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My Week: The Move

14th Jul 2017
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Ciao folks. It was the last week of FT Practice Ltd operating from a serviced office. It was a stressful week.

I need to get an early night. I have explained the reason below. It is quick My Week posting. My mind, unusually, is not so much on drafting a My Week post today. It is on making sure everything goes well over the weekend, and we are ready for Monday.  

From Monday 17 July 2017, FT Practice Ltd will open its doors to the public from a retail unit. I promised myself; I would not end up like my father and become a shopkeeper. I think I have ended up like him. FT Practice Ltd has entered, what I think is a new chapter of its life.

Is it the right move? Should I have done this? I have gone with what I have been wanting to do for a few years. Finding the right premises, at the right price, and the right location proved to be very difficult. What I can say for certain is for the price, I could not have got a better location.

History Lesson

It all started straight after 2017 tax returns season. On Wednesday 1 February 2017 at 7:30 am, I was standing outside what is today FT Tower, waiting for the estate agent to view the premises. It has taken six (!) stressful months to be in a position to trade from FT Tower.

Men and Van

The stressful period is not over yet. I will be up at 5 am tomorrow morning. I will get ready and get on my bike and pedal to our serviced office. I want to finish all the packing for the two men and van to transport the stuff to FT Tower. They will come at 9 am.

Then it is setting it all up so that we are ready to operate from FT Tower from Monday next week. Yours truly is working the whole weekend.

Broadband

It is shocking we still do not have broadband. Virgin has messed up. I do not have the energy to explain it fully. I hope you get a sense of what I have been going through from my email extract below:

Dear xxx

Please pass this email to Virgin Business Customer Services. It is a formal complaint about your and failure of Virgin Business Broadband service to meet their promises. 

Here is the sequence of events - that clearly demonstrates a complete failure on your part and the team who deals with the implementation of business broadband. 

  1. On 23 May I received a call and email from you agreeing on a date of survey and maybe the installation of broadband. On the day, the engineer did not know where to go since you provided them with an incomplete address. You left out the number (123) in your address. 
  2. We then spoke on 24 May. I made it very clear to you that we are an accountancy practice and without broadband, we cannot work. You assured me that on the next date of installation everything will be okay. I had to pay extra 2-weekrent over £400 as a result of this failure on your part. 
  3. On 26 May, you called an agreed a date for engineers visit of 7 June. Thankfully, I was there when the engineers turned up. They did not call me 40 mins before as we agreed.  
  4. 7 June visit, I found out that the engineer was there to undertake the survey but not installation.
  5. On 19 June, we spoke again, and you promised me installation on 12 July(today). Once again, I mentioned that  I just CANNOT have any further delays. You assured this time around it will be okay.
  6. Today (12 July) I called 0800 052 0800 Virgin Order team at the following times:
    1. 2 pm - I mentioned it is vital that broadband installation takes place today. We simply cannot work without broadband. I was assured installation will be today and the engineer will call an hour before he gets to the site
    2. 4:09 pm - Once again I mentioned, I was very concerned that I have not had an engineer’s call. It is vital that engineers visit, as agreed. Once again, I was assured implementation will be today, and the engineer will call me 40 mins before he/she gets to the site. This did NOT happen. 

Implications

  • We have to move out of our current property and start working from 123 FT Road, NE19 1LG from Monday 17 July. WE DO NOT HAVE BROADBAND, and we have client deadlines to meet. It is a complete failure by you and Virgin.
  • Virgin needs to provide us with Mobile broadband until we have cable broadband installed. 

Finally, I have lost trust and confidence in you to deliver. Please pass my case to someone who is competent to deal with it. 

Please confirm:

  1. Receipt of this email
  2. You have passed my complaint to customer services
  3. Virgin will pay/provide Mobile Broadband up to the date of cable broadband installation. This should be asap. 

Replies (2)

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By mrme89
16th Jul 2017 16:41

We switched from Sky to Virgin early last year. Within a month of signing up on a 'fixed' package, they put the price up. It was only £2-3 per month, but that wasn't the point.

We had problems with installation, broadband cutting out frequently and the TV box not working.

Three months later, they did the same again and put the prices up.

We found out that if they put the price up whilst you are in contract, you can terminate the contract. We hit legged it back to Sky ... luckily, just before Virgin put their prices up, Sky offered 50% off for 12 months and £100 credit on account if we went back to them so it was a no brained to switch back.

I'll never use Virgin again.

Thanks (1)
Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
17th Jul 2017 20:34

virgin Business broadband is supposed to be brilliant if you can get it. But that's a big if. I had a client who wanted it in and after numerous surveys and 6 months messing about they got a message saying that virgin couldn't do the install.

Product supposed to be brilliant but delivery and customer service are [***] poor.

Good luck with the move FT have any clients just popped in on spec to see you yet.

Thanks (1)