Bob gets Virgin Media broadband & TV but is less than impressed with the installation

[nichomach]

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Nah... but we could really do with a 99p coin though.

So SIGN HERE...

[Bob Crabtree]

Originally Posted by nichomach

So SIGN HERE...

Ah, I struggled to location the explanation for that tongue-in-cheek E-Petition, so have copied it here:

Stop weighing down the nation with 1p change and give us a coin that meets our needs.

I like that silly thinking even while realising (as I'm sure the petition-creator and signatories all do) that retailers would end up cutting their prices to £n.98.

[Corzair]

just had cable tv installed by a very overworked cotractor by the sounds of it

already had BB so alway been happy with nlt

anyway the guy was very polite, early though came a 11am instead of 1-6pm - did a nice cableing job inside as i wanted the tv in another room from where my internet connection was. cabled inside very nicely

but he made a bit mess outside where he made the extension from the original connection and didnt even secure the box outside - left open! mi dad put a couple of rubberbands round it - i'm in a wheelchair so have had a proper look at as yet.

no paperwork except a welcom pack/brochure that arrived a week before - the contractor told me there still in the process of changing all the docs over from ntl etc
hmmm the tvcard still has ntl on it tho

generally quite happy - prefer cable to all the bad stories ive heard about adsl
speed is alway as promiced too

havent got my mobile sim yet - took th 3 for £30 option so took a cut in my 4mbit BB to 2
but can live with that!

[Bob Crabtree]

Final found time tonight to open today's mail and in which was the (undated) letter about my Virgin Broadband account that I should have received BEFORE the installation on Wednesday.

But, of course, that was not possible because my account hadn't even been set up back then.

The main reason for posting the letter here, though, is to highlight the fact that, as I said the other day, it IS the case that Virgin Media customers are being told they need to run the Set-up CD that the installer will leave with them.

Here's what that letter said,

Thank you for choosing Virgin Broadband

This letter contains important information you will need to access the service once an installation engineer has visited, so please keep it safe.

Our engineer will bring everything you need to get connected including an easy to follow PC & MAC Set up guide and a Setup CD.

Once the installation is complete, you will need to load the CD-ROM and follow the on-screen instructions.

During this time, you will be asked for your PIN and surname which can be found below:

Your Personal ldentification Number (PIN) - eight-digit number snipped by Bob -

Your Surname: Crabtree

Your Serial Number: - eight-digit number snipped by Bob -

Please take care to enter this information exactly as written above during the Broadband Set-up process, (even if incorrect).

lf incorrect please contact Customer Services on 0845 454 0000* to update for future correspondence.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Stewart
Managing Director Customer Care

* Calls cost no more than 5p per minute from cable landlines. 6p connection fee applies to all chargeable calls made by Virgin Media telephone customers. Calls from non cable lines may vary.

Oh, and I think that the bit about "even if incorrect" means, "if we have got your surname wrong", cos I think most folk won't really know if the PIN or serial number are wrong (he said, stating the bleeding obvious, perhaps).

[Bob Crabtree]

Alarm bells just started ringing after I re-read my last post about the letter from Virgin that turned up today - alarm bells about how much my phone bill is likely to be!

Having visited Virgin's site, I can now see that there is a MAJOR factor that I completely missed when I signed up to the three-for-£30 deal!

Just as with that letter about calling technical support, the page on the site about the phone pricing has this little bombshell tucked away (and even further out of sight),

We also need to tell you that for every chargeable call you make, there's a connection cost of 6p.

Aaaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, what's worse, that means that Pipex may have the last laugh!

[Bob Crabtree]

Originally Posted by mercyground

No you dont.

You only need to goto the website to register it.

autoreg.autoregister.net


serial : ntl-ct8-cj486

and run throu it like that.

I'm totally lost by that explanation.

Possible you might have another go?

[Steve B]

thats the website to register your modem perhaps?

[Bob Crabtree]

Originally Posted by Steve B

thats the website to register your modem perhaps?

Indeed it is - though the address is actually https://autoreg.autoregister.net.

But what I failed to understand - and, remember, here we are talking about a sensible, practical method for ordinary customers to follow - is how the devil such people are supposed to be able register online when it's not until they have registered that they can gain access to the internet?

Is the idea that a sensible broadband set up involves doing this registration round a friend's house; with a neighbour; at work; at an internet cafe; or what?

I'm not denying that it's useful to have that registration address more widely known - and I can see circumstances where I personally might find it useful to know (so I have squirrelled it away for future use) - but, surely, shouldn't most people expect registration to happen as part of the set up process, at home, on their PC?

[Steve B]

surely as soon as the modem is switched on its applied for an IP? therefore you should be able to access the registration site from home, with the new modem.

However, thats old news now.
Cant believe its 6p a connection, thats a rip-off!!

[Mutley]

Originally Posted by Bob Crabtree

Interesting technical explanation but rather less convincing argument about why multiple devices aren't supported.

What you're spelling out would appear to be an example of the "Everyone else is crap, so it's okay for us to be crap, too" theory of business and it's one I object to strongly.

Look at the stats about PC ownership and you'll see that a HUGE number of households have two or more PCs.

So, if what you say about other ISPs is correct, then if Virgin Media really wants to make itself different and better than all its competitors, it immediately has one easy way of doing that - by supporting multiple PCs and then shouting loudly about the fact that it does so willingly.

Right now, though, in that regard, this lack of active support for multiple PCs is, in my view, letting down the company and its customers.

What I'm saying is that this is what they will tell you, not that this is the way it should be. Its been this way for YEARS, but the policy has never changed. Makes life potentially too complicated for them - something else they have to explicitly support. The fact the many many users simply stick a router behind the cable model to support multiple PCs (as I do) seems to make little difference...however that is our choice to do that! I'm sure there are more technically involved explanations as to why that is in fact the policy, but it may be that those reasons expired some time ago...!

[leexgx]

NTL billing system has been an mess for emm the time i have ever used NTL (4-5 yrs before it was cable and wireless)

the fitters are hit and miss thay Realy need to fillter them out but you need to file an report to NTL that probly get ignored

the new one now is NTL/virgin is Halfing my download (10mb) to 5mb ish when i flat line my download for more then 30 mins norm after 6pm (need to test in day time) i pay £35 for 10mb so i Expect it to be Not caped (i can get more then 8mb bb where i live on BT)

as i used NTL for an long time i quite happy with there services got no problems there as i deal with them all the time

Fitters need to be sacked if thay mess up, Billing system needs compleaty revamped

[Tobeman]

http://accessories.virginmedia.com/w...ode=SELF550302

wtf?

[BUFF]

Originally Posted by Bob Crabtree

It was very remiss of me not to point out this daft contradiction - Virgin selling routers and yet telling customers on the phone that they don't support them, which was exactly what I was told when I called up to discuss the broadband options with Virgin.

NTL always used to say that you were allowed to connect 4 (iirc) PCs per line.
They have never supported (in terms of telling you how to setup) switches/routers believing that the mfrs of those products should do that ( apossible exception may have been when they actually sell/sold a complete wireles pack).

I think that it's one of those cases of how the wording is phrased ... confusing support as in allowed to use & support as in telling you how to configure a specific hardware device.

[mercyground]

Originally Posted by Bob Crabtree

I'm totally lost by that explanation.

Possible you might have another go?

Its a http address but i couldnt post it with the full addy as i was under 5 posts.

[Bob Crabtree]

Originally Posted by mercyground

Its a http address but i couldnt post it with the full addy as i was under 5 posts.

Sorry!

VERY dim of me not to have noticed your number of postings and realised that you were unable to put in the proper address.

[Bob Crabtree]

Originally Posted by Tobeman

http://accessories.virginmedia.com/w...ode=SELF550302

wtf?

Indeed - and when you look at what else is sold in the Virgin shop, there are 101 other things that will leave you thinking, "why are you trying to sell this to me?" and "who on earth would even think to come here to buy?"

Or are both overlooking the fact that Virgin's prices are just too good to ignore?