[johnathome]

Can anyone provide me with the phone number for uk support?

I've just got off the phone after 30 mins waiting and got put through to an Indian call centre or something and she didn't understand the problem i am having, very frustrating!.

I'll post the problem here in case anyone has similar problems.

My BB (2MB) is through my set top box. When i watch streaming videos on my PC the VOD service on the tv hangs until i stop the streaming video on the pc.

This is surely some sort of congestion problem, but i can't understand how the modem should affect the tv?

I dialled 151, is there any other number i can dial and speak to someone who speaks and understands fluent english?

A number for the Swansea centre would be ideal.

TIA

[jcm193]

If it a broaband issue just use 150 option 3 I think ive just been onto them myself no real waiting times or Indian call centres thankgod..

[johnathome]

Thanks for that i'll try after i've had me grub

[Cclare86]

There is no guarantee of getting through to an English call centre as the calls are answered on frst come first served basis and whoever is free Indian call centre or Uk call centre that is who answers the call

I know it is frustrating getting through to Indian call centres but it's worth remembering they are only doing their job and trying to earn a wage like the rest of us

[RobAnt]

My BB (2MB) is through my set top box.

Unless things have changed very recently, TV Set Top Boxes are only rated for 1mbps. But post the model number of the device your computer or Router is connected to, so we can check.

[AlexD]

Originally Posted by Cclare86

I know it is frustrating getting through to Indian call centres but it's worth remembering they are only doing their job and trying to earn a wage like the rest of us

What you say is fair enough but they have to be expected to be able to perform their job reasonably well, but if they have poor communication skills and cant help with basic problems they should be sacked and replaced with somebody who can do the job.

My own experience with calling them for tech support last summer when my modem had a fault was outrageous.
The woman on the phone kept putting me on hold for no discernable reason - once she forgot to mute her mic and I could hear her chatting away in her native language.

After 60 minutes on the phone at 10p per minute her advice was unplug the modem and plug it back in again.

I phoned and complained and got 3 months half price broadband for that.

It was obvious workers in that call centre put people on hold so they could skive and chat to eachother.

Imagine how annoyed you would be if you took your car in for repair and the guy made a real mess of it, then you were told, "I know it is frustrating but it's worth remembering they are only doing their job and trying to earn a wage like the rest of us".

[johnathome]

@RobAnt
My box is the brand new Samsung one, slightly smaller than the old samsung.
AFAIK it was only the Pace box that couldn't go over 1 Mb.

Originally Posted by Cclare86

I know it is frustrating getting through to Indian call centres but it's worth remembering they are only doing their job and trying to earn a wage like the rest of us

It had nothing to do with language, she spoke perfect English, she just couldn't comprehend what i was saying. I don't think she understood what 'streaming video' was. She insisted it was a TV problem and i knew it wasn't but agreed to be put through to to Tv faults 'cos i was fed up argueing with her. Half way through explaining the problem to an Indian guy he handed the phone over to an English person. After listening to the fault he said 'I think this is a BB problem, this is TV faults' Ye Gods i gave up after that.

[davybhoy]

I have found that if you ring before 8pm I always get uk support

[craigdawes]

Please help???
does anyone know of a free phone number to get hold of Virgin media, the old NTL??

I begrude calling the 0845 numbers and spending half an hour on them....and getting nothing out of them

[seif_sw]

Originally Posted by jcm193

If it a broaband issue just use 150 option 3 I think ive just been onto them myself no real waiting times or Indian call centres thankgod..

Ithink you mean 151 option 3 m8y

[SerenityMovie]

Originally Posted by craigdawes

Please help???
does anyone know of a free phone number to get hold of Virgin media, the old NTL??

Dial 150 from your phone. It's free.

[seif_sw]

151 is also free and is the faults number going through to 150 (customer service and main routing number) will only delay you (if youve got a fault) and you may go through to the wrong dept. The one you want to avoid at the moment is Customer Relations which is flooded with calls atm. So unless you want to disconnect i advise ppl to stay away from that option as you may be waiting for a while.

[001_ATLANTIS]

I am sorry, but I have to agree that the Indian call centre is just diabolical.
Every time I have had to call them they have been about as much use as a chocolate teapot! It's not just the language / accent problem, although it is a big problem, it's more fundamental than that. They clearly have a script and if your query departs from the script then you are completely stuffed. I really don't need a techy half way around the world to tell me to turn my PC / modem / set top box off and reboot!

I had to contact them this evening and after 15 minutes of being held on line I was told thatthere was no network error and that I should "run your virus scan and everything will be fine!"

Needless to say it wasn't and when I called back Customer Services I begged to be put through to a UK call centre, which I was, and the guy diagnosed the problem a a network issue in a matter of minutes!

If this is typical, and I suspect that it is, why the fu*k are Virgin Media still retaining these off shore call centres. Surely to god the penny must be dropping that they provide very poor service which annoys the hell out of
customers and that the work is by default having to be done by the tech support back in the UK. Close 'em down and bring the jobs back to the UK!

[craigdawes]

Originally Posted by SerenityMovie

Dial 150 from your phone. It's free.

But I am on BT for phone, Sky for Broadband and Sky for TV.
I had to call Virgin last night as they threatened to send me to court for owing them £19.26.
I had no letters or calls from them.
Eventually after 55.47 mins on their 0845 number I managed to speak to an English person who confirm that my account was clear and I owed nothing.
Then after another 13.27 mins they put me through to credit control who confirm they would speak to the debt recovery company to clear the account.

Believe me everyone - leave virgin media well alone.....

[RobAnt]

If you have a suitable BT phone package, then local calls (0845) may be free, but are, anyway, at local rates. You can't phone Virgin absolutely free of charge, as you've chosen to leave their service.

[anniebrion]

Originally Posted by RobAnt

If you have a suitable BT phone package, then local calls (0845) may be free, but are, anyway, at local rates. You can't phone Virgin absolutely free of charge, as you've chosen to leave their service.

I called Virgin for free on a BT line ealier this week 3 times

0800 0730591

Each call was answered by a UK agent

I got Broadband XL for the price of L (£25) for 12 months.

[jackbristow]

Originally Posted by RobAnt

If you have a suitable BT phone package, then local calls (0845) may be free, but are, anyway, at local rates. You can't phone Virgin absolutely free of charge, as you've chosen to leave their service.

there is no "suitable BT phone package" as you call it that you get 0845 calls free on god knows were you got that from.

[craigdawes]

Originally Posted by anniebrion

I called Virgin for free on a BT line ealier this week 3 times

0800 0730591

Each call was answered by a UK agent

I got Broadband XL for the price of L (£25) for 12 months.

Many thanks.
Reading these forums I managed to find a free number for Sky.
I knew there must be a number out there for Virgin for free.
Thanks

[AlexD]

Originally Posted by craigdawes

But I am on BT for phone, Sky for Broadband and Sky for TV.
I had to call Virgin last night as they threatened to send me to court for owing them £19.26.
I had no letters or calls from them.
Eventually after 55.47 mins on their 0845 number I managed to speak to an English person who confirm that my account was clear and I owed nothing.
Then after another 13.27 mins they put me through to credit control who confirm they would speak to the debt recovery company to clear the account.

Believe me everyone - leave virgin media well alone.....

If you ring customer services (use the freephone number listed above) they will give your account a credit to cover your call charges as it was their error. They may even give you a montly discount for a few months - they gave me one when I had problems with them.

[Brodieman]

google is your friend! a little site called saynoto0870.com allows you to seach either by company name or telephone number and they will give you the alternative geographical number meaning if you get free local and national calls (01 and 02 numbers) it would be free.

[RobAnt]

Originally Posted by jackbristow

there is no "suitable BT phone package" as you call it that you get 0845 calls free on god knows were you got that from.

Oh, well that's a shame - all my non premium rate UK calls, of less than 1 hours duration, are free. I would have thought other phone companies offered something similar these days.

I get 2mb BB, Phone & TV, free UK calls & good rate for foreign calls for £19.95/mo for life.

[2e0raf]

Originally Posted by RobAnt

Oh, well that's a shame - all my non premium rate UK calls, of less than 1 hours duration, are free. I would have thought other phone companies offered something similar these days.

I get 2mb BB, Phone & TV, free UK calls & good rate for foreign calls for £19.95/mo for life.

i think if you read the small print that excludes non geographic locations such as 0845 etc etc.

[dave09]

As for the Indian call centres i know they are doing there jobs the best they can but should be able to communicate at a reasonable level. i also think those in charge of VM should be made to ring up and try to get a problem fixed see how long and frustrating they find it ...

[Crab Paste]

If like me, you don't use a VM phone, use 0117 9076666, It's the same as dialling 150 from a VM phone.

Because it's a geographical number, it'll be cheaper than calling 0845 etc. It might also be included in your monthly mobile call allowance, or free from non-VM landline providers.

Even my 500 minutes call allowance is plenty, though I have used around 35 just calling VM, most of it listening the Katie Melua.