return call, so i phoned customer service again and asked to speak to a manager, if you tell me what it's about sir first, so again i explain everything through, sorry about that sir i will Email Dan to find out what’s going on and make sure he rings you and I’m on until 8.30 pm tonight and will ring you as well to make sure you have been contacted. Well ok i said and guess what nobody rang me back the TV box has still not arrived and i have never experienced such poor customer service not just poor but a blatant disregard for people or the stress and money they cost them.

In November 2007 I asked Virgin Media to give me a broadband contract in my flat. When I got the box at home I spent hours on the phone with their customer service because it wouldn't work... after many phone calls I canceled by phone the contract since I wasn't receiving the service. On the 21november, Virgin debited 19,99 Sterling pounds from my bank account and never gave me back the money (even if they told me on the day I canceled, they would return the money in the next few days.It has been almost 2 months and my money hasn't been returned.

I would also like to complain of the fact that Virgin Media contacted my telephone provider (BT) and without my authorization canceled my telephone contract. I had to deal with the paperwork and phone calls to BT to stay with them but I consider Virgin Media to be thieves and in a country of rights I think they should not only pay 19.99 Sterling to me but also they should face the court for canceling my contract with BT without my authorization.

i have been with virgin media since november i got the large package with 2 neg bb. a representative rang me sayin o we can give u 4 services for £40 quid so i said hey yeah go on then what they did't tell me was my bill was gonna jump from £30 to £160 and then i would end up spending £150 ringing them up to complain and sort it out i have emailed them 3 times wrote 2 letters to them and rang more than 200 times and i'm still waiting for them to sort it out 3 months later