Alert: Some Virgin 360 boxes do not allow you to record

Just raised yet another case ID with Virgin about this.

The guy I spoke to was adamant that you cannot record to the Apollo 360 mini box. With this box, you can only record to the cloud, it seems. He said it’s a “back office” problem that an engineer’s call-out wouldn’t fix. He said it should take 24-48 hours to fix. We shall see. This is my fourth time asking.

Now you know.

D.
 
As I said no Apollo box has a hard drive. If you have one or more Apollo boxes you record to the cloud.

If you have a main 360 box with hard drive and the 2nd, 3rd etc. is an Apollo box your recordings are on the hard drive on the main 360 box and you can stream them.

It is a "back office" problem and no point in having a engineer call out I would agree with.
Maybe go to Comreg next and you will need that case ID number.
 
Conor Pope is on to it


After a few days of being unable to record what she describes as her “normal programmes of interest”, she contacted technical support “to be advised that this was the position with a new box. I then contacted Virgin customer service to be advised that this was indeed correct and that the sales agent was remiss in not bringing this to my attention. I was further advised that there was ‘no going back’ to my original package or box. Despite the 14 day cooling-off period, I was advised that I could not revert to my original package with Virgin Media, This situation could not be reversed.”
...
In a statement, Virgin Media said that “customers can record live TV shows, depending on the channel and agreements in place. As a broadcaster too, we are making all our Virgin Media Television content available for recording. However, some other broadcasters (such as RTÉ and the BBC) are not following the same approach and restricting recording permissions/accessibility for customers. We are continuing to pursue this with RTÉ and the BBC on their behalf.”

 
The complaint and the Virgin statement are two different things. Or, at the very least, they can be.

It's clear that you cannot record certain channels with Virgin since they don't have license/agreement to do so. But, it's also clear that some customers cannot record any channels, which the Virgin statement does not acknowledge. If anything, if the statement was issued to Conor Pope in response to a query from his contact, the statement from Virgin evades the issue of zero recording ability that some customers experience.

I do wonder if, since they are in breach of a contract which states (at least in my case), "record up to six channels while watching a seventh", the two week cooling off period does not apply?

Just been in contact with support for the nth time - I set up a case ID on this issue six days ago. Still saying that I should be able to record with my setup and they're "working on it". We shall see.

D.
 
I think you might have to get Comreg involved and yes make sure that they realize you cannot record any channels not just RTE and BBC.
 
I got an email saying virgin media is disabling email service for those of us using @ UPCmail.ie addresses from the middle of August. Looking online It seems they already did this in other markets . Omg this is my main email so lots of work to change it everywhere .

Coincidentally, I am also due to get the Apollo upgrade installed soon. I wonder if I should back out based on what I hear here!?
 
It's a huge improvement on a Horizon box but sadly won't let you record every single channel you pay for like the 360 main box with hard drive will (Virgin has stopped giving these out). If you recorded a lot from BBC then you won't be happy.
It's a tricky decision for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mtk
If you have a 360 box with internal hard drive then don't move to Apollo. If however you get an Apollo as a 2nd or 3rd box etc. then you could still record RTE and BBC and stream from 360 box but if you are giving up a 360 box for an Apollo then you will loose recording facilities for RTE and BBC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mtk
I’ve been with VM for 15 years and been happy with the service but in the last few weeks I have realised they have a policy to get people off the 360 box. I made my annual phone call to get a discount and I was told they could reduce my tv from 32.50 to 27. I wasn’t getting anywhere with negotiating a better discount so I just went ahead with it and decided to look elsewhere in the cooling off period. I was not told there would be a change of equipment,
Next day an Apollo box arrived. The follow in day my 360 box was disconnected.
To say I am fuming is an understatement I definitely was not given the full t&cs I would never have agreed to the streaming device. Recordings still very much used in the house and we have lost all our recordings!
After hours on the phone to customer service this week with me being told by one that the 360 box would be reconnected and I am still waiting!
Lodged a complaint to get a case id for comreg and the solution was to say they couldn’t downgrade broadband and a 50 eur credit. Just goes to show they didn’t read or understand the actual complaint as the issue was tv not broadband!
Basically policy must be to get people off the 360 box by any means necessary. Am about to cancel my subscription altogether
 
Yes that would make me mad as well. You could ask for a copy off the phone call from them as it would have been recorded. I doubt if they have such a policy because it would cost them a lot with Courier fees. The phone agents are just not competent enough. They seem to just want to fling out some equipment to people when they ring regardless if it's actually needed or not.
 
I’ve been with VM for 15 years and been happy with the service but in the last few weeks I have realised they have a policy to get people off the 360 box. I made my annual phone call to get a discount and I was told they could reduce my tv from 32.50 to 27. I wasn’t getting anywhere with negotiating a better discount so I just went ahead with it and decided to look elsewhere in the cooling off period. I was not told there would be a change of equipment,
Next day an Apollo box arrived. The follow in day my 360 box was disconnected.
To say I am fuming is an understatement I definitely was not given the full t&cs I would never have agreed to the streaming device. Recordings still very much used in the house and we have lost all our recordings!
After hours on the phone to customer service this week with me being told by one that the 360 box would be reconnected and I am still waiting!
Lodged a complaint to get a case id for comreg and the solution was to say they couldn’t downgrade broadband and a 50 eur credit. Just goes to show they didn’t read or understand the actual complaint as the issue was tv not broadband!
Basically policy must be to get people off the 360 box by any means necessary. Am about to cancel my subscription altogether
Sorry to hear you've lost all your old recordings. Very annoying.

Can I ask if you are able to use the cloud recording service with the new Apollo box?

Thanks.

D.
 
Hi I changed my package 3 weeks ago I got new small streaming boxes I only got my channels back yesterday and sports and movies today in 2 boxes working only. On my box n my sons room it says they can't find my account details I had to go 3 weeks of watching nothing only a firestick that I had to get a loan of
 
Latest saga…

Two days ago, Sky Sports 401-407 stopped working.

Spent three hours dealing with VM yesterday. Eventually, my internet went too. (Not clear if their trying to reconnect my tv remotely caused this.)

After more too-ing and fro-ing trying to fix my internet, they gave up.

The soonest they will send out an engineer is June 10th.

So, no tv, no internet and no landline until June 10th at the earliest. More importantly, no remote working next week for two people in the house and the expense that entails.

From where I’m sitting, Virgin Media barks and wears a lead. You have been warned.

D.
 
Back
Top