Virgin Media down as customers struggle to access internet services
VIRGIN Media customers complain they are struggling to use their internet this morning with thousands saying their service is down.
Outage tool Down Detector has received more than 1,500 reports of problems at the telecoms giant this morning with the majority centred on broadband issues.
It’s unclear what exactly has happened as the telecom giant’s social media accounts and service status page doesn’t list any known issues.
But the country has been ravaged by storms following days of soaring temperatures, and just yesterday flooding and lightning strikes caused a major BT broadband outage in Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland.
Down Detector says the Virgin Media issues seem to centre around London, the Midlands and Yorkshire.
It’s the latest blow for millions of people trying to work from home during the coronavirus crisis who have already been hit with network outages.
Can I get compensation if my broadband cuts out?
BROADBAND and phone customers are usually paid compensation from providers for service or engineer visit issues - but this scheme has been temporarily paused.
Under the current coronavirus circumstances providers are less likely to be able to carry out repairs, install new services or make home visits.
Usually customers would get £8 back for every day that the service stops working after two working days of it going down.
Customers are also usually due £25 if an engineer misses an appointment or cancels with less than 24 hours notice.
If there’s a delay to the start of a new service then you will usually get £5 for each day, including the missed start date.
If your service goes down then it’s worth asking for compensation, even if it doesn’t fall into one of these categories.
If you’re unhappy and they don’t resolve your complaint then you can take it to one of two dispute resolution (ADR) schemes – Ombudsman Services: Communications or Communications and Internet Services Adjustment Scheme.
Just last month, Virgin Media’s customer website and emails went down leaving thousands unable to log in.
One frustrated customer tweeted today: “@virginmedia what a load of crap this company is! Wi-Fi never ever works, it’s down more times than it is on. Get through to customer services after an hour and half for them to say it’s fixed (for the millionth time), then 5mins later Wi-Fi isn’t working AGAIN!”
Another person wrote: “@virginmedia WiFi I once again down in Tower Hamlets! This is crazy! Please can someone assist I need WiFi access immediately as I work from home please respond.”
Someone else added: “@virginmedia your internet is shocking, going down every week which makes working from home so difficult.”
Unlike other broadband networks, which use BT’s Openreach cables, Virgin Media owns its own network, which it uses to connect homes to the web.
The Sun has contacted Virgin Media for more information and we’ll update this story as soon as we get a response.
How do I check my Virgin Media service status?
Virgin Media has a dedicated web page where you can find out if there are any problems in your area.
Click here to visit the My Virgin service update website.
To find out if there are problems in your area, enter your postcode.
See our Virgin Media outages guide for more information on how to check your service and if you’re eligible for compensation.
more on broadband
Major broadband providers have recently agreed to switch millions of vulnerable customers to cheaper deals saving them £70 each a year.
Meanwhile, Universal Credit claimants can get home phone and broadband from BT for just £10 a month.
And if you’re struggling to pay your bills, you should be offered a repayment holiday.