Virgin Media apologises after elderly couple cut off

The couple, who live in Eccleshill, had their broadband and landline services disconnected after workmen turned up at the couple’s home last Friday following their request for a Sky Sports service. 

After deciding that the cabling needed replacing, the workers left, leaving the elderly pair with no telephone, internet, or TV.

Virgin Media has now apologised for the delay and said the problem was caused by a blockage that prevented work from being carried out. 

Virgin Media has now apologised for the delay (Image: PA)

An emergency backup line is due to be installed today and engineers will visit tomorrow "to work on a permanent fix". 

Although the couple have mobile phones, health problems make mobile phones difficult for them to use.

Their son Adrian, who lives in Manchester, said he spent eight hours on the phone and online to Virgin Media, trying to get his parents’ services restored and worried about what would happen if there was an emergency.

In desperation, he turned to the Telegraph & Argus for help on Wednesday, and on Thursday, workers turned up at his parents’ home to install the emergency landline.

He said the workers were due to return tomorrow to restore the couple’s services.

“I referenced my mother and father’s state - that they are so disabled and that they are elderly - and I have been quite dramatic.

"I have said that I will hold Virgin Media responsible if for some reason they can’t contact anybody and something happens,” Adrian said.

When the Telegraph & Argus contacted Virgin Media on Wednesday, they said that the “team are looking into it as a matter of urgency”.

“My dad has Alzheimer’s so he never answers his mobile,” said Adrian.

“He had a doctor’s message on it on Friday, and I spotted it. My mum has difficulty because she is not dextrous with her hands because she has had a stroke so she struggles to use it.”

“It is not their fault.

“Virgin Media were undertaking works last Friday morning. There were four workmen working – they turned off the internet, phone etc – and said they were coming back after lunch. They never came back or communicated what was happening."

He told the Telegraph & Argus: “I have been on to the call centre seven times and, after various Walter Mitty excuses from India and sending several seething emails to Virgin, they are telling me that there will be no services till the 19th September.”       

“To me, this is appalling. My father is 92 and suffers from Alzheimer’s and my mum had a stroke and lost the use of one leg. She looks after my dad. Clearly, if there are any emergencies, this is not ideal. They both have mobiles but struggle with them.

One of the many calls made by Adrian (Image: UGC)

“My mum said the workers turned up, switched off the services, said they were going for lunch, did some work - and just didn’t come back again.

“So I just started ranting, trying to speak to their customer services in Mumbai and all over the world.

"It’s just very frustrating, constant promises of ‘we will sort this out’. I’d said they are disabled. I don’t know if Virgin knew that before, but I certainly made it clear on the Friday. So they had quite a lot of time - but nothing transpired over the whole weekend, leaving my mum and dad without any TV, internet or telephone.

“I’ve been an absolute pain, probably. Today (Wednesday) I have had a long diatribe online with Virgin Media."

Adrian estimates he’s spent seven or eight hours trying to sort it out.

He even contacted customer services through his own Virgin Media account in an attempt to find a solution.

A Virgin Media spokesperson said today: “We apologise for the delay in resolving the issue with their landline service. This has been caused by a blockage which has unfortunately prevented our team from carrying out the required works.

“A technician is attending the property today to install an emergency backup line that will enable them to use their landline, and we have scheduled engineers to visit tomorrow to work on a permanent fix.”