Hi There,
I had Virgin super-fast broadband installed last September. The ensuing months were a litanty of stress for me:
*Intermittant service, I twice received refunds for lousy connections and intermiitant service
*No fixed IP- my own website could not be accessed via the Virgin service
*Virgin support told me that my inability to view my own site was because of bad html coding!
*Sometimes days without any connection- apprently a problem at the exchange.
*Customer service no help- tried to blame me
*Upon cancelling the account I never received a final bill. The first I heard of this was from a debt collection agency (BPO) threatening legal action.
*Since terminating my virgin account I receive weekly junk mail from them boasting about their wonderful service- a waste of paper since I now know better.
Since I changed provider- the new service is fast, reliable and I've had no trouble. Interestly when a virgin employee came to collect their router he told me that many had similar expereinces and they he himself changed to BT!
All in all a lousy service- I've lost all respect for Stephen Fry for appearing on their adverts- obviously money will make him say anything. My advice to potential customers- stay away from Virgin! The worst cusomter experience I had ever had.
Sincerely
Virgin mobile broadband
Virgin overview
- Straight forward dongle-only deal with a choice of either 1GB or 3GB download allowance each month.
- Save 20% on mobile broadband when you buy in a bundle with Virgin cable broadband
- Advertised speeds of up to 7.2Mb and no connection fee on 18 month contracts.
- Virgin use the T-Mobile network, so coverage is pretty good across the UK.
Virgin Broadband Genie Road Test results
- Downloads
2 stars- Uploads
- 2 stars
- Streaming
1 stars- Stability & coverage
- 1 stars
- Feelgood factor
- 2 stars
- Dongle & software
- 2 stars
- Overall
- 2 stars
May 2012
Virgin was the winner of our very first road trip in 2009 but has been gradually slipping down the rankings ever since. It was runner up in 2010 and barely made a dent in 2011. This year though the fall in performance is dramatic. It was by far the weakest of all the networks, coming close to complete failure with under 20% of the tests completed.
Every streaming test was a total washout, it either couldn’t start the video/audio at all or played a few seconds and refused to continue. File uploading managed just as poorly and downloads were not much better with only a single small file saved, though on a positive note that was quite quick.
Of the three speed tests it managed to complete it gave an average of just 0.97Mb with the highest being 1.38Mb. Upstream averaged 0.83Mb with a maximum 1Mb, which is reasonable. Often it wasn’t even a case of allowing more time for the Virgin dongle to finish. It struggled to hold on to a signal and if lost took an age to regain the connection.
Virgin is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator - MVNO - running off Everything Everywhere. It was the only network not to use a Huawei dongle, opting instead for the Alctatel X220. As Virgin customers have access to both T-mobile and Orange networks and each of those provided a significantly better experience the hardware is a possible culprit for this disappointing outcome.
Overall analysis of the Mobile Broadband Genie Road Trip 2012
by May 2012
About Virgin
There's no denying Virgin Media has a great brand, but is it a great mobile broadband product? It was our best in show back in 2009 and we get very few customer complaints about it, compared to its rivals. That said, it’s not like you're spoilt for choice: currently Virgin only has two mobile broadband deals on offer, which probably explains why not many people are heading its way.
While part of the Virgin Media brand (since February 2007), Virgin Mobile isn't actually a mobile network in its own right: it's what is know as a 'mobile virtual network operator', or MVNO - which means it uses another company's network for its mobile phone and mobile broadband service (in this case EE). In fact, when it launched in 1999, it was the world's first MVNO. Virgin Media was a distant last into the 3G mobile broadband UK market in October 2008.
Choice is limited - Virgin currently offers either a 1GB or 3GB package on either an 18 month or 2 month agreement with just a single lonely dongle, and nothing at all if you're looking for pay as you go mobile broadband. Sorry - no free laptop deals either.
While its mobile broadband product doesn't write many headlines, it wrote a pretty big one in 2009, winning the overall Broadband Genie Road Trip Award ahead of T-Mobile.
It's also worth thinking about Virgin Media's Quadplay offer: the company is now offering cable TV, telephone and fixed-line broadband as well as its mobile phone deals. We guess 'quinplay' doesn't have quite the same ring to it...
Looking for Virgin home broadband?
Virgin customer reviews
Show all 42 Virgin Mobile Broadband reviews»
-
Report abuse -
Report abuseAll worked fine until they "upgraded" me to the super hub. I haven't been able to connect wirelessly since and they haven't given me any help beyond that which I was able to try myself!!
-
Report abuse
I had to go to Bournemouth due to a family emergency and stay for several days. My Virgin dongle just utterly failed, even with a booster antennae to work either in my parent's house or garden. In desperation I drove around the area with my laptop and dongle trying to find a signal. Even sat by the river outside of Christchurch - nothing. In the end I had to resort to an internet cafe. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
-
Report abuse
virgin media? stay well away!
i have had the 10mb broadband along with the (L) tv package,and i have had nothing but problems with both ever since it was installed. Right from the beginning, their 'cable pulling' team were completetly imcompetent too the point where i had to more or less do there job for them. 6 weeks i waited for a cable to put it. i lost 5 days of work because of the times they were due to come out and never even turned up, when they did there was always a problem as to why they couldn't do their job. to the point where i went out and done it, yes i pulled the cable through myself, while they stood and watched! when we were connected my internet was so slow it would cut out altogether. my T.V package was no better with the picture pixilating so bad you could almost count them, my on demand never worked. On demand movies would cut outt half way through watching them, costing between £3 and £6 each. Virgins call out engineers are totally useless and have lied to my face on numours times, they have told me they have done things that i know were not true at all. the same engineer done this twice! Vigins customer services are apauling and can not understand a word you say, i have a pay-as-you-go phone and so far have used £110 pounds of credit ringing about my issues. it has got to the point where i just refused to pay my bills untill something was done. when my account when into arreas i was called 8 times in one day and asked when this was going to be paid.never once did someone call me to talk to me about when my problems would be put right. Only yesterday did we have engineer number 14 come round to 'sort' our problems. He chopped a few cables and put them back together and THEN said it might be your modem, but didn't have a modem with him. so i have to ring yet again if the problem continues.
I could carry on this post for as long as the page would let me, but to be honest it is making me mad just writing it, i have to ring Virgin up yet again when i have done this and my patince is running a little thin. Anyone who is concidering Virgin should know that the sevices they give you are appauling, the technical department can't understand you and are useless, customer services are even worse and the call out engineers lie to your face.
i have never been so distgusted with a company the size of vigin in my life.
To anyone who is reading this and wants to talk about what they have read please reply, to anyone who is thinking of maybe using Virgin media STAY WELL AWAY
Add a review
