Virgin Media Business

Dear Virgin Media Customer Service Team,

I am writing to formally raise a complaint on behalf of UCS regarding the ongoing and unacceptable interruptions to our internet service, which began on 6 September 2024 and remain unresolved as of today, 12th November 2024. As a cloud-based accountancy practice with 8 employees, our operations are heavily reliant on consistent internet access.

This prolonged service disruption has severely impacted our ability to operate, leading to substantial financial losses, reputational harm, and significant strain on our business and employees.

Summary of the Issue:

Since 6 September 2024, our internet service has been persistently unstable or unavailable. Our numerous calls to your customer support team to seek resolution include, but are not limited to:6 September 2024: 15:19 (38 minutes), 16:51 (7 minutes)10 September 2024: 9:03 (18 minutes)11 September 2024: 9:05 (9 minutes)12 September 2024: 9:36 (10 minutes)17 September 2024: 9 calls between 8:42 and 16:10 totalling 1 hour 45 minutes7 October 2024: 13:11 (12 Minutes)22 October 2024: 13:59 (18 minutes)28 October 2024: Internet service available for only 6 hours throughout the entire week5 November 2024: 17:12 (5 Minutes) Internet off again back following day lunch time.

Despite repeated calls and technician visits, this issue remains unresolved. Engineers advised that the cabling needed replacement, yet due to an alleged permit requirement to access the pavement, this action has been delayed to 7 January 2025! We were then informed following numerous calls that the cable replacement would occur on 5 November, but upon calling for an update, I was told the permit had not even been obtained and there will be a cable pull on 11 November, this again has not taken place.

Business Impact:

As a fully cloud-based practice, we are entirely dependent on stable internet access.

This issue has had the following serious impacts on UCS:Operational Downtime: Staff have been sent home multiple times due to the inability to work. We've had to operate late into the night to meet critical account submission and payroll deadlines. These staff had to be paid overtime to complete their tasks as it is not their fault Virgin are unable to provide an internet service.Lost Business: We have missed client emails and calls, leading to lost client opportunities and reputational harm.Financial Loss: My professional time, valued at £250 per hour, has been spent on Virgin Media customer support instead of client work. Moreover, the disruption has cost us an estimated £40,000 in staff downtime and delayed project completion.

Resolution Expected:

In light of the significant disruption, we require the following:

1.Full Credit of Service Fees: A complete refund of all Virgin Media charges for the affected period, and suspension of billing until full service is restored.

Provide a valid USB and back up service until system is fully functional again.

2.Compensation for Loss of Business and Productivity: Compensation to cover lost revenue, reputational damages, the salaries of employees who have been unable to perform their duties due to this service failure.

3.Reimbursement of My Wasted Time: My professional rate of £250 per hour should be reimbursed for the hours spent attempting to resolve this issue with Virgin Media, as opposed to working with clients and managing my business.

This ongoing issue requires urgent attention, and I expect a response with a clear timeline for resolution by Friday 15th November 2024. If immediate and meaningful action is not taken, we will have no alternative but to escalate this complaint through the relevant regulatory and legal channels.

Your offer to compensate me up to a value of £50 to purchase my own USB WIFI dongle is derisory, disgraceful and a spit in the face of a loyal business customer.

Instead of an apology and acknowledgement for:

1- Serious breach of contract

2- Failure to provide an Internet connection

3- Failure to provide adequate provisions

4- Not doing everything in your power to minimise the damage caused to my business for your breach

5- Failure to answer my calls with proper and accurate information

6- Causing serious and irreparable reputation damage to my business

7- Failure to uphold good standards and adequate redress of grievance,

You have offered me derogatory and demeaning compensation.

This is not only unacceptable, but clearly a violation of my rights as a customer. Should you fail to adequately provide a remedy as per our rightful demands, my legal team has advised me to notify you of our intention to take this matter further, and use all the legal tools in our power to take action against Virgin Media.